Brothers In Arms (A Sword Art Online Story)
by ExplodingJew
Summary: Taking place at the start of the Aincrad Arc, this story will follow two brothers, Israel and Jae, as they try to survive in this Death Game while also attempting to maintain their love and trust in each other. While the overall premise of Aincrad is obviously the foundation of this story, most of the names, places, and events are made up by me. I would love any and all feedback.
1. Chapter 1

1

November 6, 2022

Floor 1, Town of Beginnings

"The way I see it," Israel began slowly as he sidestepped people running frantically past, "This is no different than any other RPG."

Picking up the pace as they drew near a side street that looked relatively empty, The two didn't slow down or look behind them until they had turned the corner. It was then that Israel saw the look on Jae's face.

He looked dumbfounded. "This is definitely not like other RPG's, man. This completely changes the game."

Israel was tempted to make a flippant remark about the unintentional pun, but he managed to restrain himself after reflecting on the gravity of the situation. Jae was right, of course. The two of them had just left the central plaza of the Town of Beginnings, where the creator of Sword Art Online, Kayaba Akihiko, had informed them what his game was really all about. He had proven that he now controlled their lives by trapping them permanently in SAO. If they died at any point during the game, then they died in real life as well. He had then simply vanished, leaving ten thousand people stranded in his vast world.

Jae was forced to step back as several people ran up from behind, showing no signs of slowing down. Waiting until they were out of earshot, Jae began racking his brain to come up with some kind of solution as he spoke. "We have no idea what kind of mobs are out there. We have no idea what powers and abilities anything has. We-"

"So we level up," Israel interrupted. "Obviously there's things different here than in other games, but as with any other RPG, we know that when we level up, we get attribute points. In our other games, we always go for added damage and offensive power. Here we just need to change our style a little. We need to take it slower and put a majority of our focus, at least early game, into defense and more HP."

Jae waved his arm in irritation as he replied, "Yes, but leveling up in any RPG takes time, and from what I've read in the Beta test reviews, leveling up in SAO takes even longer. Attribute points won't make a difference if we die before we get enough of them to actually be noteworthy."

Israel squinted in confusion. "So what...you're saying not to go out and start leveling up?"

"That's not what I'm saying at all." Jae answered through gritted teeth. He glanced at Israel, who stood unmoving and with arms now crossed in obvious irritation of his own. Taking a breath, Jae started over. "I'm thinking we stay here in town for at least one day. We can get several levels up by just doing the really simple, and safe, town quests. That will give us the buffer we need to actually go out and start grinding efficiently, without fear of getting caught off guard by abilities we weren't expecting."

Israel shook his head enthusiastically. "I get your point, and it makes sense, but it's not worth missing out on the rare drops we could get if we act first and take out the monsters nearby before anyone else does. We need equipment, better weapons for one, but armor and potions come first. Defense needs to be our top priority."

"Dude," Jae muttered, "The drops may vary when it comes to bosses, but they're the same every time the normal mobs respawn. Especially the ones here in Floor 1."

Again Israel shook his head. He was beginning to get angry that they had already begun wasting time, but he wasn't backing down. Every choice they would make could spell life or death for them, let alone the first plan of action with every player in SAO all in the same area and all panicking to boot.

"I read beta reviews too, Jae, and it was said multiple times that in this game, rare and legendary drops are each unique to themselves. Once you find one, there aren't any others like it. I want to go the safe route just as much as you, but that's not by wandering around here just getting EXP when we could be getting that along with col and rare items. It's just not worth it."

Jae still had his doubts, and he didn't remember seeing anything in the reviews about only one of every rare item, but if there was a chance it was true, a rare item would give them a better safety margin than any five safe quests. He also knew that they couldn't afford to continue wasting time. Dipping his head in a nod of agreement, Jae started forward.

It took them almost a half hour to find their way out of the sprawling safe zone, which was almost the size of a real life city. By the time they reached the front gates, they could see dozens of players already far afield, either exploring or battling with the monsters that spawned nearby.

Jae and Israel advanced cautiously, often looking behind and around them to be sure they wouldn't be caught unawares by respawning monsters. All ten thousand players had spawned into the game with a rusty level 1 short sword in their inventory, not to mention the mirror Kayaba had given each of them that gave their real life appearance to their avatars. Though Jae and Israel were no strangers to swords, or to team fighting, they were still figuring out the combat mechanics of the game, so they stayed close together as they drew their blades and advanced on a pack of level 1 wild boars that hadn't yet been targeted by the other players.

"Ok," Jae shouted as three of the boars began to charge them, "Let's take care of these before moving on to the rest of the pack."

With a single nod in answer, Israel closed ranks with Jae. Shoulder to shoulder now, the two of them braced themselves as the first boar reached them. Taking on a defensive stance, Israel lowered his sword to block the attack, realizing too late that he had failed to time it right. The boar's tusks tore at his legs, tearing his pants and sending him sprawling to the ground.

Seeing his health points drop by 50 out of his maximum 300, Israel struggled to reign in his rising panic. The game's combat mechanic was incredibly realistic, but timing and reaction speed seemed to be of particular importance, and Israel was beginning to see that mastering them would be key to winning battles.

Israel tried to get back on his feet, but the boar was already on him again. Once again, Israel lowered his sword in an attempt to block, and this time, the boar's tusks crashed against his sword, sending a shower of sparks flying in all directions. The animal's fiery red eyes burned with hatred as it attempted to use brute force to push past the blade, and Israel met the stare with a glare of his own. With a roar of rage, Israel bashed the pommel against the beast's head, knocking it off it's feet as it flew backwards.

Jumping back to his feet with his sword at the ready, Israel was about to charge the beast head on, when suddenly Jae's blade came down in one blinding flash, severing the boar's head from it's body. The carcass exploded, causing thousands of pixelated glass shards bursting outwards in all directions.

Nodding in thanks to Jae, Israel saw the second boar rushing his friend from behind. Knowing Jae wouldn't be able to block the blow in time, Israel dashed forward without hesitation. Picking up speed as he spun around Jae, Israel used the momentum to power his sword, allowing it to begin it's arc through the air even as he continued his charge. He could hear the blade sing as it completed it's journey home. Just as the boar jumped forward to complete its charge into Jae, who was now turning in surprise, it's face and tusks were torn apart by the end of Israel's blade, sending the monster crashing head first to the ground.

Without giving it a chance to rise, Israel pivoted on his left foot and spun back around, this time keeping his sword perfectly horizontal in the air. Just as the half blinded beast stumbled to it's feet, Israel launched the tip of his sword through the left side of the monster's head and out through it's ruined right eye. As his sword was freed amidst a second shower of shards, Israel turned, only to see Jae beside him again as the third and final boar reached them.

Without even bothering to block, both brothers screamed in unison as they brought both their blades down in one devastating, combined overhead strike, slicing the entire boar in half from snout to tail before it could touch them.

Even as the digital shards flew past them, the two glanced at each other as they panted.

"I'd say we're starting to get the hang of this." Israel grinned.

"And if this wasn't a death game," Jae replied as he tapped his sword against Israel's, "I'd say that was fucking badass."


	2. Chapter 2

2

November 9, 2022,

Floor 1, Western Fields

Letting out one final scream, Israel crouched as he lunged forward, his sword aimed for a stab at the monster's chest. At the same time, he could hear Jae's hatchet whistle through the air above him as Jae went for a horizontal hack. The monster, a level 5 goatman mini boss, desperately swung its spiked cudgel in an effort to ward off the brothers' combined attacks, but it was too late. Israel thrust the sword with all his strength, driving the entire blade through the monster's heart up to the crossguard. At the same moment, Jae's axe tore clean through the beast's neck, launching it's head up into the air well in advance of it's body.

Though both were eager to see what the mini boss may have dropped, the two instead ignored the on-death explosion and took up defensive stances as they scanned the area for any more monsters. They had learned the hard way just that morning that random mob respawns would be one of their biggest threats if they weren't careful.

After they had confirmed that the area was safe for the moment, the two quickly sheathed their weapons and opened their inventories.

"I hit level 5." Israel said as he began steadying his breathing after the long battle. He continued scrolling through his stats before adding, "I got a free HP boost for this one, must be a milestone bonus. I think I can afford to put my attribute points into strength this time around. I need the damage, and neither of us went into the yellow the whole boss fight."

When Jae didn't answer, Israel quickly finished assigning his attributes before turning to see if something was wrong.

"I was hoping for a sword." Jae sighed as he read through his item inventory, "I have no idea what abilities spears have in this game."

Israel leaned over to read the weapon's description on Jae's inventory screen. The shaft was seven feet in length and made of strong ash wood. The blade of the spear itself was a foot in length and made of plain bronze. It was a level 3 weapon, easily dealing twice the damage Israel's starting sword did. He shrugged before raising an eyebrow at Jae. "At least you got a new weapon. Again. You just got that hatchet this morning. I still haven't gotten a better one. With my luck, I may as well stop hoping and just go buy one in town."

Jae shook his head as he wiped his brow. "That wouldn't be worth it. We had to grind all day yesterday just to finally be able to afford one health crystal for each of us." He paused as he went over the math again before shaking his head in annoyance. "In any other RPG, it's easy to get rich and stock up on cash, but here everything is so expensive. And that's with the two of us sharing what we have! I can only imagine how hard it must be for all the players that are out there on their own."

Israel nodded thoughtfully, pushing his long blonde hair out of his face before adding, "When we went back to town last night, most of the players looked like they hadn't even gone outside yet. I want to help them...convince them that they need to start leveling up if they're going to have a chance."

"I'm sure they already know that, man." Jae said as he equipped his new spear. "Kayaba made that much clear back in the plaza."

Israel turned away and gazed outward. The two of them were in some ruins on top of a small hill overlooking the outskirts of the fields around the Town of Beginnings. In the distance, Israel could just make out the walls and rooftops of the town itself. They had spent the last two days grinding, only taking breaks long enough to eat and sleep. Throughout the first day, they stayed primarily in the fields outside of the Town of Beginnings, but as they grew more confident in their swordsmanship and began leveling up, they soon started traveling further afield.

By the second day, they had each earned several hundred col, and had quickly run back to town to buy health and teleport crystals, only to find that in reality, they hadn't earned much at all. After another day devoted to combat though, not to mention a mini boss-fight, they now had over two thousand col between them. For the first time since they had arrived in SAO though, Israel now found himself thinking of the other players. The feeling of safety they felt within the safe zone was an illusion, at best. RPG's had a habit of being unpredictable. It was likely that at some point, there would be an event or new quest that would render a safe area temporarily unstable, or even dangerous.

"I just unlocked a spear skill!" Jae shouted excitedly from behind him.

Israel turned and faced him. On Jae's screen was a picture of a plain steel spear with a caption over it that read _Two Handed Assault Spear._

"What's it do?" Israel asked, though his mind was still on other things.

Jae shrugged. "It's just a basic spear move I think. Pretty much the same as the one handed Rage Spike sword skill we started with, except it can also be a slash instead of a stab."

Israel raised his eyebrows. "That's actually really good for the sake of versatility. You could use the same move several times and change it up each attack so the mobs can't predict it."

Jae waved his arm in answer. " Yeah I know, I already thought of that, but I'm not sure if I want to switch over to being a spear user."

Israel blinked in surprise. "But that spear has better stats than both our weapons combined." He gestured to Jae's item screen. "And a new skill to top it off."

"It requires two hands to use." Jae interceded. "Three days of almost nonstop training with one handed weapons goes in the trash if I take this. Not to mention I won't be able to equip a shield."

"We don't even have any shields."

"The point is that I lose the option, smart ass."

Israel rolled his eyes. "You always were indecisive." Before Jae could begin shouting at him, Israel held up his finger.

"Just try the spear out, bro. I'll stay defensive and cover you while you get used to it and after a while you can decide whether or not you want to keep it. Personally, "He added under his breath, "I'm hoping for the latter."

"Why?" Jae asked suspiciously.

Israel raised his sword dramatically. "Yesterday I saw some players who haven't even left the spawn point in town yet with better swords than what we all started with."

"You're exaggerating."

Israel's eyes widened. "You'll see for yourself when we head back."

Jae paused as he equipped his new spear. Swinging it around for a moment, Jae's expression gradually went from sour to pleasantly surprised. Focused on an invisible foe, he began activating his spear skill, using it first for long range thrusts, and then for wide semi circle slashes. Finally lowering his weapon, Jae smiled for the first time in three days.

"You were right. I'll hold onto it for now."

"Good." Israel turned back towards the Town of Beginnings, far off down the hill. "Let's get back now and start actually stocking up on health and teleport crystals."

"Don't you want my axe now that I don't need anymore?" Jae inquired.

Israel mulled it over for a moment. "Axes have never really been my style." he finally answered. "Sell it. I'll just wait it out for a better sword. Besides, we need the money."

"Agreed."

The two kept their weapons out as they descended the hill, prepared for any respawns or fast moving mobs.

It was dark by the time they arrived at the gates of the Town of Beginnings. Street lamps were automatically lit by the game system every night, basking most of the city in an orange glow. As they walked down the main path, Israel and Jae both noticed that the area was far less crowded than it had been the day previously.

Jae had always possessed an excellent sense of direction and memory, so Israel simply allowed him to take the lead and guide them around the city to the NPC blacksmith. As they turned the final corner, the two suddenly ran into a girl. Tall, with long legs and perfect posture, she emanated an air of quiet dignity. Her wavy brown hair reached to her shoulders and somehow complimented her serious expression and hazel green eyes. Jumping back in alarm, the girl's hand darted to the handle of her one handed longsword without hesitation.

Israel brought his hand up quickly. "Sorry about that," he offered. "We didn't hear you walking around the corner there."

Jae wanted to say something as well, but he wasn't quite sure how to proceed. The girl was incredibly beautiful.

Releasing her hold on her sword, she instead waved her hand apologetically.

"No, that was my bad." She said casually. "I just wasn't expecting to see anyone here. Not many people come around this part of town."

Jae saw his opportunity.

"Yeah, I was hoping the blacksmith shop here would be a bit cheaper than the one by the Plaza."

The girl stifled back a cough of irritation. "Don't bother," She explained as she shook her head. "This place is even worse than the first shop. The prices are shit and neither one of them even sells axes."

"Axes?" Israel asked curiously.

The girl nodded. "I need a one handed axe for this stupid quest I'm doing out in the forest."

Jae quickly swiped his hand out in front of him, bringing up his inventory screen.

"I've got a one handed axe that I'm not using." He paused as he equipped the axe and held it out to her. "Will this work?"

A surprised smile stretched across her face as the girl replied, "Yes, that would work fine." She lifted an eyebrow. "How much do you want for it?"

"Nothing." Israel and Jae both said at the same time. There was silence for a moment as the two looked suspiciously at each other.

The girl giggled. "I appreciate that, thank you both. But I wouldn't feel right just taking it from you two."

"It's fine," Jae repeated, "We've been doing pretty good for ourselves. You don't need to feel bad."

She shifted her weight. "Come on, I was a beta tester for this game. There's gotta be something I can do to help you guys out."

Israel shrugged. "You could tell me your name."

She giggled again.

Jae rolled his eyes.

"I know," She tilted her head ever so slightly, "You guys don't look like you've done many of the quests yet. There's one in particular that will help you a lot early game like this. It'll save you thousands of Col."

"What quest?" Jae asked.

"Don't look like we've done many quests yet." Israel repeated her words bitterly.

Jae threw him a blank stare. "Dude, focus."

Israel shot him a glare right back as he replied through gritted teeth, "I'm paying close attention, trust me."

The girl looked amused as she looked from one to the other. "You guys were going to the smith right…?"

Jae nodded. Israel crossed his arms.

"Ok well there's this quest on the other side of the Floor," She continued, though her amused eyes remained locked on Israel. "It's in the village of Trevica. Once you beat it, the blacksmith in that village is activated personally for you or your party, and he's considerably cheaper than any of the smiths here."

Jae's eyes widened. "Really? That's awesome, thanks so much for letting us know."

Israel raised an eyebrow. "If that's true, then why were you trying to get an axe from the smiths here?"

She shrugged. "I've been grinding alone, so I need to be more careful about what areas I go to. I already did that quest, but I stay around this general area because the monsters here are easy to handle. Walking all the way back over there whenever I need a basic item is dangerous, not to mention a huge waste of time."

Israel nodded. "That makes sense." his eyes appraised her curiously as he smiled. "You're approach to all this is pretty smart. So you're a beta tester, huh? We've started hearing people here in town saying some pretty stupid things about you guys."

She nodded sadly, but then she started moving.

"Don't listen to them please," She said gently, as if almost pleading, "They don't know what they're talking about. The other players are just scared, that's all. Fear makes people think and do things. Anyway, I have to go guys. I'm on a timed quest."

"Aren't you scared?" Jae asked as she stepped between them and walked past.

"I'm pretty sure we're all scared…" She sounded like she was going to say more, but instead she threw up an arm behind her in a wave goodbye as she prepared to turn the corner.

"Hey you." Israel's voice was friendly, but firm. Stopping for just a moment, She turned her head, now appraising Israel with her hazel eyes.

He gave her a lopsided grin. "My name is Israel, but until I get yours, I'll be forced to remember you as badass hot girl. I wouldn't want to label you, but you leave me no choice."

She couldn't help but return the smile. "God, you're persistent. I'm Naomi."

And then she was gone.

Israel and Jae were both silent for a moment as they stared at the spot she had been standing. An instant later, the two brothers were at each other's throats.

"What the hell man?" Jae shouted angrily.

Israel's eyes widened. "What do you mean what the hell? You weren't saying anything important to her." He shrugged. "You gotta either make a move or get out of the way, my friend."

Jae held back the urge to strangle him. "Make a move? I couldn't even get a word in towards the end! You kicked me out and locked the door on that whole conversation. Jesus, dude. You do this to me every time."

Israel laughed. "Do what? Talk to girls because you're too afraid to?"

Jae's fingers scrambled over buttons and menus as he tried furiously to find the duel option. Seeing him struggle, Israel couldn't stop laughing. Holding his sides violently, he tried to stop but to no avail. Dropping to his knees, Israel had to work hard to keep breathing as Jae became only more enraged. He knew he would regret laughing so hard very soon, but he decided to enjoy it while he could.


	3. Chapter 3

3

November 11, 2022

Floor 1, Hills of Ydras

"So, where too now?" Israel sheathed his sword and shook out his sore sword wrist as the on death explosion billowed out around them. Jae pointed at his stat screen in exasperation.

"What, no congratulations?" he asked.

Israel put a hand over his eyes to shield them from the sun as he examined the forked road. Splitting into two narrow paths that branched off in opposite directions, the fork was oddly placed as there were no hills or other obstructions ahead to explain the reasoning behind it.

Sighing irritably, Israel lowered his hand from his eyes and gestured at the two new roads. "What's his name, that beta guy, he never said anything about this."

Jae rolled his eyes as he finished putting his new attribute points into his vitality. He had just reached level 6, putting him a level ahead for the moment, but Israel had always had a habit of ignoring moments when he wasn't ahead or better at something.

"I'm pretty sure his name was Malachi, Is. And yes actually, he did mention this. You just weren't listening because you were talking to that girl who was with him."

Israel managed to bite back a retort, but couldn't quite give up on a sarcastic smile. "Fine then, what did this Malachi guy say? It took us way too long getting in touch with him, so his info had better be reliable."

Shortly after their meeting with Naomi, Jae and Israel had decided to take her advice and the next day they had set out for the village of Trevica, only to realize how vast the floor really was. The farthest they had explored was just beyond the plains and fields surrounding the Town of Beginnings, so they had had no idea just how much ground they would need to cover or which way to go without getting lost or stumbling on mobs too strong for them to handle.

Heading back to town, the two had searched again for Naomi, but instead stumbled on another beta tester who sold information for money or items. It was from him they learned that these "info-brokers" were apparently dozens in number, with some knowing much more than others. The one they had found knew little about the quest at Trevica, but he freely tipped them off to the whereabouts Malachi, one of the leading info brokers, who could help.

Still, it had taken some time to find him, and in exchange for a step by step direction document leading to Trevica, Malachie had charged them nearly 500 Col. It took them a full morning to crisscross the fields and valleys leading to the Hills of Ydras, which marked the halfway point to Trevica. After all that, Israel was beginning to doubt whether a cheaper blacksmith was worth the trouble.

Jae opened up his inventory and swapped out his spear for the paper.

"It says that we ignore the fork and keep going straight. Before long, the road will appear again and we just keep heading north."

Israel shook his head. "Why the hell would the road disappear? I'm starting to think Kayaba turned this into a death game to hide the fact that SAO is retarded."

Jae shrugged. "Actually, it makes sense. Creating fake paths like this is a good way of ensuring that players don't just stumble onto this quest and reap the rewards. If everyone was getting items, equipment, and repairs at less than half price, it would be too OP and Col would quickly lose it's value. Stuff like that could make the game really unfair and lose a lot of it's point."

Israel blinked. "Is is just me, or are you over here admiring Kayaba's online game making skills?"

Jae rolled his eyes. "Just shut up and start walking."

Israel bowed at the waist dramatically. "As you command, fearless leader." The sarcasm was palpable in his words.

Jae shook his head in annoyance as he re-equipped his spear, but at the same time, he couldn't help but smile. Israel had always had a strong personality, and that was putting it mildly. _Still_ , Jae thought as he attempted to find a silver lining, _that's what makes him so much fun to be around_.

It took them the better part of an hour before they found the main road again. Though both were pleased to be on the right track, their happiness was shadowed by unease. They had never walked this far away from the Town of Beginnings before, and weren't sure what monsters awaited them here. They kept their weapons out at all times, save for when Jae checked the direction paper. It had quickly become habit for each of them to constantly turn and check their immediate surroundings for any mob spawns.

As they continued their trek, the two ignored monsters that were out of their way, but several times they stumbled upon small packs of large boars or giant insects that herded near the roads. Working together, the two brothers had no trouble eliminating them, for both Jae and Israel trusted one another with their lives, and covered each other constantly. In this fashion, they could go on the offensive against enemies, confident that the other was at his side to prevent the threat of isolation or of being surrounded.

As the afternoon began to set in, the two had just cleared out a nest of aggressive ravens when Israel pointed with his sword.

Following the tip of his blade, Jae saw it too: a small entrance leading into the side of one of the many hills around them.

"What are you thinking?" Jae asked. He made a quick look around to be sure they could afford to focus on the cave.

Israel took a sip from the waterskin he had picked up off a mob as he rested his worn out sword against his shoulder. Jae could tell the durability of the weapon was nearly up. If Israel's sword broke before they reached Trevica, they would undoubtedly have to turn back. Walking around unarmed was a risk that neither one of them was prepared to face.

"We can't go in right now. My damage isn't high enough and we don't know how far it goes. It might even wind up being a dungeon. Besides, we're in the middle of a quest. I think we should take a minute and take a note of where this place is," Israel replied. "Is it possible to write down the location on that paper he gave you?"

Jae shook his head. "I don't have any ink. I wouldn't be able to write anything on this. Although," he added, "Committing this spot to memory won't be hard. Let's see…"

Taking out the document, Jae glanced from it to the area they were in for a quick confirmation before unequipping it again and giving the thumbs up to Israel, who raised an eyebrow suspiciously.

"You can remember exactly where this cave is, in the middle of all these hills, that easily?"

Jae shook his head. "It's not about remembering anything. You just gotta pay attention to landmarks." He gestured behind him as he explained. "The hills around this immediate area are set in a ring, which is easy to make out, and taller than the others, so it'll be easy to spot them from far off. On top of that, there's a couple trees on the summit of two of them here, and this area doesn't have many trees at all."

Israel whistled as he haphazardly swiped at some gnats flying too close for comfort. "I don't know man, that doesn't seem like much to go on, but I guess it depends on how close we are to this town we're after. How far we'd have to walk back here."

Jae nodded. "The paper Malachi gave us says that Trevica is just out of earshot west of these hills here. Not even an hour to go."

"Thank Christ." Israel's tone took on a relieved note. "I was starting to get nervous with how far we were going."

"I know what you mean. It's easy for me to keep from getting lost for a time, but we were starting to push it."

"That," Israel replied, "or our nerves are just getting the better of us. I'm pretty confident in our abilities to fight off whatever comes at us, but traps and mazes are another story entirely. Every RPG has them somewhere."

Jae nodded. "It kinda makes me wonder how strong that Naomi girl is. She said this was a really easy and relatively safe quest, but she's been going it alone since day one. But I mean she did say she's a bet- hey dumbass, what are you doing?"

Striding over to the entrance of the cave, Israel pointed at a small boulder nearby.

"I don't want someone else finding this before we get a chance to check this place out. Let's roll this over and hide the entrance."

"Good idea." Jae said as he walked forward.

Standing on one side of the circular rock, the two began pushing at the same time, trying to get it to start moving towards the entrance. It didn't so much as budge.

"Keep at it," Israel ordered through gritted teeth. Straining with all their might, both began to break out in a sweat as they pushed. The boulder still wouldn't move. Switching his stance, Israel stopped pushing with his hands and instead dropped his shoulder into it, heaving with all his strength. Jae nearly fell from the strain as he felt the vein in his forehead begin to bulge.

After what seemed an eternity, Israel and Jae both finally gave up, dropping to the ground and laying down where they stood.

"I guess our strength parameters aren't as…" Israel had to pause to take in a ragged breath before continuing. "Great as we thought."

"I don't get it…" Jae panted, "Our stats are pretty good...and with our combined strength…"

Just as Israel was about to reply, a scream of terror cut through the air.

Jumping to their feet as best they could, Israel and Jae broke out in a forced run towards the sound of the scream without hesitation, equipping their weapons as they bounded over the rocks.

Another scream, different from the first, reverberated through the hills just ahead of them. Already exhausted, the boys were both stumbling by the time they saw what was happening: Three players, with their health bars nearly depleted, were fighting desperately as they tried to retreat away from six low level goblins. Judging by the shards still flying through the air and the stunned looks from the three players, it was obvious that somebody had already died.

Without a moment's pause, Israel leapt into the fray, brandishing his rusty sword as he screamed in fury. Jae tried to catch hold of his sleeve, to tell him that in their condition, they might not be able to offer much assistance. They needed to analyze the terrain, use the surrounding area to their advantage, but Israel didn't even stop to think.

Before he could so much as speak, Israel was gone.

Immediately, the thought of his brother in danger surpassed all others, and Jae would die before betraying the trust Israel had in him to watch his back. Twirling his spear in front of him like a quarterstaff as he charged, Jae allowed the bloodrush of battle to overwhelm all other senses. It was time to kill.


	4. Chapter 4

4

November 11, 2022

Floor 1, Outskirts of Trevica

Israel ducked the first goblin as it swung it's warhammer towards his skull. As the warhammer flew just overhead, Israel launched his blade forward, his sword turning blue as he activated his Sword Skill, Sharp Nail. The move was simple, but a powerful and amplified stab all the same, and had been gifted to every player upon drawing their starting sword on the first day. Just as he threw his momentum into the move, A scimitar with a wicked curve came screaming forward, the slash aimed towards his chest.

Israel attempted to abandon the Sword Skill in order to evade the strike, but realized too late that he could not. Once the activation began, the system all but took over, forcing him to see it through to the end. Tearing open a cut along his chest, the force of the slash knocked Israel back several steps. It was all he could do to keep his feet on the ground. Taking a quick look at his health, Israel saw it enter the yellow zone. _From just one slash?_ He suddenly felt that same rising sense of panic that he had felt on the first day.

Cursing mentally, Israel forced himself to focus. There were now two goblins just in front of him, both preparing to attack again. Raising his sword in order to launch a counteroffensive, Israel was cut short by what felt like a shield being smashed into his back from behind. The weight of the blunt attack only drained a small amount of his HP, leaving him still in the yellow, but sent him sprawling forward involuntarily at the same time as the first goblin swung his warhammer and the second one lunged forward, the tip of his scimitar aimed again for Israel's torn chest.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Israel realized he was about to die. He could see the two goblins in front of him, their disgusting green faces covered in ulcers as they snarled menacingly at him. Saliva dripped down their oversized jaws. Their eyes, bloodshot and red, stood engulfed in an inferno of delighted fury as their combined attacks slowly closed the distance. One blow from that overpowered scimitar had been enough to bring him to yellow, and now he was about to take two direct hits simultaneously, one being from that same weapon. Though he was straining with all his might to try and halt his stumble forward into the attacks, he knew it wouldn't be enough. His strength parameters were too low. He and Jae together hadn't been strong enough to move that boulder earlier.

Still, knowing that this was the end wasn't enough to deter him from going down without a fight. He had charged in overconfident, but more than that, he had charged in to protect the three weak players that were all in the red. If he died now, without even taking down one of the the goblins, those players would surely die. But if he could kill the one with the high damage scimitar, it might be enough to even the odds. Even in death, he might still be able to help them.

Ignoring the bodily impulse to protect himself, to raise his sword in a futile last block, Israel focused his need, his desire to help, into the tip of his blade as he let it drop down in front of him. His fall forward drove all his weight behind that tip as it whistled forward, directly towards the scimitar wielding goblin's heart. With one final scream, Israel took hold of the handle of his sword with both hands and extended his arms to complete the stab just before the enemy blows took him down.

It came as something of a shock then, when the shaft of Jae's spear came hurtling down in front of him, followed by a deafening thud. The shaft of the spear knocked down both the warhammer and the scimitar just as Israel's blade reached it's mark, embedding itself two feet deep into the goblin's chest. The goblin looked surprised for the briefest of seconds, and then disintegrated into a thousand digital shards.

Without stopping, Jae pressed his sudden attack, dancing around Israel as he raised his spear, knocking aside the axe of a third goblin as it went for Israel's back. Ignoring the shock of still being alive, Israel immediately focused on protecting Jae before he too got swarmed. One of the six goblins was now dead, with two others still reeling from Jae's perfectly timed blocks. One of these was in front of Israel, the other behind him, facing Jae who was now at Israel's back. That left three who up to this point had still been focused on battling the three players, but Israel had no doubts that they would now be switching targets.

The goblin with the warhammer advanced, swinging his weapon wildly forward. Dodging the swing, Israel gave up on the opportunity to launch a counter stab, instead pivoting on his right foot, spinning out and around Jae while extending his sword behind him. As he danced around, the sword whistling through the air in a full circle, it slashed open the stomach of the goblin with the warhammer, but not killing it.

Not stopping there, Israel continued to spin, screaming wildly as he forced more momentum into his circle, his sword wounding two more goblins who had been coming up behind them, sending them staggering back as he landed side by side with Jae, who was now desperately fighting off two goblins himself.

Knocking aside the sword of one goblin, Jae swung his spear back to attack the second one, but he messed up the timing. Swinging it's cleaver, it landed a massive overhead blow on Jae, dropping his health into the yellow as he stumbled back a step. Sweat beaded his brow as Jae again swung his spear, the blade hacking off his assailant's arm in payment.

"Duck!" Israel shouted, and without hesitation Jae dropped down. He could feel the rush of wind above him as the warhammer swung past, just missing his skull. With a curse, Israel grabbed hold of Jae's shoulder and threw his legs off the ground, kicking the goblin behind them in the face before dropping back down. Now he and Jae were back to back

All five remaining goblins now descended upon them at once, and the two brothers unleashed everything they had in them. Their weapons were a blur as they desperately blocked multiple weapons, all flying at them with incredible speed. But for every successful block, there were two more weapons launched at them. Tiny red shards swirled out around the two brothers as they began taking dozens of small cuts and stabs, and all the while, their health slowly continued to deteriorate. Within minutes, they were both in the red and neither of them had managed to get another kill. _We're not going to make it._ Israel realized in horror as he barely managed to block a thrust from a sword and a cleaver slash at once. _I was overconfident. Flushed with our effortless victories up till now. How could I have been so stupid?_

Suddenly, the three players who Israel had rushed in to save now charged in themselves. One of the players armed with a greatsword leaped forward, and with a mighty overhead attack hewed the rearmost goblin in two. The on death explosion was like a banner of hope suddenly unfurled. With renewed vigor, Israel and Jae began counterattacking, their attacks now giving wounds back with interest.

The tables were turning as an all out battle now raged between the players and the goblins. One of the three players, a young man armed with a hatchet and small wicker shield, lifted both to fend off a cleaver attack. The goblin with the cleaver grinned as his weapon obliterated the flimsy defensive stance, and before the player could finish opening his mouth to scream, he was cut in half. The explosion sounded muffled to Israel and Jae as they could barely comprehend what had just happened.

Screaming in uncontrollable rage at the death they had just witnessed, Israel sidestepped the enemy he was facing as he tore his sword forward, cleaving the air before completely decapitating his foe.

Tears filled the eyes of the player with the greatsword as he attempted to block an attack, but his weapon was too slow. Just as the goblin with the warhammer brought his weapon down for the kill, Israel and the nameless player locked eyes.

"No!" Israel screamed as the tears trickled down his face, his open hand outstretched, as if to reach out to protect this stranger.

Before his eyes, the player was cut down. The explosion was so close that digital shards flew into Israel's face.

"Fucking die!" Jae sobbed as he brought his spear down vertically, sending the tip and over half the shaft down through a goblin's mouth and into his chest. Without stopping, Jae tore his spear free as the shards flew outwards, blocking an attack from one of the last three goblins.

It was now three against three, and both Jae and Israel were down to less than 5% of their HP.

The goblin in front of Israel went for a lunge, but he wasn't having it anymore. Without even bothering to parry, Israel dropped down to his knees as he began the arc of his sword from behind him. Abandoning it's now futile stab, the goblin attempted to bring his sword back for a counter of his own, but it was already over. Launching his sword upward into a vertical uppercut, Israel slashed the goblin open from it's stomach to it's brains. His hair billowed out behind him from the on death explosion, but he didn't even blink.

"Please!" Screamed the final party member to their left. Before Israel could turn, Jae had already rushed past him, his own enemy also now nothing but digital shards. Launching himself to the left, Israel joined him. They weren't going to let anyone else die.

But before either of them could reach the stranger, the final goblin brought his warhammer down one last time.

"Please! Plea-" The stranger's face was bashed in before he could finish his pleas. His disintegration was surreal, for both Jae and Israel could do nothing but watch the shards sail through the air.

The goblin with the warhammer had killed more than any of his pack had, and he now roared with laughter as he charged forward to meet the two brothers.

Beyond words, Israel allowed himself to cry freely as he took the lead, blocking the warhammer's strike.

"Switch!" He cried.

"Fucking bastard!" Jae screamed as his spear suddenly burst into a terrible green flame. Bringing the butt of the weapon crashing into the monster's jaw, Jae then slammed it back down, allowing the blade to carve open it's face.

Still not dead, the goblin lowered it's shoulder to knock Jae away.

"Switch!" Jae roared, and Israel swung his blade one last time, cleaving off both of the goblin's arms up to the shoulder. With one final, hoarse shout, Jae plunged his spear into the monster's heart, finishing it for good.

The explosion of shards went unnoticed as Jae and Israel both collapsed, the tears trickling down in front of them. Their health bars were all but completely empty, but that wasn't why they cried. Three people had just been murdered in front of them. Three human beings were now dead. And they hadn't been able to save them.

Neither one of them bothered to look around or get back up. Huddled together, neither of them had ever felt so alone and hopeless.


	5. Chapter 5

5

December 1, 2022

Floor 1, Trevica

"Did you hear the news?" Jae asked quietly.

Israel shook his head without taking his eyes off the small white rock he was kicking up the road as they walked.

"What news?"

Jae shrugged. "Yesterday, when I made that run into the Town of Beginnings, I heard a lot of people talking about a group of some of the strongest players who are planning on meeting tomorrow in Tolbana." he paused, craning his neck as he surveyed the area again. They had cleared the area so quickly he half thought to see some mobs they must have missed.

Pushing his hair out of his face, Israel silently equipped two slices of bread. He took a bite of one before holding the other out to Jae. "What meeting?"

"They know where the Floor 1 Labyrinth is," Jae said carefully, talking around his food as he chewed. "Or at least, that's the rumor. They are meeting tomorrow to plan out how to get through it and kill the boss."

Israel lifted an eyebrow as he looked out ahead of them. They were on the road back to Trevica, and all around them the trees began to darken as the shadows lengthened, as if to warn them of the gradual descent of the virtual sun.

"Could be just that; rumors." Israel suggested as they walked.

Jae shook his head as he took another bite, chewing as he replied. "Nah, I ran into Malachi yesterday. He said the same."

"The info broker?" Israel's words dripped with distaste. "I don't trust that guy. I've heard some things about him myself."

Confident that they were alone as they walked, and weary of the weight, Jae swung his spear onto his back, the leather latches automatically clipping it in place. Though still not fond of spears, Jae had always been particularly skilled with quarterstaffs. He had spent several days searching for an item store or blacksmith shop that sold any, only to find that SAO had none. Still, he had quickly found that a spear could almost be utilised in the same style. Almost.

"What's not to trust?" Jae asked as he opened and closed his sore hand. "I mean I get that he's shady, and charges a hell of a lot, stingy fuck that he is. But the info he's given us has been spot-"

"Yeah I know," Israel interrupted. He waved his hand at the air, irritated that he couldn't quite find the words he wanted to use. "I guess I could just be paranoid. I'm not the best judge of character. But neither are you."

Jae threw up his arms in a gesture of surrender. "I never claimed to be. But I hear you man. He definitely is shady."

"You said that already."

"Sue me then."

Though neither smiled, Israel couldn't help but allow the tiniest smirk, the first in weeks.

They completed the walk back to Trevica in silence, each in his own thoughts. It had been nearly three weeks since those three players had died. After that battle, and on the brink of death, Israel had apologized to Jae for charging in blindly, for being too confident, but Jae had refused to hear it. "I may not have charged in like you did," He had said, "But I was just as sure of our victory as you were. We both got carried away. We need to remember this moment, no matter how much we don't want to. We need to remember that we'll never be too powerful. We could die at any time, against any monster. I never want to see anyone murdered in front of me again."

But that day was just the beginning. Now, almost three weeks later, Israel and Jae had witnessed fourteen player deaths in total. It had been a slaughter. Thousands of players, finally finding the courage to leave the Town of Beginnings, were butchered as they tried to learn the game's combat mechanics and monster attack patterns. After the slaughter, it was discovered soon after that nearly two thousand of the ten thousand players total were killed in the span of two weeks. The Western Plains, located outside the Town of Beginnings, were renamed the Bloody Plains, and the event itself became quickly known as the Massacre of Floor 1. During this time, whenever they saw people in danger, Israel and Jae rushed to help them, desperate to not repeat that horrible battle with the goblins. Sometimes, they managed to save a player or two. But other times…

But it was those first three deaths that clung to them the most. Those players had been complete strangers, and yet seeing them murdered there, in that pointless virtual world, had rocked Israel and Jae to the core. Each death after that, while still a tragedy, had less to take from them. After those three deaths, Israel and Jae did eventually reach Trevica, It was an easy quest, but they felt no joy when it was completed. After purchasing and outfitting themselves in leather armor and better variations of their weapons, and also renting a room at the town's inn, they then left. For almost three weeks, they had done nothing but fight, taking on stronger and stronger enemies every day, so that they in turn could grow more powerful. If they were strong enough, they could save those that needed help, rather than fail them.

Throughout the Floor, players began to forge ways of establishing a community. A newspaper was published and spread for free at all item stores by a group of anonymous info brokers, who began keeping up with each day's occurrences among the other players. Jae took a great interest in this, but was frustrated to learn that the newspaper hadn't yet made much circulation. In response to the Massacre of Floor 1, a guide book was also published by a team of beta testers, putting a halt to the slaughter before it could get any worse. The guide book was mostly a detailed tutorial on how to fight in SAO, what areas were relatively safe, and the attack patterns of the mobs throughout the floor. Though neither of them needed it, both Israel and Jae kept one in their inventories just in case any new information came to light.

Winding their way along the small cobbled streets and wooden houses, they passed their room at Forgo's Inn. Israel was tempted to simply walk inside and rest, but they both had full inventories. The blacksmith was located a little farther in, near the center of the village,

Turning the last street corner to the blacksmith's shop, the two brothers braced themselves for another over the top welcome. Before they had even come within twenty feet of the exceptionally large bearded man sweating like a pig at his bellows, he saw them.

"Greetings, friends!" Shouted the NPC, the glee in his voice practically bubbling over as he spoke. "I was worried so!" Tears began trickling down into his singed mustache. All but dropping the sword he had been working on, he made to leap over his counter. Holding out his hand palm outward, Israel raised his eyebrow and fixed the AI in a serious expression. The burly man wrung out his hands apologetically.

"Sorry," he offered, "You've warned me before not to get so worked up. But I'm just so glad you're both alright!"

"Yeah yeah, Norran," Israel replied as he and Jae began accessing their inventories.

"It was just another grind run, Norran," Jae muttered. Scrolling through his items, he added, "We've picked up a few dozen weapons and shields. Care to help us out?"

Norran's smile returned, but the joy was especially evident in his beady brown eyes. "Of course boys, of course! You know I'm always more than happy to do business with you!" He began running his sausage like fingers through his beard in anticipation as Israel and Jae made one last check over their spoils before selling them in bulk.

"How about this shield, man?" Jae asked.

Israel looked over at Jae's screen, squinting a he surveyed the shield before shaking his head stoically. "Nah. Thanks though."

Jae opened his mouth to argue, but decided against it and sighed instead. It had been nearly a month since SAO began. In that time, Israel hadn't tried out any different weapons, or even a shield, to replace or accompany his one handed sword, respectively.

"What's the sigh for?"

Turning his head, Jae saw Israel now staring questioningly at him.

"Nothing man, it's just that I think a shield might help you out. Nothing wrong with a little extra defense, right?"

Israel smiled. "Is that all? Don't worry about me, Jae. Having a shield just isn't my style. I'm fine. Hell, my HP is higher than yours, remember?"

Jae crossed his arms defensively. "Yeah, by like two fucking points."

Israel chuckled quietly before shaking his head. "I'm just dicking around with you, bro. I knew that would get to you."

Rolling his eyes, Jae refocused on his item screen, pressing the Bulk Sell button. Immediately after, it was replaced by a small screen showing 1,200 Col. _Not as much as I would've expected,_ he thought, _but still decent._

Turning to Israel, he asked, "How much did you get?"

"Just over a thousand," Israel replied. Looking over deliberately at Norran, he muttered, "I had hoped for more."

Scratching the back of his bald head as he furiously began to study his boots, Norran looked more like a child being scolded than a bear of a man working as a blacksmith. _Kayaba definitely put some thought into this guy,_ Israel thought.

"Well... you see boys…" Norran stuttered, "I would love to give you more, but…"

"Yes Norran, we know." Jae stated flatly.

"Moving on," Israel said as he began looking at the wall behind Norran. "I know I won't get anywhere with this, but is there any chance you have any new swords?"

The childish delight again filled Norran's eyes as he threw up his hands excitedly. "As a matter of fact, my shop just took on a new shipment this morning!"

Israel frowned. "A new shipment? The fact that this is a game aside, there's no coast for miles around here. Hell, I doubt this floor even has a lake, let alone a-"

"You're thinking about this way too much, dude." Jae interrupted. "That's just the AI's way of saying we reached a level where we can now buy new and possibly better equipment."

"Alright genius, calm it down." Israel focused his eyes on Norran again. "So what's new? Let's see it, Norran."

Jae stood aside and ate some more bread from his inventory while Norran showed Israel three new swords. One was a katana, and the other a two hander, but the third, a one handed longsword with a solid three feet of sharpened steel for it's blade, captured his interest. While the damage wasn't significant, it was still far better than the sword Israel had picked up off a lizardman after his own finally shattered.

Happy with the weight and feel of it after a few practice swings, Israel sheathed his new weapon, paying the delighted Norran less than half the Col he would have paid the smiths in the Town of Beginnings.

Waving goodbye to Norran, Israel and Jae set off once more, sidestepping a herd of goats as they set out.

"I'm exhausted." Israel said to no one in particular. Turning to Jae, he said, "I'm thinking an arm wrestle. Whoever wins gets the bed."

Jae pointed up the road aways. "Actually," he said, "I kinda think we should check out the item shop for a bit. We need more health crystals, and you never when there might be something good. It won't take long."

Israel shook his head as he rubbed the back of his neck. "You go ahead then, it's cool. I just want to relax for a while." He held up a finger in warning. "Just know that if I'm the first one in that room, the bed is mine, no questions asked."

Jae raised his hand solemnly. "No questions asked."

Upon reaching the intersection, Israel turned left, picking up his feet a little as the Inn loomed nearby. Jae continued straight ahead, already seeing the item shop growing larger in his view.

Though it was called a shop, it hardly qualified as one. As Jae drew closer, he noticed that several new booths had been added. Other than that though, it was still simply a motley assortment of open cases, each containing something totally random. Ranging from health crystals to staple foodstuffs, the item shop was a convenient locale for things outside of the blacksmith's area of expertise.

The NPC in charge of the little shop, a squat, middle aged woman with greying hair and lips that seemed permanently contorted in a frown, paid little attention to him as he sifted through the wares. _She certainly doesn't mind giving me the angry eye whenever she thinks I'm not looking though_.

Jae had just purchased four new health crystals, some rope, and several packs of dried meat when a familiar voice from behind him suddenly said, "Is that you Jae?"

Turning, Jae found himself face to with Naomi, the beta tester who had given them the tip off on the blacksmith quest in Trevica. At that moment, Jae wished his hands weren't full so he could fix his hair and put on his cooler looking leather breastplate.

"Hey-y Naomi!" He said, clearing his throat. "How's things?"

Pushing her bangs out of her face, Naomi smiled as her hazel eyes appraised him. "I'm so glad you made it to Trevica safely." Her smile dissipated as quickly as it had come. "Is...Is Israel…"

"No, Israel's fine too. He just didn't feel like coming to the shop."

She looked relieved, but began shaking her head sadly as she replied. "I'm glad. These past few weeks have been...horrible." She offered a grim smile. "But I'm glad you two have made it through this far. After you left I...I don't know. I felt unsure. I was worried I may have lead you into danger. There are monsters around here that weren't in the beta test. It's getting harder and harder to be confident in what I knew from before when I keep finding things that are different."

Jae nodded. "I understand. It's all good, Naomi. Is that why you came? To see how we were?"

Naomi looked unsure how to answer. "Well, yes and no I guess. I wanted to know how you were, but I was kind of, I don't know. I was scared of knowing. But today I was farming the monster spawns near here, and before I knew it, the sun was setting. Fighting in the dark is really dangerous. It's several miles to the nearest town from here, I'm pretty much out of Col, and I used my last teleport crystal yesterday. You could say I'm in a tight spot."

She looked a little guilty at the admission, but Jae wasn't quite sure why.

"So you needed to take shelter here in Trevica. There's nothing wrong with that, Naomi."

Smiling again, Naomi nodded. "I just didn't want you to think that the only reason I came here was for myself. I was worried about you two. Mostly because I felt slightly responsible for sending you off on that quest, but still. Anyway…" Accessing her menu, Naomi equipped a one handed sword. Though he only got a brief look at it, Jae could tell by the ornate handle and gleaming steel that it was extremely well made.

"Would it be a bother to ask if you could give this to Israel for me? The sword he was using when we met was absolute shit. I couldn't bring myself to let him keep using it." She quickly scanned the area before leaning in confidentially. "But don't tell him I said that."

Immediately, Jae could feel a pang of jealousy welling up inside of him. _That piece of shit. Not even trying. He talked to her one time. One time. And here she is trying to give him a present. I'm going to kill him._

Suppressing his annoyance, Jae smiled. "Sure, I'll make sure it gets to him. He's really going to like it." A thought suddenly came to him. "Wait...you said you were out of Col. where are you going to sleep if you have to stay here tonight?"

Naomi shrugged as she looked around. Lifting her arm, she pointed to a spot in the corner of the street. "Right there probably. It's got a nice patch of grass."

Jae nodded in irritation. _No way around it now. I have to invite her to stay with us for the night. How fantastic. Israel will be thrilled. I'll kill him. I'll fucking kill him._

"Is something the matter?"

Torn from his thoughts, Jae saw Naomi glancing uncertainly at him.

Waving his arm casually, Jae smiled as he said. "Of course, I'm good. Listen Naomi. I wouldn't feel right sleeping in a room while you're out here on the street. You can stay at our place if you want?"

Naomi looked pleasantly surprised. "That's so nice of you! Are you sure? It's your room after all. Please don't feel like you have to, it would kind of contradict my gift if I'm being a burden on you guys."

"It's no problem, really. The room isn't the biggest, but it's definitely better than sleeping out here."

Looking up at the sky, Naomi mulled it over. "It does look like it's going to rain soon. Alright, if you're sure. I accept your invitation." remembering the sword in her hand, she added, "I guess I'll just hold on to this and give it him myself."

Jae nodded matter of factly. "Of course."

 _I'm gonna kill him._


	6. Chapter 6

6

December 1, 2022

Floor 1, Trevica

Closing the door behind him, Israel didn't bother taking off his heavy leather boots or unequipping his new sword. Sitting down at a small table by the fireplace, he watched curiously as the flames sprang to life. In SAO, whenever a room was inhabited, the fireplace, as well the candle on the wall over the bed would activate. The moment the room became empty again, both the candle and the fire would immediately deactivate and die out. The mechanic was convenient, and offered not only light, but a feeling of warmth and security.

After a moment of gazing into the dancing flames, Israel caught himself beginning to doze off. Shaking his head violently, he forced himself to sit upright. When they had first reached Trevica during that first week, neither he or Jae had slept much, forcing themselves instead to keep fighting as people died around them. Both brothers had shrugged off the idea of sleep, seeing it only as a waste of time. Sleeping in the game, after all, wasn't sleeping in real life.

But they had been wrong.

Though SAO was a game, the feeling of exhaustion was very real. The human brain needed time to recoup, and when it didn't get that time, it began to make mistakes. Both Israel and Jae had taken more than a few hits due to the slower reaction time and reflexes that exhaustion brought on. That was what eventually convinced Israel that they needed to rent a room, though Jae had been against it. Though they were spending considerably less money than most players back at the Town of Beginnings, it was all they could do to pay the rent each week and still have enough left over to repair their gear and buy health crystals.

That morning, they had gotten a lucky break when they stumbled onto a treasure chest containing a thousand Col, not to mention the money they had gotten from selling dropped monster weapons. Examining his new sword, Israel nodded silently. _A good deal of that money went into this alone, but it was worth it._ Still, he was more than a little worried about the idea of Jae alone at an item shop. Ordinarily, he would've gone too, if for no other reason than to make sure Jae didn't spend too much. It wasn't that his brother was an idiot when it came to managing finances, it was just that he tended to forget how little they actually had on hand.

Today though, Israel was simply too tired. On top of that, he had something he needed to do without Jae seeing.

Pulling up his menu, Israel flicked through the screens until he reached his stats. Both he and Jae had reached level 9 that week, and Israel hadn't yet applied the accompanying attribute points. A month ago, when the game started, both of them had agreed to put their attribute points into Constitution. Each point put in that category boosted max health by 10, which was generous compared to most MMORPG's. Each general level up automatically boosted max HP by about 50, and with each level up, 3 attribute points were awarded. Putting all attribute points into HP every level, therefore, could buff up one's health substantially, and in relatively quick time. That was what Jae and Israel had agreed.

Instead, upon selecting his unused attribute points, Israel chose Strength. .

Ever since the battle with the goblins, and witnessing those three players die in front of them, Israel had begun applying his attribute points solely into Strength. Each point put in this category boosted damage by between 3 to 5 points, depending on the player's overall level. The murder of all those people forever burned into his mind, Israel knew that while he couldn't have saved all of them, he also knew that some might still be alive if he had been able to kill their assailants.

Because of this, at level 9, Israel's base damage output was becoming considerably higher than Jae's, and it would have soon become noticeable had he stuck with an inferior weapon. That was why he hadn't hesitated at the blacksmith shop when Norran presented him with a new sword. If Jae's suspicions about his damage were to be aroused, Israel could now simply point to his new weapon.

Still, that left his base health far below Jae's. That was why, two weeks ago, when Jae began to question his health dropping into yellow faster, Israel snuck back to the Town of Beginnings in order to contact Malachi. The info broker had been discreet, but had charged a fortune that Israel had yet to pay. Two thousand Col to be paid in one month's time, in exchange for The Amulet of Aeris; a necklace that boosted the wearer's max HP by 15%.

Thanks to the amulet, Israel's health had managed to keep up with Jae's, but Israel was beginning to wonder at what cost. All this secrecy, just to cover up early game attribute distribution. But it had to happen. If Jae knew that Israel was neglecting his health, his means of survival, he would lose his mind. There would be no end to the arguments. No, Jae couldn't know.

And Israel had to continue.

He needed to be able to kill.

The faster he could kill, the more innocent people he could save. He knew Jae wanted to help the other players too, but Israel knew his brother. Jae's first priority was Israel. To him, the other players came after.

Forcing himself from his thoughts, Israel quickly confirmed the attribute distribution. In SAO, there was no such thing as a respec. Once you applied your points, there was no changing your mind.

Switching to his Skill screen, Israel sighed. Upon hitting level 6, players unlocked a second skill slot. From Searching to Fishing, there was an almost unlimited number of Skills players could choose from. Jae had selected Detection that day, albeit after several hours of thinking it over. In RPG's, monsters would only become aggressive once a players came within a certain distance of them, but that rule did not apply for all scenarios.

In previous MMO's, both Israel and Jae remembered dealing with certain mobs that were designed for secrecy and stealth, and whose aggressive reaction radius were far greater than others. The purpose of such creatures was to add a level of unpredictability and excitement to the game. It was foolish to hope that SAO wouldn't have similar monsters. On top of this was the problem of respawning mobs. Hundreds of player deaths during the Massacre of Floor 1 were attributed to monsters who had been killed not long prior by other players, and therefore absent when new players entered the area, respawning near or behind the unsuspecting new players.

Taking these thoughts into account, Israel and Jae both agreed that it would be wise for one of them to have the Detection skill. The moment he selected the skill, Jae had noticed slightly sharper hearing and a higher examination capability when looking at monster levels.

It was undoubtedly a skill that could mean the difference between life and death, but Israel had felt like it just didn't suit him. Now, days later, he still felt the same way, though he couldn't quite put his finger on why. He could sense that his first secondary skill would be of particular importance, and he wanted it to support his combat skill, rather than function on it's own. _Or maybe I'm just overthinking this again._ He sighed. _It's funny how in real life, Jae's the hesitant one., but whenever it comes to fucking RPG's, I take forever just deciding what kind of eye color my characters get._

Shaking his head in frustration, Israel swiped his status screens away. Standing up, he took a moment to stretch before walking over to the bed. Contemplating whether or not he should deactivate the light over the bed, he sighed when he remembered that it would simply turn on again whenever Jae got back.

 _It's dim enough in here, I just need some sleep._

Allowing himself to fall forward onto the bed, the soft pillow enveloping his face as he closed his eyes, the door outside suddenly opened, closely followed by Jae's voice.

"Is, get up-"

"Get the hell out of here with that shit," Israel interrupted, his voice partially muffled by the pillow, "I'm not moving. So, do we have any money left or are we broke again for the hundredth time this week?"

"That's awfully cynical," came a familiar female voice.

Instantly sitting up, Israel was surprised to see Naomi walking inside. Her light brown hair seemed to be cut a little shorter, but besides that, she looked about the same. She was wearing a boiled leather breastplate, coupled with two shoulder pauldrons underneath a blue shirt. Her black leggings complimented her long legs, and her leather boots, though muddy, looked to be a quality item. He couldn't help wonder where she was finding such excellent, not to mention fashionable, equipment. Both he and Jae had taken time out of their constant patrolling for players in danger to try and discover more item reward quests, but so far had had no luck. The light leather armor and simple clothing they did have had come from Norran the Blacksmith.

"Naomi? What's up?" Israel asked curiously. He wished he had had time to check how his long hair looked today. Even as he spoke, small strands threatened to fall on to his face. "Did you catch Jae stalking you? I told him not to, stealth has never been a gift of his."

Clearing his throat angrily, Jae deliberately slammed the door closed behind him.

Naomi smirked. "Really? I don't know why, but I kind of assumed you'd be the one bad at sneaking around."

Israel lifted an eyebrow. "And why's that?"

Naomi shrugged. "You talk entirely too much."

Before Israel could reply, Jae bursted out laughing.

"Hey dickhead," Israel muttered as he glared at his brother, "You stopped me before I could give her my comeback."

"Then I'll apologize," Jae replied, the humor still evident in his tone, "by giving you the benefit of the doubt and pretending you had a comeback at all."

Shaking his head, Israel returned his gaze to Naomi. "On a more serious note, is there something we can help with? We still owe you for telling us about Norran here in Trevica. We've saved at least three thousand Col thanks to you. And in this game," he added, "I think it's safe to say that could easily make the difference between life and death."

Stepping forward, Naomi shook her head grimly. "No, I don't see it that way. The day we met, I was feeling pretty cocky. Being a beta tester, I felt like things were easier than they actually are. Not to mention the fact that a few days after I sent you guys off on that quest, I started to realize that things aren't the same here as they were in the beta. I mean, some things are, but lots of little elements are different now…"

She paused, turning away as she made her way to the corner of the small room. Leaning her back up against the wall, she crossed her arms underneath her breasts before picking up the thread of her narrative.

"It made me start to question how much I actually knew about the game, and what I could be sure of. I started getting worried that I had sent the two of you off into danger. And then the Massacre started." Her gaze seemed to lose focus as she stared up at the ceiling.

Israel and Jae both understood. She had seen the Massacre first hand, just like them. So many players, butchered in the span of only a few weeks. At the height of the Massacre, Israel and Jae went out each day not just to grind, but to seek out players they knew would be in danger. On top of that, seeing so many die around them had begun leading them to expect their own deaths. It seemed only a matter of time. Both of them still told their jokes and behaved as normally as they could, but Israel knew Jae felt the same horrific thoughts he did.

"Anyway," Naomi shook her head, as if to expel the dark thoughts now clouding all their minds, "that's why I decided I had to pay you back for getting you in danger because of my recklessness."

Stepping over to Israel, Naomi accessed her menu, quickly equipping a one handed longsword of immense beauty. The blade itself was razor sharp and made of silver. The crossguard was wide and composed of steel, as was the handle, which was also wrapped in coiled leather for gripping purposes.

Israel found himself stunned at the sight of such a sword. He was even more stunned when Naomi held it out to him.

"It's for you." She said bluntly.

Israel looked up at her in confusion as she stood in front of him.

"What do you mean its for me? Why?"

Sighing, Naomi brandished the sword at him impatiently.

Israel furrowed his brow. "I'm not taking your sword from you, Naomi."

Looking genuinely amused, Naomi flashed a look at him that suddenly made him feel like a child who had just said something completely absurd.

"I don't even use swords, dummy. I use an axe and shield. I picked this up after I beat a quest, and since I don't use swords, I was going to sell it until I remembered you were still using the beginner's sword." she shrugged. "Consider this my apology for putting the two of you in danger."

Israel waved his hand, refuting the notion. "You didn't put us in any danger. It was an easy quest, just like you said. You don't owe us anything, Naomi. You should sell it, you'll probably get a great-"

"You either take the sword or I continue feeling like shit for what I know I did to you two." Naomi's face was stone.

Seeing he wasn't going to change her mind, Israel glanced over her shoulder at Jae.

"A little help here?"

Jae offered an apologetic shrug. "I don't know dude, I don't think she's backing down. I think you should just take the sword."

Sighing loudly, Israel gave Naomi one last look. "I'm not going to be happy about this."

"And I'm not going to care." she replied cheerfully.

He couldn't help but smile. _I like this girl._

Throwing up his arms helplessly, Israel took the sword. Examining it, he could see that it was called Silverthorne. Lengthy and elegant, the blade had better reach than the average one hander. With a considerable attack speed boost and dealing almost twice the damage of Jae's rare spear, the sword was easily the best weapon Israel had seen so far in SAO. He could only imagine what kind of axe Naomi had that kept her from using Silverthorne.

Holding the sword straight out in front of him, Israel grinned at the perfect balance and weight. And then, just as quickly as it had come, his smile faded.

Naomi frowned. "What's wrong now"

Israel patted the pommel of the sword at his belt.

"I just bought this from Norran. Not even an hour ago." He shook his head bitterly. "Such a waste of money."

Naomi nodded empathetically. "That's just bad luck right there."

Jae, who was now sitting at the table with his stat screen up, chuckled aloud as he said, "Yeah, Is's bad luck in games is something of a legend at this point."

"Is?" Naomi looked at Israel. "Is that your nickname?"

"Trust me," Israel answered, "It's better than Is Real."

Giggling, Naomi went over to the table, sitting opposite Jae. Silence enveloped the room for a moment as she accessed her inventory screen, taking off her leather armor and replacing her boots with socks. Finished with her adjustments, Naomi leaned back in her chair as she stared into the fire.

"This is a nice room you guys have. Better than the ones in the town I stay at."

Israel snorted. "Costs a fucking fortune just to stay another night though. And it's too small."

"What town do you stay at, if you don't mind me asking of course?" Jae asked.

Naomi smiled pleasantly. "No not at all. I've been staying at Tolbana for around a week now."

"Tolbana?" Jae suddenly sat upright. "So you know about the meeting that's supposed to be going down there tomorrow?"

Naomi nodded. "The meeting is for real. Most of the strongest players so far, around forty or so, are going to raid the Labyrinth and fight the Floor 1 Boss."

Jae looked over his shoulder enthusiastically at Israel, who was still sitting on the bed.

"We need to be at that meeting tomorrow. We can help them."

Israel hesitated. "Help them? It sounds to me like they got it all under control."

Jae was taken aback. "What the hell are you talking about, man? This is the best news we've gotten all month! This means there are players out there who aren't just sitting on their asses or are too scared to do anything. These guys are doing it, they're actually doing it!"

Israel frowned. "Doing what, exactly?"

Jae blinked in utter confusion. "The fuck is your problem? Did you get hit over the head today? 'Doing what?' They're beating the game, man! They're going to put an end to all of this. They're saving lives."

Israel looked away for a moment as he contemplated how to reply. It was clear to him that Jae saw the Boss raid differently than he did.

"Look," Israel began, "I get why they're doing the raid. And I get why you want to go. I kind of want to go too...but-"

"But what?"

Israel ignored the interruption. "I've been thinking about this since we started hearing about the meeting the other day. The guys who are going on the raid are the strongest players in the game, right?"

"Right." Jae answered warily.

"That means that they don't need our help. That means that they can handle themselves, keep themselves alive. I mean come on, forty of the strongest players all together in a group, against one boss? We both know how easy it is to win boss fights when you attack with the multi-party strategy, and I guarantee you that's what they'll use. They wouldn't be the strongest players in the game if they didn't know about that. Tanks in the front, damage dealers on the flanks. Similar parties in reserve to switch out when the time comes. It's simple stuff."

"I'm not getting your point," Jae replied, his voice tinged with bewilderment. "First off, you're right, it's easier to win against a boss when you have more people. Which is exactly why we should go. Second, if we don't contribute to clearing the game, what's the point of us leveling up when we could just go hide back in the Town of Beginnings?"

"Just let me finish, would you?" Israel was beginning to grow irritated that Jae still wasn't seeing what he was driving at. "Obviously clearing the game is important. I'm not saying that it's not. But I just don't feel like it's as important as human lives."

Concern stretched over Jae's features. "What do you mean?"

"I'm talking about the people that are dying out here every day." Israel tried to suppress the sorrow he felt from making it's way into his words, but was only partially successful.

"The Massacre didn't end. Sure, not as many people are dying now, but that doesn't mean no one is. There are a lot of people in this game, Jae, and most of them don't have the skill or gear that the players in Tolbana, or us for that matter, do have."

Pointing at the door, Israel continued. "Out there, people we've never met are being murdered by this game. People that can't defend themselves. People that want to survive, but don't have the ability to. We need to be there for those people, not the strongest players in the game. We've been patrolling areas all over this Floor trying to find people that need our help. And that's something that I think we should continue doing. We should help the people that actually need that help, not the ones that don't."

It was silent in the room except for the crackle of the flames from within the fireplace. Naomi, who hadn't said a word throughout the argument, seemed to be waiting patiently for it to placate before she spoke again. Israel didn't mean to exclude her, but the differing views between him and Jae had made themselves clear, and he needed to know where things would go from here.

"I see your point," Jae said, fiddling with a loose string on his shirt as he spoke. "I get where you're coming from now. But I just don't think what you're saying is the right course of action." He looked up at Israel, fixing him in an apologetic but determined face. "Every day we spend not focusing on beating the game is another day, another chance, for innocent people to die. It won't stop until the game ends, I think we both know that. So why would we not focus our efforts to bringing about that end sooner?"

"Because players stronger than us are already working towards that goal." Israel said firmly. "Which means those same players aren't there to look out for the weaker people. If the best players won't look out for them, someone else has too. And that's what I think we should do."

"So then," Jae said slowly, "We've reached an impasse."

"Looks like. And I'm not sure what to do about it."

It was tense in the room for a moment as neither brother was prepared to back down. Finally, after what seemed an eternity, Jae sighed. Standing up, he wrung his hands together and yawned before replying.

"Well, for starters, I think we should both think it over. Maybe tomorrow, after some much needed sleep, we can come to some kind of compromise."

"I hear you." Israel yawned in kind. "We've been pushing it with our sleeping schedule. Could be we're just not thinking straight."

"Either way," Naomi suddenly interceded, "I'm glad that's over. It's awkward as hell being the in the same room when you two go at it. Anyway, just so we're clear, the bed is mine."

Israel looked down at the mattress sadly. _Oh well. It was good while it lasted._


	7. Chapter 7

7

December 2, 2022

Floor 1, Trevica

Israel awoke with a start, the screams still echoing inside his head. He could feel the cold sweat plastering the shirt he was wearing against his skin.. His heart was beating so loudly, he was amazed Jae and Naomi were still asleep.

 _What the hell is wrong with me._

Ever since the day those first three players had died, nightmares had begun to plague Israel's dreams. Every death they had witnessed afterwards only served to add to his tormented nightmares. Opening his eyes, he guessed by the level of darkness that it was still an hour or two before dawn. Forcing himself to calm down, Israel slowed his breathing until his rapid heartbeat finally began to slow.

Shutting his eyes, he was about to doze off once more when the silence that permeated the still darkness was suddenly broken by the sound of a screen being accessed.

Alarmed, Israel's eyes immediately darted to the door. Was it possible that someone had broken in? While hardly anyone lived in Trevica, Israel and Jae had both seen several players passing through on multiple occasions.

The door was firmly closed, and nothing could be heard outside but the faint rush of wind against the wooden walls of the inn. _I'm being an idiot. Why would a player break into our room?_

And then he heard it again.

Fainter this time, but still containing the familiar digital sound of a screen being swiped aside. Scanning the room, Israel's eyes stopped as he focused on the bed. The faintest blue light emanated from underneath the blanket Naomi slept on. Straining his eyes, he realized that she was sitting upright, with the blanket over her as she went through her character menu. By her positioning, it appeared as though she had been sitting like that for quite some time.

 _It's like two in the morning, what the hell is she doing up?_

Watching carefully, Israel did his best to ignore his exhaustion as he tried to see if he could read her screen through the blanket.

…

Opening his eyes as wide as they could go, Israel forced himself to keep looking at Naomi. It was then that he realized the room was filled with light. Not from the fire or the candle, but from outside. Glancing at the bed, he saw that the blankets had been neatly folded. The bed itself was empty.

 _Did I seriously pass out with that sketchy shit going on?_

Taking off his blanket, Israel sat up, his back hurting from sleeping on the hardwood floor. To his right, Jae was snoring lightly underneath a blanket of his own.

"Oh, morning."

Turning, Israel saw Naomi by the door. Equipping her leather armor and boots, Naomi looked briefly at Jae before glancing back at Israel.

"I didn't want to wake you guys," She whispered, "Sorry about that."

Accessing his own menu, Israel yawned as he began equipping his gear in turn. "Don't worry about it, you didn't wake me. Oh and," He gestured to Jae, "You don't have to whisper. Waking him up while he's snoring is pretty much impossible. Believe me, I've tried."

Naomi shook her head in amusement. Placing a hand on her hip, she eyed the door deliberately.

"Going somewhere?" Israel asked as he stood, stretching his back to shake off the dulling pain.

"A friend of mine just messaged me," She replied. "He needs some help with a quest back in Tolbana. It's nothing urgent, so I was about to go eat breakfast first before letting you guys know I had to leave." She offered a cheerful smile. "But now that you're up, we can both go eat. I'll pay."

Israel cocked his head to the side. "Are you saying I look poor to you?"

She shrugged. "That's neither here nor there. Although, I did happen to overhear you saying something about being broke again for the hundredth time this week not too long ago."

Sighing, Israel shook the handle of Silverthorne at her before fastening the weapon onto his belt. "I already owe you enough, no matter what you say. However," He scratched his morning shadow, "I think I see an opportunity here."

Naomi lifted an eyebrow curiously. "An opportunity for…?"

Lifting a finger through the air matter of factly, Israel replied, "To go Dutch, of course. That way, since both of us still feel as though we owe the other, we can both compromise and call it even. After this breakfast, all debt on either side is hitherto void. Sound good?"

Waving a hand through the air casually, Naomi opened the door, flooding the room in the full morning light.

"I suppose that's fair. Although," She added, "Come to think of it, I didn't feel like I owed you anything after giving you Silverthorne. So, following that rule, maybe you should be the one to pay after all?"

He stepped past her out into the street, shaking his head grimly. "Technicalities are just the worst aren't they? They could keep debates going on forever. Better to avoid them all together, I find. Dutch it is."

Rolling her eyes, Naomi couldn't help but smile as she closed the door behind her.

There weren't many restaurants in Trevica. As tempting as the smells wafting from each one had been, neither Jae nor Israel had bothered trying any during their stay. Constantly trying to keep up their funds, they had limited themselves to eating only food dropped by mobs. At the best of times, such cuisine was bland and tasteless. He told as much to Naomi when she asked where they should go.

The look on her face was one of pure disbelief. "You've lived here for what, two weeks now? And you haven't tried any of the food?"

Israel blinked. "Is it that good?"

"Well, I haven't tried any of the places here in Trevica," she admitted, "but each Floor tends to have a particular theme when it comes to food."

Israel nodded thoughtfully as they began walking up the cobbled street. "So what's the theme for this Floor?"

"Eggs."

"Eggs?"

Naomi nodded happily. "Egg related dishes are the main specialty here on Floor 1. Which is perfect for us."

Israel held back the urge to laugh. "Why exactly? I hope you realize how that sounded. I could have so easily said something right there. You're welcome in advance. God, I'm such a gentleman."

The cheerful beta tester facepalmed dramatically. "What the hell are you talking about now? I said it's perfect because we're going for breakfast. What's a proper breakfast without eggs?"

Israel pushed a hand through his hair as he grinned mischievously . "I couldn't agree more."

Eyeing him suspiciously, Naomi planted her feet squarely in front of him. "I'm not moving until you tell me what the hell you're talking about."

Throwing up his hands in a gesture of surrender, Israel smirked as he answered her.

"The Portuguese Breakfast."

Expecting a string of insults to follow, Israel was surprised to see her blink in ignorance instead.

"What the hell is a Portuguese Breakfast?" She asked, spitting out the phrase uncomfortably.

Israel's eyes twinkled as he silently praised the gods of perverse humor.

"That is an excellent question," He began, trying to sound serious as he kept his face composed. "To tell you the truth, I don't quite know myself. I guess it's just one of those universal terms everyone says but not many people really understand."

Naomi still wasn't moving. Around them, NPC's began exiting their homes and opening up their shops as the virtual sun began rising above the horizon.

"I don't believe you." She said staunchly, hands still on her hips.

Israel put a hand to his chest solemnly. "Seriously, I don't know what it means. You'll have to ask someone who really gets it. I'm telling you, it's just one of those things people say without really getting the origin of the joke itself."

Narrowing her gaze, Naomi's eyes threatened to burn a hole through him. "Oh yeah, like what? Give me an example."

Brushing his hair out of his face, Israel shrugged impatiently. "I don't know. Just certain stuff. Like douchebag I guess. People say that all the time and no one really knows where it comes from or what it really is."

Naomi put a hand to her head in exasperation. "Everyone knows what a douchebag is. It's a feminine hygiene product."

Israel leaned in, enthralled by this new information suddenly brought to light before him. "Seriously? A hygiene product? What's it do?"

Shaking her head fervently, Naomi began walking quickly up the street as she said, "Nope. Forget it. I don't like where this conversation has ended up and I really don't to be thinking about douchebags while I'm eating."

Following after her, Israel was still curious, but decided he was just happy she still didn't know what the Portuguese Breakfast was. _She'll ask someone soon, and it'll be awesome._

…

"I'm not even gonna lie," Israel said around a mouthful of scrambled eggs, "this was well worth the Col."

Sitting at the opposite side of the small dark oak table, Naomi smiled triumphantly. "Told you so."

After trying to decide between one of the three restaurants in Trevica, Israel had settled on The Farinday, more so because he liked the name than anything else. It was the smallest of the three restaurants, and located on the edge of town just within the safe zone limits. Upon entering the empty restaurant and seating themselves at the table closest to the door, the NPC's that ran the place had flocked to them without question, bringing menus, drinks, and waiting on their orders. At first, Israel had skimmed along the prices unhappily. When Naomi reminded him that she had offered to pay, he finally went with the scrambled eggs and cheese, with Naomi ordering a large veggie omelette for herself.

After a few moments of silence as they ate, Naomi set her empty plate aside and leaned forward tentatively.

"So you and Jae are brothers?"

Twirling his fork in the air as he chewed, Israel took a moment to answer.

"Well, we're not actually related by blood, if that's what you mean," he began. "But as far as we're concerned, he is my brother. And vice versa."

Naomi didn't look surprised. "Makes sense. It's easy to see how much you guys love each other. But it felt to me like you argue a lot too, and from what I can tell, you have very different personalities."

Israel shrugged. "Part of brotherhood is arguing. We fight a lot because we care. We both want to do whatever it takes to keep the other safe. And I guess," he added under his breath, "It might have something to do with our personalities. We are pretty different in the way we go about a lot of things. But there's also lots of things we see eye to eye at instantly."

Naomi nodded. "Yeah, that sounds about right. But that's good though. You can both see things from different perspectives. Balance each other out and all that."

Before Israel could respond, a female NPC stepped forward.

"Is there anything else I can get either of you?" She asked, her friendly, high pitched voice carrying a trace of the robotic within it.

"No thank you," Naomi said cheerfully, "nothing for me."

Israel held up a hand as he forced himself to swallow the large bite of eggs he had just taken.

"May I have some more water, please?" He asked politely, beating his chest lightly to get the eggs down faster.

"Absolutely, I'll be right back." With that, the NPC waitress grabbed his empty glass before making for the kitchen.

"You shouldn't eat so fast." Naomi noted as he cleared his throat.

"Thanks, I had no idea."

Naomi smirked. "So snarky."

"I could say the same of you," he replied defensively. Setting his empty plate aside, it was now Israel's turn to lean forward.

"So when you mean arguing, you're talking about last night, right? When Jae brought up the boss raid meeting."

Naomi nodded.

"You didn't say anything that entire time." Israel continued, locking eyes with her. "I'm curious, what's your opinion? Do you think I'm wrong and Jae is right about going to the meeting?"

She hesitated. "Are you asking me to pick a side here?"

Israel shook his head. "No, I'm asking for your opinion. I need to know if I'm wrong in this…" He looked away from her eyes, studying the plate in front of him. "Players could die depending on which course of action Jae and I end up taking."

"You and your brother are pretty rare people."

Looking back up at her, Israel could see fascination in her face. More than that though, he saw respect.

"What do you mean?" He asked cautiously.

Naomi pointed outside the window, where they could see goatmen and wild boars wandering aimlessly not fifty feet away. It was odd seeing the passive mobs so close. "There are thousands of players out there, are looking out for themselves. Sure, parties are starting to form, but the players in them only look out for each other." She tapped her chest. "Even the beta testers. I mean, I helped make the guide book, and I wouldn't hesitate to help a player in need. But you and your brother are doing more than that. You both want to go out your way to willingly risk your lives to help the other players. I've heard a lot of people argue and fight in the month we've been here, but what I heard last night between you and Jae was different.."

Israel narrowed his gaze as he tried to decipher her meaning. "So you're saying that Jae and I are both right?"

Naomi met his eyes with a deadly serious expression. "I'll be honest with you, Israel. I don't know which of you is right. I don't know which path will keep more people alive, or which is the best course to take. I'm no leader or strategist, and I've never pretended to be. But I do know that there should be more players with the same mindset as you two." She looked away sadly. "Sorry I don't have a better answer for you."

For a brief moment, Israel thought he could see shame in her face. By her tone, he guessed she felt guilty about the way she was going about life in SAO. In a way, he understood. While a kind of discrimination seemed to be taking root among the other players towards beta testers, they were still respected as the most knowledgeable players. Undoubtedly, it was that same respect and level of expectation that was putting pressure on Naomi and others like her. She was expected to be among the strongest of the players, and not just in the physical sense. On top of that, she still had to worry about survival just like the rest of them. It was difficult to imagine how she handled such stress.

Opening his mouth to say something, Israel halted when a cry suddenly rose up from outside of the restaurant.

"Please! Please God, someone help me!"

Jumping up out of their seats, Israel and Naomi both looked out of the window into the woods just outside of Trevica. There, just beyond the treeline, they could see a young man with long black hair fighting off at least a dozen plant like creatures. Even as they watched, more of the plants began appearing from further in the woods.

Without another thought, both Israel and Naomi bolted for the door as his panicked screams only grew in terror.

"Please, are there any players around here! Please help!"


	8. Chapter 8

Hey everyone, just a quick word or two along with the new chapter. I'm very passionate about this story since it's kind of an obsession of mine to be in something like SAO, so I'm definitely going to be adding more and more to the story regularly. Still, I would deeply appreciate any criticism or opinion. I love writing and want to get better at the craft. I also thought you might be interested in some fun facts. Israel is in fact my real name. My brother Jae is also real, and just as passionate as I am about this, but I'm the one writing the story. The character depictions between the two of us are exactly who we are and how we act in real life. Jae has told me already that he bets he will be the favorite character between the two of us, so i decided to take him up on the bet. Thanks for reading guys, and I hope my story brings you the same joy it brings me.

8

December 2, 2022

Floor 1, Trevica

Sprinting outside, Israel and Naomi both opened their menus as they turned around the corner of the Farinday restaurant, officially exiting the safe zone of the town. Israel drew his sword at the same moment Naomi equipped her hand axe and metal buckler. Ahead of them, the edge of the forest loomed ominously as they watched the young man obliterate several of the plant like creatures with a shortsword. The plants, which looked like huge yellow flowers stacked on top of eight boney legs, were completely unknown to Israel.

As they drew closer, the young man spotted them. Before he could react however, a metallic tongue appeared from the center of one of the plants and lashed out, knocking the player down. Putting his hands over his head, the man lay there helplessly.

"Please just fucking kill them!" he screamed.

"Get up!" Israel yelled at the top of his lungs. "Get up and run!"

Rather than answer, the man instead began to shake violently. All around him, the plant creatures rushed forward to finish him.

"No!" Israel roared. Desperate to close the distance in time, he bent his legs and sprang forward, launching himself threw the air directly towards the downed player.

Smashing into the creature nearest the man, Israel didn't bother trying to land on his feet and instead swung Silverthorne in an arc around him as he fell.

Pixelated fragments exploding all around him, he broke his fall by rolling forward. Jumping back up, Israel tore his blade through the air before him, instantly destroying two more creatures as they jumped at him. Twisting his sword hand as the creatures swarmed him, Israel hacked off several of the monsters' skeletal limbs, but he couldn't stop all of them. Multiple blows knocking him off balance, Israel struggled to right himself as his HP began to deteriorate.

Before he could prepare any kind of counter attack, Israel found himself surrounded by a mist of exploding creatures as Naomi tore into the fray, her axe coated in a golden hue as she executed multiple sword skills within the span of several seconds.

Keeping her shield held high as she attacked, Naomi effortlessly blocked whatever attacks managed to get past her onslaught. Advancing deeper into the horde of plant creatures charging forward from the depths of the forest, Naomi had given Israel a moment to catch his breath. Ignoring the urge to join her, Israel nonetheless maintained a death grip on Silverthorne as he ran up to the downed player.

"I told you to get the fuck up!" Israel yelled as he yanked the shaking man up off the ground.

"Ca-ca-can't…" The player gasped. Wincing, it appeared to take everything he had to lift his arm slightly in the direction of the battle between Naomi and the mobs. "Sei-sei-seizure...att-att-atta-"

Israel didn't wait for the man to finish. Splitting one of the creatures in half as it snuck past Naomi and targeted him, Israel accessed his menu, cursing his shaking hands for slowing him down.

"Naomi, they've got an impairment attack!" He shouted as he equipped his one and only teleport crystal.

Holding it above the downed player, Israel tried to keep his voice clear as he spoke the activation. "Teleport, Trevica!"

In an instant, the shaking man on the ground had disappeared.

Finally able to rejoin the girl protecting him, Israel brandished Silverthorne as he allowed his fury and adrenaline to overwhelm him. Amidst the chaos of battle, it was possible Naomi hadn't heard his warning. Though now far ahead of him and cut off by the plant creatures, he could still hear her battle cry as she brought her axe down again and again upon her assailants.

Charging forward, Israel screamed as he tore into the back ranks of the monsters, Silverthorne ripping them apart as he swung the blade all around him. Lost in his rage, fueled by his fear of being forced to watch yet another player die in front of him, Israel had already cut down five of the creatures before they managed to turn and target him.

Without slowing down, Israel pressed his attack. Carving a vicious path into the ranks of the beasts, Israel found himself ripping off their yellow flower heads with his empty right hand while at the same time knocking aside the sharp, skeletal limbs with Silverthorne. The monsters were dying so quickly that before the digital shards of the first victims of his advance had even begun to clear, a dozen more were dead.

Hacking off all six limbs of one of the monsters with a sweep of his sword, Israel winced against the sharp pain from another behind him as it slashed his shoulder blade open. Spinning around to face it, he tore his blade through two more of them and received three more wounds before getting his vengeance, snapping the creature's stem like neck with his right hand. Yet for each creature he killed, more simply charged forward to take their place.

With his health halfway gone, Israel could feel the tables beginning to turn. Winded from the fierce and endless battle, his attacks were beginning to slow. As if emboldened by his growing vulnerability, the sea of plant creatures pressed their attacks as they thickened all around him, many toppling over each other just to strike at him with their legs.

Yelling in pain as multiple limbs began tearing through his leather armor, it was all Israel could do to parry the attacks with his sword wherever he could. Seizing hold of one of the creature's nearest him with his right hand, Israel made to snap the stem of its neck, only to realize he no longer had the strength.

Still holding onto the creature, Israel suddenly saw a tongue appear from within the center of its flower like face.

 _The impairment attack!_ He realized in horror.

Before the thing could lash out with it's tongue, Israel strengthened his grip on its throat to keep it from escaping. Launching Silverthorne forward with his other hand, Israel rammed the blade into the center of the monster's face.

Even as it died, a shrill shriek escaped the creature's throat, sending a chill up Israel's spine and almost causing him to drop his sword and cover his ears in pain. Suddenly, all around him, the other creatures stopped in their tracks and began to tremble, each one screaming in unison as they shuddered. _What the hell…_

Taking advantage of the momentary lapse in the fighting, Israel scrambled through his menu, quickly equipping a health crystal from his inventory.

"Heal!" he shouted.

His HP rose immediately, but only enough to get him just back into the green.

Before he could do anything else, the creatures stopped trembling and resumed their attack as if nothing had happened. Again fighting with everything he had just to keep the skeletal limbs away from him, Israel quickly began trying to think up a plan.

Cleaving through the body of a particularly aggressive plant creature, Israel was dismayed to see two more of them open their faces, their disgusting tongues preparing to strike on either side of him.

 _I won't be able to stop both of them._

At that moment, he heard Naomi's voice somewhere behind him.

"Take the one on your left!"

Without hesitation, Israel swung his blade at an upward slant as he pivoted to the left, splitting the creature, and it's tongue, in two.

Turning, Israel saw Naomi bury her axe in the second monster's face even as she caught several limbs on her shield.

"Get ready!" Israel yelled.

Glancing at him in confusion, Naomi jumped back when the remaining creatures again started trembling and screaming in unison.

"Use your sword skills!" Israel shouted as his own blade suddenly exploded in red and blue flames. "Every single one!"

Nodding, Naomi's axe again took on a golden color as she charged forward, decapitating three of the creatures in a single strike.

When the monsters again recovered from their strange trembling, Israel and Naomi halted their assault and switched to the defensive, covering each other from enemy attacks, all the while waiting for the creatures to attempt their impairment attack again. It was in this way that the tide finally began to turn. Each time one of the plant creatures attacked with it's special ability, Israel and Naomi would target it, and in the ensuing helplessness of the remaining creatures they would unleash a barrage of sword skills, wiping out dozens at a time. Again and again the monsters attacked, and each time, the two players cut them down.

Glancing up as he mindlessly swung his sword once more, Israel was shocked to see that there were no more monsters. Looking around, he saw and heard nothing but the ragged panting of Naomi and the choked gasps of his own breathing. After what had felt like an eternity of brutal, mindless fighting, the battle was over. Every single monster had been destroyed.

A small screen popped into view, but try as he might, he couldn't seem to focus on the words long enough to read them. Dropping to his knees, Israel leaned on Silverthorne as he panted. From behind him, he heard Naomi do the same. There was complete silence for a moment as both players simply sat there, overcome by exhaustion. Looking up at his health, Israel was surprised to see it still in the yellow. After taking one more breath, he forced himself to speak.

"You ok?"

"Yeah I'm...I'm good." Came her tired voice. "Just exhausted."

Slowly getting to his feet, Israel turned to help her up. Instead he saw her already standing and scanning the forest around them. Impressed, Israel left her to her own devices as he sheathed Silverthorne. Opening and closing his left hand to try and ease the soreness, Israel sighed against the pain.

"Congrats."

Turning, Israel glanced at her in confusion.

"On the level up." She explained. "I'd say you earned it."

Remembering the screen in front of him, Israel finally got his eyes to focus on the words.

 _Congratulations!_

 _You have reached Level 10_

Naomi walked over to him as he swiped away the screen.

"Level 10 huh?" She smiled at him. "You get your third skill slot unlocked at 10. Any thoughts on what it's going to be?"

Israel sighed. "Not a clue. I haven't even decided on my second skill yet."

The woman in front of him smirked. "The guy that's all confident and always knows what to say is actually indecisive? I'm surprised."

Israel crossed his arms defensively. "Hey now, real life and video games are two very different things. Honestly though," He added as he smiled, "It does drive people crazy how much I think before making simple choices in RPG's. And SAO is even worse. As far as my skill slots go, I didn't really want a support skill. Not just yet anyway. I wanted something that could be combat oriented, or something I can implement to improve my fighting style. Mostly I wasn't sure if new skills would unlock later on down the road that would negate whatever was good early game."

Naomi brushed her wavy brown hair away from her eyes as her face took on a serious edge.

"Well, after seeing you fight," She offered, "I can think of a few skills that I think you'd really like. That is, if you're interested. And don't worry about new skills down the line. The options your have now are the only ones you get for the whole game. Not like we need more."

Israel nodded gratefully. "Absolutely, I'd really appreciate your help with this."

Before she could answer, they heard shouts coming from Trevica. Facing the source of the noise, they saw two men running to meet them, the one in front leading the way while the man behind him continued shouting angrily. Israel could tell immediately that the voice belonged to Jae.

"Looks like your brother isn't too happy this morning." Naomi said jokingly.

Israel sighed as he nodded. "Trust me, that's an understatement. He's going to be furious we went and fought a battle without him. The only thing I'm not sure of," he added mischievously, "Is whether he'll be more angry about that, or when he finds out that we went on a date."

Naomi frowned. "A date? I don't think I'd call it that."

Israel furrowed his brow at her. "Oh, so you're saying the sizzling chemistry back there was just my imagination?"

"Are you talking about the breakfast or the fight?"

Israel hesitated. "Both?"

Naomi laughed pleasantly as she shrugged. "Date or not, I'm pretty sure Jae will be significantly more upset when he finds out you've been putting all your attributes into Strength."

Caught off guard, Israel found himself at a loss for words.

"How did…" His eyes met hers. "How do you know about that?"

Instead of answering, Naomi opened her menu casually. As Jae and the other player, who Israel now recognized as the young man he and Naomi had just saved, drew closer, a screen suddenly appeared in front of him.

 _Naomi has sent you a Friend Request!_

 _Accept?_

 _Yes No_

Puzzled, Israel looked up at her. Returning the stare boldly, Naomi gestured at his screen.

"You gonna answer that?"

Shaking his head in exasperation, Israel accepted the request. A small notification popped up by his health bar, containing a quick reminder about private messages and map information that was now available between him and Naomi. As Jae entered the forest and began striding towards them, Israel held Naomi's gaze a moment longer as he spoke just loud enough for her to hear.

"Don't tell him. Please."

Naomi simply stared at him.

"What the hell happened?" Jae exclaimed irritably. Beside him, the player they had rescued looked around in awe as he walked up.

"You...you killed them all?" He asked in disbelief.

Naomi nodded cheerfully. "Yep, my friend Israel and I took care of it." Her face took on a concerned look. "Are you alright?"

The young man nodded as he studied the ground. "Yeah, I'm so sorry for getting you caught up in that. I had no idea what kind of mobs they were or where they came from. Before I knew it, they were attacking me in droves." He looked up, and though he looked ashamed he managed to offer a warm smile. "You two saved my life back there. I can't begin to thank you for risking your lives for me like that."

Israel scratched the back of his head in embarrassment as he stepped forward, extending his hand to the player.

"Sorry about screaming at you back there, man. I had no idea they had impairment attacks."

The young man shook his head emphatically as he took hold of Israel's hand with both of his. "No worries, I got where you were coming from. But listen, while I may not be able to pay you back for my life, I would love to help you guys out if you'll let me. My way of saying thanks."

"You attacked mobs with impairment abilities?" Jae asked in shock. "We haven't fought anything like that yet. Why the hell didn't you come get me?"

"We couldn't." Israel said flatly. "This guy would be dead if we had taken any longer."

Naomi nodded as she stepped up beside Israel. "He's not exaggerating. We had to help…" She paused, glancing at the other player. "I'm sorry, but is it ok if we ask your name?"

The player blinked. "You can have more than that. Please, can you two friend me?" As he spoke, he accessed his menu, quickly sending them both a Friend Request. Looking at Jae, the player sent him a request as well, saying, "If you're with them, then I'd love to help you out with items and equipment too."

Accepting his friend request, Israel saw that his player name was Tristan.

"Nice to officially meet you, Tristan." Naomi said cheerfully, shaking his hand in turn.

"So I'm assuming you're an info broker?" Israel asked. "You know where certain items are?"

Tristan shook his head. "No, sorry. I'm actually running an item shop, or at least, I'm about to. It's kind of hard getting everything I need."

Jae was intrigued. "A player running an item shop instead of NPC's? No offense, but that sounds like a lot of work, man. What made you want to pursue something like that?"

Tristan shrugged. "You're right, it is a lot of work. I've been running around this entire floor gathering the items and materials I'll need. That's why I came to the forest outside Trevica today. But I'm confident it'll be more than worth it in the end."

Israel's eyes widened as he thought about it. "That's actually pretty ingenious. NPC item shops are pretty bland, at least the ones on this floor. Not to mention the fixed costs. Running a shop of your own, you could create your own prices and include items in your store that you know the players want or need, things beyond the basics sold by the game. Talk about the start of a monopoly."

Tristan nodded. "You're exactly right. There's some serious profit to be made here, and I intend to be the first to capitalize on it." He paused, smiling up at Israel and Naomi. "For you guys though, your first shopping experience is completely free."

Israel raised an eyebrow. "Just the first? Bro, you'd be dead right now if it wasn't for us-"

Naomi punched his shoulder.

"Don't be an ass."

She offered Tristan an apologetic face. "He's just messing. It's very generous of you to treat us like that. We'll definitely take you up on that offer sometime. Where's your shop at?"

Tristan hesitated. "Well, it's not officially open just yet. I was holding off on the grand opening until after the Boss raid, seeing as it sounds like the players in Tolbana might just get us to Floor Two tomorrow. If that's the case, I'll need to be where the players are, and you know everyone will be interested in checking out the next Floor as soon as possible."

Jae nodded, deliberately glancing at Israel as he spoke. "Speaking of, I still think we should go to that meet-"

"Actually," Naomi interrupted, "A friend of mine who also stays in Tolbana messaged me before Israel and I went to eat. He said the meeting was between nine and ten this morning."

Checking the time in his menu, Jae sighed irritably. "It's almost noon." Giving Israel a look that could curdle milk, it was obvious he wanted to say something.

Instead, he glanced at Naomi. " Is there any chance your friend knows when they'll be raiding the Boss room?"

Naomi nodded. "He went to the meeting, so I bet he knows. He just started a complicated quest though and he asked for my help with it. I was supposed to meet back with him after breakfast. I should really be going."

Accessing her menu, Naomi quickly sent a Friend Request to Jae.

"Is it cool if I message you the details on the Boss raid after I head back?"

Israel could see Jae trying to restrain his surprise.

"Yeah, absolutely," he managed. "Thanks Naomi."

"No problem," Naomi answered with a smile.

Equipping a teleport crystal from her inventory, Naomi looked around one last time. "I'll see you guys around soon. You should really get back to town before those plant mobs start to respawn."

Israel lifted a hand in surprise. "Wouldn't it be smarter to just use the Portal back in Trevica? Save a teleport crystal?"

Naomi shook her head. "I would, but unfortunately he decided to start the quest on his own. The safe zone Portals can only send you to another town, and he's some distance from Tolbana now."

Holding the crystal above her, Naomi waved at them as she activated it.

"Teleport, Arid Fields!"

And then she was gone.


	9. Chapter 9

9

December 2, 2022

Floor 1, Trevica

"I know you're pissed at me," Israel said beside him as they walked. "So you might as well tell me why."

Jae shook his head without turning. "I'm not pissed, dude."

"Yeah, that's bullshit."

By his tone, Jae could tell that Israel was annoyed, though he was doing his best to cover it up.

After Naomi left, the two of them had walked with Tristan back to the center of Trevica, where the town Portal stood. A ruinous, vine covered stone archway located at the main intersection in the center of town, the Portal itself was nothing compared to the one in the plaza at the Town of Beginnings. Before leaving, Tristan made them both promise to visit his shop sooner rather than later. Though in reality Jae had been angry since Naomi told him about the meeting, he had tried his best to let it go. For a while it seemed like Israel hadn't noticed, but now it was obvious he had just been waiting for them to be alone.

"I said I'm not pissed," Jae repeated, louder this time. "Just leave it alone."

Israel continued looking ahead, but Jae could practically feel him roll his eyes.

"I would, but I know you too well for that."

Jae didn't respond. Reaching the inn, he put his hand on their door. Before he could open it, Israel pushed him away. His irritation mounting, Jae faced him.

"What the hell was that?"

Israel met his look with that smug glare he tended to put on whenever he felt like he was in the right. "Look man, you need to tell me what's up. I know how this little story ends, every time. You never talk about what's pissing you off but you don't let it go either. So you end up just sulking around hating everything until someone finally gets you to snap." Israel paused, rubbing his eyes as he leaned against the door. Jae knew what what meant. Israel had been about to say something that even he realized would sound too fucked up, so instead he had played it off. "Look," he continued, "We don't have time for this. If this is about me and Naomi eating breakfast-"

Jae exploded. "I don't give a fuck who you eat breakfast with! God, do you really think that's what I'm pissed about?" He laughed bitterly. "You're something else man, you know that?"

He could see the rage build in Israel's eyes like flames dancing in a hearth. If there was one thing his brother was bad at, it was handling being yelled at. In the back of Jae's mind, a memory suddenly forced itself into his thoughts for the briefest of seconds.

" _Step out of the car please." The cop said bluntly._

 _Israel met the officer's gaze through the car window with an annoyed look. "Why? We haven't done anything."_

 _Sitting in the back seat next to Israel, Jae quickly elbowed him in the ribs._

" _Dude, " Jae whispered. "That's a fucking cop."_

 _Staring defiantly at the cop, Israel didn't seem to notice._

" _Look kid," the big man said angrily from behind his sunglasses. "You better watch how you talk to me. Now get out of the car."_

 _Israel lifted a hand in confusion. "All I did was ask why. What have we done?"_

 _In the driver's seat, Heaven put a hand to her head as she sighed in exasperation at her little brother._

 _In an attempt to draw the officer's attention away from Israel, Jae made to open his car door. Before he had even reached the lever, however, Israel again spoke up._

" _I mean seriously, do you even have a single reason for pulling up on us?Or were you just bored as you sat there in your car doing nothing?"_

 _Forming his beefy right hand into a fist, the cop rested it on the hood of the car as he leaned into the car window until he was less than a few inches from Israel's face._

 _Israel didn't even blink._

" _Alright, smart ass." The officer said through gritted teeth. "Here's what's about to happen." His voice began to grow louder. "I'm going to ask you to step out of that car one more time. Very politely, you're going to do what I say. From that point on, every time I address you, you're going to respond with either 'no, sir,' or 'yes,sir!'" He was practically screaming at this point. "Now get out of the car!"_

 _Looking at his brother's face, Jae could see pure rage in his eyes, like flames dancing in a hearth. That was all he needed to know that Israel was about to explode._

 _Grabbing Israel before he could say anything else, Jae forced him to pay attention as he spoke. "Brother, calm down."_

Then, as quickly as it had come, the memory was gone.

"Alright then asshole!" Israel shouted. "Since I'm obviously too stupid to understand, why don't you explain to me what the hell your problem actually is? I'm over here trying to help you feel better and you just insist on acting like a fucking girl in the middle of her period."

Slamming the door into their room closed, Jae met Israel's glare.

"I'll tell you what my problem is. You deliberately left instead of waking me up this morning because you knew what time the meeting was! You knew how serious I was about going, but you didn't agree with me, so naturally you just assume you're the one in the right, like always! I was oversleeping, you saw your out, and you took it without giving a damn about what I believe to be the right choice!"

Israel looked dumbfounded. "Are you being serious right now? What even gave you that idea? Why would you think that?"

"Because that's the way you are." Jae forced himself to calm down. He hadn't meant to start yelling, but Israel always managed to find a way to push the issue.

When Israel didn't answer, instead crossing his arms expectedly, Jae continued.

"You always do this. You always think you're right. If someone has a different opinion, than to you they're just wrong, no questions asked. That's what I'm angry about…" He hesitated, closing his eyes for a moment before adding, "And the fact that you're keeping something from me."

Meeting Israel's gaze, Jae waited to see what he would say.

"Listen," Israel began, "Now that you've explained it to me, I get the misunderstanding here. Obviously we both feel pretty strongly about what course we should take, but just because I don't agree with you doesn't mean I think I'm right. I've been more unsure of myself this past month than I have our entire lives." He paused. "But I have no idea where you came up with me keeping things from you."

Jae lifted a hand, pointing at Israel as he replied. "Don't insult me. I know there's something you're hiding. Every time we level up, you don't open your menu to apply the stats. Same with when we got our second skill slot. You never even mentioned what you decided on to me when we agreed on how I should get Detection-"

"That's not true." Israel interrupted. "I told you I wasn't sure what I should get, and later I figured it would be smarter to wait until we knew more about the extra skills. We don't know if getting to a particular floor or beating a certain quest will give us some free skill or power that negates what we got early game. There's no respecing here man, and we can't afford a mistake like that."

Jae hesitated as he considered his brother's words. What he was saying made sense. On top of that, it was true how unsure Israel tended to be with making character choices in RPGs.

"And I promise you," Israel continued, sincerity lacing his words, "I did not know what time the meeting was, and neither did Naomi. We woke up and figured you'd want to sleep in." He smiled jokingly as he added, "I swear I've never gotten so much backlash for trying to be fucking nice."

Jae narrowed his gaze as he gave Israel a final look. "I want your word."

Israel blinked. "My word?"

Jae gave one solemn nod. "I want your word as my brother that you didn't know about the meeting, and that you're not keeping anything from me. God knows we can't afford to keep secrets from each other. Not anymore."

Israel rubbed the back of his neck with his right hand as he looked down the cobbled street.

Jae stood still as stone as he waited. Around them the wind picked up, scattering dust and dirt further down the road leading back to the town's entrance. In the distance, Jae could hear the sound of Norran's hammer being brought down on his anvil.

Israel looked back at Jae. He looked hurt, as if Jae's request had been offensive.

"I don't know why you're having such a hard time trusting me, man. But if it will settle things between us, then I give you my word as your brother that I'm not lying to you. Not about the meeting, and not about keeping anything from you. Alright?"

Relieved, Jae smiled apologetically. "Alright. Thanks man."

Reaching for the door latch, Israel was about to walk in when Jae said, "Hey man look, I'm really sorry I doubted you. I guess…" He scrambled for the right words, "I guess I'm just getting too worked up. This whole month I've been stressed to hell and my nerves have just been getting to me." He looked down at his leather boots. "This damn game is driving me crazy. Just forget this whole thing, ok? I won't lose my shit again, I promise."

Looking back up, Jae could see that Israel was also looking away.

"Listen," Israel said, running a hand through his long blonde hair as he sighed. "I say we go try to join the Boss raid, once Naomi tells you when it goes down."

Jae's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? You're sure?" He furrowed his brow suspiciously. "What changed your mind?"

Israel shrugged. "I've been giving it some thought, and while I still think we should be looking after the weak players wherever we can find them, I also think that anything could happen with this Boss fight. The only players who know anything about the Floor Bosses are the beta testers, and they're no longer a reliable source." He looked at Jae, determination burning in his blue eyes. "Strongest players or not, they don't know what they're up against. It could get bad. I wouldn't forgive myself if we found out that some of them died. Besides," he added jokingly, "We could get some kick ass drops. And you know how far I'll go for a legendary item."

Jae chuckled. "Almost as far as me." He rubbed his palms together excitedly. "Alright, so now we wait for Naomi to give us an update. As soon we know where the raid group is heading, we leave. How much Col did you get from that battle with Naomi?"

Israel scoffed at the question. "Not even a hundred. They didn't drop a single item either. I did get to level ten though, so I guess I shouldn't complain." He opened the door and stepped into the room. "Why, what's your plan?" He asked over his shoulder as he headed for the table.

Following him in, Jae closed the door behind them. "If we're going to do this, we need to prepare. We need to repair our gear, see if Norran has anything new today, and stock up on more health crystals." He sat down opposite Israel. "I would say teleport crystals too, but one each is really all we need."

Israel suddenly brought up a hand. "About that."

Jae winced. "What is it now?"

"I used my teleport crystal to get Tristan's ass to safety-it was the only choice I could make." he added quickly.

Sighing, Jae started running the math as best he could. "Alright, no problem. We'll just have to forget the seeing Norran part."

"I'll message Tristan and see where his shop's at." Israel said. "If it's close, we can take him up on his offer and get most of what we need from him."

"If he's even got anything." Jae muttered. "He didn't look too loaded from where I was standing. Not to mention he got his ass handed to him by those plant mobs, if we go by what you saw."

Israel grinned. "Yeah, but I can't complain about that. If anything, it just made me look that much more impressive to Naomi when I saved him."

Jae propped his elbow onto the table, putting his head in his hand as he gave Israel a smug look. "You say that, but if I remember correctly it was I who got the friend request. It's looking like Jae's going to get the girl instead of Israel."

Israel burst in a fit of uncontrollable laughter as he pulled up his menu.

"I'm gonna be honest," Jae said as Israel swiped through several screens. "I was expecting a somewhat different reaction."

Reaching his Friend List, Israel pointed casually at Naomi's name as he wiped his eyes. "Bro, she friended me right after we fought those plant things together. Our bodies were pressed against each other as we cut down-"

Jae closed his eyes, lifting his hand in desperation. "I don't need to hear your dramatized fantasies. I get it, she friended you too. All that means is we both still have an equal shot."

Israel slapped his knee as he laughed again. "Oh if only, my dear brother, if only." He scratched his morning shadow of a beard. "How do I put this? She friended damsel in distress Tristan before you. That makes you the last one. You know what that means right?"

Jae dropped his head down onto the table. The Immortal Object sign appeared above it, as if reminding Jae not to bother wasting his energy.

"I'm the Pity Friend." He said miserably, his words muffled by the table as he lay there.

Extending an arm, Israel began patting Jae's shoulder sympathetically.

"You're the Pity Friend." He repeated solemnly.

…

 _Acrobatics is the secondary skill you should choose. Have you thought of what to put in your third skill slot yet?_

Israel read the message briefly, then looked up. Ahead of him, Jae was talking with Diabel, the leader of the forty man raid party. It was dark, but the town of Tolbana was well lit and in good repair, unlike the poor village of Trevica.

Several hours after leaving to go help her friend, Naomi had messaged Jae the details of what transpired at the meeting. Once Diabel and the rest of the players had prepared their strategy and divided themselves into squads, they had decided on meeting back in Tolbana's courtyard at ten a.m. the next morning. In the hours that followed, most of the raid group scattered to prepare themselves as best they could, but a few, including Diabel, remained.

After buying another teleport crystal and repairing their gear, Israel and Jae had divided up their health crystals and quickly made for Tolbana via the Portal in the center of town. Once there, it had taken them some time to find Diabel in the large, bustling town. Apart from introductions, Israel let Jae do the talking since this was more less his idea. Happy to include them in the raid group, Diabel nonetheless expressed concern about their levels. All between levels 12 and 14, the raid party was well ahead of Israel, who had just reached level 10 that morning, and Jae who was still level 9.

Upon hearing Diabel's doubts, Israel had brandished Silverthorne, asking if anyone else had acquired a super rare weapon yet.

"On top of that," Jae had said, "And no offense, but my brother and I have been training with swords and spears in the real world long before SAO. Our levels may not be as high, but we can probably fight better than several of the players in your group."

Diabel agreed, under the condition that they recognize him as the leader for the duration of the raid.

"It's essential that we maintain a command system." He had explained, somewhat apologetically. "I'm the leader of a couple guilds in other RPG's. Large raid parties like this only work if everyone does their assigned job and listens to the squad and party leaders."

Dubbed Squad G, Israel and Jae were assigned to be the party's scouts as they traversed the Labyrinth, keeping an eye out for large mob groups, traps, and anything different or out of place from the beta tester guidebook.

"Once we reach the Boss room," Diabel continued, "we will obviously have no more need for scouts, so you will work with Squads E and F to keep the Boss's minions at bay while the tank and damage dealing squads handle Ulfang the Cobalt Lord himself."

With their jobs assigned and a pre-fight celebration going on in the rest of town, Jae had said he wanted to mingle and get to know the other players better, but Israel had a feeling he was just after the free food. It was then that Israel received Naomi's message.

Typing his reply, Israel was quickly irritated by the game's keyboard mechanic. _Why are the letters so damn small?_

 _I appreciate it, but why Acrobatics? And no, not yet._

Sending the message, Israel sat down on a bench by one of the street lights. Looking around, it came as no surprise to him why the strongest players stayed at Tolbana. Being the highest levels, they no doubt had the most money, and so could afford the luxuries offered there. The streets were smooth and paved, and each building was so white the whole town looked to have been fashioned from marble. Everywhere, trees and flowers adorned the streets.

Another message icon suddenly appeared in his menu. As he opened the message, he could hear Jae laughing from the other side of the courtyard.

 _The way you were fighting today, it looked to me like your style relies on speed and finesse more than power or strength. Yet for some reason you've neglected putting any attribute points in agility. Acrobatics would make up for that, and reinforce the way you fight. That's what you said you wanted, right? Acrobatics helps dodge chance, reflex, and manoeuvrability. That's the one you want. As for your third one, I'm sure you can figure it out now that you know there's no need to be worried about it being wasted._

Before he finished reading the message, a new one appeared

 _Will you two be joining the raid party tomorrow?_

Annoyed by the reminder that she knew about his stats, Israel was still grateful for her help. Scrolling through the skill lists, Israel selected Acrobatics. With another tap, he applied it to his skills slot. Checking his stats, he saw that his dodge chance had now jumped to 10%.

 _Looks like i'm back to owing you for your help. That means I'm going to need to see you again. I thought I'd see you here in Tolbana. But yeah, we're with the raid party now. You know, you still haven't told me how you know about my stats._

Looking up from the screen, Israel saw Jae walking towards him with a full tray of food. Standing from the bench, Israel was about to close his menu when another message appeared.

 _Don't die tomorrow._


	10. Chapter 10

10

December 3, 2022

Floor 1, Forest Field

"Mob on the left!" Someone shouted behind him.

Turning to face the threat, Jae saw a huge Grey Wolf hurtling through the trees towards them. To his right, Israel drew his sword Silverthorne, but Jae was faster.

In one motion Jae reached for the spear at his back, ripping it from the latches as he spun it outwards before him. Just as the snarling beast leaped for his throat, the tip of Jae's spear smashed into it's face.

Crashing to the ground, the wolf snarled again as Jae took a single step forward. Foaming at the mouth in rage, the beast attempted to jump at him. Before it could rise however, Jae brought his spear down with one quick movement, impaling the wolf where it lay.

As the on-death explosion showered him in digital fragments, Jae spun his spear once more, carrying it through the air behind him as he latched it onto his back. Turning, he saw the entire raid party looking on in admiration. Israel merely rolled his eyes.

After falling back in with the others, Israel resumed his place at his right.

"Show off."

Jae craned his neck, fixing his brother in an expression of innocence.

"Show off? If I wanted to do that I would've used a four hit combo instead of two. Makes it look more flashy."

Israel sighed. "Whatever you say, bro." He paused, then looked over at Jae hopefully. "Got any roast beef left on you from last night?"

Jae shook his head in annoyance. "Nope, you ate it all for breakfast you ass. Honestly, if I didn't know any better I'd say your stomach was the reason for our constant lack of cash."

Israel patted him on the shoulder. "Good think you know better then, or I'd think you were trying to make a joke. In which case I'd then be forced to give you a good ass whipping in a duel."

Jae scoffed. "Don't make me laugh. Your health would be gone before you could draw that pretty sword of yours."

Israel raised an eyebrow. "Sounds like a challenge. Once we get back home today, I say we put those words to the test." He extended a hand. "Winner gets the bed for a week?"

Jae shook his brother's hand. "Deal."

After an evening of good food and drinks, Jae and Israel had teleported back to Trevica to get some sleep. The next morning they woke up early, eating a quick breakfast of fried fish that had been on sale from the item shop. Afterwards, they had made some last minute preparations before heading back to Tolbana.

To Jae's irritation, Tristan hadn't replied to Israel's message the night before, so they were forced to spend the majority of their remaining Col on teleport and health crystals. With rent on their room due in two days, all they could do was hope the raid would earn them enough money.

Before setting out that morning, Diabel had told them that all money earned would be divided evenly among the party. Any rare items would be kept by whoever they dropped for. While Israel didn't quite like the idea of sharing his money, Jae managed to convince him that it was only fair, and they might even get more money that way if things went well.

"Shouldn't be much further now." Jae remarked as he peered over the heads of those in front. "Diabel said the Labyrinth entrance is just beyond the woods."

"Good," Israel replied irritably, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "We've been walking all morning and the humidity in this forest is really starting to piss me off."

Jae chuckled as he watched Israel push his hair behind his ears. "Long hair in summer really doesn't do you any favors. Why not let me cut it for you?"

Israel looked as though he had just been asked to commit suicide. "I'd rather fight a level one hundred boss monster with the ability to paralyze me forever, and a sword that could kill me in one hit than cut my hair, let alone with you being the one holding the scissors."

Jae threw up his hands as he laughed. "My bad bro, I didn't know you felt so strongly about it."

"Yeah the hell you didn't. I promise you Jae, touch my hair and you die."

Jae had to struggle to reign in his laughter. "Alright, alright. God, talk about touchy."

They kept walking, and about twenty minutes later the raiding party had reached the Labyrinth. Just beyond the treeline stood a huge stone structure at least a hundred feet wide. The entrance, a pair of double doors fashioned from some kind of black wood, stood open as if inviting them inside. Looking up, Jae could see the black walls of the Labyrinth rising higher than the eye could see. All was silent around them.

"Alright everyone," Diabel shouted firmly as he turned to face the group. "This is it. From here on out, things get serious. The mobs in here will be stronger than the others, but they are not our goal." He paused to make sure his next words were clear. "Our mission is the Floor One Boss, Ulfang." He peered out into the crowd of players. "Where's Squad G at?"

Jae and Israel stepped out of the group and walked up to him.

Taking them aside, Diabel addressed them quietly. "Alright, I'm counting on you guys to keep us up to date on what we're walking into as we make our way to the Boss room. Stay ahead, but not to the point where you can't quickly run back to us if you get in trouble.

"Remember," he added firmly, "the Labyrinth isn't the important part. We just need to get through it as quickly as possible so we can get to the real fight. Don't take any risks, and don't get worn out before the Boss. Sound good?"

Jae and Israel both nodded. "Not a problem," Jae replied. "We'll make sure the party gets there in one piece."

Giving them a final nod to go ahead, Diabel turned back to the rest of the group, giving direction as they formed up. Without looking back, Jae and Israel drew their weapons and walked inside.

As soon as they past the doors, the two brothers looked around in awe.

Dimly lit, with only torches at certain intervals to guide them on, it was still easy to see just how large the massive room was. Before them, a red carpet ran along the stone floor, seemingly without end.

Israel whistled, the sound echoing across the hall.

"This place is pretty cool," he remarked. "Maybe we should move here."

Jae looked at him in surprise. "In this place? Dude, even the torches scream 'sketchy.'"

Israel nodded as he took one last look around. "You're right about that. See any monsters with that Detection skill of yours?"

Jae shook his head as he scanned the area. "Nothing yet, but my Detection is only level twenty, so I'm not going to take any chances."

Keeping their weapons at the ready, Israel and Jae kept close together as they moved forward, following the carpet laid out before them.

As they drew deeper into the Labyrinth, Jae could occasionally hear the faint voices of the raid party out of sight behind them. Other than that, there was only silence.

Jae had just sent a message to Diabel, letting him know they were still fine and no threats had been found, when he suddenly heard a rush of wind in the darkness to Israel's left.

Before he could cry out, a Skeleton Warrior lunged out of the shadows, his shortsword aimed for a stab at Israel's exposed side. Without hesitation Jae moved to push Israel out of the way.

It came as something of a surprise then when his hand caught only air.

Jumping high, Israel cleared the skeleton's attack while at the same time launching his leg forward. His leather boot connecting with the mob's face, Israel grunted as his kick sent it reeling backwards several feet.

 _How the hell…_

Seeing his opening, Jae pushed his thoughts aside and levelled his spear as he charged forward. Activating his sword skill, Spear Thrust, Jae closed the distance and rammed his spear into the monster's eye. Shattering its skull from the force of his attack, Jae looked on as the shards flew past.

When he was sure there no other creatures nearby, he turned to Israel.

"How the hell did you do that?"

Israel blinked. "I'm not sure- oh wait." he grinned in revelation. "Acrobatics. That's the secondary skill I chose. Though if I'm being honest, Naomi was the one who suggested it."

Jae was taken aback. "Acrobatics? I didn't even know that was a skill." He glanced at Israel in confusion. "Of all the skills to choose? Why that one?"

"I wanted my first sideskill to support my fighting style rather than being something independent of it. Specifically something that would help me fight exactly how I do in real life. But then again…" he paused, scratching his facial hair.

"But then again…?" Jae repeated expectedly as he looked around. He shifted his weight as he returned his glance to Israel.

"It could also be because of my third skill. I picked Dodge."

Jae shook his head in exasperation. "Next time, let me know what skills you have going on, would you?" He pondered the new information. "It does make sense though. In real life, you fight with speed and rely on your reflexes and rapid movements. Not to mention those stupid fucking spins."

Israel grinned. "You call them stupid, but I don't remember you ever managing to get a hit against them."

Jae shrugged. "I was going easy on you. It's not honorable to attack an opponent with his back turned." His voice took on a more serious edge. "I'm pretty sure a jump like that was Acrobatics. Dodging isn't fancy, it's pretty much just a simple duck or sidestep. Anyway, we should keep going before the others catch up."

Nodding in agreement, Israel again closed ranks with him as they continued on, but not before Jae sent another message warning Diabel of enemy contact.

They had just begun walking again when they suddenly saw a wide set of stairs ahead of them. Advancing cautiously, they soon saw that behind the staircase was the back wall, stretching into the darkness on either side.

"Looks like there's only one way to go." Jae remarked. "I wonder what the point of this room was if we're just gonna go up."

Israel glanced to the sides. "There's probably some mobs and other stuff deeper in that we can't see from here." He gave Jae an excited look. "We should come back and check out the rest of this room once the raid is done."

Jae nodded. "My thoughts exactly. I'm pretty sure the torches light up when players are nearby, so it probably isn't that dark the further in you go."

Giving the stairs a final look, Israel began marching forward. "I hope we don't get any more surprises until we reach the top. I'm not a fan of uphill battles."

Following him up, Jae quickly sent a message about the staircase to Diabel before catching up and falling in on Israel's right.

Though the stairs were wide, they didn't go on for long. Once they reached the top, Jae and Israel could see that the next room was pretty much the same, except that now there were several rooms along the path instead of just an endless hall. Upon reading in Diabel's reply that the group was already on the stairs, Jae and Israel began picking up the pace. As they moved throughout the different rooms along the path, Jae detected several skeletons in each one. Working together, the two brothers quickly cut down the enemies in their way.

Before long, several flights of stairs had been climbed, each leading to a more complex room. Though there were no traps, the number of enemies in each room began growing more numerous. The walls soon began to cut them off from the path, forcing them to take alternate routes before getting back on track. Carefully detailing every turn in his messages to Diabel, Jae made sure to pay close attention to the number of enemies in each new area.

After over an hour of skirmishing and winding their way through the veritable maze the Labyrinth had become, both of them were growing weary.

We should rest up for a second," Israel said as he examined the room they had just cleared. "We need to be at full strength when we reach the Boss."

Jae nodded in agreement. "We're a good distance from the main group now, I'd say we can afford a few minutes."

Shouldering their weapons, the two brothers kept an eye on the three doors that lead out of the room as they sat against the wall.

"This is taking longer than I thought." Israel commented. "I had no idea the Labyrinth was so damn big."

Jae closed his eyes, leaning his head back onto the wall. "Me neither, but Diabel said in his last message that we're close to twenty flights up. That's the one the Boss will be on."

"Almost there." Israel glanced over at Jae. "You really want to prove yourself to these guys, don't you? How come?"

Jae opened his eyes as he thought it over.

"I guess it's because I want to keep doing this, and right now they're the only ones with the same mindset." He looked at his boots. "I believe that this is the right course of action. To clear this game, we need to keep fighting, keep finding these Floor Bosses. If this raid is successful, all the players still alive will see that SAO can be beaten." His eyes seemed to gleam as he spoke. "Killing this Boss will be a huge boost of morale for everyone. More will join up with the raid party. If we get enough strong people together and don't stop our momentum, we could probably do it in a matter of months. We can beat this game."

Israel looked away, muttering. "And while you do that, the weak players will keep on dying."

Jae opened his mouth to retaliate. At that moment, a lizardman appeared in the center door. Covered in armor and holding a halberd that emanated a bluish glow, the monster's eyes glowed as it glanced down at them. For a moment, both Jae and Israel were too surprised to move. Jae was sure they had cleared the area around them.

Charging forward, the lizardman hissed as it swung it's halberd down for an overhead attack. Jumping up, Jae was shocked at the speed with which the creature reached them. Unable to prepare an attack of his own, Jae twirled his spear as he braced to block the blow.

At the last moment the monster shifted its weight, sending its glowing halberd crashing down onto Jae's spear right in the center, not even an inch from where his hand was. An instant later, the spear exploded into a million tiny fragments. Stunned, Jae stepped backwards as the monster pressed its attack, swinging its halberd once again. _There's no way,_ he thought, _I made sure it was at full durability just this morning._

Israel jumped forward as he brought Silverthorne down, hacking off one of the creature's arms at the elbow as he roared.

"Get behind me!" Israel shouted, preparing his sword for a second attack.

 _Like hell_ , Jae thought, instead closing his hands into fists.

Before either of them could attack, the lizardman secured a grip on the halberd with his one remaining hand as he swung it around in an arc of before him with incredible speed

Forced to abandon their assault before it had even begun, Israel raised his sword to block the monster as Jae prepared to jump back.

And then the halberd glowed blue again.

Suddenly realizing what he had to do, Jae leapt in between the halberd and Israel's blade, praying that he could take the hit.

Though unable to stop the tip of the halberd from connecting with Israel's sword, Jae was able to take the remainder of the blow. Though the pain was immense, the impact was worse. Smashing through his chest, Jae was sent flying across the room by the blow as his leather breastplate disintegrated around him. The wind knocked out of him, Jae had to concentrate in order to get control of his blurry vision in order to check his health.

It had sunk into the red.

Hearing Israel scream in unchecked rage, Jae turned just in time to see his brother drive his sword up under the monster's chin and out through the top of its head.

Finally getting his bearings back, Jae stood up as Israel ran over to him.

"What the hell were you thinking?" He shouted.

"I had to," Jae explained hoarsely, "That blue sword skill it had...it targets item durability."

Israel took out a health crystal from his inventory. "I figured that much out when I saw your spear explode. Heal!"

His health brought back to the cusp between green and yellow, Jae waved Israel away before he could use another health crystal. "Don't waste them all on me."

Israel tilted his head irritably. "Then maybe don't go running into OP halberds next time. Heal!"

His HP fully restored, Jae bit back his anger. Would there ever be a time when Israel would just do as he was told?

"I said don't waste them on me, dammit!" Jae glanced at the other doorways, half expecting a horde of mobs to attack now that he was defenseless. "And I already told you, I had to take the hit. If I hadn't, Silverthorne would be gone too and we'd both be unarmed."

Israel pushed him angrily. "It's just a hunk of metal! I'd rather lose a fucking sword than my brother, you idiot!"

Jae was about to shout right back when he detected the unmistakable fear in Israel's voice as he continued yelling.

"If we lose our weapons, we can just teleport back! You didn't know how much damage that thing could do to us. What if it had been a bit stronger? What if you hadn't been wearing that leather armor?"

"But it wasn't, and I was." Jae replied softly. "I did the math before I took the hit man. I was confident I would survive." He left out the fact that he hadn't been expecting to lose so much health, or his breastplate.

"Honestly man, I don't give a shit about your math. Don't do that again. I'm serious."

"Alright, alright," Jae was tired of being yelled at. "I won't, ok?"

Still muttering under his breath angrily, Israel kept his sword in front of him as he looked out of each doorway.

"That thing's sword skill still hit the tip of your sword. How's the durability looking?"

Returning to the center of the room, Israel accessed his menu, swiping screens until he reached his inventory. Without looking up at Jae, he answered.

"Nearly halfway gone."

Jae's eyes widened. "And that's a super rare weapon. That mob's attack speed was insane. And that skill must've been deliberately designed to break items. Maybe it aims for the weapon's weak point, or maybe-"

"It doesn't really matter now, does it?" Israel interrupted. "We're in bad need to head back to Trevica and patch ourselves up."

Jae's heart sank. _If we go back now, we might not make it back in time to help fight the Boss._

Still, there was nothing else to be done. Israel was right.

They had to go back.

"I'm sorry man," Israel said softly, "I know how badly you wanted to help these guys out."

Jae waved his words away. "Don't about it. These things happen. In a way we did help, killing that lizard mob. That thing could've killed one of them if it had the element of surprise."

Israel nodded. "You're right. I mean damn, that thing gave us both problems." He began walking out of the door they had come through. "You coming?"

Jae quickly pulled up his messages. "Yeah, I just need to let Diabel know that we're heading back so they don't come looking for us."

Typing quickly, Jae tried his best to ignore the disappointment building within him as he sent the message.

 _We ran into a mob with a skill that destroys weapons and armor. Too banged up to keep going. Teleporting back to fix our gear, then we'll try to meet catch up. Don't worry about hanging back, I know how important this raid is. Take down that Boss._

"Alright," Jae sighed. "This room is too small to teleport out of though, we have to step into the other one."

Israel nodded, his foot already halfway out the door. "I know, I'm just waiting on you. Can't let you out of my sight now that you're defenseless, you know?"

"Shut up," Jae said as they walked through the door together. "I'm still more dangerous than-"

Jae found himself looking down in sudden confusion as the floor opened up beneath them. Jae's spine tingled in terror as the feeling of weightlessness engulfed him. For a moment he could hear Israel crying out in shock as they both fell, and then there was nothing.


	11. Chapter 11

11

December 3, 2022

Floor 1, Labyrinth

"You alright?"

Jae opened his eyes slowly. It was dark, but he could see that they were in another small stone room, with only one door leading out. A torch burned in the corner, offering a small measure of light around them. Beside him, Israel was struggling to his feet. Sitting up as he rubbed his head, Jae looked at his health.

"I'm back in the red. That's twice in the last five minutes."

Israel extended a hand. "Same. I've only got two health crystals left. You?"

Taking Israel's wrist, Jae got to his feet. Craning his neck to look above them, he could just make out the hole in the floor they had fallen through.

"I'm still at four. Let's both take one of mine." He gestured at the hole above them as he handed one of the health crystals to Israel. "Looks like we found a trap."

"Heal!" Israel sighed as his health returned to the halfway point. Jae quickly followed suit.

"I'm so done with this place." Israel said grimly. "Let's just teleport back to Trevica and call it a day."

Jae looked down apologetically. "Sorry man. We spent pretty much all our money on this raid and the whole thing has been a bust."

"No need to apologize, I agreed to this too. Neither of us expected things to go so bad."

With one last sigh, Israel accessed his menu and equipped his teleport crystal. "Ready?"

Equipping his own, Jae nodded in the affirmative.

In one voice, the two brothers shouted the activation words.

"Teleport, Trevica!"

Nothing happened.

Looking around in confusion, Israel tried again. "Teleport, Trevica!"

Shaking the teleport crystal in his hand, Jae repeated the phrase several more times. Still nothing.

"What the hell's going on?" Israel asked. His question was rhetorical, but Jae answered anyway.

"It must be a glitch. I haven't heard of this ever happening before."

Israel shook his head as he began pacing the room. "No, it can't be. Kayaba said on day one that he made the game completely fair. Besides, the guy's a genius who takes pride in his work. In every interview I ever watched, it was easy to see that his ego comes from making games without a single bug. He's an evil son of a bitch, but still a genius. I just can't see him letting something like this slip."

Jae looked at him in disbelief. "If Kayaba had wanted to make the game fair, he wouldn't have given everyone in it only one life. Everyone knows dying is an unavoidable part of RPGs."

"Whatever the reason," Israel replied as he picked up his sword, "We're stuck down here. Message Diabel and let him know we could use some help right about now."

"Already on it," Jae replied as he swiped away the screens. Upon reaching the friend list, he was about to begin typing when a small notification screen popped up.

 _You are unable to send Messages in this area_

Stunned, Jae had to read the notification several times before he could believe it. Leaning in beside him, Israel quickly read the message before throwing his hands up in anger.

"What the fuck is this?"

Jae slowly closed his menu. "We're running out of options." He glanced at the door, the only exit. "Looks like we're going to need to find our own way out."

He began walking forward to the door, but Israel quickly put an arm up in front of him.

"You don't have a weapon. Once we open that door, I have a feeling we're going to have a battle on our hands." He shouldered his way forward, Silverthorne gleaming in the torch light as he put a hand on the door. "I need to go first."

Though Jae was loathe to admit it, he knew Israel was right. "Alright, but I'm still covering you once we get out there."

With a nod, Israel took in a quick breath.

Then he opened the door.

Unable to see past Israel, Jae waited nervously as his brother stepped out beyond the door. Immediately coming up behind him, Jae maintained a fighting stance as he looked around. They were in a massive hall much like the first floor of the Labyrinth, except that this room was filled with hundreds of enormous stone pillars stretching up to the ceiling. Though still dimly lit like the rest of the Labyrinth, the torches in the hall were more numerous and positioned at regular intervals from each other, thus keeping the darkness at bay. Far off in the distance, Jae could see a strong light coming from the opposite end of the hall. _There's our way out,_ he thought.

And then he saw them.

Scattered throughout the entire hall stood hundreds of lizardmen, each armed with a halberd.

Israel seemed to notice at the same time, for in the next instant they were both scrambling behind a pillar to their right. Breathing heavily as they leaned their backs against the smooth stone, the two brothers looked at each other in horror.

"Those...those…" Jae whispered, the disbelief cutting off his words.

"Those are all the same as the one we fought before." Israel finished for him. Peeking around the pillar for a brief moment, Israel shook his head as he turned back to Jae. "There's too many to count and they keep walking around." A hint of panic began creeping into his voice. "Fighting one of them alone was enough to mess us up. Your spear is gone and Silverthorne is at half durability. We can't teleport out and we're down to two health crystals each." His voice sounded distant. "I don't know what to do."

Horror filled Jae's thoughts as the realization hit him. "The last message I sent to Diabel was that we were teleporting back." He struggled to reign in his rising fear. "They all think we're safe. No one is going to be looking for us."

There was silence for several minutes as dread took hold of them. Neither Jae nor Israel could think properly as they stood frozen beside each other, with only a pillar protecting them. _This can't be it,_ Jae thought, _This can't be how we die._

A glint of movement caught his eye. Without hesitation, Jae dropped to his knees while at the same time breaking into a forward roll. Even as he ducked, he could feel the whoosh of air above him as the halberd swung around.

Rolling forward, Jae heard a great boom go off behind him as the halberd crashed into the pillar. Jumping up, he spun back around just in time to see Israel leap forward, bringing his sword down for an overhead attack. Dislodging it's halberd from the battered pillar, the lizardman prepared for a second swing.

 _It'll get him before he can reach it!_ Jae realized.

Launching himself forward, Jae dipped his shoulder just before his body slammed into the monster. Stumbling from the impact, the creature was unable to complete it's counter attack. An instant later, Israel's sword connected with it's head.

Digital fragments burst outward in a familiar wave while Jae struggled to retain his balance. Turning on his heel, he bolted back behind the pillar as Israel kept his sword held high. Silence again enveloped the hall, but for the occasional panting from the two of them. After a tense moment of half expecting the hordes of monsters to attack them all at once, both brothers peeked out around the pillar a second time.

The other lizard men continued wandering aimlessly around the hall.

"Alright," Israel said firmly as they again huddled together. "Time for us to stop crying and fucking focus."

Jae nodded, determination quickly brewing within him. "Judging from what just happened, I think it's safe to say that their hearing is pretty bad. Half the pillar exploded from that hit and none of the others walked over. If we're quiet and stay away from their gazes, we can probably avoid most of them."

Israel pointed to the right side of the hall. "There's not very many over there, and I can see the right side of the wall from here. If we stay on the edge of the room and go from behind one pillar to the next, I think we can do this."

His voice was hopeful, but still tinged with doubt.

"Got it, but we also need to have a plan ready for fighting any of them that do manage to target us."

Israel nodded. "Going off both fights we've gotten into so far, we know that their attack speed is far above ours. On top of that, they have a blue sword skill that destroys gear and health almost instantly. We need to make sure not to block that move. If we lose Silverthorne, there's not much chance for us."

Jae held up a finger. "However, their own health is very low. If they get hit by a direct attack it's pretty much an instant kill."

"So we need to make sure that if we are forced into another fight," Israel concluded, "We're the ones making the first attack. If they get a second of breathing room they'll turn the tables on us."

Jae hesitated for a moment. "But since I'm the one without the weapon, it only makes sense for me to be the distraction while you go for the kill." He met Israel's eyes before his brother could protest. "Only if things get messy. Hopefully it doesn't come to that, but it might."

Israel stared at him for a moment before flipping his sword, the handle now facing Jae.

"What are you doing?" Jae asked angrily, though he could already guess the answer.

"I'm the one with Acrobatics, and Dodge." Israel replied matter of factly. "I can avoid attacks better than you can. I can be the distraction while you take them down." He grinned rebelliously. "Only if things get messy."

Jae sighed. He wanted no part in a plan that left his brother vulnerable, but he knew Israel felt exactly the same. Nothing would get done if they continued worrying about each other so much. Still, he couldn't help but mutter curses under his breath as he took Silverthorne from Israel's hands. Securing his hold on the weapon, Jae couldn't help but appreciate its expertly fashioned grip handle, not to mention the perfectly balanced weight of the sword as a whole.

"Alright, let's do this."

Israel went first, peering out from behind his side of the pillar before darting nimbly forward. Following close behind, Jae kept a close eye on the lizardmen around them as they reached the next pillar to the right.

Glancing over his shoulder at Jae, Israel sighed in relief. "So far so good."

After taking another quick look, the two again sprinted forward and to the right, keeping their legs bent and their backs hunched down as they moved.

Reaching the next pillar without any trouble, Israel turned once again to ensure Jae was still behind him. It was then that Jae heard the rush of wind ahead of Israel.

Knocking himself against his brother, Jae forced them both several steps to the side, the blue halberd slashing past the spot they had both been standing a second earlier. Swinging Silverthorne in an arc before him as he advanced forward, Jae realized too late that he had made a mistake. Charging out of the shadows, the lizardman's halberd was already coming back down for another strike. Unable to stop his momentum, Jae braced for the hit.

Before it came Israel leapt forward, his knee crashing into the monster's face. Spinning from the impact, Israel broke his fall by grabbing hold of the beast's shoulder and yanking them both backwards.

Jae saw his opening. Redoubling his efforts he brought Silverthorne to the end of its journey, the blade slashing open the monster's chest. Even as the beast struggled against Israel pulling it backwards, Jae brought the sword forward in a lunge that buried it almost up to the crossguard.

The moment the on death explosion carried it's shards outward, both of them ducked down behind the pillar. Straining his ears as he listened for anything else, Jae kept the sword held high in front of him.

"Looks like your Detection came in handy there." Israel remarked quietly.

Jae nodded. "Even at such a low level, it was definitely worth getting."

Continuing on, the two managed to sneak slowly but surely past the remainder of the lizardmen until they reached the center of the hall. Crouching as they reached another pillar, Israel and Jae paused to reevaluate their situation.

"Halfway there." Israel whispered encouragingly.

"Let's try and pick up the pace," Jae began. "Slowing down will only make-"

A halberd struck him on the shoulder, slamming him against the pillar before he could attempt to move. Diving forward to push Jae's attacker away, Israel was forced to instead step back as a second monster charged past the first, it's own halberd bearing down rapidly.

His health still draining from the blow, Jae slashed Silverthorne in an upward slant behind him, desperate to halt the next attack. In that same instant the glowing blue halberd came down. The clash of steel rang out across the hall. Twisting his wrist, Jae forced the sword past the halberd and through the beast's neck. As the headless body exploded, Jae turned to help Israel.

Dodging multiple blows from the second lizardman's attacks, Israel nonetheless looked to have taken several indirect hits and his leather pauldrons were now gone.

"Jae, now!" Israel cried, dropping to the ground and rolling forward into the monster's legs. As the beast tripped and stumbled forward, Jae brought the sword down into its shoulder and out through its side.

Both of them now in the deep red, Israel and Jae quickly equipped their health crystals.

Just before activating them, Israel glanced behind them in alarm.

"Run!" He cried.

Looking back as he began sprinting, Jae was horrified to see that a pack of five more lizardmen had targeted them and were quickly closing the distance.

"Heal!" Israel shouted as he continued running.

Jae did the same, but was dismayed to see that his health was still just within the red. Forced to abandon all secrecy as they ran, Jae and Israel began to see more and more of the creatures targeting them. Ahead of them, another lizardmen roared as it prepared its sword skill.

Pushing past Israel, Jae swung the sword forward while he forced himself to run faster. Before the monster could even begin to execute it's sword skill, Jae had closed the distance. Slashing Silverthorne in a ninety degree arc around him, Jae cut the mob clean in half.

"Your left!" Israel screamed from behind him.

Quickly realizing he wouldn't be able to meet the attack in time from his current positioning, Jae did the only other thing he could think of. Just as he saw the lizardman swing it's halberd on his left, Jae took out his last health crystal.

"Heal!"

Thrown to the ground from the impact, Jae ignored everything else as he watched his health teeter up and down without making much progress either way. After a moment, it dropped down into his last fifty remaining health points. If he hadn't taken out his health crystal at that exact moment, he would already be dead.

Before he could slow down, Israel ran up beside him as he spoke frantically. "I just used my last health crystal."

Sidestepping two more monsters running up on their right, the two brothers no longer had any choice but to keep running forward. Behind them, Jae could hear dozens of footsteps as more and more mobs began noticing them.

"Same here," Jae panted as they ran. "And Silverthorne is almost to zero durability."

Israel dodged another blow swung at him from a lizardman in front of them, ramming his heel into the monster's kneecap before pivoting back into a run beside Jae.

"I can see the entrance!" He shouted.

Hacking off the arm of another monster as he ran by, Jae forced his eyes forward. There, not thirty feet away, stood the exit. Light streamed out of the partially open doorway, like a beacon of hope sent to rally them on.

Israel suddenly cried out in pain as he was launched forward from a blow, his chest plate disintegrating around him.

Screaming in rage, Jae spun around while extending Silverthorne out around him in a full circle. Bounding forward at top speed, the horde of monsters couldn't slow down even if they had wanted too. Decapitating the two nearest him, Jae pivoted back around and crouched as he stumbled up to Israel's body still skidding across the stone.

Yanking him back up with all his strength and forcing his brother's arm around his shoulders, it took everything Jae had to keep moving forward. The warning sound of his health bar at less than two percent beeped endlessly in his ears. He was so tired that Silverthorne began to feel more like a ton of bricks in his hand than a sword. Though he could still feel Israel moving his feet against the stone floor in an attempt to run, he had gone almost limp from the impact of that last blow.

"Is," Jae whispered breathlessly as the monsters drew closer all around them. He forced Israel's arm back around his shoulder."We're nearly there. Just a few more steps."

Within ten feet of the shining doorway, Jae prepared himself for the final stretch when two lizardmen stepped just in front of it. Hardly able to keep a hold of Silverthorne anymore, Jae gasped in despair. The sea of enemies behind them was nearly within striking distance. _I can't…_

"I've got the one on the left." Came Israel's tired voice. "Don't let your next attack slow you. One attack, then the door. Ready?"

Without waiting for a response, Israel's body shook from the strain as he forced himself out from Jae's support and charged forward, emitting a scream so terrifying that even Jae had to ignore the urge to run from it. True to his word, Israel made for the one on the left.

Forcing his dead right hand to obey him one last time, Jae lifted Silverthorne as he all but threw himself into the path of the monster on the right. Just as it swung it's halberd forward at him, Jae allowed himself to fall backward, his momentum keeping him moving., Jae ignored the pain of his back being dragged on the stone floor as the halberd flew just over his head. Sending the tip of the sword flying, he hacked off both the monster's legs with one final swing while he skidded past.

At the same time, Israel raised his arms above him as he charged straight into the lizardman on the left, catching the shaft of it's halberd in his own two hands before pushing the weapon back with all his strength. Still holding on to it, the monster looked shocked as it flew backwards into the air before slamming into the wall just above the door. Collapsing from the strain, Israel toppled into the doorway at the same moment Jae crashed inside.

They had escaped.


	12. Chapter 12

12

December 3, 2022

Floor One, Boss Room

Though Israel could barely muster the strength to move, he glanced quickly around for Jae. If his brother had seen him practically throw a monster into the air a few moments ago, the secret about his strength would be revealed.

"Israel?" Came Jae's battered voice.

Turning to the source of the noise, Israel saw Jae laying face down a few feet to his right.

"I'm here. You ok?"

Jae's body shuddered as he got up on his hands and knees. He looked over his shoulder at Israel.

"Hell no. You?"

Israel tried to laugh, but was quickly reduced to fits of coughing instead. "Does that answer your question?" He wheezed.

Crawling over to him, Jae nudged him with his hand. "Come on, we need to keep moving."

Forcing himself up from the ground, Israel looked around. The room they were in was coated in a sheen of bright white paint. Above, a massive chandelier bathed the place in light. Looking behind them, Israel could see that the door they had come through was closed. Jae followed his gaze.

"It must have been triggered to close behind us."

Israel nodded. "Good thing too, or they would've just followed us in here."

Jae shook his head slowly while he took another look around. "I doubt it. I'm pretty sure this is a safe zone."

"A safe zone?" Israel mulled it over. "I guess that makes sense, but don't those only pop up before a boss room?"

"I'm going to go ahead and bet that what we just went through was the equivalent of a boss room."

"You'll get no argument there. I don't think very many people could survive that." Israel paused, determination building within him. "We need to get out of here and warn everyone about that trap."

Supporting each other's weight, the two of them slowly rose to their feet. As they wrapped their arms around each other's shoulders to stay standing, Jae slid Silverthorne into the sheath at Israel's belt. Relieved by the familiar weight again at his hip, Israel smiled before fixing Jae with a look.

"You're welcome."

"For what?"

Israel tapped the pommel. "I know you've been jealous about my badass weapon. I felt bad when your spear broke so I figured I'd let you feel a little joy."

Jae rolled his eyes. "First off, the only reason you have that sword is because a girl gave you a free handout."

Israel grinned mischievously. "Sounds like my average friday night."

"Do you want me to drop you?"

Israel scoffed. "Bitch, I'm practically carrying you here."

Jae was about to make a retort when a chorus of cheers erupted from beyond the door. Muffled cries of 'we did it!' and 'hell yes!' echoed into the safe room.

Exchanging quick glances, Israel and Jae considered what to do next.

"Is that the raid party?" Israel hobbled closer to the door, but even with Jae supporting him he struggled not to fall.

"They must have followed us into the trap room…" Jae couldn't make sense of it. "But how?"

Israel laid a hand on the door. "Only one way to find out. I'm not about to let them fight off an army while we sit here. At the very least, we could serve as a distraction."

Jae held back. "At least take out your sword if we're going to be walking back into that hell."

Chuckling grimly, Israel replied, "We're both little more than corpses right now. I'm so tired, I doubt I could even hold that thing steady." He put a hand to his head as the beeping of his practically depleted health bar echoed in his mind. "Is it just me or is this damn health warning getting louder?"

Jae pursed his lips as his own beeper reverberated in his ears. "It's definitely getting more annoying, tell you that much." Resigning himself to whatever was about to happen next, Jae laid a hand on the door beside Israel's. "Alright, time to see if my video game luck holds. Let's go."

Pushing open the door as one, both brothers held on to each other as they stepped back outside. Israel couldn't help but smile at the irony. They had nearly died several times over to get out of that trap room, and now they were walking back in.

Taking in their surroundings, Israel and Jae could only stare in confusion. They were no longer in the trap room. Instead, they were in an entirely different hall, the walls and ceiling splashed with many different colors. Apart from a few pillars off to the sides, the room was wide and open. But it was what they saw directly ahead that shocked them.

The entire raid party was standing in stunned silence, their eyes locked on one player at their head, his back turned from the rest of them. With messy black hair, simple gear, and an average height, he looked no different from any of the others. But the way they were staring at him put both Israel and Jae on edge.

"The safe room must have teleported us here, to the Boss room." Jae whispered.

Laughing maniacally, the black haired player pivoted on his left foot, spinning back to face the raid party. Walking forward into their ranks, he began to speak.

"So you guys think I'm a beta tester? You know, it's really not cool to put me in the same class with those noobs."

"Wha...what did you just say?" Came an enraged voice from behind the rest of the raid party.

The black haired player continued walking forward. Parting ranks before him as he walked on, the raid group continued staring silently as he replied.

"You heard me. Most of the thousand people who scored a slot in SAO's beta were rookies. So bad in fact, that they didn't even know how to level up at first. Hell, even you guys are better than they were. But me?" He paused in front of one of the players standing alone towards the back of the room. Israel guessed that was the one who had spoken up.

Jae and Israel stood silently at the far head of the room, still leaning on each other for support. No one had noticed them yet, and with tensions very clearly rising, both brothers waited to see what would happen next.

"But me," the black haired player continued, the arrogance dripping from his words. "I'm nothing like those other guys. During the beta test, I made it to floors far above those of the other testers. I knew about the Boss's special attack because I fought tons of monsters just like it, and with considerably more sword skills on higher floors." He paused, locking the player he was addressing in a malevolent glare.

"I know a bunch of other things too. More than you can imagine. More than any info broker."

The player facing him, a young man with spiky orange hair, seethed with rage. "What the hell! If that's true, then you're even worse than a beta tester! You're a goddamn cheater!"

Erupting in anger, everyone in the raid party began shouting at the black haired player, cursing him as they screamed.

"He's a beta tester _and_ a fucking cheater!" Someone yelled.

"He's a Beater!" Shouted another.

The black haired player cocked his head. A Beater...I like it. That's a good name."

He opened his menu, switching to his inventory screen as he said. "Ok, you can call me a Beater. Just make sure you don't confuse me with those beta testers again."

Hitting the equip button, the black haired player was suddenly wearing a jet black trench coat that only added to his dark persona. Chuckling as he glanced at the raid party one last time, he then turned and began walking up a flight of stairs in the corner of the room. Watching him go, the raid party looked half ready to cut him down before he made it out alive.

Though the situation looked far from defused, Jae urged them both forward once the player in black disappeared up the stairs.

"What the hell do you think happened?" He whispered as they walked.

Israel looked at each of the raid member's faces carefully. "Nothing good. That's for sure. That guy sounds like a complete asshole."

As they stumbled into the light of the room's torches, the entire raid party turned in alarm. First confusion, and then concern crossed their features before they ran forward as one. A barrage of questions hit them as the group circled about the two brothers.

"Are you guys ok?"

"Aren't you the scout group?"

"How did you get in here?

"You two look terrible!"

With his free hand, Jae waved them down as Israel said. "We found something pretty dangerous. Guys, where's Diabel?"

At that, everyone fell silent. Looking from face to face, Jae and Israel found themselves dreading the answer.

"He's dead."

Looking at the player who spoke, Israel could see that it was the same man with spiky orange hair the player in black had been speaking to.

Taken aback, Jae rocked on his heels. "Dead? How? When?"

Another player, with long bluish hair tied back into a bun, spoke. "Did you see the kid with the black hair and coat?"

Israel and Jae nodded.

"He got Diabel killed while we were fighting the Boss." The player tightened his white knuckled fist. "He knew it's attack patterns and skills, but instead of warning Diabel when he charged in for the kill, that prick let him die."

The spiky haired player stepped up to them. Though he didn't look particularly intelligent, he had a commanding presence about him.

"Enough about that. We'll get him back later. First you guys need to tell us what happened to you. Diabel said you were heading back to town."

Jae nodded. "We were, but then we fell into a trap. We couldn't teleport out or send messages."

Gasping, the other players winced at the news as if they had just been struck. The player with the blue bun stepped forward, his brow furrowed in disbelief. "There's a place where we can't use teleport crystals? Are you sure?"

Israel cocked his head angrily. "Are we sure? Do we look like idiots to you? We wouldn't be limping out of the shadows with half our armor destroyed and our health at fucking zero if we had been able to teleport. Yes, we found a fucking place where they don't work."

His face going red, the blue haired player looked ready knock Israel to the ground.

Quickly stepping in between them, Jae spoke up, trying to think of something positive.

"If the Boss is dead, there's no longer any reason to come back here, so there's a chance we won't run into something like that again."

The spiky haired player shook his head as he handed them both a health crystal.

"If there's an area on Floor One that negates the use of teleport crystals, the odds of finding more anti-crystal zones as we go up each Floor will only increase." He shook his head as he gazed out at the walls of the room. "This makes things even more dangerous than before."

"Speaking of Floors," another player to the right said suddenly, "Floor Two should be open now right?"

Jae nodded. "As soon as the Boss of a Floor is defeated, the Floor above it is unlocked." He pointed to the stairs at the back of the room. "That guy in black probably went to activate the first Portal of Floor Two."

The spiky haired player offered a small smile to the other players. "Once the Portal is activated, the Floor One Central Portal in the plaza, back at the Town of Beginnings, will activate as well. Everyone waiting, hoping to see if we did it will be waiting by that Central Portal." He turned as began marching towards the stairs purposefully.

As one, the raid party followed after, their steps buoyed by excitement and triumph while he continued to shout encouragements.

"We lost a player today, and discovered just how fucked up some of the beta testers really are, but we did what we set out to do." He looked over his shoulder as he led them on. "We've won a great victory, the first of many more to come!"

Walking beside him at the head of the group, the player with the blue bun began speaking out as well.

"We are the players that proved this game can be beaten! Out of everyone, we alone had the courage to do what had to be done! And this just the beginning! We are the heroes of this game, and we won't stop until every Boss is dead!"

Walking along with the inspired group as best they could, Israel could feel Jae's eyes light up as he listened to the two players at the head of the column. He drank their words in, and Israel understood why. Here were people with the same relentless drive, the same unstoppable commitment, to finding the Floor Bosses and killing their way out of SAO. More than anything. Jae was a man who wished to work together with others, particularly those of the same mind as him. Since the Massacre of Floor One, he had dedicated himself to the idea of beating each Floor. Israel wished he could feel the same way, for Jae's sake.

But he couldn't.

In his mind, all he could see were innocent people dying as they attempted to live, to survive, within the game. The weaker players needed help, and he seemed to be the only one who remembered that. He had lied to Jae when he proposed going to the Boss fight. He hadn't meant a word of his change of heart. But at that moment, he had felt as though he needed to pay Jae back for breaking his word to his brother's face. He had hoped that after the Boss was dead and Floor Two opened, Jae's fervor would ebb. Instead, it had only intensified.

 _He's not going to stop now._ Israel realized as they began marching up the stairs. _These players will soon choose a new leader, and their numbers will grow. Like madmen, they will throw themselves unceasingly against each new Boss, slowing up only long enough to level up and find the strongest items. This isn't the end. This is the beginning of something entirely different. And I can't be a part of it. Not when there are those who need protection. Not when there are those whose lives are at risk. I will not let them die._

His mind now clear, Israel knew what he would have to do. Sooner or later, he would have to let Jae know that he didn't believe in his brother's views, that he couldn't follow the path the raid group was about to take. Looking over at Jae, Israel decided to enjoy as much time as possible with them both on the same page before starting up that kind of argument.

As they reached the top of the stairs, the group of players saw a massive portal before them, crackling blue energy radiating outward in a massive circle. Immediately, the orange and blue haired players stepped fearlessly inside. Close on their heels, the raid party rushed in, their bodies dissolving in a rush of wind as they entered. Jae grinned at Israel as they stepped into the vortex of light.

"One down, ninety nine to go!"


	13. Chapter 13

13

December 6, 2022

Floor 2, Argus Outskirts

"I tried so hard, and got so far!" Jae and Israel sang at the top of their lungs, their voices echoing into the unkempt cornfields. "But in the end, it doesn't even matter!"

Israel pointed at Jae, who responded by bellowing, "I had to fall! To lose it all!"

Jae then pointed back at Israel, who was more than ready to oblige.

"But in the end! It doesn't even matter-er-er-er!"

"Fuck yes!" Jae roared.

"God I love that song!" Israel laughed. "Hands down, Linkin Park's best."

Jae held up a finger. "Numb and New Divide do deserve an honorable mention though. They come pretty close."

Israel nodded enthusiastically. "Absolutely. Hell, half of their albums deserve honorable mentions. Still," he scratched his stubble. "Nothing beats In The End. If ever we had a song, it was that one."

Jae opened his mouth to speak, but quickly stopped and opened his menu, alarm crossing his features.

"What's wrong?" Israel's hand went for his sword instinctively.

Jae sighed in relief, closing his menu. He waved a hand lazily. "My bad, didn't mean to worry you. I was afraid it was already passed two."

Israel frowned. "What happens at two?"

"The Assault Team meeting."

Israel blinked. "Assault Team?"

Rolling his eyes, Jae explained as they continued walking along the dirt road.

"Kibaou and Lind decided on Assault Team being the official name of the raid group yesterday. You would know that if you had listened to me and come along."

Israel scratched the back of his head anxiously. "I told you, I wasn't feeling well yesterday." He paused. "Why not just keep on calling it the raid group?"

"Well…" Jae trailed off for a moment as he pulled out two thick slices of beef jerky. After handing one to Israel, Jae tore off a large piece with his teeth.

"Sorry," he said between chews, "I'm starving and almost forgot we had these. Anyway," he quickly swallowed. "Kibaou and Lind had some disagreements the day before yesterday on how we should be conducting our operations against the Floor Bosses. So at yesterday's meeting, just before we started grinding in the Labyrinth, they both announced that they would be starting their own guild."

Israel's eyes widened. "That's pretty big news. How come I didn't seen any of this in the newspapers this morning?"

Israel had made sure to purchase the info-brokers' daily papers from the item shop every morning to stay on top of just such a development. If the raid party, or rather, the 'Assault Team,' was splitting up, it could mean the beginning of different factions opening up across the player community. By the sound of it, two such factions had already been created.

Israel remembered the two players. Kibaou was the name of the spiky orange haired raid member who seemed to possess a strong will to lead, and Lind was the one with the blue man bun, not to mention the look of someone who knew how to be exceptionally cunning when he had to be. Both players had quickly taken command of the raid group after Diabel's death, but it seemed as though co-leadership hadn't quite suited their interests.

"The Assault Team agreed that it would be best not to let it leak just yet." Jae answered. "We can't let our numbers begin to dip now, and they will if it sounds like the Assault Team is having internal squabbles and groups breaking up. Besides," he added with a shrug, "The info brokers will find out on their own within a few days anyway. They have a habit of keeping themselves informed. It'll be in the papers before the week is out."

It was true about their numbers growing. In the three days since Floor Two had been unlocked, the raid party's numbers had more than quadrupled. Inspired by the success of the Floor One Boss raid, well over a hundred players had come requesting a place in the 'Assault Team,' and with the numbers of new volunteers increasing every day, Kibaou and Lind had quickly found themselves with a small army under their command.

"You said the Assault Team is afraid of _sounding_ like they're breaking up," Israel said carefully. "Are you saying that this two party system isn't a division?"

Jae shook his head emphatically. "Kibaou and Lind both made it clear at the meeting that even though they will each be running their own guilds, the Assault Team is still the same. When it comes to clearing Labyrinths and killing Floor Bosses, the two guilds and the players who decide to remain neutral and not join either one will all come together." He hesitated for a moment. "And so will the solo players."

Israel caught the anger in his brother's tone. "You're talking about that black haired kid. Have they found out who he is yet?"

Jae nodded. "His name is Kirito."

"And he's the asshole who got Diabel killed and didn't even care, just so he could get the final hit on the Boss." Israel gritted his teeth. "They should be doing something about him. Why isn't he paying for his crime?"

Jae focused his eyes curiously on Israel. "Paying how? What can we do? We aren't murderers, man. We don't kill players."

Israel tilted his head as he contemplated what Jae had just said. _Executing someone for taking the life of another, whether directly or through more subtle means, isn't murder. It's justice. Life is more precious than anything else in the world. It is priceless beyond all compare, and it belongs to no one but the owner of that same life. When that priceless gift is taken away, the person responsible has just forfeit their own, and has shown that they do not value life. A person who doesn't value life, embraces only death._

"Is, did you hear me?"

Torn from his thoughts, Israel focused his attention back to Jae. "Sorry, I started daydreaming. What did you say?"

Jae pointed at the corner of his open menu, where Israel could see that it was twenty minutes to two. "We need to get going. Most of the Assault Team will start showing up at the meeting point in a few minutes, so if we teleport there now, you can talk to Kibaou and Lind about what to do with Kirito if you're so passionate about it."

Israel quickly tried to think of an out. He was in no mood to start the argument up with Jae that he wanted no part of the Assault Team.

"Sorry man, but I can't go today."

Jae leaned in, furrowing his brow suspiciously. "That's what you said yesterday."

"I told you already, I felt like shit yesterday."

"And today?"

"I promised Naomi I'd help her and her friends with a quest today."

He was only half lying, so he didn't feel quite as guilty. He and Naomi had agreed to meet at Urbus, the starting city on Floor Two.

Jealousy flashed across Jae's face. "Why didn't she ask me to help too?"

Israel met his cold stare with an apologetic smile.

"Sorry man, I told her how important it was for you not to miss any of the raid party meetings."

As quickly as it had come, the anger in Jae's eyes disappeared. "Oh, no worries then. You're not wrong." He tapped the fancy new spear on his back. "But it's not just meetings. Kibaou sent some scouts around and they found the location of the next Labyrinth this morning."

"What?!" Israel burst out. "They found it this soon? Kibaou and Lind can't think they can take on the Floor Two Boss already, do they?"

Jae chuckled. "No, of course not. But the mobs inside Dungeons, and especially the Labyrinths, give significantly higher EXP than anywhere else. The strongest fighters in the Assault Team are planning on fighting there from now on, and I'm going too. If we grind there, we can level up faster in one afternoon than we have in the last three days." He gave Israel a hopeful stare. "You should really come. You're starting to fall behind on levels."

That much was undeniable. After spending almost all day yesterday and the day before fighting with the ever growing Assault Team, Jae was now well into level 13 while Israel had only just managed to hit level 11 that morning. Though the remark stung his pride, Israel cared more about Jae's safety.

"Bro, the Labyrinths have proven themselves to be the most dangerous areas in the game. Or have you already forgotten that hell we had to fight through?" His words were coated in anger, and he meant it that way.

He had foreseen the raid group throwing themselves madly against the next Floor Boss once they were confident they had a chance at victory, but this just seemed like madness.

Jae glared at him, obviously surprised and upset by how Israel was reacting. In an effort to keep things civil, Israel decided to take a different approach.

"Come on man, this morning was the first time we actually hung out and farmed together since we unlocked Floor Two. Can't you skip a day with the raid party?"

"Assault Team," Jae corrected, but not unkindly. Looking down at his boots in obvious regret, he nonetheless shook his head. "I want to, you know I do. I'd love for us to just explore this floor a bit and hang out some more." He looked up, his face taking on a hard edge. "But I can't. This is too important. What the Assault Team is doing, what _I'm_ doing, is the only way to save everyone who has made it this far. The only way to get us all home. And I just don't get why you don't see that."

Israel's expression darkened for a brief moment. "Do you really want us to have this discussion again?"

Jae eyed him for several seconds, as if weighing his choices. Finally, he shook his head.

"No, because I know you're even more stubborn than I am." He offered a smile. "I know that you don't see eye to eye on what we should be doing to keep the players safe, but I'm sure that after you've gone to a few meetings, you'll see things the way I do a little better."

Israel thought it over. "Alright, I'll go to a meeting one of these days, but only if you promise not to train in the Labyrinth."

Jae opened his mouth in protest, but quickly closed it. He pointed at Israel suspiciously.

"Come to the meeting tomorrow, and I'll accept your terms."

"Fine."

"Fine."

The two shook hands. Satisfied, Jae set off down the path again, quickly picking up the pace as he called out over his shoulder. "Come on, we need to get back inside Urbus. I don't want to have to use my teleport crystal to get to the meeting."

Breaking into a jog, they naturally stayed in step as they ran. They hadn't been exploring very far into the fields beyond the city that morning, so it wasn't long before they found themselves quickly approaching the gates again. Israel had known the area would be the first place weaker players would set out once they teleported to Floor Two, so he had convinced Jae to stay in that vicinity with him. Now more than ever, the other players would be overly confident. Hearing glorious tales of the Assault Team's success against Floor One, they would be inspired to take on new enemies and challenges, beyond what they could handle. Israel was determined to maintain his patrols around this region, to save as many lives as he could.

Striding into the gates, Israel and Jae were both surprised at the surge of people now within the city. It seemed as though all of Floor One had emptied and moved to Urbus.

The place itself was nice, though not nearly as rich looking as the Town of Beginnings. Stout buildings, mostly made of stone, sprawled across the settlement. Houses, shops, banks, smithies, restaurants, all were shaped similarly and around the same height, making most of the place look rather unspectacular. The cobblestone streets were fewer in number than those back in the Town of Beginnings, but significantly wider, allowing for far more people to travel to and fro without causing traffic.

Reaching the courtyard in the center of the city, Jae was about to step over to the Portal when Israel grabbed his sleeve.

"Dude, I have to go." Jae said, swatting Israel's hand away.

"Naomi will be here any second now," Israel replied. "At least say hi to her before you go."

Jae looked ready to say something, but as per usual he instead held his tongue. It annoyed Israel how often his brother decided to keep quiet about things that were on his mind. More than that, it bewildered him. Israel himself couldn't imagine retaining his thoughts or feelings, nor did he want to. Being brutally honest and always saying what was on his mind often got him into trouble, it was true. But it was definitely preferable to constantly withholding his feelings while others trampled on him, as seemed to be the case with Jae.

Crossing his arms, Jae had no difficulty expressing his impatience at that moment. But he didn't have to wait long.

Letting out a low humming sound, the Portal seemed to sparkle as Naomi suddenly appeared within it.

She was wearing a new light brown leather chestplate, together with some blue leggings that had no problems accentuating her feminine form. Her shield, a small metal buckler that Israel had seen during the battle against the plant creatures, was now slung across her back. Israel found himself nodding in appreciation at the intimidating look it gave her. At her hip she bore her stout and super rare hand axe, a faint golden glow emanating from the steel. All in all, Israel quite liked what he saw.

Looking around, Naomi quickly caught sight of them and began walking over, her wavy brown hair flowing out behind her as a breeze picked up. Israel waved at her.

"What's up badass hot girl? I mean Naomi."

Jae glared at him before waving at her in turn.

Not seeming to notice either of their greetings, Naomi marched purposefully forward, quickly closing the distance between herself and Israel. Sighing as he saw the steely resolve on her, Israel braced himself as he grinned mischievously.

"Looks like I'm in trouble."

Raising her hand, Naomi punched him in the gut. Hard.

Though every town was a safe zone and therefore no damage could be dealt there, the pain from the blows remained.

Doubling over, Israel had to take several steps back as he tried to catch his breath.

"What the-" he began.

She glowered at him. "That's for your comment on the Portuguese Breakfast, you ass."

In spite of the pain, Israel burst out laughing as he righted himself. He laid a hand on her shoulder.

"Which poor NPC did you break by asking what that meant? Please, I have to know."

Going red in the face, Naomi tried to punch him again, but Israel continued sniggering as he batted her arms away. Fending her off was by no means easy. She was strong and quite fast, but he just couldn't stop laughing at the situation. Even as he defended himself, he silently praised the gods of perverse humor.

"You know," he said as he continued to block her strikes, "In my defense, it was you who brought up the whole thing in the first place, even if it was indirectly."

"Stop being a little bitch and just let me have my revenge!" Though she sounded determined to harm him, Israel could see the smile on her face.

Jae, who had been standing there watching the whole thing, rolled his eyes.

"I'm not even going to ask."

Grabbing hold of Naomi's arms, Israel held fast as he grinned wickedly at her. "I've got you now. Looks like you didn't think this revenge thing throu-"

Naomi kneed him in the groin.

Unable to cry out as the pain shot through him, Israel let go of her and involuntarily clutched at his manhood as he toppled to the ground.

"Now I'm happy." She smiled cheerfully down at him. "That wasn't so bad now was it?"

Israel attempted to smile back mockingly, but couldn't quite focus as he groaned in agony.

Straightening her sleeves, Naomi turned to Jae happily. "Hey, how's things Jae?"

Jae's gaze went from her cheerful smile to Israel curled up in a ball on the ground, and then back to her.

"Hey Naomi! You just made my day."

She beamed. "Glad I could be of service." She rested a hand on her hip. "So, you gonna hang out with us?"

Jae shook his head sadly. "Can't. I have a meeting with the As-the raid party. I'll see you around though."

Stepping forward into the Portal, Jae gave Israel a salute as he continued to writhe on the ground.

"Love ya bro, have fun."

Unable to speak, Israel resigned himself to raising his middle finger at his brother.

Jae chuckled, then shouted the words. "Teleport, Fields of Gold!"


	14. Chapter 14

14

December 6, 2022

Floor 2, Fields of Gold

Stepping out of the Portal, Jae ignored his frustration at Israel and instead took a quick look around. He was standing at a crossroads, where four dirt roads running out from several towns on Floor Two met, before continuing on to Urbus. Before him stood the reason for the name of the area: fields of golden wheat, stretching as far as the eye could see. Whenever the wind picked up, the wheat trembled in such a way that it almost looked like the gentle waves of an ocean's surface. He smiled as memories of Virginia Beach flashed in his mind.

Though Jae had lived in many places during his childhood, Virginia Beach had by far been his favorite. The beauty of the wide, sand swept beaches, the smell of the sea in the morning air, and the gentle calls of the seagulls had all but hypnotized him with their tranquility. Not to mention the tens of thousands of beautiful, bikini clad women wherever he turned. And then of course, there was the fact that that had been where he had met Israel.

His small smile grew as he remembered the countless adventures the two of them had had together all those years ago. While Israel thrived on being the troublemaker, Jae couldn't deny getting the two of them into a fair share of mischief himself. Albeit often with Israel's constant encouragement. Still, for the most part it had been Jae's job to be the sensible brother. After all, Israel had usually been too busy talking to girls and starting fights to worry about being sensible.

And now, though they were both several years out of high school, it seemed as though Jae was again playing the role of the sensible brother.

 _Some things never change._ He sighed.

Walking along the dirt road leading west, deeper into the Fields of Gold, Jae shook his head bitterly as his thoughts began to race.

 _It's like highschool all over again, complete with life or death thrown in this time. Not that it bothers him. Here I am, risking my life to do what needs to be done, to save lives. And what does he do? He goes out on dates with Naomi._ Jae stopped. _No, no that's not true. What am I thinking?_

He took a deep breath. _I'm being an idiot. He cares just as much about saving lives as I do. And yet somehow he believes that the best way to do that is to go wandering around on aimless patrols? Grinding trash mobs as we keep an eye out for the slim chance of finding a player in need of help? Surely he can see that it's pointless. It doesn't make any sense!_

"How can he not see that this is the right path!" He shouted in frustration. "How can he not see that I want us together in this! How can he not see that I need my brother by my side!"

A large bull suddenly stepped out of the shoulder high wheat and out onto the dirt road in front of him. By the way it was approaching, Jae knew his shouting must have caused the beast to target him.

Lowering its horns aggressively, the beast began picking up speed as it charged him. Without even bothering to slow his casual walk, Jae continued stepping forward as the bull plowed straight for him.

"Why does he insist on trying to drive a wedge between us!" He shouted at the raging animal hurtling towards him. It was less than two feet away now.

In one movement, Jae unbuckled his spear from it's place at his back, swinging it around with such force that the weapon screeched under the pressure as it tore through the air. Smacking the creature across the side of it's face, Jae could feel it's skull shatter. Even as the on death explosion billowed out around him, Jae continued his casual walk forward while allowing his spear to finish its swing back around his left side, so he could buckle it in without having to switch hands.

Walking through the shower of fragments, Jae ran a hand through his short, dark blonde hair. _I need to stop letting my frustrations get the better of me. It's not as bad as all that. Israel wishes I was the one supporting him just as badly. Driving a wedge between us isn't his intention, but he will allow exactly that to happen to better focus on what he believes to be right._

Jae closed his fists purposefully. _Well I'm not going to let that happen._

 _No matter what he says, no matter what he does. I'm not going to allow us to fall apart. Not when we need each other more than ever. Besides,_ Jae allowed himself to hope, _It's quite possible that once he attends the meeting tomorrow, he'll understand where I'm coming from, and finally allow us both to put all of our effort into clearing this game. Lind will be able to explain things far better than I have been._

Reaching the end of the road, Jae could see a small hill. At the top stood a crowd of over two hundred players. The meeting was about to begin.

Breaking into a run, it wasn't long before he reached the summit. Jae quickly elbowed his way through the throng of players, the strongest and most dedicated in SAO, in order to see Kibaou and Lind make their announcements.

Both stood opposite the excited crowd, leaning in as they talked to several players who stood with them. Looking at the two of them, Jae was surprised to see that they were wearing light chainmail tunics. He himself had only just managed to buy specialized leather backed by thin strips of steel, gear that hadn't been available until Floor Two. The fact that Kibaou and Lind were already wearing light mail could only mean that multiple players had been giving them monetary assistance.

Turning to face the crowd, Kibaou and Lind stepped forward.

"Greetings, fellow members of the Assault Team." Kibaou began. "I'm glad to see most of you could make it. Today, we have some particularly important news."

Lind nodded. "We'll begin with the topic that has been on a lot of people's minds. The matter of guilds." Walking to within feet of the crowd so as to make sure everyone could hear him, Lind began pacing as he explained.

"As most of you know, Kibaou and I agreed that it would be in everyone's best interest if, instead of a fight over leadership breaking out, we each take charge of our own followers. Anyone with the desire to start a guild of their own is free to do so. Also," he added, lifting up a finger, "For those of you who would rather not join a guild, you are under no obligation to do so. That cannot be understated. We are not forcing anyone to do anything, nor are we dividing up the Assault Team. We are merely allowing for collaboration among those of us who wish to command and lead. All while keeping confusion over who to follow down to a minimum."

"With that said," Kibaou said, picking up the threat of Lind's narrative, "For any of you who think that I would make a better leader, you have merely to say so and I will include you in the guild list. The name of my guild is, from this point forward, the Aincrad Liberation Squad."

Lind nodded. "And for those of you who would rather have me as your leader, the name of my guild is the Holy Dragon Alliance. Are there any questions before we begin to take names of those who would like to either join or create a guild?"

A player somewhere off to Jae's left lifted a hand. "So who will be in command of raid parties?"

"Raid parties can be conducted at any time, by any guild." Kibaou replied. "In those scenarios, obviously whoever your guild leader is will be in command of such forays."

"But," Lind spoke up, "On days like today, where the entire Assault Team is gathered to work together to fight, the commander of the raid will be decided via a coin flip between guild leaders."

A murmur of agreement ran through the crowd. Jae was pleased as well. It sounded like Lind and Kibaou had put a good deal of thought into their decisions. It was good to know that their minds were still set on clearing Floors as efficiently as possible.

"What about Boss room battles?" Another player asked.

"Same rule applies," Lind answered. "Though, for those of you who might be interested in creating your own guilds, going into a Boss room with just your guild at your back is not recommended. Neither Kibaou or myself have any intention of attempting to take on a Floor Boss without the entire Assault Team present."

"Exactly," Kibaou said. "Remember guys, the reason we're trying to beat this game is to save lives. It defeats the purpose if people start getting reckless and are killed as a result. Guilds within the Assault Team have changed nothing as far as our combined purpose. We fight together to get out of this damn game, so that we can all finally go home in one piece."

A cheer rang out among the sea of people as they lifted their weapons enthusiastically.

"To our day of liberation!" Someone roared.

"We are the Clearers!" Another screamed. "It's up to us to save everyone still alive!"

After a minute of non stop cheering, Kibaou finally lifted up a hand, calling for silence.

"So," he said. "It is time now for those of you who wish to join our two guilds to do so. We ask only that you come forward in an orderly line as we take names. And if you aren't sure about joining just yet, do not worry. My guild will be open to newcomers at any time."

"As will mine." Lind was quick to add.

In an instant, a surge of players rushed forward, splitting off as some went for Lind while others moved to join Kibaou. Though it took some organization, a line was quickly formed.

Looking around, Jae was happy to see that perhaps half of the players present had stayed like he had. It wasn't that he didn't trust the two leaders. In fact, it was quite the opposite. Both seemed not only motivated to beat the game, but determined not to lose players. Such traits were inspirational, and he was glad they were the leaders of the Assault Team.

The thing was, he just didn't see any reason to join a guild. He was interested in only one thing, and that was clearing the game. So long as that remained the Assault Team's purpose, he was satisfied right where he was.

 _Besides,_ he thought. _Israel would be furious. As far as he's concerned, the two of us is the only guild we need. And I'm inclined to agree._

"Not a fan of those two either?" Came a voice behind him.

Turning, Jae found himself looking at a tall man with golden eyes. Though he had a neatly trimmed beard, his facial features betrayed his years. He couldn't have been a year above sixteen.

"Actually I respect both of them." Jae replied.

The tall teenager arched an eyebrow. "And yet here you stand."

Jae shrugged. "I see no reason to join a guild. As long we're clearing Floors, that's good enough for me. Why, what do you have against them?"

The young man cocked his head to the side. "Well, nothing personally. But this guild business won't be blowing over well, mark my words."

"Why do you say that?" Jae asked curiously.

"Have you not played RPG's before? Guilds means competition. They say they won't let this get in the way of the Assault Team's mission, but it will. Before long, the players in each guild will start trying to fight monsters before the others can get to them, win more glory. They'll try to get ahead of each other, and people will die because of it."

Jae crossed his arms skeptically. "That's normal RPG's. This shit is real. It's life or death and everyone knows it."

The teenager shrugged. "Maybe you're right. But personally, I just find the whole thing pretty stupid. It's just asking for complications."

Another player stepped forward. An older man, perhaps thirty, he was nonetheless quite fit. Muscled like a bull from head to toe, Jae made a mental note never to piss him off.

"You sound awfully negative." The man said. You know what else makes for complications? Having too many leaders, too many voices. There's an old saying: In the time it takes a hundred leaders to make one decision, one leader can make a hundred decisions."

Jae was intrigued. "Well said. So why aren't you joining a guild?"

The man extended a hand. "Oh I plan on it, but not until I find out more about Kibaou and Lind as leaders first."

Jae shook his hand. "My name's Jae."

"Aranal." He glanced at the young man still standing beside them. "Nice to meet you too, sir. May I ask your name?"

"David. I get what you're saying, but I still think I'll be the one right in the end."

Aranal shrugged. "Well let's hope you're not, for all our sakes."

Aranal and David remained by Jae's side as the crowd of people began to slowly trickle back to their places. When everyone's name had been taken, Kibaou and Lind again stepped forward.

"Ok, now that that's settled, we can get back to why we're all here." Lind said.

The Assault Team inched closer, anxious to hear about the Labyrinth.

"Our scouts found the Floor Two Labyrinth this morning, not five minutes walk from this hill," Kibaou spoke up. "However, before we can begin working our way up the damn thing, the scouts reported something none of us were expecting." He paused, as if for dramatic effect. "Blocking our way into the Labyrinth stands a Boss. It's called the Bulbous Bow, a giant cow-like creature. It's guarding the door that leads inside and won't stray far from that spot."

Shock ripped through the crowd. Jae was astonished. _A Boss before we even get inside?_

Lind waved his arms for silence. As the players calmed down, he began.

"Alright, now we all know. This is obviously a complication, but we have no intention of letting it slow us down." He gestured at the hundreds of people standing before him. "With our numbers, we should have no trouble taking down one Boss. Just three days ago, only forty four players managed to clear the Floor One Labyrinth _and_ defeat the Floor One Boss. On top of that, we have reason to believe that this Boss won't be as strong or as dangerous as a Floor Boss."

Kibaou nodded. "We asked several info brokers to give us some understanding of what we're up against here. We were told that several Bosses have already been found throughout Floor Two, and they are identified as either Event Bosses or Field Bosses. Neither is as strong as a Floor Boss."

"With that knowledge in mind," Lind said, drawing his sword. "Our goal for today is to have that Boss out of our way before the sun goes down. We will not slow in our efforts to be free! Who's with me!"

A cheer ran up from among the crowd as Lind and Kibaou began running down the hill, going straight for the Labyrinth. Still shouting eagerly, the Assault Team followed close behind, streaming down the hill like an avalanche.

For a moment, Jae hesitated. _Israel will be pretty pissed if he finds out I fought a Boss without him. Still, it's his fault for not coming. And as long as I don't go into the Labyrinth today, I won't be breaking our deal._

Unbuckling the spear from his back as he broke into a run alongside the frenzied Assault Team, Jae grinned. The thrill of battle was on him, and he wouldn't be denied.


	15. Chapter 15

15

December 6, 2022

Floor Two, Urbus

"You need to shave."

Looking up from his food, Israel glanced deliberately behind his seat. When he saw that there was no one there, he swept his gaze across the entire restaurant before finally peering back at Naomi. "I don't see him."

Ignoring his playfulness, Naomi gestured at his unkempt blonde beard. "It makes you look like that one dorky kid trying to cosplay a viking and failing in epic fashion."

Israel's hand traced the edge of his beard affectionately. "I'll have you know that in my experience, that one dorky kid who cosplays is usually pretty damn cool. Usually. Besides, I actually kind of like it. In real life it comes in patchy, so I just keep a goatee."

"It's patchy now." Naomi complained. "It's uneven and ugly. I'm telling you, you look homeless. And it covers up your jawline as well."

Israel arched an eyebrow, lifting his fork and pointing it at her as if she were being interrogated.

"So you admit to liking my jawline?"

"Just shut up and shave it if you know what's good for you. You looked better when I first met you." She set aside her empty plate and leaned forward, looking all business.

"So anyway, what did you want to see me about?"

Quickly picking up his soup, Israel tilted the bowl into his mouth while scraping the bottom with his spoon. Disappointed by how little was left, he set the bowl back down as he swallowed, meeting her glare.

"You done?"

"Sorry, it's kinda a peeve of mine leaving food unfinished. Right then." Opening up his menu, Israel used an arm to sweep the empty dishes aside before laying out a large and quite detailed map. Naomi's eyes widened as she examined it.

"This is all Floor Two?"

Israel nodded. "Down to the last blade of grass. You would not believe how much the info brokers charged for this."

Naomi looked up at him curiously. "And just what do you plan on doing with it?"

Rubbing his hands together, Israel smiled at her.

"I plan on using this map to finally get organized with my patrols. Up till now, I've basically just been wandering outside of the most densely populated towns without any clear sights or knowledge of the land. I need to break down my target areas to increase the effectiveness of the patrols."

Naomi tapped the map. "So you're going to use this to mark the areas where you suspect players, specifically weaker ones, are most likely to go?"

"Exactly. A better understanding of the land is always a plus, but besides that, I can use this map as my chart. Just like you said, marking the areas, but I want to focus my sights on where player deaths most often occur. It would make for a far more reliable source than just staying near a highly populated town."

Naomi straightened as her eyes caught hold of his. "And I'm assuming that's where I come in?"

Israel nodded. "Being a beta test-"

"What the hell's wrong with you?" Naomi hissed, looking around to see if anyone else had heard.

Israel spoke up quietly. "Naomi, I had us go to this restaurant because for the most part it stays uninhabited. You have nothing to fear."

"How would you know if it's uninhabited?" She replied fiercely. "Floor Two's been open for three days! Have you not heard about the hatred out there against me and the others? Or are you just that much of an asshole?"

Standing up, Naomi turned to leave. He could see the fear in her eyes.

In one rapid movement, Israel caught her arm. Like a viper, she spun around with the full intention of lashing out in response to the contact.

He met her icy glare with an iron look that seemed to take her by surprise.

"Naomi." His words came hard as stone. "Even if anyone were to find out that you were a beta tester, they would need to kill me before they could get to you."

For a moment, all was silent as neither of them moved. Naomi looked at him cautiously. It was obvious that he had just scared her. He hadn't meant to sound so threatening.

Ashamed, Israel quickly released her.

"I'm sorry. It's just…" He avoided her gaze. "I guess you could say I'm radically opposed to this discrimination against the beta testers. I hate that people always need someone to blame." He forced himself to look back into her hazel eyes. "I hate when someone I know to be good and kind has to look over her shoulder in fear. That is not how things should be, and I would gladly stand by your side against those who force such fear onto you."

Naomi sat back down, her eyes never leaving him. Though usually Israel could read people fairly well, the look he now saw was a mystery to him. After a long moment, however, she smiled. It was a smile he hadn't seen before. Not necessarily one of joy, but neither was it a smile of sadness. Instead it seemed to be a mixture of the two, while also containing traces of something else: genuine appreciation.

As he sat there at that table, Israel suddenly realized he had never seen anything so beautiful, so pure, in his entire life. It was her own special smile, and he knew that it was meant just for him.

"You're such a strange person." She said.

"That's because being normal is overrated."

"Is it? I like to think I'm normal."

Israel shook his head confidently. "No you're not."

She arched an eyebrow. "How are you so sure?"

He gave her a one sided grin. "Because if you were normal, I wouldn't like you as much."

Naomi blushed at his words, but Israel could feel his heart sink ever so slightly as he watched her special smile disappear behind it. "Why do you care about others so much? Why risk your life keeping people you don't know safe?" She gestured at his map. "Why would you go to so much trouble for the sake of strangers?"

He frowned at her questions. "Why would you?"

She hesitated. "What do you mean? I never said I'd help you, or that I even believe that your course is the right one in keeping more people safe."

"No, but you will help, and that's because you do believe in what I'm trying to accomplish."

She shot him an annoyed look.

"Are you always this sure of yourself?"

Israel leaned back in his chair, looking up at the ceiling as he pretended to seriously think it over. "Now that you mention it, there was this one time when I was six-"

Naomi rolled her eyes. "Ok fine, I'll help you smart ass. What do you need me to do?"

Israel dropped his chair back forward as he gestured at the map.

"You know a lot of the other beta testers, right?"

Though still unhappy with him using the term, Naomi seemed to shake it off as she replied. "I know some of them, yeah."

"So that would mean you know quite a few of the info brokers too, right?"

Naomi narrowed her gaze. "How did you know that most of them are beta testers?"

Israel waved a hand lazily. "It's not that hard to guess. Beta testers all had a lead as far as general game knowledge. It was beta testers behind the guide book on Floor One, of which you were a part as well. With that lead, why wouldn't they begin selling what they knew. Supply and demand. It's pretty simple stuff."

Naomi squinted at him. "There are info brokers that aren't beta testers, you know. But if it's so easy to guess, why doesn't the raid party, or everyone else for that matter, target them alongside everyone else they know to be beta testers?"

Israel shrugged. "People are willing to turn a blind eye to pretty much anything so long as they can benefit from it. The info brokers keep players alive with the knowledge they sell. I'm sure that even the most radical leaders behind the rising hate groups know who they are. They'll never do anything about it, and the info brokers know that." He gestured at Naomi. "Honestly, I've been wondering why you decided not be one."

She shook her head. "Info brokers are greedy. Sure they save lives, but only when the price is right. I would never charge someone in exchange for helping them out, let alone by just giving them intel on some damn quest. Besides," she added, patting the haft of the axe at her belt. "Info brokers are forced to put all of their stats and skills into being lightweight and stealthy. Staying hidden is vital for them since theirs is the most dangerous job: going out alone and clueless in order to obtain some tidbit of info. They can't afford to be fighters."

Israel nodded. "Makes sense. I never thought about that." He leaned forward. "So from what you know about the info brokers, how many would we have to go to in order to dig up information as to the whereabouts of player deaths within the last three days?"

Naomi thought it over for a moment. "Any of them could probably help with that. It's simple data collection."

Israel coughed. "Simple? I have to admit, I wasn't expecting that answer. How is it simple?"

"I mean I don't know all the factors involved," Naomi admitted, "But I know it would include checking the Monument of Life."

Israel paused. "That sounds ominous."

"I'd go a bit further than that. It's a massive black stone tablet ten meters wide." Her words took on a serious edge. "The name of every player who dies in SAO is automatically inscribed on it."

Memories flashed violently in Israel's mind. The faces of the players he and Jae had seen die suddenly filled his eyes, threatening to drown him in their agony. Telling himself to remain calm, Israel took a deep breath.

Steadying his gaze, he saw Naomi's concerned face.

"Israel?"

Forcing the misery and pain back into the recesses of his thoughts, Israel looked at the map with renewed determination.

"I'm fine. It's time we got to work."

He stood up.

"Naomi, I just want you to know that I'm very grateful that you chose to help. Now let's go."

Walking out of the restaurant, Israel was quickly joined by Naomi.

"Where to first?" She asked.

"We're going to set up a perimeter." he replied as they began walking down the cobbled street. "Five miles wide, all around the city. Almost all of the players who have survived this long have moved to Urbus, so for now our patrols will be limited to that perimeter. We will also be taking down notes on the monsters throughout this region. The more deadly they are, the more emphasis we put on visiting those areas. We should also keep on the lookout for a good outpost."

She frowned curiously. "An outpost?"

He nodded, sidestepping an NPC as it shuffled past. "A place with clear lines of sight in all directions. Preferably the top of a mountain or hill. An outpost would cut down on quite a bit of time walking back and forth. We could see mobs, and other players, from a mile away. Which brings me to another point. Corridor crystals."

Naomi gave him an appraising look. "Crystals that allow the player to travel anywhere. Yes, those would work well, but I have yet to see any here. It could be we just haven't reached a high enough Floor to use them."

Israel nodded again as they neared the city gates. "I thought as much. How many info brokers do you have on your friends list?"

Naomi opened her menu. "Only three. I'll send the same message to each one about everything we've discussed up to this point."

"Alright, that's a good start." Israel smiled at her excitedly. "With your help, Naomi, I feel like I might be able to do this. We can actually make a difference."

She smiled at him. "We can, and we will. I just want to keep everyone safe."

Once they had exited the city, Israel took out the map and a quill. Then a thought came to him.

"You know, you still haven't told me how you knew about my stats."

Naomi kept her eyes on the road as she replied.

"Alright, I'll tell you how I knew about that, if you tell me how you knew I wanted to help you."

"Deal."

After shaking hands, Naomi started laughing at him. "You idiot. It was really easy to figure out. You were cutting Yellow Lotuses open like they were nothing. Every hit was a one shot."

"Yellow Lotuses?"

Naomi gestured with her hand. "Those plant creatures we fought together outside Trevica."

Israel frowned at her. "I was using Silverthorne. It's a rare weapon, remember? You're the one that gave it to me."

She patted her axe. "Silverthorne isn't as strong as Shieldbreaker here. And I'm a higher level than you. And yet you managed to kill them just as fast as me. Also," She added, "I was able to see the Amulet of Aeris you were wearing during the fight. You keep it hidden under your shirt, but during the fight with the Yellow Lotuses it slipped out and I recognized it immediately. I had been trying to find it for a while, but when I asked Malachi for help, he ranted about how badly he had ripped off some idiot putting all his stats into health. It was easy to put the pieces together once I saw the amulet on you."

"Wait," Israel said. "How did he know about my stats? We barely exchanged a word beyond the transaction itself."

"Malachi has the Examine skill," Naomi explained, "and he has a bad habit of using it on everyone he can, and then saving the information."

Israel's heart sank. "So now he can blackmail me at any time, even after I pay him."

Naomi scoffed. "Don't worry about Malachi, I can handle him. Just let me know when the day you're supposed to pay him comes up and I'll go with you."

Israel wasn't sure how she meant to 'handle' Malachi, but he decided it was better to let it go for now. As it was, he was grateful at the turn of events. Naomi would help him keep his stats a secret.

"You should really stop doing that though." The concern was evident in her tone.

Unwilling to get into an argument, Israel changed the subject. "Do you want to know how I knew you believed in what I was doing or not?"

She crossed her arms. "Have it your way, but don't think this is the end of that discussion. Alright then, how did you know?"

He shrugged. "I'm good at reading people."

Naomi looked dumbfounded.

"That's it? That's your answer?"

Pausing at a fork in the road, Israel pointed at a nearby mob that appeared docile. "So those are Jagged Worms. Any idea how dangerous they are?"

"Don't change the subject. What do you mean you're good at reading people?"

Sighing, Israel set aside the map when he saw her determined face.

"I don't know, I'm pretty good at understanding how people feel based on their body language or facial expressions."

She eyed him curiously. "And how is that possible?"

"I'd like to think it has something to do with the fact that I used to do acting in real life. Being an actor requires a thorough understanding of human emotion and thought, how to display that as realistically and with as little effort as possible. Looking at people and wondering how they feel gets a whole lot easier when you know every projected thought and feeling converted into expression and behaviour. So yeah, acting."

She rolled her eyes. "You expect me to believe that you're an actor?"

"Was. Past tense." Israel's gaze went back to his map as he began putting down notes. "I didn't really expect you to, no. Now can we get back to the task at hand, please?"

Though Naomi looked more than a little irritated at him, she let it go.

"Whatever, I don't care. Alright, so what's first?"

Israel grimly handed her an ink bottle. "I hope you're a fan of taking notes."


	16. Chapter 16

16

December 6, 2022

Floor 2, Southern Spur

"I don't suppose you have any rope on you?" Israel asked as he craned his neck, trying to take in the entirety of the mountain looming before him.

Naomi shook her head. "Sorry, no one told me I'd be going rock climbing in an RPG."

"In an RPG, it's kind of a rule of thumb that anything within the game is there for a reason."

She placed a hand on her hip. "Alright then genius, why didn't you bring any rope?"

Israel shot her a sardonic look. "Give me about five minutes and I'll come up with a really witty answer."

Naomi rolled her eyes before returning her attention to the steep mountainside before them. Holding a hand above her eyes to ward off the merciless sun, she checked for any paths or tracks carved into the rock. Beside her, Israel focused his gaze nearer towards the base as he leaned on Silverthorne. Sweating from the heat, Naomi finally shook her head.

"I don't think there's a way up."

Israel scratched his beard. "No, there has to be. Why would Kayaba place a random mountain here, in the middle of the plains, if it can't be climbed?"

Naomi pulled out a bottle of water.

"Games have areas that can't be accessed all the time," she said between sips. "Floor One alone had an entire mountain range that couldn't be scaled."

"Yes, but that mountain range was at the edge of the map," Israel replied, not taking his eyes off the mountain. "It was probably made to be a natural border for the sake of immersion, and that makes sense. But this?" He waved a hand irritably at the colossal pile of rock. "This one mountain in the middle of the Floor, and surrounded by nothing but fields?"

Naomi sighed as she offered him the water. When he didn't notice, she cleared her throat in annoyance. He glanced over, sheathing Silverthorne while he turned.

"No thanks, I have my own." He crossed his arms as he focused again on the base just ahead of them. "This is really going to bother me."

"Why do you care so much about it?" Naomi asked curiously. "At best, there's some kind of Field Boss waiting for us at the top. Trapped up there, we'd probably die."

Israel pursed his lips at the mountain. He couldn't help but feel like it was taunting him.

Turning to Naomi, he tapped the map tucked behind his belt.

"I care because the position of this mountain is perfect for an outpost." He pointed to the top, though neither of them could see the summit. "From that vantage point, we could see what's going on for miles, all the way back to Urbus."

He wasn't exaggerating. It hadn't been more than twenty minutes march to the south of the fields outside Urbus when they had seen it, jutting out like a shark fin over the ocean's surface. Though they still had quite a few miles to cover in order to complete their perimeter, Israel had persuaded Naomi that reaching that mountain would make the patrols incredibly more efficient.

It had taken over two hours to reach the base, not to mention several battles against the Floor's mobs, which were stronger and more powerful than those of Floor One. During the walk, the sun had become increasingly unkind, bathing them in it's artificial light as the temperature of the Floor rose. All in all, it had been a gruelling march. And now, it seemed, a fruitless one as well.

Pulling a strand of wet hair behind her ear, Naomi accessed her menu. A second later, her breastplate and shirt were gone, leaving only a black undergarment that looked very similar to a sports bra.

Israel batted an eye at her. "Are you trying to make me feel better?"

She laughed cynically at him. "You know, you could be a comedian. Your jokes are just remarkable." She glanced hatefully at the sun. "It's gotten entirely too hot out here, I'm sweating like a pig."

Israel grinned mischievously. "Aren't you afraid I'll look?"

"I'm sure you already have."

He scoffed. "Someone's awfully cocky."

She arched an eyebrow. "You're one to talk."

"Hey now, I could've taken off my shirt using that same excuse to show off all those late nights at Planet Fitness I put in, but instead here I am being the perfect gentleman."

Tying her hair back behind her, Naomi flashed him a haughty look. "I may not know you very well, but I can say with absolute confidence that gentleman is not in the list of nouns people would use to describe you."

Israel put a hand to his heart. "Now that's just rude."

Taking out his waterskin, Israel took a swig while giving the mountain another look. After a final moment, he sighed.

"Alright, I guess I was wrong. Sorry for wasting your time, Naomi."

She waved his words away cheerfully. "Don't worry about it, I'll call it even if you pay for dinner every time we meet, from this point forward until the end of time."

He was about to make a retort when the ground suddenly began to shake. The vast fields of grass trembled as plumes of smoke began to drift towards them.

"What the hell?" Israel drew his sword.

Naomi pointed out into the fields. Following her hand, Israel could see a pack of animals about fifty yards away, rushing towards them at a breakneck pace.

"What are those?" He asked above the tumult.

"It's a mob called Trembling Ox," she replied. "They can travel in packs from anywhere between a mere four to several hundred."

As the beasts drew closer, Israel hesitated. "Should we be concerned?"

Naomi shook her head. "Against five? No. They're pretty weak, just don't let them surround you and avoid their charge ability. It's got a powerful knockback effect."

Taking out her axe, Shieldbreaker, Naomi quickly grabbed her buckler with her offhand as she got into a fighting stance.

"Ready?" he asked.

Naomi banged the point of her axe against her shield in answer. Charging forward, the two of them lifted their weapons as the pack of five Trembling Oxen reached them.

Swinging Silverthorne out around him as he ran, Israel cut the lead animal down before it could get past his sword. As the beast collapsed, two more jumped over it to get at him, their horns lowered aggressively.

Jumping gracefully to the side, Israel sliced the one nearest him clean in half as its momentum carried it past. Pivoting on her foot, Naomi spun away from the two she was facing, her axe crashing into the remaining Ox on Israel's side as she completed the turn. Before Israel could carry the attack to the final two animals, they swept forward past the tip of his sword, forcing him to jump back several feet.

Not slowing down, the beasts raced towards him. Unable to create enough distance between them, Israel raised his sword to block when Naomi leaped in front of him, holding her shield out before her as she dropped to one knee, bracing for the charge ability.

With a booming thud, the two beasts crashed into her defence with all their weight. A small shockwave exploded outward on all sides, sending dust and rocks flying.

Her body shuddering from the impact, Naomi teetered backwards even as the two animals continued to push against her shield. Pressing his right arm against Naomi's back to keep her from falling, Israel spun Silverthorne through the air in front of them, completely beheading the one on her left before the on death explosion could take effect. Freed from half of the weight constraining her, Naomi hacked viciously at the final Ox until it too burst apart in a shower of fragments.

Standing slowly, Naomi put her axe back into its sheath and began rubbing her bruised shield arm.

"That's my fault," Israel said apologetically. "I moved too slowly and didn't cover-"

"Shh." Naomi whispered at him. She gazed out at where the mobs had come from. It was then that Israel realized the ground was still trembling.

Keeping Silverthorne at the ready, Israel turned to the left side of the mountain. There was nothing. Switching his gaze to the right side, he stumbled back a step as he saw them.

A vast herd of at least hundred of the Trembling Oxen were bearing down on them relentlessly, their hoofs kicking rocks ten feet high onto the steep slope of the mountain. Already they were within twenty feet of the two of them. It was clear now that they had been closing in even as Israel and Naomi had battled the others.

Grabbing Naomi's arm, Israel tore into a sprint back along the left side of the mountain. Though she resisted for a fraction of a second, Naomi quickly began running alongside him as she caught sight of the herd behind them.

Desperately trying to think up a plan of escape, Israel glanced to the fields back the way they had come. Naomi shook her head as she met his gaze.

"No good!" She shouted in between gasps. "They'll overtake us out in the open!"

"They're overtaking us now!" He screamed at her. Already the herd had halved the distance between them, and with each passing second it seemed as though they were growing faster.

 _We're going to die unless we find a way up._ Israel's eyes darted along every crevice along the mountainside, silently begging for a way up to suddenly reveal itself. There had to be a way.

"Fuck this!" Naomi shouted angrily.

Grinding to a halt, her long brown hair came tumbling out around her as she spun around fiercely. Her eyes were fixed with rigid determination as her axe came out. Israel grabbed hold of her.

"What are you doing!" He roared. The horde of beasts were nearly upon them.

"There's no way out!" Naomi screamed at him, though her eyes never left the beasts crashing towards them. "We have to make our own!"

He knew she wouldn't be dissuaded. Keeping her shield held high before her, he could see her brace for the collision. At that moment, he was fully prepared to jump in front of her if that meant he could save her. Images of all the people he and Jae had seen die in front of them flashed into his eyes. If he knew taking the brunt of the herd's charge would save her, he would do it.

 _But it won't save her. She's going to die. Just like all the others._

The sea of beasts were now so close he could feel their heated breath on his skin.

"No!"

Grabbing Naomi by the waist, Israel bent his knees, leaping high into the air just as the Trembling Oxen tore through the spot they had been standing not a second earlier. Yelling against the strain, Israel held fast to Naomi's waist with his right hand as gravity began to push them down. With his left, he activated his sword skill on Silverthorne. Blue flames exploded out around the blade as he launched it forward into the side of the mountain, embedding it within the thick slab of rock.

Excruciating pain shot through his left arm as both his and Naomi's weight were now dependant on his hand on the sword. He could feel his muscles tearing. It felt as though someone had just soaked his arm in gasoline and lit it on fire. Tears clung to his eyes as the torture burned through him, each second sending fresh waves of pain coursing past his arm and along the rest of his body.

Struggling not to scream, Israel gritted his teeth as he reminded himself that in real life, what he had just done would feel even worse. The pain simulator in SAO, though incredibly realistic, had been slightly diluted from the real thing. Still, the thought was far from comforting.

Glancing at his side, Israel could see Naomi staring at him in shock as she hung suspended above the massive herd of monsters trampling past. Her mouth was open in surprise, and it looked as though she was still trying to comprehend what had just happened. Still maintaining his grip on her waist, Israel gave her a weak smile even as a new wave of pain lanced up his arm. The tears stung his eyes, making it hard to see her very clearly.

"The last time…" He shuddered against the torment, his voice a small whisper. "A girl gave me that face...she had just taken off my pants."

Naomi's gaze went immediately from one of awe to utter annoyance.

Activating her own sword skill, Naomi's axe emanated a golden hue as she swung into the mountainside, lodging the steel deep into the slope. Almost at once, Israel felt sweet relief coursing through him as he felt her weight lift.

Sighing gratefully as life returned slowly to his sword arm, Israel released her waist with his right when he was sure she had a secure hold on the mountainside. Glancing around them, Israel was taken aback as he saw a ledge, perhaps three feet wide, just off to the right. Beyond it, he could see more ledges winding up the mountain, albeit steeply.

Grinning at his discovery, Israel gestured at Naomi, who now hung the closest to it.

"Can you jump for that ledge?" He shouted above the stampede raging beneath them.

Following his gaze, Naomi caught sight of it. Nodding, she began to swing her legs back and forth, slowly at first, but quickly picking up speed.

"I'll leave Shieldbreaker as a handhold for you!" She yelled at him.

Before he could reply, she swung to the right one last time, releasing her hold on the weapon as she did so. Flying through the air, Naomi gracefully landed feet first atop the ledge. Steadying herself as she clung to the face of the mountain, she tested the strength of the rest of the ledge with her feet. After a moment of tense worry, Israel was relieved when she released her hold on the sharp slope and sat down on the stone shelf.

"It's solid, come on over!" She shouted.

Nodding, Israel wiped his suddenly sweaty palm on his leather breastplate. Gazing at the axe buried up to it's hilt in the rock, Israel swung his right arm out to catch it. Seizing the haft, he next glanced carefully at Silverthorne. Altogether, it looked as though most of the blade was embedded in the stone.

 _Now for the hard part._

Making sure most of his weight now rested on his right hand, and the axe, Israel tightened his grip on Silverthorne before giving it a strong tug.

Nothing happened.

Blinking away droplets of sweat coming down from his head, Israel gave Silverthorne another pull. It still wouldn't budge.

"Move dammit!" He shouted angrily, tearing the weapon out of the rock with all his strength. Scraping against the stone as it burst free, the steel shivered as it again cleaved air. Carefully maintaining his hold on Naomi's axe, Israel next began to swing in much the same way as she had, quickly building momentum in his legs. On the last swing to the right, he tore Shieldbreaker free and tried to ignore the terrifying feeling of weightlessness as he sailed through the air.

Landing atop the ledge next to Naomi, Israel didn't bother trying to look graceful and instead merely collapsed on the stone shelf. For the longest time he simply laid there. For a moment his exhaustion caught up with him, and he had all but dozed off when Naomi tapped his shoulder impatiently.

"What?" He huffed, not bothering to look up at her as he lay there. From his position, the world beyond was sideways, offering a unique view of the horizon.

"My axe, please?"

Groaning in displeasure, Israel sat up and handed her the weapon. With his left hand, he sheathed Silverthorne.

"Well then…" He gazed out at the endless fields before them. Below, the herd had finally passed, and without a target the mass of beasts quickly slowed to a walk as they became docile. Pillars of dust rose thick in the air above, wafting slowly towards the top of the mountain and whatever secrets lay there.

"How did you know you could do that?" Naomi asked quietly as the two of them gazed out at the beauty that was Aincrad.

"I didn't. Acrobatics and Strength are my two greatest assets at this point, so I figured the only chance I had at saving us was utilising both. I had no idea it was going to work."

She shook her head in astonishment. "Well it did. You saved us both."

Israel gestured at the ledges winding their way up the mountain.

"Looks like we found our way up as well. So I guess trying crazy shit pays off every now and then."

Her words took on a hesitant tone as she stood. "Or, trying crazy shit pays off once and chancing death after that just becomes plain stupid." She shrugged. "But now that we're here, we can't exactly look the other way. May as well continue. Let's just be sure we have teleport crystals ready when we reach the top."

Israel was pleased by her willingness to continue, but then a thought a came to him.

"How did that herd go after us from so far out of our line of sight? The ground began to shake long before they showed up."

Naomi swept her hair back behind her ears. "No, they were probably close by. See how the fields roll slightly? Just there?" She pointed at a dip in the plains that was now clearly evident from their vantage point. "From our position on the ground, we couldn't see anything but flat land. The herd was probably back there feeding when the first bunch targeted us. They most likely heard the noise and locked on to our location until they could see us. Lots of mobs target via sound."

"I know that much, it was where they came from that bothered me." Israel stood up. "Anyway, let's get moving. By the looks of things, it may be a bit of a rock climb after all. But if you can just bear with me here, I know we can use this mountain as our outpost. We just need to reach the top."

"I hope so, for all the trouble it's become."

Naomi stood as well, and together they began the climb up the mountain.


	17. Chapter 17

17

December 6, 2022

Floor 2, Ethara Mountain

It was slow going up the mountain's sheer slope. Though aided by a path of sorts in the form of the ledges winding their way up the rock, Israel and Naomi quickly found that each stone slab jutting out from the drop off was more worn and unstable than the last. Several times they were forced to use their weapons as handholds to keep from falling as the stone collapsed beneath them. In many sections, it was decided to simply climb the rocks rather than risk creating an avalanche with one unlucky step.

The sun's rays continued to torment them as they clambered up the slope, and several times Israel was more than ready to sit and catch his breath. Upon seeing Naomi continue relentlessly forward, however, he quickly forced aside the thought. They pushed on, going ever higher as the sun began it's descent through the virtual sky. The dead silence, coupled with the intense concentration put into each step and handhold, soon swept away any notion of how long they had been climbing.

Sweat beaded Israel's brow as he prepared to jump across to yet another ledge, which looked surprisingly more stable than the rest. Taking a quick look below, he could see that they were at least a hundred feet above the ground. Ignoring the hammering in his heart, he released the rock he had been holding on to and leaped forward. Making the landing, he quickly clung to the face of the mountain, waiting for the worst. After a tense moment, he allowed himself to breathe and was further pleased to discover that this ledge offered some small measure of shade. Glancing back over his shoulder, he saw Naomi bend her knees before leaping forward, meeting him on the ledge.

She landed solidly, but suddenly stumbled as the momentum shot her arms forward. Teetering on the edge, Naomi let out a gasp of fear while reaching out for something to grab. Taking a firm hold of her shoulder, Israel yanked her up alongside him, grunting from the added exertion. Repositioning, Naomi nodded gratefully at him. Unable to keep going, Israel sat down on the rock.

"How about a quick break?" he asked.

Without a moment's hesitation, Naomi crumpled to the ground beside him, leaning her back against the mountainside.

"Thank God. I was beginning to fear you'd never ask."

Israel turned to her. "You dick. I was waiting for you to ask an hour ago."

She offered a tired smile.

"Seems we both have a bit of a pride problem."

Israel shook his head as he grinned. "More than a bit. You know, I'm beginning to realize you're a lot like me. Except for the good looks, of course."

"At best, that's debatable."

Opening her menu, Naomi took out her water, downing the entire bottle before bothering to eat anything. Israel did the same, finishing his first waterskin as he took out two golden apples.

"Want one?"

Naomi's eyes widened. "I've only ever seen red apples in SAO! The golden ones are my favorite in real life, where did you find them?"

"Sorry," Israel replied. "Jae's the one that bought them, I have no idea which shop he went to."

Naomi fell silent before accepting the apple. Holding it as though it were a precious treasure, she took slow bites, obviously savoring the taste. Israel inched forward to the edge as he ate, allowing his legs to dangle freely in the air as he ate his own apple. Looking out ahead, he couldn't help appreciate how exact Kayaba had gotten the sky and the clouds. The sun was drawing slowly closer to the earth, and Israel found himself looking forward to seeing a sunset from their position above the ground.

"Israel?" Naomi's tone was serious, but also concerned.

He glanced over his shoulder at her. "What's up?"

Her eyes were dead set on his. "Why are you putting all your stats into Strength?"

He looked away, back towards the horizon.

"What were you doing that night at Trevica? Why were you awake all night?"

Though he couldn't see her face, he could feel her surprise as silence permeated the still air.

"Is this your way of changing the subject?"

He shook his head, still not looking back at her. "I'm trying to answer your question. Why did you stay awake that night?"

Silence again, but this time it was broken by the sound of cicadas somewhere off to the right. Finally, he heard Naomi sigh.

"I stayed awake that night because I didn't know you or Jae. I obviously didn't think you two were bad news, but I couldn't be sure. I couldn't be sure I was safe alone with the two of you in your room all night. I didn't fully trust you. Either of you."

Israel nodded. "I thought as much. At first, I didn't have a clue why you were awake and trying to hide it all night, but I thought about it for a few days afterwards and it made sense." He looked back at her curiously. "What I don't get is why didn't you just tell us that you weren't comfortable with it? Wouldn't that have been easier than losing a whole night of sleep?"

She avoided his gaze.

"Yeah it would have been easier. You have no idea how exhausted I was that morning."

"Then why didn't you just turn down the offer?"

"I didn't want to hurt your feelings. You or Jae." She admitted quietly. "You both seemed so nice, and so sincere. I didn't want to make you two feel bad because of my unfounded worry."

Israel arched an eyebrow. "So you mean to tell me that you decided it was preferable to go a whole night without sleep rather than risk possibly hurting the feelings of two strangers?"

She nodded in embarrassment. "Yes, alright?"

Though he expected to be shocked by the impracticality behind her reasoning, Israel was surprised to find himself deeply moved by her kindness instead.

"You're a very rare person, Naomi." He managed with a smile.

"Yeah whatever." Though she refused to meet his gaze, he could see her blush. "What does that have to do with you being an idiot and putting all your stats into Strength?"

He leaned back, extending his arms behind him to maintain his weight.

"The answer is trust." he pointed out. "You didn't trust us, so you did something impractical. You stayed awake all night, at great cost to yourself. A good number of players have died because of lack of sleep affecting their combat ability."

She opened her mouth to speak, but Israel held up a finger.

"I don't trust most of the players here in SAO to keep themselves alive. It sounds messed up, maybe even pretentious, but I don't believe they have the ability to survive in this world. Because of that lack of trust, I'm trying to make myself strong enough for them. The faster I can kill, the more people I can save.

"Since that first day, when Kayaba sentenced us all to death in this pointless fucking game, Jae and I have seen fourteen people die in front of us. Fourteen." Israel's words caught in his throat for a moment. He quickly subjugated his emotions and continued.

"In one month alone, two thousand people died, and on the easiest Floor to boot! Imagine how much bloodier things will soon become. It was bad before when people lacked the courage to leave the Town of Beginnings, but now? Already, the lowest level players feel like they can push their limits now that the raid group has shown they can clear a Floor. And none of the strong players even care!" His fist tightened as he spoke. Though he tried to ignore his frustration at Jae, it proved more difficult than he had expected.

"The high level players should be looking out for the rest of them, but they aren't. Instead they focus all their energy on beating another Floor, and as soon as they do, the low levels will move there, exposed to yet more danger. I don't understand how he doesn't see that his path will get more people killed."

He blinked, suddenly aware that he had brought up Jae.

Naomi spoke up then, her words coated in anger.

"And you think that the low level players will benefit from your protection when you die? Because you will, Israel. Your health is beginning to fall well below where it should be, and that's with the rare amulet on. You need to stop this. You need to start balancing yourself out, or work on your Constitution at least. What good is damage when you'll die before you get a chance to deal it?"

Israel arched an eyebrow. "Naomi, I think you're exaggerating here. Nothing's going to kill me in one-"

"I've been on the higher floors, dumbass!" She shouted at him angrily. "I played the beta, remember? The game may have changed in a lot of aspects since then, but most of it is the same. I know what kind of monsters live on the next couple Floors above us. I could name six different mobs that'll kill you in one hit based on your health right now. Everything gets harder, more so than you'll be able to handle if you don't start fixing your stats! And I only made it to Floor Eight! That's ninety-two Floors I have no knowledge about!"

"Alright Naomi, alright." It was Israel's turn to avoid her gaze.

Sighing as he thought her words over, he nodded as he gazed out at the sky.

"I can't promise to stop getting stronger, but I will think about what you said. You're right, and I can't ignore the truth."

Backing up against the walls of the mountain beside her, he offered Naomi a hopeful smile. Though it was easy to see that she had hoped he would listen to her, Naomi nodded peacefully.

The wind picked up, and they were both silent for several moments as they enjoyed the breeze. Though they were at least a hundred feet above the earth, and one wrong step would doubtless send them to their deaths, Israel couldn't help but appreciate the quiet, still beauty of it all. A person could sit and think there for days and not grow tired of it.

"Well then," Naomi got to her feet. "We've wasted enough time. Time for the final stretch."

She extended a hand to help Israel up, but not before he mentally noted how soft her hands were.

Looking above them, Israel could just make out the top of the mountain.

"We're close. Another sixty feet and we're there. But first I really need to take this off or I'm going to faint."

Opening his menu, Israel unequipped his leather breastplate and the long sleeve shirt underneath. At once, he felt relieved when the breeze touched his bare skin. Turning to Naomi, he extended his arms.

"No wonder you took your shirt off. This feels so much better."

Naomi crossed her arms as she examined him.

"I expected...more."

He shot her an icy glare before glancing at his naked upper body.

"You were expecting more than a six pack and some rather impressive pecs if I do say so myself?"

She stepped forward, pointing at his abdomen.

"You call that a six pack? At best, I give you two. From there, the lines start to get real blurry. I don't know man, I was just expecting more."

Israel turned around and began climbing as he scoffed at her.

"You keep telling yourself that."

Together, Israel and Naomi again began scaling along the winding path. For a half hour they continued using the increasingly unstable ledges, until finally they were forced to climb when a stone shelf collapsed underneath them, snowballing a small landslide below. Fortunately, the higher they got along the mountainside, the easier it was to find foot and hand holds. Though at times forced to use their weapons, the need for them declined as they neared the top. Large crevices and gashes along the rock made for quick going, which they quickly realized they needed. The sun would soon set, and without light to see where to climb, they were as good as dead.

Working together and never stopping, the two players finally found themselves within arms reach of the top just as the sun began to disappear behind them.

"Stop for a moment." Naomi whispered, grabbing hold of his arm.

Israel gave her a questioning look.

"We could have a fight on our hands once we step up there," she explained quietly. "Hold onto me as I access my menu, and then I'll do the same for you."

Nodding, Israel made sure his feet were secure in the crevice beneath him before reaching out and holding onto her back firmly. Again, he couldn't help but note that her skin was incredibly smooth.

Quickly accessing her menu with a free hand, Naomi didn't both putting on her shirt and instead simply reequipped her leather breastplate over her bra.

"I'm not even gonna lie," Israel whispered solemnly at her, "My heart just sank a little."

Smirking at him, Naomi closed her menu and readjusted, securing a hold on Israel's back as he did the same.

"Alright, ready?" Israel asked, Silverthorne gleaming in his hand.

"Let's see if it was worth it." Maintaining a grip on her axe, Naomi swung a leg over the side as Israel pulled himself up and over.

Coming up under flat ground, Israel and Naomi both ducked into a roll before jumping up in a battle stance. To their surprise, nothing stood before them except a small wooden house at the center of the summit.

Keeping his sword held high in front of him, Israel looked around. The entire plateau was smooth and even ground, covered in a thin layer of green grass. Aside from the small cabin, the area was empty and untouched. Their shadows stretched several feet in front of them as the sun continued to set. Turning to Naomi, Israel gestured at the house.

"What do you think?"

Naomi gave the place a distasteful look. "Creepy."

Staying alert and side by side, the two players moved forward to the cabin door. The wood of the house smelled sweet, like pine needles in fall. Opening the door, Israel was the first to step inside.

The interior of the house was almost as plain as the outside, and almost completely empty. Walking forward, Israel and Naomi moved past the entrance hall and into the living room. There they saw an old man sitting at a desk, writing feverishly. With long white hair and an exceptional beard, he reminded Israel of a wizard.

"Greetings, travellers." The man's voice was quiet, but cheerful.

"He's an NPC for sure." Naomi said under her breath.

"Greetings, sir." Israel answered. "Do you live here?"

Without looking up from his lightning fast quill as he wrote, the old man nodded.

"I must stay here until a hero worthy of my knowledge should prove himself worthy."

That peaked Israel's interest.

"May I inquire as to what knowledge that might be, sir?"

The old man chuckled. "I suppose you think you're worthy, do you?"

"Yes we do." Naomi said flatly.

Israel elbowed her in the ribs. "Respect your elders."

Naomi shot him a deadly glare. "He's an NPC, not a real person."

Israel shrugged. "Nothing wrong with showing some manners, is there?"

In answer, Naomi kicked him in the knee.

Stumbling forward in pain, Israel limped up to the old man.

"Yes sir, I would like the opportunity to prove my worthiness. What do I have to do?"

Chuckling some more, the old man suddenly stopped writing. Looking up at Israel, he shrugged.

"The impossible, I'm afraid. The impossible, my boy."

Opening a drawer at his desk, the old man took out a large rock. Setting it on the table, he pushed it across the desk towards Israel.

A screen suddenly appeared in front of him.

 _Would you like to undertake the Martial Arts quest?_

Israel frowned. "Excuse me sir, but why is this called the Martial Arts quest?"

The old man giggled with mirth as tapped his papers.

"Oh, foolish boy. Delightful boy. The Martial Arts of which you speak is the knowledge I spoke of. Long ago when I was young, I was the greatest warrior of my people. I defeated every enemy, humiliated every competitor. And while they fought with weapons, I fought with my own body."

Naomi stepped forward.

"Are you saying that the reward for this quest is the ability to fight unarmed?"

The old man nodded happily.

"Yes dear one. But fighting with one's body is not fighting unarmed. It is merely utilizing your greatest weapon: yourself."

Israel's eyes widened at the implications. Selecting yes on the quest screen, he turned to Naomi excitedly.

"This is perfect!"

She frowned at him in confusion. "How? I thought fighting with a sword was your thing?"

Israel shook his head as he smiled. "No. I mean yes. But no. In real life, my signature style is dual wielding. I fight with a sword in each hand."

Naomi's eyes widened as she understood. "But in SAO, there is no dual wielding."

"Exactly. So I thought I was forced to settle with just one. But this-" He gestured at the old man. "This is my loophole. I can fight with a sword in one hand and use my right for Martial Arts. From the sound of it, Martial Arts is probably a new combat skill. It may not be dual wielding, but it's as close as I'm going to get."

He turned to the old man.

"So, what do I have to do, sir?"

The old man pointed at the stone on the desk.

"The only way you can prove your worthiness is by breaking the Stone of the Five Eras…" he paused for dramatic effect, "Using only your bare hands."

Israel frowned. Picking up the rock, he turned it over in his hands. It wasn't particularly heavy, though it did have some weight to it. It was smooth and oval shaped, dark in color and altogether quite plain. It looked like an ordinary rock.

Shrugging at Naomi, Israel held the stone in both hands. With a sharp tug from either side, he attempted to rip it apart.

Nothing happened.

The old man chuckled knowingly.

Israel tried twisting it in opposite directions with both hands. Still nothing.

Seconds turned to minutes as he pushed, pulled, yanked, and pried the stone from all angles. Sweat began to drip down his face as he expended every ounce of strength into breaking the rock.

Growing frustrated, Israel was tempted to throw the rock against a wall, but quickly realized that would be breaking the rules. Pausing to rethink his strategy, Israel saw darkness creeping in through the windows of the cabin. As if reading his mind, Naomi stepped forward.

"We can't stay here all night."

The old man lifted a hand kindly. "By all means, take the Stone of the Five Eras with you. If you can break it with your bare hands, all you need to do is bring it back here for me to see, and I shall reward you with my knowledge."

Israel nodded gratefully, but his mind was still focused on the stone. "Thank you, sir. I'll bring it back once the job is done."

Exiting the sweet smelling cabin, Israel and Naomi stepped back outside. From their position at the top of the mountain, they could see for miles in all directions. Far to the north, Israel thought he could just make out the lights of the city of Urbus.

Focusing back on the stone in his hands, Israel sighed irritably.

"I'm going to be up all night trying to figure this out."

Naomi nodded humorously. "I can tell."


	18. Chapter 18

18

December 7th, 2022

Floor One, Trevica

Jae awoke to the sound of Israel cursing loudly. Sitting up from the bed, he looked down and saw his brother sitting at the table, a stone in his hands.

"What the hell are you doing?" Jae asked, irritably throwing off his blankets.

Israel looked up, the frustration evident in his eyes.

"My bad. Kinda forgot you were here."

Standing, Jae groaned as he stretched his arms. Though wounds and scars disappeared within minutes in the world of SAO, the pain wasn't as convenient. Already he could feel the lingering sensation of invisible bruises he had received during the battle with the Field Boss.

The fight had been swift and fairly easy, but fierce all the same. Using their overwhelming numbers, the Assault Team had surrounded and methodically cut down the Bulbous Bow. No one had died, but several had been wounded enough to call for a switch.

Jae himself had single handedly taken down one of the monster's four health bars, but just as he had prepared to deal the finishing blow, one of Lind's new guild members had been struck down. Before he could recover, the Bulbous Bow closed in, and Jae had been forced to abandon his assault. Coming to the defense of the downed player, Jae managed to deflect most of the attack, but part of the swing caught his arm. In real life, his entire left shoulder and forearm would be black and blue, no doubt sending Israel into a tirade.

 _I never thought I'd say it, but it's a good thing we're in SAO so I can get away with stuff like this._

Jae opened his menu and began re equipping his leather armor. Loosening the straps around his injured arms, he gestured at the stone on the table.

"What's that for? Is that the reason you were so late in getting back last night?"

Israel looked up from the rock. Judging by the bags under his eyes, Jae could tell he had been up most of the night.

"I was late because Naomi and I ran into some complications."

Jae threw up a hand in disgust. "Come on man, I don't want to hear about that."

Israel frowned at him in confusion for a moment before bursting out laughing.

"No dumbass, I didn't have sex with her. We were just hanging out and ended up dealing with one to many mobs."

Israel stood up and stretched. Opening his menu, he handed Jae a golden yellow apple, quickly devouring one himself as he continued.

"One thing led to another and we found a quest called Martial Arts. Apparently the only goal is to break this-" he held out the rock as if it were poison, "using only my bare hands."

Jae's eyes widened with excitement. If there was one thing he loved, it was quests.

Taking the rock from Israel's hands, Jae examined it carefully for several moments before looking back up at Israel.

"Mind if I try?"

Israel shrugged as he buckled on Silverthorne. "Knock yourself out. I'm going to end up cutting that fucking thing in half with my sword if I keep thinking about it."

Jae chuckled.

"You never did have much patience for quests. Or anything for that matter."

Ignoring Israel's subsequent middle finger, Jae juggled the stone in his hands for a moment, testing the weight as he thought it over.

 _Breaking a rock using only your bare hands…_

"There has to be a chink or weak point in it somewhere. An angle from which to apply force." He concluded.

Stepping towards the door, Israel shook his head.

"I've been looking for chinks all night, dude. The stone is smooth and even. There's no weak point."

Still engrossed by the rock in his hands, Jae almost didn't hear Israel as he opened the door leading outside.

"Let's get some breakfast. That apple didn't exactly hit the spot."

Jae looked up hesitantly. "You sure we have the money for that?"

Israel scoffed. "With you grinding on the Assault Team? Have you not checked our funds since we got to Floor Two? Collectively, we reached eleven thousand Col yesterday."

"I know how much we have. But just because we're starting to do better in terms of our finances doesn't mean we can go blowing it all on luxuries. We should save up for when we need it."

Israel leaned against the doorframe as he gave Jae a mocking look.

"You say that now, but the moment I leave you alone in a shop you'll spend every single penny. Let's not be hypocritical, shall we?"

Before Jae could make a retort, Israel stepped outside, adding, "Besides, a strong case could be made for hunger being a pretty important need. Now come on!"

Shaking his head in annoyance, Jae nonetheless followed his brother out. He was hungry too, and it proved difficult forgetting about food made almost the same as in real life. Besides, he was eager to know more about the Martial Arts quest Israel had stumbled upon.

Stepping out into the morning air, Jae could again hear the sound of Norran working at his forge on the other side of town. Walking up beside Israel as they moved along the cobbled street, Jae forgot about the mysterious stone for a moment. Instead he found himself with a new question.

"You know Is," he said as they walked, "Practically every player has moved to Floor Two."

Israel looked around the town of Trevica casually.

"And?"

Jae shrugged. "I don't know, I just feel like we might want to start thinking about moving too."

Israel glanced over his shoulder at him.

"Why? The guidebook said rooms and houses get more expensive the higher up we go. Besides, here in Trevica we have Norran. And didn't you just say we should be saving up?"

Jae nodded. "Yeah, but we should also be staying in the loop of things. It's already getting kind of inconvenient having to teleport from here to Urbus, and then walk from there to the Assault Team meetings near the Floor Two Labyrinth. Besides, Norran's discount thing was more of an early game quest. It got us through some rough days last month, but I feel like soon it's not going to be making much of a difference."

Israel nodded.

"You're probably right, but I don't think we should move just yet. This place has been a good starting base for us, even if the room is too small."

"And there's only bed." Jae added. "But yeah I agree. We can take our time with the move, and when Floor Three opens we'll keep an eye out for a good place somewhere up there."

Israel arched an eyebrow at him.

"That sounds awfully ambitious. I your excitement over beating Floor One hasn't worn off yet, but it took whole a month remember?"

Jae smiled confidently. "That's because the player base was still in shock at what Kayaba did to us all. We weren't prepared for anything, and we definitely didn't have the optimism." He couldn't help but raise his chin in pride as he spoke. "But things are different now. The Assault Team is turning into an organized force, and we're growing more and more powerful every day. Everyone is ready and willing to fight now. People are buckling down. This Floor won't last long against us, I promise you that."

Israel said nothing.

Jae knew his brother doubted him, doubted the confidence of the Assault Team. But it made no difference. He would soon see for himself.

"Speaking of the Assault Team," Israel suddenly spoke up. "We agreed I'd go to this meeting today, so after breakfast we can head straight there."

Jae blinked.

Panic gripped him as he recalled their deal yesterday.

 _If he goes to the meeting today, he'll find out about the Boss fight. I don't need him bitching at me, or worse using that against me to justify him going off and doing his own thing._

Quickly thinking up a response, Jae said, "Listen man, it's cool if you don't want to go. I know you have your own-"

"Don't start acting all nice now," Israel interrupted as they turned the final corner. "I always keep my promises. Let's just eat and then get it over with, ok?"

"Ok."

Still trying to think of an out, Jae took the lead, opening the restaurant door for them as NPC waiters approached. They paid and ordered quickly, each used to the food selections by now. Eating in silence for the most part, Jae couldn't help but continue fiddling with the stone for Israel's quest.

Finishing his sausage, Jae began juggling the stone in his hands again.

"So, what exactly will Martial Arts do for you? I've heard some of the guys on the Assault Team talking about wanting it in their combat skills. Won't it prohibit the use of swords?"

Israel shook his head. "I asked the NPC quest giver, and he said that Martial Arts would allow me to fight unarmed, not limit it to that. Quests are usually pretty specific about that kind of thing. Naomi was with me too and she confirmed that what I want to do will work."

"Which is?"

Israel took a sip of orange juice. "I want to fight using my style, but obviously that's not going to happen. The best I can do is fight with a sword in one hand and use Martial Arts with my free arm."

Jae sighed knowingly. "I know how you feel. My signature style has always been the quarterstaff, but of course this game doesn't have staff combat. My loophole is using the spear as I would a staff, but it's just not the same."

Israel smiled grimly. "Typical that we can't fight at our best when it really counts, eh?"

"Actually, that reminds me." Jae said quietly.

Setting the stone down, he looked at Israel squarely. He wasn't sure how his brother would take it, but it had to be said.

"I've been noticing a drop in my damage dealing," Jae began, maintaining Israel's gaze. "As well as my speed. It's the stat distribution, and it's beginning to hurt me."

Israel was oddly quiet, offering only an inquiring face.

Jae shifted his weight on the chair as he continued. "Putting all our stat points into Constitution was smart when we started. We didn't know how the game operated, or what to expect from the monsters. But things are different now. The two of us are among the strongest players out there right now. I mean hell, we beat a trap room with hundreds of overpowered mobs."

Israel looked down at his plate. "Go on."

Preparing himself for Israel's shouts of protest, Jae cut to the chase.

"I say we stop putting our stats into our HP and start balancing ourselves. We need to be well rounded if we're going to have a chance against the higher floors. I got to level fourteen yesterday...and I put two points into Strength and one in Agility. So I've already started and I can say with certainty it was worth it."

Israel laced his fingers together as he brought his gaze up to Jae, who braced for a fight.

"Sounds good."

Jae was dumbfounded, but kept himself composed.

"Seriously? That's it? You agree with me?"

Israel nodded.

"You're right. I've been noticing some problems in stacking the stats too. For all our RPG gaming, we forgot one very important rule of thumb: never to make one sided characters. Had we continued, we would have begun hurting ourselves more than helping."

Jae leaned back in relief.

"Awesome. I gotta say, I was ready for a full blown argument. You're really annoying when you're mad."

He expected Israel to laugh at his joke, but instead his brother just shook his head slowly.

"You'll get no argument from me on this."

Before Jae could say anything else, an inbox notification went off in his ears. Opening his menu, he saw a new message from Tristan.

"Tristan just messaged me." Israel said opposite him.

Looking up in confusion, Jae saw his brother already in his own Messages screen.

Opening his own, Jae read quickly.

 _Please come, I need help_

 _Floor Two, Faville_

Jumping up at the same time, Israel and Jae quickly exited the restaurant and began running down the street.

"So much for the meeting." Israel muttered as they sprinted for the teleport gate in the center of town.

"Just giving us a town name isn't much to go on, have you been to Faville before?" Jae asked, dodging an NPC child running by.

Israel shook his head.

"He's probably just outside of it and guessed we'd see him from the teleport gate there. Maybe he just didn't have time to specify."

Turning the corner street to the center of town, Jae and Israel quickly ran into the courtyard, all but jumping into the Portal as they shouted the words.

"Teleport, Faville!"

Light erupted all around them, but before Jae could even begin to comprehend it, they found themselves within a large garden of grape vines. Unable to see beyond the overlapping leaves, Jae made for the nearest path with Israel close behind.

Exiting the garden, they found themselves in the center of a generic but unusually large town, the streets bustling with NPC's and players alike. The smell of coffee and chocolate filled the still air. Standing proudly out against the other buildings stood one that looked to be a mayor's residence or town hall. Blue banners hung from the windows, flapping hopefully at every small rustle of wind.

Running frantically through the largest street, Israel and Jae got lost several times before at last making the front gate. The town had small wooden walls surrounding it, and the gatehouse itself was made of stone. NPC guards patrolled the entire area. Moving past the large wooden doors, Israel and Jae drew their weapons, the steel ringing out as they continued running.

"Circle the town!" Jae shouted. "He has to be just outside of the walls. Did he message you back?"

"Nothing yet." Israel said, concern filling his voice.

Panic gripped Jae as they ran. If they didn't find him in time, Tristan would die. The thought of another death was terrifying on its own, but knowing that such an outcome was based on what he did next made it far worse.

Sprinting without cease around the entirety of the outside walls, they were about to split up and widen the search when a message notification popped up again. Opening it, Jae was at first confused, and then furious.

 _It's the shop with the banners on all the windows. Just outside the teleport gate garden, you can't miss it._

Looking up at Israel, Jae could see the same anger in his brother's eyes.

Walking back inside the town of Faville in exhaustion, Jae and Israel took their time making their way back to the great building they had seen outside the teleport gate entrance. Arriving outside the place some time later, Israel didn't bother to knock and simply shoved the door open, Jae following suit.

The inside of the building seemed even greater than the outside. Aisle upon aisle of wooden shelves lined the massive stone hall, and on each aisle sat thousands of various items, from teleport crystals and uncommon amulets to potion making materials and cages filled with familiars. Many of the items were completely unfamiliar to Jae.

Staring in awe at the vast selection of products before them, Jae and Israel quickly found themselves furious again as Tristan suddenly burst into view. With long, greasy hair and a thin frame, the young man looked as feminine as Jae remembered. On top of that though, he looked positively disheveled.

Smiling as he ran up in front of them, Tristan took both of their hands in gratitude.

"Thanks so much for coming, guys."

Though he sounded quite flustered, he still managed to maintain a level of sincerity about his words.

"Tristan…" Israel muttered quietly. "Do you mind explaining why you called us?"

Tristan gestured expansively at the absolute mess behind him.

"I needed help organizing all this. Where have you guys been? And why are you both covered in sweat?"

Jae and Israel glanced at eachother, and then proceeded yelling at Tristan at the top of their lungs.


	19. Chapter 19

19

December 8th, 2022

"Admit it, you just want us to go so you can get a look at your competition," Jae sniggered.

Israel sneered at him. "That's good, Jae. That one almost made me laugh. Keep trying and I'm sure, with hard work and dedication, you'll actually manage to be funny one day."

Jae opened his menu, checking the time.

"Whatever you say, Is. But hey listen, did Naomi say how big this dungeon is? I have to be at the meeting before dark."

Israel waved a hand as he checked to make sure Silverthorne was clear in its sheath.

"We can leave whenever, Naomi said she just thought we might be interested. Honestly, is there nothing more important to you than those Assault Team meetings? There's a good chance we'll find some rare items in this hidden dungeon. It's really nice of her to invite us along."

Fastening his spear to his back, Jae strode over to the door.

"Yeah it is. And I'm excited to go too, but Lind's guild, the Holy Dragon Alliance, made some real progress in the Labyrinth yesterday while our dumbasses were chasing after Tristan." He gave Israel a meaningful look. "You're coming with us when we fight the Floor Two Boss right?"

Israel nodded solemnly. "I still think it'll be some time before that fight, but yeah I'll join. If for no other reason than to watch your back."

Jae refrained from mentioning that the Assault Team were already beginning preparations for the battle. After wasting their time yesterday thinking Tristan was in danger, Israel had still insisted on trying to make the meeting. By the time they arrived at the rally point, the Assault Team had already entered the Labyrinth and begun the dangerous and time consuming task of clearing each flight of stairs leading to the Boss Room.

With no intention of going in, Israel had decided on going back to Faville to see what he could buy from Tristan's immense shop. It was then that Jae had made a stand about going into the Labyrinth, saying that he couldn't stand idly by while the other members of the Assault Team risked their lives. To his surprise, Israel had agreed without argument, his only requests being that Jae not take on any solo or scouting roles, and that he not join in any attempts on the Floor Boss unless both of them were present.

The terms were more than fair, and Jae happily accepted. While Israel spent the remainder of the day hanging out at Tristan's shop, Jae had helped clear two Labyrinth floors. That night, he had gone to bed happy. Though it still frustrated him that Israel held a different opinion and had no intention of becoming one of the Assault Team, in the end it was the Floor Boss fights that really mattered, and Israel had at least agreed to be a part of that.

That morning, Naomi had messaged Israel about a dungeon she and her friends had found on Floor One near Trevica, and invited them to join. It didn't escape Jae how readily Israel had accepted.

"I still think you just want to size up that guy friend of hers." Jae said as they exited their room. "Hell, by the sound of it there might be more than one."

Israel rolled his eyes.

"Unlike you, dear brother, I'm not insecure and petty when it comes to females. If they want me, they want me. If they don't, they don't. It's all good either way. We could get there and see her giving this guy a handjob, and I bet you a hundred Col I'll care less than you."

Jae elbowed his brother in the ribs playfully.

"You only talk like that when you're into a girl, but yeah ok sure."

Before Israel could make another verbal attack, Jae gestured down the street, in the direction of the teleport gate.

"Are we meeting her anywhere in particular?"

Israel shook his head in agitation.

"No, she said they'll be waiting outside."

As they made their way to the main entrance, Jae continued to tease Israel about Naomi. He knew his brother. Israel had always liked to think of himself as a player, or at best a man who appreciated short term relationships and nothing too serious. But Jae knew he also had the capacity to care very deeply for a person. When Is fell, he fell hard.

Upon reaching the main entrance into Trevica, they at once saw the group of four players awaiting them.

Naomi, who stood in the lead, noticed them first and smiled cheerfully.

"Good morning guys, how's things?"

"Actually Jae was just leaving." Israel said casually as they slowed to halt in front of her.

"Hell no," Jae grinned confidentially. "I wouldn't miss this for anything."

Naomi giggled. "It's not that big of a deal. Honestly there might not be anything worth our time. It is a Floor One dungeon after all. But from the look I got inside," she shrugged, "It seemed pretty extensive."

Naomi motioned to the players behind her, and they quickly stepped forward. The first, a man who looked to be in his mid twenties, had short cropped hair and a dark brown goatee. Wearing leather armor over a simple cloth outfit, his attire wasn't much different from theirs, save the Katana he had at his hip.

The other two players were female and looked only a year or two younger. One was shorter and wore much the same armor as Naomi, but the taller of the two had none. Instead, a thick green trench coat covered her from head to toe, hiding anything she might be wearing underneath save a curved dagger protruding from her hip. The shorter girl wielded a shortsword and medium sized kiteshield. Both girls had long red hair and piercing brown eyes.

It was the man who stepped up first, smiling pleasantly as he spoke.

"It's great to meet you guys. We were beginning to wonder when Naomi would introduce us. I'm Will."

"Likewise," Israel said sincerely, cutting Jae off before he could speak. "I'm Israel, and this is my brother Jae."

The two girls stepped forward, though the shorter one seemed more hesitant.

"I'm Evie," the taller one said. Laying a hand on the shorter girl's shoulder, Evie continued. "And this is Kat. She's not that great with strangers."

The girl named Kat pushed Evie in annoyance before looking up at Jae and Israel for a quick glance.

"That's not true. I'm just not used to hanging out with people I don't know."

Israel smiled at her. "Why not?"

Kat blinked. "I...I don't...I mean because it's just not something I do often."

Israel crossed his arms, clearly not satisfied with that answer.

"Why not?"

"I…" Kat looked from him to Jae, as if hoping he could explain what it was Israel wanted her to say.

"Is it maybe because you're afraid of what people might think of you?" Israel offered. His tone was pleasant but firm.

Jae rubbed his eyes wearily. He knew what was about to happen.

Kat hesitated for a moment, looking at Evie, Will, and finally Naomi before glancing back at Israel's inquiring eyes.

"It's not like that. I mean I guess I don't like it when people are cruel or close minded. There's a lot of people like that. It just doesn't seem worth it to try and talk to assholes."

Israel chuckled.

"You're right, there are a lot of people like that. But how can you know without meeting them first? What if it's someone awesome, someone who you might end up liking as much as your friends here?"

Kat shifted uncomfortably. "Look, I appreciate you trying to help or whatever, but I really don't need the pep-"

"All I'm trying to say is that you might be missing out on some great experiences with great people," Israel said carefully. "And it's all because you have a negative outlook on what meeting those people could mean for you. A negative outlook, in any aspect of life, isn't worth keeping. I know because I used to be the same way as you, afraid of meeting people because of what they might think. But you know what? Life's too short for that. And here in SAO, it's even shorter. Anything could happen at any time. That makes each day precious. And what better way to spend each day than to live a life positively in any aspect we can? What better way to make the most of our time here than to get to know those trapped in here with us? I'm sorry to embarrass you by putting you on the spot like this, but just think on it."

Extending a hand politely to Kat, Israel waited until she shook it before focusing his attention on the remainder of the group, who were watching him with renewed interest. Naomi seemed especially surprised.

"So where's this dungeon at?"

"The Hills of Ydras," Naomi replied, pointing off to the west. "That way."

Israel nodded, following her finger. "Jae and I have been there before. Let's go check it out."

Taking the lead, Israel strode forward. Will marched up beside him as if unwilling to lose his position at the front of his group, but within minutes the two began talking about the other's combat styles and Israel's sword. Behind them walked Kat and Evie, both remaining relatively silent but for the occasional remark. Jae would have joined Israel at the head of the group, but Naomi motioned for him to drop back with her.

"What was that about?" She asked.

Jae smiled apologetically.

"For as long as I've known him, Israel has been a super philosophic guy. He believes life is best spent never holding back thoughts and feelings, always being brutally honest and so on. You have to have noticed that by now."

Naomi give an enthusiastic nod.

"Oh yeah. He's definitely one of the more outspoken people I've ever met. But I've never heard him talk like that before."

Jae shrugged. "Since SAO started he's been more focused on keeping people alive I guess. But don't let him fool you, he'll go on for hours if you spark a philosophical question. And I do know that when he was little, way before he and I met, he was a lot different."

Naomi raised an eyebrow. "Different how?"

"He was super shy. Didn't have any friends and he got bullied a lot. He was afraid to talk to anyone and kept out of the way as much as possible. Kat probably reminded him of that time. That's what started shaping his whole live life on the edge of your seat and never look back thing as far as I can guess."

Naomi paused for a moment as she processed his words. "Pretty crazy how much a person can change. I can't even picture him being shy."

Jae smiled, looking out ahead. "Yeah, the dude's insane. But I love him for it."

They walked on, and before long, Jae found himself facing a familiar sight. A small cave entrance located along the base of a hill, with a large boulder not far away.

He and Israel exchanged looks.

"I can't believe we forgot about this!" exclaimed Israel.

"You've been to this dungeon before?" Naomi asked.

Jae shook his head. "We found it the first time we were traveling to Trevica last month. We were still pretty low level so we decided not to go in. We tried to roll that stone in front of the entrance so no one else would find it," he tilted his head at the boulder, "but we couldn't even move the damn thing."

Israel laughed as he approached the dungeon's entrance. "It was pretty pathetic, I have to admit. But I bet you we're strong enough to move it now."

Will grinned as he looked at the massive rock. "When this dungeon is cleared and we head back out, what do you say we see who can push it the farthest?"

Israel's eyes widened in excitement. "You're almost as competitive as me. I was thinking the exact same thing."

Evie giggled and leaned confidentially over to Naomi. "Something tells me they're going to be good friends."

Before entering the cave, Naomi demanded that everyone go to their party list and join the one she created. Parties in SAO didn't do much other than grant message access to fellow party members in much the same way as a friends list, as well as show the health bar of everyone else in the party below your own. Still, it felt strange to Jae seeing names and health bars other than his and Israel's on his screen.

After partying up, everyone drew their weapons and proceeded into the dungeon. Staying close together and marching in an outward semi circle, it was easy for Jae to observe the players he would be fighting with. It was obvious right from the start, for instance, that Naomi was the most proficient fighter in her group by the way she moved and held her weapon. Though he hadn't seen much of an axe and shield combo during SAO thus far, Jae could tell immediately that Naomi was well skilled in the style.

Will handled his Katana well, maintaining a good center of gravity as he moved, but his footing was a bit sloppy and he shifted stances when it wasn't necessary. As the party moved deeper within the confines of the dungeon and began keeping their guards up, Jae could see that Evie was lithe and nimble, always keeping her dagger at the ready while at the same time practically gliding along the ground.

Kat, however, was the polar opposite. By her slow, careful movements and constant defensive posturing, Jae concluded that she acted as the group's tank, taking damage and holding her ground while the others took out the attacker.

It was a dark, humid cave that seemed to stretch on endlessly. New passageways opened up every time they thought they had reached a dead end. Within a half hour of entering the dungeon, the party's first fight broke out against a pack of skeleton warriors. Attacking with swift short swords, the mobs were nonetheless cut down by Israel, Naomi, and himself before they could even get within striking distance.

As the last skeleton exploded into a fine mist of digital shards, Will let out a whistle.

"Naomi is by far our best fighter," he said in awe, "But you two keep up with her without even trying."

"I wouldn't be too sure of that." Jae replied.

Israel nodded as he smirked at Naomi. "Unfortunately, I have to admit that while not as strong as me or Jae, Naomi is faster than both of us, and she can recover quicker too."

Instead of answering, Naomi merely shrugged innocently as she pushed her hair back behind her ears.

They pressed on for hours, fighting battle after battle as they went. Naomi insisted on exploring each tunnel and passage, and to be on the lookout for the dungeon treasure that she was sure would be held within. It made sense to expect such a reward, but RPG's were notorious for making dungeons and other such areas deliberately empty. As the day wore on, the rest of the party, including Jae, began to guess there wasn't a treasure. All except Israel, of course. Studying the passageways, he became as convinced as Naomi that some kind of item would await them if they could find the end.

After fighting against Floor Two monsters for days, Jae found the dungeon mobs exceptionally easy. On top of that, the party's numbers allowed them to take on entire packs of monsters without much worry. Throughout the entire venture, no one needed to use a health potion except Kat, and that was only because her role as a tank depended on her taking attacks head on.

Checking the time as they cleared yet another tunnel, Jae was shocked to discover that it was almost dark outside. The meeting would begin shortly.

"As eventful as this has been," Jae muttered as he closed his menu, "I'm going to have get-"

He found himself interrupted by the ceiling collapsing all around them.

Inanimate bodies began raining down everywhere, filling the tunnel as they piled on top of each other. Crashing down all around as well as among the players, Jae found himself knocked from his feet as the sea of corpses rolled over him. Shouts of panic tore through the air from what sounded like Kat and Evie as the bodies continued plummeting to the ground. Biting down his terror, Jae tried to steady his nerves by reminding himself that the bodies were all dead.

And then, as if in answer, the ocean of corpses began to rise.


	20. Chapter 20

20

December 8th, 2022

Floor 1, Dungeon

Israel jumped to his feet, his Acrobatic skill aiding him as he nimbly darted away from the multitude of undead hands swiping up at wickedly long, twisted yellow finger nails and naught but flaps of skin covering their rotting bones, the walking corpses looked like a nightmare come to life. All around him the monsters rose, viciously jostling past each other to get to him. Even as he evaded the innumerable arms reaching out to strike, Israel was pushed off balance by yet more of them clawing at his back. At the same time, some of the dead that had been thrown to the ground by the weight of those above, began grabbing at his boots and legs, locking him in place.

Unleashing Silverthorne, Israel hacked off a dozen of the frail arms in a single stroke. Pressing his attack, he brought the sword up with a backhanded slash, beheading two. Sucking in a quick breath as the on death explosions billowed out around him, he swung the blade at a downward angle, cutting off the hands that had latched onto his boots and sending them flying. Now free to move, Israel made to spin around, only to find his legs again entangled by the corpses crawling on the ground.

Shouting out angrily in annoyance, Israel applied all his strength to his left leg as he kicked the monsters away, their bodies shattering from the impact as they disappeared behind the sea of walking dead.

Pressing in all around him, the monsters in front would have been unable to stop their advance even if they had wanted to, as the sheer weight of the horde pushed them onwards. Swinging Silverthorne with wild abandon, Israel cut through their ranks again and again, only to find each time that he had simply opened a space for more to advance upon him.

A sheen of sweat soon covered his body as he fought, desperately trying to gain ground as the air became filled with digital particles. But it was all he could do to keep their vast numbers from bearing down upon him, and for each enemy he brought down he was forced back another step.

Raising the tip of his sword as a particularly aggressive corpse threw itself at him, Israel stepped back to brace for the collision, only to find that his back was now up against the tunnel wall. There was nowhere else to go.

He was trapped.

Plowing forward like an ocean wave, the tightly packed mass of mobs crashed into him. Though he fought with everything he had, Israel couldn't hold them back. Within moments they were past his sword, their gnarled yellow nails clawing at his face and eyes. When he cut off their hands, they used their teeth instead.

Holding up his free arm to keep the creatures from scratching out his eyes as he fought, Israel suddenly realized that the monsters were now packed so densely together all around that he could no longer swing his sword. A second later, an armless corpse leapt onto him from the left, sending him stumbling against the wall. Before Israel could right himself, more of them threw themselves on top of him, the weight bearing him to the ground. Trapped between the tunnel wall and the walking corpses crashing against him, Israel was helpless.

Struggling to breathe as the horde of undead continued to pile up on top of him, Israel could still feel the pommel of Silverthorne in his left hand, worthless now against the press of enemies. Inching it's way up Israel's shoulder, the armless corpse that had leapt onto him now began biting at his face, it's skeletal teeth snapping just inches away.

Gritting his teeth, Israel tore his right arm free. Screaming in fury, he grabbed hold of the monster's face and began smashing its skull against the tunnel wall beside them. Even as it's health hit zero and the creature began disintegrating above him, Israel continued bashing it's brains to pieces.

Before he could even think of trying to open his menu, his right arm was again pinned down against the weight of the creatures suffocating him. Unable to draw another breath, Israel's scream of rage was halted, replaced by a desperate gasp for air. His vision began to narrow as he saw his health drop into the red.

Yet even as his cries were silenced, another roar began, muffled by the wall of writhing bodies. Knowing immediately who it was, Israel couldn't help but grin at the undead faces snapping at him.

A beam of white light erupted from beyond the corpses, and Israel found himself momentarily blinded by the ensuing explosion of crystallized fragments. The murderous weight of innumerable bodies was instantly lifted, and when the blast of light subsided, only three undead mobs were left grasping at him.

With his arms free once more, Israel used the palm of his right hand to send the closest one toppling backwards. Jumping to his feet as he lifted Silverthorne over his head, Israel brought the blade down on the monster's head. It's skull imploding like a melon hit with a sledgehammer, the undead mob evaporated into a thousand shards.

Turning to face the two remaining monsters, Israel was just in time to see the tip of a spear lopping off the second one's arm and head in rapid succession. As the third and final monster jumped for him, Israel could only blink as the spear tip erupted from the back of the creature's throat and out it's mouth. As the on death explosion freed the spear, Israel saw Jae rush forward.

Israel crossed his arms. "Where the hell have you bee-"

Jae swung his arms out around him, forcing Israel into a fierce bear hug.

"You scared the shit out of me…" His brother said breathlessly. "I didn't think I'd make it in time."

Quickly releasing him, Jae held his spear at the ready, motioning ahead of them.

"You ready for more?"

Spinning around, Israel saw over a dozen corpses running at them. While most of the creatures rushed straight in, several began branching out to either side as they charged.

Israel raised Silverthorne, and then as one, the brothers charged forward.

Colliding into the pack of corpses, Israel swung Silverthorne furiously ahead of him, cutting down four of the creatures in the first few seconds. At the same time, Jae switched his hand placement on his spear and instead wielded the weapon like a quarterstaff, crushing heads with the heavy wooden butt while hacking off arms and carving open chests with the blade tip.

Within moments, the fight was over. Looking around to be sure there were no more walking corpses targeting them, Israel quickly opened his menu and took out a health crystal.

"Heal!"

Jae followed suit, and then pointed out ahead of them, where the tunnel branched off into several more passageways. They could hear the sounds of battle echoing out just around the corner.

"I saw Naomi and the others get pushed back into one of those as I was fighting my way over to you. Most of the zombie mobs followed them."

Without another word, Israel broke into a run with Jae following just behind. Turning the corner, Israel could see several hundred undead monsters surging forward just ahead, completely unaware of the two of them. Though Israel couldn't see Naomi and the others, he caught flashes of colored light from what could only be sword skills. He could also hear muffled grunts and panicked breathing.

Before Israel could break into a charge, Jae yanked him back.

"Try not to be impulsive for once! The only way we survive this and help them is by staying together. As we advance, we stay side by side every step of the way."

Realizing the truth of Jae's words, Israel took a breath as he forced himself to study the horde of zombies ahead of them.

"We can't attack up the center either, or they'll come down on us from the flanks. We can't get isolated."

Jae frowned. "Then what do we do?"

Israel pointed at the mass of corpses on the left side, closest to the tunnel wall.

"We make a path to Naomi and the others up the left. With that flank gone, we can help them contain and encircle the rest."

Jae nodded once in understanding before adding, "We need to be fast. They haven't seen us yet, and we can use that. If we advance quick enough, we can get to Naomi's group before the rest of the mobs target us."

"Right, let's go!" Israel said impatiently.

Making their way to the left side of the horde of enemies, Israel and Jae were careful to avoid being targeted until they reached their position. Coming right up behind the mobs farthest back, Jae brandished his spear and began walking forward. Staying in step with his brother, Israel also made sure to remain shoulder to shoulder with him as they ran forward, crashing into the backlines of the zombies.

Slashing madly with their weapons as they pushed forward, Israel and Jae quickly cut down the creatures nearest to the back.

With their attention riveted on attacking Naomi's group, the walking corpses didn't stand a chance against the two brothers' combined assault. Within seconds, dozens had died. Picking up speed with each swing, Israel and Jae left a long trail of pixelated shards behind them as they pressed on, carving their way deeper and deeper into the dense horde. Trusting their blind spots to each other, the two players never hesitated, never faltered in the onslaught they were creating. Fighting as one force was for them second nature, and before long staying in step as they struck proved effortless for both.

More and more mobs began to target them as they worked their way forward, but together, Israel and Jae were unstoppable. Every time they were rushed, the two brothers simply covered each other, stemmed the assault and launched a ruthless counterattack. Trusting in one another, they were able to fight as one unit, becoming far stronger than either of them could hope to be alone.

Within minutes, they had broken through.

Slashing open the undead at the forefront of the horde, Israel and Jae at last found themselves face to face with the remainder of their party. Naomi and Will stood at the forefront, cutting down the monsters as they attacked. Kat stood just behind them, her shield held high as she surveyed the fight. When Naomi or Will found themselves in danger of being overwhelmed, they fell back behind Kat, who simply stood her ground and acted as a veritable wall while they healed, before jumping back into the fray. Evie held the reserve, darting from side to side as zombies attacked the flanks. Dispatching each creature swiftly and without ceremony, Evie would then jump backwards out of trouble with impressive agility.

Naomi, covered in sweat and with a badly dented shield, smiled at she saw them, but couldn't say anything as another pack of corpses pushed in on her. Will and the others glanced hopefully at them as they fought.

On Israel's left, Jae nudged him.

"They know we're here now!"

Pivoting to the right, Israel braced as the undead began targeting them all together.

As Jae rushed up beside him, Israel shouted over to Naomi.

"Form a line and advance forward, no matter what it takes!"

Burying her axe in a zombie head snapping at her face, Naomi fended off another with her buckler as she looked over at him.

"What are you going to do?"

"Surround them!" Jae answered for him.

Without another word, Israel and Jae charged in, pressing the center of the horde now that the left side was clear. To their left, Naomi and the others began pushing forward, forming a line side by side with one another.

Knocking back several of the creatures with the shaft of his spear, Jae's weapon suddenly took on a pure white light as he prepared a sword skill. Israel realized that that had to be what his brother had used to save him before.

Unleashing the sword skill, Jae swung the spear in a long reaching arc before following the slash up with a tremendous lunge, stabbing the weapon forward as the white light seemed to ignite into a heavenly fire.

The result was devastating. Every undead monster within ten feet shattered into fragments instantly. However, before Jae could properly recover from the attack, five zombies charged forward. Executing his own sword skill, Israel swung a now fiery blue Silverthorne overhead, cutting one of them down the middle. Still moving the blue blade, Israel twisted his wrist, slashing upwards in an underhand strike. Two more monsters shattered into fragments. Completing the sword skill, Israel swung the blade in a perfectly horizontal slash, cutting the final two mobs in half.

Jae offered a quick smile in gratitude before again carrying the attack forward. Together with Naomi's line pushing ever onward into the enemy ranks, the players quickly began to turn the tide of battle. Cutting down wave after wave of enemy mobs, Israel and the other players soon forgot about everything else, focusing only on each new enemy as they killed. The world became a mindless tumult of violence as the tunnel filled with pixelated shards. Nothing else mattered but the grim need to kill each new adversary standing before them.

And then, like a dream abruptly ending, it was over.

The group of players stood in silence for a long moment, their ragged breathing echoing off the tunnel walls. Finally, Israel looked over at Naomi.

"I'm glad you're alright."

She offered a tired smile. "Right back at you."

Will leaned on his Katana. "We tried to fight our way back to you two, but they kept forcing us back."

Jae waved a hand pleasantly. "It's all good, I saw you guys trying to get back to us. It was tough going for a while there, and this dickhead over here-" He patted Israel's shoulder. "Scared the hell out of me when I saw him go down."

Israel arched a suspicious eyebrow at Jae. "Which reminds me, what the hell was that sword skill?"

Jae beamed with pride. "It's a two hit combo called Smiter. It has kickass AoE damage and Piercing, so if I use it against weak and densely packed mobs, I can get a shit ton of kills. Not much good against high level packs or monsters with lots of armor, though."

Israel suddenly noticed a notification screen in his peripheral vision, and quickly opened it.

 _Congratulations!_

 _You have reached level 12!_

Jae glanced over at it before chuckling.

"Still behind me bro, I'm nearly up to fourteen now."

Naomi opened her own menu.

"I just hit level sixteen."

Evie had also levelled up, leaving only Will and Kat with disappointed faces as the others applied their stats. Israel, however, closed his menu without applying them. He didn't want Jae to see, but more than that, he was no longer sure where he would put his new stat points.

Jae opened his menu, quickly sighing in relief as he checked the time.

"I was afraid I missed the meeting, that battle felt like it lasted forever." he looked over at Israel and Naomi."This dungeon just proved that it's way more dangerous than I first thought though, so if you guys are planning on staying-"

Will shook his head enthusiastically. "Hell no, I'd say we're done for the day. My gear is pretty low on durability and I used all my health crystals."

Kat and Evie both nodded, the latter remarking, "That fight messed all of us up pretty bad. It would be dumb to keep going."

"But guys," Naomi complained, "We need to find the treasure room or the hidden item or whatever is hidden in this place."

Israel nodded in agreement. "After a fight like that, there has to be something here."

"I got into a fight in the Labyrinth with the Assault Team bigger than this." Jae countered. "Sometimes there just isn't any loot. RPG's are annoying that way."

Kat tugged on Naomi's leather backed sleeve. "Come on, we're all tired. We can try the dungeon again next time."

Naomi threw up her arms in surrender. "Alright fine. If everyone else wants to go back, we'll get going."

Will and Evie stood by Kat in affirmation.

Naomi sighed. "Ok."

Israel tapped the time on his menu. "Jae, you better get going. I'll just head back outside Urbus and do some patrolling."

Jae nodded happily, obviously pleased they weren't staying. "Alright, I'll meet up with you back at the room tonight."

Pulling out his teleport crystal, Jae waved at Naomi and her group.

"It was great meeting you guys, we should hangout again soon." He looked back at his crystal. "Teleport, Fields of Gold!"

As Jae disappeared from sight, everyone else followed suit, equipping their own teleport crystals.

"We'll be at Tolbana if you need us." Will said to Naomi.

A moment later, Israel found himself alone with Naomi. Both of them still held their teleport crystals overhead.

Israel tilted his head at her. "You were going to do a bit of solo exploring too, huh?"

Naomi stifled a grin. "I should have known you'd be thinking the same thing." she gestured at the tunnels around them. "Let's not go too far though. I wouldn't want another full scale battle on our hands."

Israel nodded as he began walking.

"Let's keep our teleport crystals out in case we need to bale. I just want to see if we can find that loot."

Naomi walked up beside him. "Same here. There's gotta be something good at the end of this."


	21. Chapter 21

21

Demember 8th, 2022

Floor 1, Dungeon

Slinging her shield across her back, Naomi held her axe in one hand and a teleport crystal in the other in case they needed to run. Israel did the same, his fist tightly enclosed around the cool glass vial. They walked quietly, the soft thud of their footsteps echoing lightly against the tunnel walls. Whenever they heard a noise, both players bent into a crouch, ready to fight or run at a second's notice. Fortunately, no mobs showed themselves.

As the minutes went by with no end to the maze of tunnels before them, however, Israel began to grow suspicious.

"There are no monsters back here."

Naomi kept her head forward as she nodded. "That's a good thing. Don't jinx us."

Israel looked back over his shoulder in anticipation.

"That's not a good thing. That means something's up. A Dungeon Boss or another horde of zombies."

"I doubt it. We're-"

She stopped in her tracks as a gleam of light shimmered out ahead.

Israel slowed to a stop, staring intently at the light as it faded away, only to return a moment later.

Israel tightened his hold on Silverthorne, straining his ears for anything out of the ordinary as he held his gaze on the twinkling light. Tense silence filled the tunnel, broken only by the sound of their slow, steady breathing and the occasional droplet of water falling from the tunnel ceiling.

After several moments of waiting, Naomi sighed irritably and began walking towards the gleaming light. Cursing under his breath, Israel ran after her.

"If anything happens," he whispered, "don't hesitate. Use the crystal."

"I'm the stronger player," She whispered out of the corner of her mouth. "If anything happens I'll cover your escape first."

Dropping the teleport crystal into his pocket, Israel snatched her arm. Careful not to hurt her, he yanked her back, forcing her to face him. He met her menacing glare with a dark look, fear and madness flashing across his face.

"I'm not watching another person die." He whispered slowly, his eyes wide. "No matter what. Do you understand me?"

Naomi's eyes seemed to gleam as she saw the terror on his face. For a split second, Israel could've sworn he saw a tear. Glancing away, Naomi shook her head as she angrily tried to wriggle out of his grip. Powerful and agile, she probably would have succeeded against anyone else. But all of Israel's strength was now concentrated in his iron grip, and she couldn't get free.

After a brief but fierce struggle for dominance, Naomi surrendered, offering an angry but curt nod. Releasing her gently, Israel strode forward into the gleaming light with Naomi right on his heels.

Israel blinked, stopping as he reached the source of the light.

There at the back of the tunnel, resting on a small stone table, sat a gleaming treasure chest covered in cobwebs.

Gasping in delight, Naomi nudged him.

"I knew I was right! I knew there was something back here!"

Israel grinned at her. "For once, I'm glad I was wrong."

Smiling back at him, Naomi hesitated a moment before pushing him out of the way.

"Hey now," Israel complained. "It'll ruin the moment if we don't open it together."

The woman scoffed at him as she grabbed hold of the chest. "Fuck the moment, I want to know what's inside."

Prying it open, Naomi stepped back in confusion. Crossing her arms as she blinked, Naomi looked from the chest to Israel. Looking inside, Israel arched an eyebrow at what he saw.

The chest was practically overflowing with glass bottles of beer.

Israel burst out laughing.

"Now _this_ is a treasure."

Naomi chuckled as she took out one of the bottles and examined the label.

"It says, 'Wilfrick's Malt Beer.'" She shook her head as she smiled. "I mean you're not wrong, this is definitely a much needed find. But it's just that I was expecting something more...lasting."

Sheathing his sword, Israel smiled as he weighed a bottle in his hand.

"I'll refrain from the perfect 'that's what she said' opportunity there and instead turn to a far more serious question. Would you consider yourself a lightweight?"

Rolling her eyes, Naomi moved to crack open a bottle. Before she could snap the top, Israel stopped her.

"Dude, come on." Naomi said in annoyance, "If ever there was a time to drink away our sorrows, this was it."

Israel gestured at their surroundings. "Getting wasted in the middle of a dungeon wouldn't exactly be the smartest thing to do, would it?"

Naomi set the bottle back into the chest as she grumbled. "Good point. Your place?"

Israel shook his head enthusiastically. "You haven't seen my brother drink. Jae could down this entire chest before the thought of sharing would even have time to cross his mind. I'd like to have a few before he gets a hold of them."

Naomi nodded thoughtfully. "Will and Evie are greedy drunks as well. I'm more than willing to share with everyone, but that's after I've had at least a few."

Israel leaned against the stone table. "I feel like I'm in highschool again. Where can we go to drink our hard earned booze in peace?"

Naomi shrugged. "We can just go to my place in Tolbana."

Israel furrowed his brow in mock suspicion. "Is this your sneaky way of trying to get me to go home with you?"

Naomi rolled her eyes as she carefully took hold of the treasure chest with both arms before holding out her teleport crystal. "Do you want alcohol or not? Because I'm perfectly fine with letting you stay here so you can keep laughing at your own jokes."

Still grinning mischievously, Israel threw up his arms in surrender. "Alright, alright, I choose booze."

"Then let's go."

Lifting his teleport crystal alongside her, Israel and Naomi said the activation words.

"Teleport, Tolbana!"

Light exploded all around them, and then the world dissolved. Before his brain could make sense of what was happening around, Israel found himself staring out at the Tolbana courtyard. Neatly trimmed bushes and small trees littered the area, and benches lined the intertwined pathways.

Though it hadn't even been a week since last he had been there during the post meeting celebration with Jae and Diabel and the raid group, it already felt like a lifetime ago.

 _The days in SAO feel so much longer than those in real life._

Naomi took the lead, sheathing her axe at her belt as she walked. Following behind, Israel looked around as they walked. The Town of Tolbana was easily one of the nicest he had seen so far. Though it was dark, there were so many torches and glass frame lamps at even intervals that the entire town seemed permanently bathed in a bright yellow glow.

The buildings were all a fine white, as if made of marble, and the streets were lined with trees that appeared well tended to. The only thing that was different about the place now was that it had all but become a ghost town. NPC's never left their spawn points, but at night they all returned to their homes. Without any players either, the rich, sophisticated town stood completely lifeless but for the two of them.

They hadn't walked long through the smooth streets when Naomi turned left onto a narrow walkway leading to a small but expensive looking house. Though white like all the others, it had several large, oval shaped windows at multiple points, making it stand out from the rest. From the looks of the window placement, Israel could tell there was a second story as well.

"So how long have you had this place?" Israel asked curiously.

"A week." Naomi stepped up to the oak door, pushing it open while balancing the chest of beer in one arm. "I bought it the day after I crashed at you and Jae's place. I didn't want to be put in a position where I had nowhere to go again."

Israel nodded, stepping into the open door behind her.

Closing it, Israel turned and looked around. They were standing in what had to be the living room, judging by the massive light blue couch taking up most of the immediate vicinity. On either side of the couch were two small coffee tables, complete with coasters and small pillows matching the couch's color scheme. An elaborate rug, splashed with dozens of different shades of blue and white, coated the floor. Behind the couch and at the end of the rug, Israel could see the stove and counter topped kitchen. In the corner of the living room were stairs bound in blue leather, no doubt leading up to the bathroom and bedroom.

Naomi set the chest down on one of the coffee tables. Plopping down onto the couch, she patted the armrest affectionately.

"You wouldn't believe how cheap this was."

Israel sat down opposite her, but not before dragging the coffee table in front of the couch. Prying open the lid of the treasure chest, Israel handed her a beer.

"Now this is just a shot in the dark," he said as he cracked open his bottle and leaned back against the couch, "but I somehow feel like your favorite color is blue."

She smirked at him, cracking open her own bottle as she replied, "However did you guess?"

She laughed before shaking her head. "The blue came with the house. I guess Kayaba just likes the color."

"Speaking of." Israel lifted his bottle to her. "To Kayaba, for proving he has a soul after all!"

Naomi tapped her bottle against his cheerfully. "And may he burn in hell all the same!"

"Couldn't have said it better myself."

Craning back his neck, Israel took a long swig of the beer. It had a sweet and salty flavor, mingling well with the fizz and bitterness of the stuff. Bringing his head back up, Israel saw Naomi had downed nearly half the bottle at one gulp.

"Say what you want," he said with a smirk when she finally stopped drinking. "But that's sexy. Where did you learn to do that?"

Naomi laughed. "That's easy. College."

Israel nodded knowingly as he took another swig. "Yep, that makes sense."

"You go to university?"

Israel shook his head. "Me? Hell no, I hated school. No way was I going to pay money to attend. No, I dated a girl once who went. She was all about those dorm room parties." He gave Naomi a sideline smile. "Not gonna lie, there were times I wish I had gone to college."

Naomi finished her bottle, quickly reaching for a second one as she asked, "So what happened if it was that fun?"

"To the relationship?" Israel drank the remaining content of his bottle before setting it down on the coffee table. "Ironically, the same thing that made it fun. College. I wasn't a fan of all those hardcore drugs she and everyone else was doing, and she was. We reached an impasse about it and that was the end of that. No one's fault, just personal preferences."

Israel tried to sound nonchalant about it, but he still felt a pang of sadness.

 _I just wish we had ended on better terms._

Pushing aside his thoughts, Israel opened up another bottle.

"What about you?" He asked. "Were you still in college when this shit started?"

Naomi nodded as she drank. "I was about to finish my semester early."

"Now that's just bad luck. What are you majoring in?"

Naomi gave him a suspicious look. "If you laugh at me, I'll kill you right here on my couch."

Israel glanced deliberately at the blue backrest.

"Would it really be worth the stain, though?"

"I think I could come to terms with it."

He chuckled, pressing the bottle against his chest. "Come on, I used to be an actor. I'm pretty sure anything else in the world is more practical than that."

"Fine." Naomi stopped drinking for a moment. "I'm majoring in architecture."

"What's so bad about that?" Israel asked in amusement. "Architecture sounds pretty legit."

"Clearly, you know very little about unemployment rates." Naomi took another sip before sitting up straighter on the couch and opening her menu. "If I'm going to get into this kind of conversation, I'm going to get comfortable first."

Unequipping her boots and armor and letting her hair out behind her, Naomi took another gulp before leaning back against the couch. Israel waited patiently beside her, taking the opportunity to get ahead in the empty bottle count.

"So basically, architecture majors have had one of the highest unemployment rates of the past decade, with no signs of getting better anytime soon. On top of that, there's not even much of an average salary median to go on because the timing behind when one company wants to build something is sporadic, at best. I'd go as far as saying completely random."

Israel dipped his head in understanding. "Then why go for it?"

"My dad." Naomi stopped drinking and smiled, the bottle just inches from her lips. "I guess you could say he inspired me. Building and creating has always been his passion. He never stopped talking about it all throughout my childhood. Hell, he still calls me whenever he gets excited about some new challenging design he needs to tackle. The funny thing is, it annoyed the shit out of me when I was kid, hearing his rants about some new mall he'd be making blueprints on." She paused just long enough to take another drink. "And then one day I realized that I wanted to do the exact same thing. I want to create, to design. To make beautiful and complex things, my own stamp on the earth for all to see."

Israel smiled at her. "Then fuck the unemployment rate. If you're passionate about it, go for it. Life's too short for regrets. Who cares what people think, or if they laugh? When we get out of this game, you'd better get that degree."

Silence settled in for a moment as they drank. Finishing their fourth bottle at the same time, Naomi grabbed two and handed one to Israel. Before opening hers, Naomi frowned.

"It's getting really warm in here."

Israel grinned mischievously. "Could you be any more cliche?"

A wave of heat rolled over him. While not unpleasant, it still caught him by surprise.

"Hold on," he said, opening his menu, "I'm feeling it too."

Naomi laughed. "Maybe we've been drinking too fast?"

Israel shook his head as he unequipped all of his armor, boots, and his outer shirt. With just his tank top and pants on, he sighed as the heat radiated off of him. "I don't think it was us. This is a fantasy world, after all. The beer here probably does things a little differently."

Israel considered if perhaps the beer had a higher quantity of alcohol. He was beginning to feel wonderfully relaxed, and he could tell he was getting a little tipsy, but nothing serious.

Naomi took off her outer shirt as well, leaving behind a black sports bra that, while it left nothing exposed, nevertheless outlined every fine curve of her breasts. Her toned upper body was impressive, with her tight abdomen revealing that she too must have been a gym rat in the real world, but not to the point where she would begin to look less feminine. Her long brown hair cascaded down her back in a strikingly beautiful way.

"Now it could be the beer," Israel remarked, "but you're getting steadily even more attractive every few seconds."

Naomi visibly blushed. "Are you with anyone out there in the real world? Dating, I mean."

Israel ran his fingers through his hair.

"No, I've been single for a while now." He looked up into her riveting hazel green eyes. "You?"

She shook her head. "Relationships haven't been agreeable with me lately. Guys I've known have either been hot, but assholes, or just plain assholes entirely." She paused, avoiding his gaze. "Except for you."

Israel clasped his hands together diplomatically. "Well I mean, I am kind of an asshole if we're being totally honest."

"No." Naomi smiled at him, and it took his breath away as he saw it again.

It was her special smile.

"You're probably the most selfless person I've ever met." She said meaningfully. "You just cover it up with a cocky attitude and some really, really good looks."

Israel blinked. "How'd you know about the plastic surgery?"

Naomi scooted closer as she laughed.

"Funny guys are hot too. Looks like you have it all."

"If anyone has it all," Israel said sincerely, "It's you. I've never met anyone as beautiful as you, Naomi. I mean that. The first time I saw you, I didn't believe you were real."

Naomi blushed again and looked down.

Raising her chin with a hand, Israel looked into her eyes. With his other arm, he ran a hand through her hair before grabbing and pulling her to him as he kissed her deeply. Her lips were as soft as velvet, and somehow, she tasted like strawberries.

Realizing he might have overstepped, Israel released his hold on her hair and scooted back.

"Sorry, I can be kind of aggressive without realizing it sometimes."

Naomi blinked.

In the next instant, she grabbed his face with both hands before pulling him roughly to her lips. Her kiss was fierce and passionate, and Israel had no problem answering in kind. Grabbing hold of her hair again as they kissed, Israel was surprised to discover that they were again embroiled in a battle for dominance. She tried to lay him down on his back, but Israel was having none of it and pinned her against the backrest of the couch. As they wrestled for control over one another, even their tongues dueled for superiority.

Their fight was one of power, control, passion, and raw lust. And Israel loved every second of it.

With a sudden jerk of agility, Naomi broke free of his grip before twisting around. Straddling his legs, Naomi pushed past his arms and began gently biting at his neck. When he reached to pull her back, she saw it coming and somehow managed to trap his own arms behind his back with her forearm. With her free hand, she began tracing the hills and valleys of his chest and abdominal muscles.

Putting her mouth up to his ear, she whispered hoarsely. "Looks like I've won."

Israel grinned wickedly at her through gritted teeth. "You made a mistake."

Using the full weight of his body, Israel twisted, propelling his arms free and grabbing hold of her silken soft skin. Securing a hold on her waist before she could escape, Israel flung Naomi onto her back. Now on on top of her as she lay helpless, Israel removed his tank top and flung it across the room in one motion.

Naomi smiled huskily at him. "You could've just unequipped that, you know."

Israel kissed her. "Yeah, but I figured this would be better for the mood."

"It'll despawn if you leave it there too long."

Their bodies slick with sweat and pressed firmly together, Israel took a quick breath.

"Woman, I'm trying to create a moment here."

Snaking her hands down his sides, Naomi began unbuckling his pants as she replied, "I know, I just like messing with you."

He ripped her bra off and was already unfastening her own pants before it hit the ground.

"And somehow, that just makes me want you more."


	22. Chapter 22

22

December 14th, 2022

Floor Two, Labyrinth

"Work your way to the center of the room, avoid the stingers!" Lind shouted, his commanding voice booming out across the hall.

"Don't get isolated!" Kibaou shouted at one of his guildmates, but it was too late. Jae saw the player, a tall girl with short cropped hair, drop her sword as the spiders used their Sting ability on her. She screamed once, and before Jae could even begin to try and make his way towards her, she was gone. Her body exploded into a thousand pixelated fragments.

Jae heard Kibaou and Lind continue barking orders behind him, desperately trying to restore order. Chaos reigned throughout the massive hall as hundreds of scattered players battled an army of giant spider mobs.

Movement above caught his eye, and Jae dove several feet to the left. Spinning around, he saw the spider drop down on the tile where he had been standing. Shrieking angrily, the massive insect bounded towards him, it's skeletal legs pattering across the floor.

Jae charged the monster without hesitation, twirling his spear as he ran. Lifting up its forward legs to strike at him, the spider reeled back in surprise as Jae's spear point came down, hacking off the sharp limbs.

Before it could right itself, Jae lunged, the spear tip disappearing as he pierced the creature's eyes. Extending his arms, Jae forced his weapon to continue its journey, stabbing into the monster's face and out the back of it's skull. With a shudder, the spider burst apart into the shower of fragments now so familiar to him.

With his spear free, Jae pivoted on his foot, ready for another attack. When he saw that all of the spiders were for the moment otherwise engaged with the other players, Jae quickly assessed the battlefield.

All around him, the tumult of battle echoed across the walls as weapons clashed, players shouted, and spiders screamed. Some of the Assault Team players had managed to form into small clusters, defending each other as they fought, but for the most part it had become an all out brawl. Jae was shocked by how quickly their organized formation had collapsed. It was certainly through no fault of their own. The spiders had begun dropping down among them in speed and numbers that the players couldn't contain, and within minutes the room had become a scene of carnage.

Jae could see several players nearing him as they fell back from a pack of the creatures. Before he could go and help them, three more spiders dropped down from the pitch black ceiling, their numerous red eyes bulging with hatred as they made for him.

Bending his knees, Jae sidestepped the swing of multiple legs as the first spider reached him. Slashing low with his spear, Jae cut the monster's back legs in two. Wailing in anguish, the spider's immense bulk crashed to the ground. Rather than finish it, Jae ducked as the other two tried to impale him on their legs. Pressing the attack, the nearest spider closed the distance between them, snapping its powerful horizontal jaws at Jae's face.

Bringing up the butt of his spear with lightning speed, Jae smashed the heavy wooden end against the side of the insect's face, knocking it away. Now facing the third spider still jabbing at him with it's legs, Jae swung his spear over his head as though it were a two handed sword before bringing the blade end down on the monster's face, cutting it's head cleanly in half. Jae's short hair blew backwards as the on death explosion billowed out around him.

Just as the second spider returned, now recovered from its blow across the face, Jae lunged with the full length of his spear, stabbing the creature multiple times in rapid succession until it's health hit zero.

Returning to the first spider, which was now reduced to a wheezing crawl, Jae thrust his weapon home, finishing the creature for good.

Panting from the exertion, Jae gasped in shock when a spider leg pierced through the back of his chestplate, the sharp point stabbing into his shoulder blade. Ignoring the pain, Jae tore himself free, but not before another leg hit his back. Though unable to pierce the leather armor on his back this time, the heavy blow still sent him sprawling to the ground, the wind knocked out of him.

Rolling over onto his injured back, Jae struggled to swing his spear. Before he could kill it, the spider hooked one of it's legs around the weapon, tearing it from Jae's grasp. Jae tried to crawl backwards, but the spider was already over him, the stinger on its belly fully extended.

Biting back his fear, Jae bent his arm at the elbow and shifted his weight, preparing himself to jump out of the way of the killing attack.

Just as the spider began it's lunge, Jae saw a flash, and then a steel scimitar laid open it's back. Wailing in pain, the spider was interrupted by another hack from the scimitar, and with one last shudder, it shattered into a thousand digital pieces.

Rising to his feet, Jae was surprised to see the young man he had met during one of the Assault Team meetings.

"David right?" Jae asked as he retrieved his spear.

The player nodded as sweat dripped down his face, brandishing his scimitar eagerly.

"And I remember you're Jae. Do you mind watching my back? These things are everywhere."

"I was about to ask you the same thing. Thanks for helping me out back there."

Together now, Jae and David stayed close as they fought off the spiders all around them. Twirling his spear in weaving patterns before him, Jae quickly lost count of how many of them he killed. As they fought, Jae saw Kibaou and a large group of around fifty players reforming some distance ahead of them. The space between was filled with spiders and humans viciously ripping each other to pieces. Off to the right, he heard someone scream in agony.

Jae pointed at the mass of players standing firm against the waves of mobs. "We make for them. Get out of the way and watch my flanks."

Without waiting for David to comply, Jae advanced into the sea of thrashing bodies, Cutting down any spider that dared come near him. As he moved, he began seeing flashes of David's scimitar as the young man hacked apart the insects trying to approach him from the sides.

"Watch out!" A deep voice shouted.

Immediately taking on a defensive stance, Jae spun to the left as something large flew towards him.

A hand pushed him out of the way, and as Jae righted himself he saw a huge man leap into the air between Jae and David, a massive spiked mace in his hand. Looking up Jae could see a spider dropping from the ceiling just above David, only to be flung through the air as it made contact with the big man's weapon. Before it could crash into the floor, the spider shattered apart.

Falling back to the ground, the burly player gave David a look.

"You need to protect yourself too, kid."

Jae grinned, recognizing the man.

"Good to see you again Aranal."

Thick muscles glistening with sweat, Aranal smiled at Jae before patting him on the shoulder.

"And you as well, Jae."

He stepped up beside them as a spider rushed forward. Easily deflecting its numerous legs with the long reaching shaft of his spear, Jae nodded to the two players. Understanding immediately, Aranal and David flanked the creature, ripping it apart with their weapons even as Jae batted aside it's final assault. With a powerful lunge, he struck the killing blow.

Falling back in place beside him, Aranal and David kept their weapons up, ready for more.

Looking up above, Jae saw that the spiders had stopped coming. All that remained were the ones already on the ground.

"Change of plans," He shouted over to David. "Let's help the others."

Together, the three of them advanced into the thickest of the fighting, cutting down the mobs engaged with the other players. Each time they ended a fight, Jae commanded the now freed players to fall in beside them. In the span of a few minutes, Jae found himself at the head of nearly thirty people.

Around them, the battle finally began to die down. Without reinforcements, the spiders engaged on the ground were rapidly being overpowered and cut down. Pressing ever forward, Jae and his group finally reached Kibaou, whose own force now contained over a hundred players. With the majority of the Assault Team back together, they quickly reformed and finished off the last of the spider assault.

Though some small skirmishes were still going on throughout the hall and many players still scattered about, the battle was over.

Kibaou broke ranks, motioning for the others to spread out.

"Finish off the last of the mobs and get everybody back together." he ordered firmly.

Splitting apart into small groups, the Assault team quickly relieved the players still fighting.

Jae had just finished helping a solo player take down his foe when a cry of fury erupted from behind him.

"Sarah, down!"

Spinning around, Jae was just in time to see a young woman stumble backwards, her arms and legs wrapped in webs as she fell. From out of the darkness ahead of her emerged a particularly large spider, far bigger than the others. Leaping on top of her, the creature extended its stinger. The killing ability.

Rushing forward, Jae saw Lind, a broken sword in his hand, fling himself underneath the spider, pushing the helpless girl out from under it. Before he too could escape, a leg pinned him to the ground. The spider lunged its stinger at him.

With a shout, Jae rammed the butt of his spear into the ground, using the power of the blow to leap high into the air and onto the spider's back. Jolting from his weight on top of it, the spider jumped back several feet. Holding his spear firmly, Jae rammed it into the monster's back, stabbing repeatedly as it wailed.

Before he could get more than a few stabs in, however, Jae was knocked off balance by the spider as it bucked, throwing it's back legs into the air in an effort to throw him off. Maintaining his grip on the spider's back, Jae tried to stab it again but quickly found it was all he could do to stay in place. Lurching forward violently, the spider continued to buck, knocking Jae around like a ragdoll as he held onto anything he could use. Though everything around him was a blur, Jae could just make out the mass of players approaching the scene. They were still a ways off, though, and he couldn't rely on help getting to him in time.

Using every muscle in his body, Jae began crawling forward along the spider's hairy back as it continued flinging itself around the hall. Making sure not to drop his spear as he moved up, Jae gritted his teeth as he inched onto the top of it's massive head.

Shrieking in anger, the spider began shaking his head violently from side to side. Jae had to resist the urge to vomit as his insides churned. Gritting his teeth, Jae locked his legs on either side of the monster's head. Squeezing them as hard as possible, he put both hands on his spear as he pointed the weapon blade down.

Jae grinned in triumph.

"Die, bitch."

With all his strength, Jae thrust the spear down into the spider's head so forcefully that the point, blade and almost half of the shaft disappeared into the monster's brains.

All at once the thrashing stopped while the creature first went limp, and then shattered into a million to the ground, Jae managed to land on his hands and knees.

The world spun all around him, and several times he stumbled as he rose. Finally, he looked around.

He was surrounded by the entirety of the Assault Team, and within seconds they began clapping and cheering for him. He could feel his ears go red.

Striding out of the crowd walked Lind, a beaming smile on his face as he stopped in front of Jae.

"That was pretty impressive, I have to say." He extended a hand. "You saved my life. I am in your debt."

Jae shook Lind's hand firmly before shaking his head. "You don't owe me anything. I'm just glad I could help in time."

Lind looked at Jae admiringly. "You know, there aren't many people who would risk their lives for another. There are probably even less that would do something as crazy as that."

Jae smiled as he thought. _Just wait until he gets to know Israel._

The crowd finally stopped clapping and began gathering near the massive door at the end of the hall, but Lind stayed right where he was.

"I'm Lind, but I'm guessing you know that by now."

Jae nodded. "I'm Jae. But yeah I know you. Founder of one of the first guilds and co-leader of the Assault Team really gets a name out there, I guess."

Lind chuckled. "I guess. Say what you want, Jae, but I really am grateful."

Jae waved a hand. "Don't worry about it. I know you would have done the same for me. I've seen you protecting people since this Floor opened."

Lind gave him a serious look. "Of course. A man has no business trying to lead if he doesn't look after those who follow him. I would die for anyone in my guild. By joining me, they acknowledged that they trust in me to look after them. I intend to earn that trust."

Jae found himself taken aback by the man's words. "I respect that. You have honor, Commander Lind. Not many people in the world have that these days."

Lind offered a humble smile. "You're a man of honor, yourself. I can see it in you. Jae, I would be honored if you joined up with my guild, the Holy Dragon Alliance."

Jae's eyes widened. He had liked Lind from the start, but now, he respected him as well. Though the Holy Dragon Alliance had been taking open invites all week, this was different. Lind, who was one of the most talked about players in the game aside from Kibaou and the black haired beta tester, Kirito, wanted him in the guild.

His first instinct was to say yes, but Jae quickly remembered Israel. His brother hadn't said anything about the guilds, but Jae could tell he was opposed to it from the start. And then there was the gaping fact that Israel disagreed with the Assault Team entirely.

"Under normal circumstances," Jae said carefully, "I would accept in a heartbeat."

"Ah." Lind nodded slowly. "You're already with your own people?"

Jae dipped his head in acknowledgement. "My brother. I doubt he'd be too pleased with me joining a guild on him."

"Then why don't you both join? The guild's open invite policy is still-"

"I know," Jae said politely. "But I also doubt he'd want to join. So I'm in kind of a bind."

Lind sighed. "I know how that feels."

"So I'm sorry, I really am, but I'm going to have to refuse the offer. Please don't take it personally."

Lind waved a hand through the air casually.

"Of course, no worries. I understand your position. Guilds aren't for a lot of players." He paused, looking around.

"Just out of curiosity, is your brother in the Assault Team?"

Jae shook his head. "No, but he and I were scouts during the Floor One Boss raid and he's going to help with the Floor Two Boss as well."

Lind looked pleased. "Great, maybe I can convince him to join." He paused, turning to the massive door at the head of the hall. Before it stood Kibaou, talking amongst his guild.

"Speaking of Boss fights though, we should probably get up there with the rest of them."

Jae frowned. "Wait...you mean that's the door to the Floor Two Boss?"

Already walking, Lind merely gestured for Jae to follow.

Rejoining the crowd of players standing by the great closed doors, Jae crossed his arms as he watched Lind make his way to the head of the crowd.

David suddenly stepped up beside him.

"Getting in good with the leadership, eh?"

Jae turned to the young man. "What's that supposed to mean?"

David looked first confused, then apologetic. "My bad, I didn't mean anything by it. I was just trying to start up a conversation." He started backing away. "I guess I thought we were cool."

He turned to walk back into the crowd.

Jae sighed.

"Do you know anybody in this game? Any friends?"

David glanced at his feet. "You don't have to be an asshole."

Jae scratched his head in annoyance.

"No, I wasn't trying to...look, we are cool. You came and helped me at risk to yourself, I won't forget that. We're cool, ok? Just be more careful how you say things. You come on pretty strong."

David looked embarrassed, but happy at the same time. "Sorry, I know I can sound like a dick sometimes. So it's cool if I stand with you?"

Jae couldn't help but smile. "Yes, you can stand with me."

Before David could say anything else, Lind reached the head of the crowd and pointed ahead.

"Alright guys, according to the info brokers, the Floor Two Boss is on the other side of this door."

The crowd, who had been whispering among themselves, now stood in rapt attention.

Lind waited for a moment, making sure he had everyone's eyes on him before continuing.

"And before this day is done, the Boss waiting for us in there will be dead. Floor Three opens today!"


	23. Chapter 23

23

December 14th, 2022

Floor 1. Trevica

Opening the door hastily, Jae ran inside the room.

"What's the rush?"

Turning, he saw Israel sitting at the table, maps and notes all around him. In his hand was a quill dripping ink.

Jae closed the door behind him.

"Today's the day."

Israel frowned. "What day?"

"Also, I told you so."

"Told me what?"

Jae stepped forward, sitting down in the chair opposite his brother.

"We reached the Boss room. I told you the Assault Team would get there sooner than you thought."

Israel's jaw dropped. "Already? But it's only been...it's only been-"

"Eleven days?" Jae smirked. "Damn straight. The entire Labyrinth is cleared and mapped. We're meeting up again outside the Boss room in three hours time to take it down."

Israel hesitated, looking down at his maps.

Jae gestured at the overlapping pages. "Still working on your patrol project?"

Leaning back in his chair, Israel sighed. "Actually I just finished. Not that that makes it any better." He rose to his feet. "I guess I better get ready. Three hours prep time, you said?"

Jae nodded, picking up one of the pages. It was filled with player names, dates, times, and locations down to the last detail. "Yep. Hey, where did you get all this info from?"

Israel stretched thoroughly. By the looks of it he had been sitting there all day.

"I cross referenced all the intel I got from the info brokers. Naomi gave them our address and they've been coming around telling me what they dug up."

Jae squinted at the paper suspiciously. "And just how much money did you pay for this information?"

Israel opened his menu and began equipping his leather armor.

"Relax, I didn't touch a penny of our collective funds."

Jae set the paper back down, shooting Israel a look.

"Then where did you get the Col to pay them? Info brokers aren't cheap when it's just one, and here you are dealing with dozens."

Israel scoffed. "Hardly dozens. I've been grinding in a dungeon, if you must know. The one with high cash drops the guidebook mentioned."

Jae rubbed his forehead angrily. "You've been solo grinding in a dungeon and not even telling me? What the hell, dude?"

Israel cocked his head in annoyance. "Oh so when it's me doing it, there's suddenly a problem? The Labyrinth has stronger mobs than any dungeon and you're gone almost all day, yet here I am being the good brother and minding my own business."

"That's not the same thing at all!" Jae gritted his teeth, reminding himself not to start yelling. Israel never responded well to that. "In the Labyrinth, I'm literally with hundreds of the strongest players in the game. We fight together and look out for each other. You can't even compare what I do on the Assault Team with solo playing. That's just stupid and reckless."

Israel took a challenging step forward. "Stupid and reckless? You want to say that again?"

Staying in his chair, Jae quickly tried to think of how he could defuse the situation. He wanted Israel to fight with them against the Boss. He didn't need a wedge between them now.

"I didn't mean it like that. That was my bad, man."

Israel blinked, and after a still moment he shuffled over to the wall, leaning his back on it.

"It's all good, no need to apologize."

It was quiet for a moment.

Attempting to change the subject, Jae again picked up the paper in front of him.

"You said Naomi sent them our address. I'm assuming that means you and her still aren't talking?"

Israel nodded. "Yep."

Jae rolled his eyes. "Why not? Was the sex really that bad?"

Israel laughed. "No, quite the opposite actually. She was definitely something."

"Alright so what's the problem?"

Israel scratched his head. "You're making sex sound like the act that seals the deal."

Jae hesitated. "Is it not that for you?"

"Is your love life really that simple? You reach the point of fucking once and then bam, you're as good as married?"

Jae shifted his weight in the chair. "I think we're getting off topic. I just don't get why you stopped talking to her. I assume it was you that gave her the silent treatment first?"

Israel slouched against the wall. "I stopped talking to her because I'm not about to get myself stuck with the whole love and commitment thing. Hell, I don't even know if I like her. I barely know Naomi."

Jae laced his fingers together diplomatically. "So what you're saying is, you're afraid Naomi is the romantic and affectionate type?"

"I'm afraid she's the loving relationship and marriage type."

"What makes you think she is?"

"Almost all of them are."

"Then why did you have sex with her in the first place?"

Israel threw up his arms defensively. "We were half drunk on that weird fucking beer and alone at her place. The real question is in what universe would sex not have been the outcome?"

Jae chuckled. "It must have been awkward as hell when you guys woke up that morning."

"You have no idea." Israel sighed, pushing his hair back behind his ears. "I just don't want her thinking there's something big going on between us, something serious. I don't want to lead her on. That would be cruel."

Jae nodded his agreement. "I'm not saying you're wrong, bro. I know how you are when it comes to long term relationships. But not talking to her anymore?"

"In my defense, she hasn't been sending me any messages since that night either. I'm just going to wait a while, make sure things have really calmed down before I talk to her again."

Israel walked toward the table, silently scooping up all the papers. As he put them back into his inventory, he smiled sadly.

"I just finished mapping out the Floor Two patrol route. I had it narrowed down to three areas. That's where the majority of player deaths were concentrating."

He sighed. "At least now I know what to do the moment we hit Floor Three."

Jae nodded, trying to look encouraging. "Exactly. Now you have a head start on how to set up the patrols."

Standing as Israel finished clearing up the papers, Jae tapped him on the shoulder.

"Come on, let's hit Tristan's shop. I need to restock my crystals, and he might have something good."

Buckling on Silverthorne, Israel followed Jae to the door.

…

"What's going on, guys?" Tristan asked. His voice sounded tired, but still pleasant.

Israel rested his elbow on the counter. "What are your prices on health crystals?"

The shopkeeper answered immediately. "Two hundred Col a piece." he lifted a finger. "But they only heal around thirty percent of your max HP."

Jae arched an eyebrow. "Yeah Tristan, we know that. The health crystals don't start getting more potent until we hit Floor Five according to the guidebook."

"Two hundred seems a little steep for the guy that saved your life." Israel said cheerfully.

Exiting the booth behind the counter, Tristan shook his head as he motioned for them to follow him down a nearby aisle.

"I have something better than the current health crystals."

Exchanging looks, Israel and Jae quickly caught up with him. Stopping in front of a section filled with tree roots and other natural items, Tristan pulled out a large wooden container filled with what looked like larger, fatter, health crystals.

"These are health _potions_." Tristan explained. "Can't be dropped, or sold in NPC shops. They're player made only."

"Player made?" Jae asked, picking one up out of the container. "There's an Alchemy skill?"

Tristan shook his head. "Not quite, it's called Mixing. Players with Mixing find and use these-" He gestured at the earthly items on the wall behind him, "to craft and mix together items such as health potions."

Israel's eyes widened in curiosity. "And what makes these potions different from health crystals?"

"A tier one health potion heals about forty-five percent of a player's max HP."

"Well that's all I need to hear," Jae put the potion back into the case. "How much?"

"Five hundred Col."

Israel staggered back a step. "A fifteen percent difference warrants well over double the amount? That's just ripping people off."

Tristan waved off Israel's accusations. "Actually, it's quite generous. Of all the players in SAO, only a tiny fraction have Mixing. The ones that do have it spend a good deal of time finding the materials and ingredients needed to make potions, so selling what they make isn't very appealing for most of them. I had to pay a good amount of money to get these."

"And how much money are we going to have to pay?" Israel asked. "I helped you organize a bunch of this stuff the other day for free, out of the kindness of my heart."

Tristan sighed. "I can sell them to you for four hundred. That's what I paid for them, so at least I won't be losing money."

Jae shrugged. "Fair enough."

After buying ten of the health potions and dividing them evenly, Jae and Israel scanned the rest of the shop for anything that might be of use. When they asked Tristan if he had any rare items for sale, he laughed.

"You can bet that I'll be wearing any rare item I get my hands on, at least for now."

Finishing their sweep, the two brothers said goodbye to Tristan for the time being and exited the shop. Jae made a quick check of the time.

"Still have two hours."

"What should we do while we wait?"

Jae yawned. "Mind if we just chill back at the room for awhile? I need a rest before going back in there."

Israel nodded. "Sure. Gives me time to work at that fucking rock."

As soon as they made it back to the room, Jae dropped onto the bed.

It wasn't sleep he needed so much as he was just worn out. Fighting for most of the day, every day was draining, and waking up early each morning was beginning to prove difficult.

Silence permeated the still air as he lay there with closed eyes, broken only by the occasional muttered curse as Israel wrestled with his quest item stone.

"You were lying before, you know."

He felt Israel's eyes focus on him. "What are you talking about? Lying to who?"

"To yourself." Shifting his weight, Jae felt for the blanket, wrapping himself in it.

"Points for being cryptic. Please, go on."

Jae smirked. "I'm being serious here. You said you didn't even know if you liked Naomi."

A pause. "And?"

"No offense, but that's bullshit. The sexual tension is practically bouncing off the walls whenever I'm with the two of you. More than that though, I see the way you're starting to look at her. After a fight, she's the first person you look for. And whenever she smiles, you do too. You've been happier ever since she started hanging out with us. I know you too well, bro. You can't lie to me."

There was a long moment of silence.

Finally, he heard Israel get back to wrestling with his stone.

…

Jae was awakened by a gentle slap in the face.

"Wake up."

Eyes wide open, Jae jolted up, the blanket falling around him.

"I fell asleep?"

Standing over him, Israel looked humored. "How else would I have been able to draw dicks all over your face?"

In the next instant, Jae attacked. Swinging his fists violently at his brother as he jumped to his feet, Jae had every intention of breaking Israel's nose.

Laughing wickedly, Israel leapt backwards. "I'm just messing with you, psycho. Calm the hell down."

Lowering his fists, Jae still managed to shove Israel back several feet.

"You're a fucking child, you know that?"

Israel shrugged. "At least I'm the pretty one. Now come on, It's almost time for the Boss fight."

Fifteen minutes later, they stepped into the massive hall that had been the scene of such carnage only hours before. At the end of the hall stood the great double doors leading into the Boss room, and in front of it stood the large crowd making up the Assault Team. Peels of unrest rippled out among them, and worry gripped the air.

"That doesn't sound good." Israel murmured unhappily.

Striding into the crowd, Jae and Israel slowly worked their way to the front.

As they stepped around a dense group in their way, Jae saw David step up to greet him.

"What took you so long, Jae? And who's that"

Jae motioned for David to follow as they jostled their way through the throng of players.

"David, this is my brother Israel. Israel, this is David. He helped me out of a tight spot during the fighting today."

Israel dipped his head in gratitude at the teenager. "I appreciate that. Nice to meet you David."

"David," Jae spoke up before the man could reply. "What's going on?"

"Rumors going around all of a sudden about the Boss, but don't worry. Lind and Kibaou are about to sort things out."

As if on queue, Jae saw the two leaders emerge at the head of the crowd.

"I still can't believe those two are the best leaders all these people could manage.' Israel muttered under his breath.

Ignoring him, Jae strained his ears as Lind motioned for everyone to be quiet.

"Alright, a couple things." He said calmly. "Firstly, I don't know why everyone is getting so worked up, but that needs to stop now."

Settling down, the crowd leaned in, though Jae could still feel their concern.

Kibaou stepped forward. "Finally. Now listen up everyone, two new developments have come to light. I'll cut straight to them. First, the Floor Two Boss, Baran the General Taurus, is going to be accompanied by a sub-Boss called Nato the Colonel Taurus."

The Assault Team murmured uneasily, but Kibaou continued.

"Nato the Colonel Taurus is much weaker than Baran, so let's not get bent out of shape. Those of us that fought the Floor One Boss also had to take on it's minions. They were small groups of Kobold Sentinels, and they respawned constantly. This isn't any different. We'll set aside a team or two to keep him pinned down while the main force focuses on Baran. I wouldn't be surprised if one team is all it takes to go all out and kill Nato."

"Which brings us to another new development," Lind motioned to a tall man off to the right. The man stepped forward. He was wearing light chainmail and a leather helmet, and wielded a longsword and large round shield.

"Everyone, this is Orlando, and he is the official leader of a new guild called the Legend Braves."

Orlando nodded his head. "I just thought everyone should know. We need to stay on top of the groups and guilds. And sorry to anyone interested, but the Legend Braves is a closed guild. We aren't taking anyone in."

With that, he melted back into the crowd, quickly joined by about a dozen other players. Lind stepped forward, retaking control of the spotlight.

"Now I've talked with Kibaou, and we both have a different strategy for fighting this battle. As I said before, we'll be flipping a coin to decide who will be the raid group leader."

Taking a single Col from his pocket, Lind stepped close to Kibaou.

Jae prayed silently for Lind to win the toss.

Kibaou chose heads, and the crowd leaned in as Lind flipped the coin before showing it to the crowd.

It landed on tails. Lind would be leader of the raid.


	24. Chapter 24

24

December 14th, 2022

Floor 2, Labyrinth

"Yes." Jae said enthusiastically under his breath.

Israel leaned in. "Isn't that the asshole who looked at us like we were idiots when we said we found an anti-teleport zone?"

"He's a good guy," Jae retorted. "He protects the others in his guild, and he's a smart leader."

Israel mumbled something, but Jae couldn't hear him above the dull murmur of the crowd.

"Alright." Lind said as Kibaou took several reluctant steps back. It was clear by the look on Kibaou's face that the player was far from happy. "I've developed a strategy similar to what Diabel did on Floor One. I'll be dividing everyone into groups based on their roles and stats. Groups A and B will be our frontline tanks while Group E will be reserve. All tanks, exit the crowd and stand to the left."

Dozens of players began pushing out of the mass of people before reforming in a large circle to the left.

"Groups C and D will be frontline damage dealers, Group F will be reserve. All DPS players exit and stand just to the right of the tanks."

Both Jae and Israel began shuffling out of the remaining crowd when Lind spoke up again.

"Hold on there just a minute, guys." He looked over at the tanks. There were less than thirty all told. "From what I'm seeing, we have a problem. Thirty is barely enough to sustain three tank groups if we take our exceptionally large numbers into consideration. I had hoped to set aside a group of leftover tanks to help in taking down the sub-Boss while the rest of us fight Baran, but now I see that isn't an option."

Pausing for a moment, Lind's eyes seemed to be calculating the numbers of people before him. Finally, he dipped his head as if he had just come to a conclusion.

"Two groups, G and H, will be the ones taking care of the sub-Boss, Nato the Colonel Taurus. Group G will be the new guild, the Legend Braves. As for group H, I'm going to need volunteers."

He scanned the room expectantly.

Jae turned to Israel, only to find his brother already moving forward.

"Come on, let's get this done." Israel said quietly.

Together they stopped in front of Lind, quickly joined by David, Alaran, and about ten others.

Lind gave Jae a nod in gratitude. "I thought you'd volunteer first." He glanced at Israel, then moved forward to shake his hand. "I'm Lind. You're Jae's brother?"

Israel ignored the hand. "We've met before. Did you forget already? Or did you just decide to ignore the fact that you were an asshole to us back on Floor One because for some reason you like Jae now?"

Jae spun towards his brother. "What the hell, dude?"

Before Lind or Israel could say anything, Orlando strode forward angrily.

"Lind, what the hell do you mean the Legend Braves are fighting the sub-Boss?"

Lind met his gaze. "Is that a problem?"

Orlando looked furious. "That's a joke right? You want my guild and I to handle the trash mob while everyone else gets the EXP?"

Lind arched an eyebrow in anger, but his voice remained calm. "Nato is a sub-Boss. I'd hardly put that on the same level as a trash mob-"

"Even if I myself was to get the kill on Nato," Orlando exclaimed, pointing at the crowd before him. "I'd get less experience than anyone of them getting one or two hits on the Floor Boss. It's not fair, Lind. you can't throw us under the bus like this just because you want your guild to get stronger."

Lind looked at Orlando as if he were insane. "What the hell are you talking about? I'm the leader of this raid, and I'm telling you, I'm not cheating your guild, Orlando. We need a detachment to handle Nato while-"

Orlando lifted his hand. "If you're going to lead, than you need to be fair. EXP needs to shared by everyone. My guild isn't fighting in this raid unless it's Baran we're facing."

Lind looked more than happy to allow the Legend Braves to leave, but Jae could see the faces of the crowd behind him. If they thought he was unfair or biased towards his guild, the Holy Dragon Alliance, then the Assault Team would doubtless stop following him. Out of the corner of his eye, Jae could see Kibaou smiling smugly.

"Lind," Jae said loudly. "Let them fight with everyone else."

Lind looked at Jae in surprise. "But that would leave just you volunteers, alone, against Nato."

Jae shrugged. "He's just a sub-Boss. If we can't kill Nato, then we'll just keep him pinned until you can send us some back up." He craned his neck, glancing at the small cluster of players who had volunteered along with him. "There's more than enough of us to at least keep him busy. As long we stay careful and cover each other, no one dies. If any of you don't like the odds, you can step out now."

David and Alaran shook their heads enthusiastically before drawing their weapons.

"You heard the man." Alaran said. "Anyone want to go back to the main group?"

To Jae's surprise, all the volunteers drew their swords eagerly. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Israel smirk. Whether it was in pride or mockery, he couldn't tell.

Lind gave Jae a measured look before turning back to Orlando.

"Alright, the Legend Braves can fight with the main force."

Orlando and his men began to cheer, but in an instant Lind face to face with him.

"If you endanger the lives of anyone here by not following my orders once the fight starts," Lind said quietly. "You'll answer for it."

Orlando blinked once before nodding in the affirmative. Motioning at his guild, Orlando shuffled off to join the main force.

Lind returned his attention to Jae. "You're in charge of group H. As soon as Baran is taken care of, I'll send two groups in to reinforce you. But if at any point you guys start to get overwhelmed, I want you to fall back to us. Is that understood?"

Jae nodded. "Don't worry, we got this."

Kibaou stepped towards the doors, the Aincrad Liberation Squad on his heels.

"Alright, let's stop wasting time and get this done!" He shouted encouragingly.

Lind ran to the head of the Assault Team.

"As soon as we step inside, everyone get to your stations. And no matter what, stay with your groups!"

Pushing open the massive doors, Lind stepped inside the Boss room. The entire Assault Team plunged forward.

Running inside, Jae turned occasionally to make sure group H was still close at hand.

Sprinting up beside him, Israel drew Silverthorne.

"I got your back, bro. Don't get cocky."

Jae reached behind his back, brandishing his spear before him with a twirl.

"Right back at you."

And then he saw them.

In the center of the room stood Baran the General Taurus. Standing at over eight feet tall, the Boss had the body of a human and the head of a bull. Chainmail covered his waist and arms, and he was armed with a massive hammer.

Standing several feet off to Baran's left stood Nato. The sub-Boss was also a humanoid bull, but shorter and wearing less armor. In his hand he wielded a wickedly long scimitar.

The two monsters roared with delight as the players streamed in.

"Form up, form up!" Jae heard Lind shout. "You all know what to do!"

"Let's go!" Jae thrust his spear in the direction of Nato. "Group H, with me!"

Breaking off from the Assault Team, Jae led the volunteers under his command over to Nato. It was imperative that they hold the sub-Boss's full attention, so Jae made sure to pull ahead of the others.

Sprinting gracefully alongside him, Israel let loose a savage war cry.

Though Lind was still giving out commands to the main force, Jae no longer heard them. He focused all of his attention on Nato.

The sub-Boss spotted them making for him and he waved his scimitar in rage before charging after them, his massive legs causing the ground to tremble underneath.

"Is, you and I will keep him occupied in front!" Jae ordered. "Everyone else, circle around and unleash everything you got!"

"We can't let just the two of you take the brunt of his attacks alone!" Came Alarin's booming voice.

"We won't be if the rest of you attack when we need you to." Israel said calmly. "But that doesn't mean risk your lives. No matter what happens, keep yourselves safe."

Coming to a halt as Nato crashed towards them, Jae signalled for the others to take the flanks. He glanced at Israel. "Don't go crazy."

Israel gave him a ghost of a smile. "When have I ever?"

And then Nato was on them.

With a bloodcurdling roar, it launched an overhead attack directly at Jae.

Twirling his spear, Jae deflected the heavy blow, but the impact sent a jolt of pain up his arm. His spear vibrated violently.

Recovering from the block, Nato swung again, only to be interrupted mid slash by Israel's sword tearing open its chest. Reeling from the attack, Nato backed up a step. It's health dipped, but not by much.

Seizing the opportunity, Jae launched a vicious counter attack, stabbing the monster's legs and stomach multiple times in rapid succession. The long reach of his spear allowed him to remain back a safe distance, but Israel wasn't as lucky.

Dodging the massive scimitar, Israel had to get in close before delivering his attacks, forcing him to stay light on his feet in case of counters.

Their combined assault didn't last long however. With another roar of rage, Nato swept his sword in an arc around him at incredible speeds as he advanced, forcing both of them back several feet. Several times they tried to renew their counter attack, but each time they were beaten back by the whirlwind of blows.

Glancing behind and to the left, Jae saw the main force engaged in a bloody but organized battle against Baran. One of the Floor Boss' health bars was already depleted.

"We can't fall back anymore." Jae shouted over at Israel. "We'll get too close to the main battle."

Nodding as he panted, Israel planted his right foot behind him, taking on a defensive stance.

Following suit, Jae swung his spear again just as Nato lunged forward at them. Israel and Jae both reacted instantly, slamming their weapons down onto the scimitar before it could reach them. The impact sent the scimitar crashing into the floor, but Nato still kept hold of it.

All at once, a dozen sword skills lit up the air behind Nato, and with a great shout the volunteers unleashed their abilities on him. Stumbling forward from the sheer number of simultaneous attacks, Nato's health reached the yellow.

"Now!" Israel screamed, and he ran forward, hacking off Nato's free arm as it swung to ward off the blows coming in all around.

Close behind, Jae let loose his spear, spinning it in weaving patterns as he inflicted cut after cut on Nato's exposed chest.

Unable to react from the multitude of attacks on every angle, Nato struggled to keep his feet.

Jae grinned viciously. _We've got him now._

"Watch the rear!" Came a panicked voice from over at the main fight.

"We're cut off!" Screamed someone else.

"It's another Boss!" Came Lind's hoarse voice.

Spinning around, Jae saw another humanoid bull approaching the back of the main force even as they continued battling Baran.

 _What the hell is going on?_

"Jae!" Screamed Israel.

Returning his attention to their own fight, Jae was just in time to see Nato's scimitar flash before it reached him. It felt like he had been hit by a train.

It took him a moment to realize he was flying through the air, but before he could break his fall, Jae crashed into the floor. The world spun around him, but as screams of pain began rippling out from the main force, he struggled to rise. Before he could get to his hands and feet, he heard the clash of steel above him.

Instinctively rolling to the side as best he could, Jae saw Israel's whole body shaking as he and Nato's swords stood locked against one another. Jae could see Nato putting all his weight into the scimitar as he pushed. And yet Israel held his ground.

Hands yanked Jae up as he watched in amazement.

David and Alaran stepped in front of him as they let go, blocking his view.

"Take this!" David said, holding out a health crystal.

Glancing at his health, Jae saw that he had gone into the yellow from the blow.

Opening his menu as he came to his senses, Jae waved the crystal away. "I have my own, go help Israel!"

"The others have his back." Alarin pointed out. "We need to make sure you're alright."

Glancing past the big man, Jae saw the other volunteers launch another full scale attack, hacking violently at Nato until he disengaged Israel. Jae half expected his brother to collapse, but instead he pressed the attack, screaming in fury as he swung Silverthorne.

Quickly using one of his health potions, Jae closed his menu and made to charge back into the fight. He needed to help Israel.

David pulled his sleeve.

"What!" Jae shouted derisively, turning to the teen.

Stepping back cautiously, David presented Jae with his spear. "I think you'll need this if you're going back in."

Guilt immediately crept in as he saw David's hurt face, but Jae couldn't deal with that right now. Grabbing the spear, he leapt back into the fray.

 _We need to end this now so we can help Lind and the others._

Ignoring the shouts and desperate commands being given over at the main battle, Jae screamed, allowing his rage to surge through him as he rejoined the fight.

With a sweep of his scimitar, Nato sent three players flying through the air. Pivoting, the sub-Boss hacked at several more, only to be stopped at the last minute by Israel and two others all blocking together.

Seizing the moment, Jae unleashed his sword skill, Smiter. Though it was an AoE skill and would probably be of little use against a Boss, Jae needed the speed. With a swing of his now gleaming white spear, he slashed open Nato's side before the monster could defend itself. A burst of light tore through the wound. Stepping forward, he completed the ability with a powerful lunge, burying his weapon deep into Nato's ribs.

Howling in rage, Nato turned to face him, but the blows of the remaining volunteers continued to fall, knocking him off balance. His health was now in the red.

Ripping out his spear, Jae pressed his assault, bashing the wooden end of the weapon against Nato's injuries before twirling it around and using the blade end to carve out another gash.

From the right side, Israel executed a sword skill of his own. Silverthorne became bathed in blue flame, and with a roar Israel jumped into the air before bringing the sword down in a powerful overhead attack on Nato's leg, the entirety of his weight behind it. Nato's tree trunk of a thigh was sliced clean through, and the now independent leg instantly dissolved into shards.

Wailing from the blow, Nato fell forward, his entire body bearing down upon Jae like a wave. Several players began shouting at him to jump out of the way.

Unmoving, Jae waited.

Just as Nato's vast bulk was about to reach him, Jae simply lifted his spear, allowing gravity to do the rest.

Nato's face crumpled inwards as the sharp point stabbed into his eye and nose, but the monster couldn't do anything to stop it. It was far too late for that.

His head impaled on Jae's spear, Nato exploded into a million fragments.

A small screen appeared before him.

 _Congratulations!_

 _You got the Last Attack Bonus:_

 _Captain's Tunic_

Without giving it a second thought, Jae closed the screen and pivoted to the left, terrified to see what had become of the others. To his surprise, he saw most of the Assault Team facing down the new Boss in organized ranks. It was clear that Lind and Kibaou had managed to keep order in the face of defeat.

Suddenly the black haired beta-tester, Kirito, leapt into the air. With a slash of his grey sword, Baran's last bit of health was gone. The on death explosion was even bigger than Nato's had been.

As Kirito and the others who had been facing Baran now turned their attention to the final Boss, Jae ran forward to join them. He heard the volunteers close behind.

By the time group H arrived to help, the strange new Boss had already lost two of his health bars.

"Group H, flank it!" Jae shouted behind him as he ran around the battle. Israel was again beside him.

"Did no one know about this?"

Jae shook his head. "You heard Lind before we went in. There were only supposed to be two."

Israel looked furious. "This is what happens when your Assault Team goes plowing through Labyrinths without waiting to gather intel!"

"Not right now!" Jae shouted angrily. "Just stay close to me. Attack hard, but if he turns and targets us, we go back to the same strategy we used on Nato."

Israel muttered something Jae couldn't hear, but he didn't care. Right now they had a job to do.

Reaching the right flank of the battle, Jae saw the rows of shields as the tank groups kept the Boss focused on them. Each time he hit them, they would overlap their shields and in so doing distribute the impact amongst each other.

After each hit, the damage dealers would leap into the fray for short and swift attacks before falling back behind the shieldwalls.

Charging forward, Jae and Israel hacked at the Boss' back and sides. Within seconds they had dealt nearly a dozen blows. Running up from behind, David, Alaran, and the rest of the volunteers attacked viciously, activating sword skill after sword skill against the massive monster.

Turning to face the new threat, the Boss' attention was quickly forced back on the tanks as they pressed in ever closer, driving their long lances and swords at his feet and legs while keeping their shields raised. Glancing behind the lines of tanks, Jae could see Lind directing the advance.

"They're keeping it off us!" Jae shouted encouragingly at his comrades. "Groups H, kill this fucking bastard!"

With redoubled ferocity, group H carved a bloody swathe into the monster's body, ripping it apart and completely obliterating another HP bar. Always at the forefront, Jae and Israel dealt a large portion of the damage, slashing and cutting without end though they were both exhausted.

As the main force's damage dealers emptied another health bar, the Boss stopped fighting and shuddered.

"Get back!" Lind shouted. "Shields up!"

Trembling, the huge beast suddenly let out a scream directed at the main force so terrifying that both Jae and Israel took several steps back.

Glancing at the main group, Jae was horrified to see that practically all of the tanks had been stunned.

"The scream is an impairment attack!" Jae cried. "Protect the stunned players!"


	25. Chapter 25

25

December 14th, 2022

Floor Two, Boss Room

The Boss growled vehemently, swinging its massive warhammer at the dozens of stunned players.

Diving forward in the way of the monster, Israel was surprised to see Jae right on his heels. That his brother had managed to match his acrobatic speed spoke volumes of his determination, whether in protecting the downed players or refusing to allow Israel to fight the Boss alone.

Screaming in unison, the two of them raised their weapons to block the monster's blow. At the last minute, Israel saw the Boss' free hand, easily the size of his entire torso, swing around the other side. Before he could react, the punch connected, knocking him into Jae. Falling to the ground, Israel and Jae were now powerless to stop the warhammer racing towards them.

Just as the Boss' attack reached them, a dozen swords appeared above from all sides like a net of steel. The impact sent out a shockwave so fierce that Israel's ears felt like they would burst, but the swords held. Recovering from the failed attack, the Boss was forced back by a charge of over fifty Assault Team members.

Jumping to their feet, Israel and Jae saw the wielders of the swords that had defended them; it was group H.

"That was close." Jae gasped.

David gestured at the thirty tanks still lying on the ground. "As long as they're down, we have no protection. What do we do?"

"We kill it. Now." Israel brandished Silverthorne as he broke into a run to join the Assault Team members holding the Boss back.

Jae and some others fell in beside him, and together they launched a renewed assault on the huge beast, driving it back further.

Weapons rose and fell with methodical precision, hacking apart the Boss' armor and piling fresh wounds upon it before the game had time to erase the physical cuts. Sword skills lit up the chamber. Cries of rage and desperation echoed around them as the Assault Team cut the monster down. Glancing at it's health, Israel could see that it had practically nothing left.

And then it shuddered.

"Get back!" Israel cried, but it was too fast.

With a horrifying scream, the monster activated its stun attack. Israel blinked as it hit him. It felt like a blast of ice searing into his flesh, and then he was on the ground.

Struggling to move, Israel's panic surged forward as some invisible force held him in place. Eyes darting wildly around for something to help him, Israel saw Jae grunting on the ground beside him, the vein in his forehead bulging as he too tried to rise. Lying all around them were large clusters of the Assault Team, all straining against the impairment attack.

Out of the corner of his eye, Israel saw the monster launch an overhead strike that would crash into them all.

Before it had even begun its swing, however, two players shot forward. One, Israel was shocked to see, was the black haired beta tester, Kirito. The other was a beautiful girl with long chestnut hair, armed with a razor thin rapier.

Together the two of them leapt into the air, their swords all but invisible as they attacked with lightning speed. Driving their weapons into the creature's throat, the two players forced their blades forward until the Boss' head was completely severed from its body. Falling through the air, the head shattered into fragments before it hit the ground. The massive body then followed suit, the on death explosion sending dirt and dust flying.

With the Boss' death, the stun effect was instantly lifted, and Israel and the others rose to their feet. A huge notification screen appeared before the entire Assault Team.

 _Congratulations!_

 _Floor Two Boss Defeated!_

Israel shot a glance at Jae's wide eyes. "That was the Floor Two Boss?"

Jae met his look with an uncertain shrug. "That explains why it was so strong."

Enraged, Israel rounded on him. "You wanted me to take part in a fight where you're precious Assault Team didn't even know they had the wrong Boss?"

Jae narrowed his gaze. "What the hell is your problem?"

"My problem?" Israel ignored the looks he was drawing from the Assault Team members nearest them. "You nag me about taking part in your Boss clearing operations for weeks, only for me to find out that you people don't have a clue what you're doing. I mean granted, I was aware you'd throw yourselves like cattle against each new Labyrinth, but this? You can't even take the time to figure out who the Floor Boss is?" He laughed bitterly. "If I hadn't almost died because of this idiocy, it would be comedy gold. The 'bravest players' in the game, and they don't even know how to gather intel, let alone who they're supposed to be fighting."

Jae crossed his arms angrily. "Are you done?"

"I really am." turning on his heels, Israel began walking towards the spiral staircase on the far side of the hall that would lead to Floor Three's activation portal. "From now on, bro, you can count me out of your Assault Team. I don't give a shit who you fight, I'm not helping."

He heard Jae mutter a string of curses behind him, but he ignored them as he walked purposefully through the crowd of players. Most were busy cheering their victory, but those that had heard his words now glared at him angrily, including group H. Israel didn't care. He had known from the start that the Assault Team was trouble in more ways than one, and this had only confirmed his suspicions of their foolishness.

Just in front of him, Lind forced his way through the crowd. All smiles, the blue haired leader extended a hand.

"I know you didn't want to shake my hand before the battle," Lind explained respectfully. "But after seeing you fight, and to protect others no less, I'm afraid I must insist."

Israel stopped in front of him, but offered only a smirk. "You're right, I didn't want to shake your hand before the battle. And after seeing you lead, I want to shake it even less. On that, _I_ must insist."

Israel heard Jae running up behind them as Lind's face went red. Still, the man kept his composure as he spoke.

"Whatever you're problem is with me, I've seen your abilities in battle, as well as your character. You may think me a bad leader, but I do at least know that I need men like you." He stood up straighter, as if what he was offering were a great honor. "I'd like to ask you and your brother to join up with my guild, the Holy Dragon-"

"I know the name of your fucking guild." Israel's words were ice. "And I hope I'm clear when I say that I'd rather eat shit than join your guild."

Jae reached them, quickly stepping next to Lind. "I'm sorry Lind, but this really isn't the best time-"

Lind took a challenging step towards Israel. "Who the hell do you think you are? Do you not realize what I'm trying to do here? I'm trying to save everyone, including assholes like you. I'm trying-"

Israel laughed mockingly. "Please, save your propaganda for the others. You're not saving anyone. If anything, you're putting more people in danger."

Lind cocked his head, looking ready to spit fire. "And just what makes you think that?"

Israel stared without moving. "Where do I even begin? You say you want to save everyone, but instead of defending and helping out the less skilled players, you rally all the strongest people to you, abandoning the others without a second thought.

Lind opened his mouth to speak, but Israel cut him off. "You say you want to save everyone, but here you are making guilds, creating division among the player base. Before long, I wouldn't be surprised if your guild and Kibaou's started murdering each other to see who gets the best farming areas or who gets to fight the Floor Bosses first. Hell, the two of you were probably at each other's throats to see who would lead this raid until some genius decided on a coin toss. On top of that, you call yourself a leader without even understanding the importance of gathering information. That's kinda textbook for anyone wanting to command, just so you know. You walked in here, with hundreds of people trusting in you, and you didn't even know there would be a third Boss." Israel shook his head at the man. "Your stupidity astounds me."

He made to walk around the leader, but Lind stepped in his way. Several dozen players, doubtless members of the Holy Dragon Alliance, also began stepping closer all around. Jae looked unsure who to side with, but as the guild members began surrounding Israel, Jae stepped closer protectively.

"There was no way we could know there was going to be a third Boss!" Lind said angrily. "We gathered intel for days on what we would face here. The info brokers assured us that, as it was during the beta-test, Baran would be the Floor Boss and Nato would be the sub. This third one never even existed in the beta!"

Israel shrugged. "I honestly couldn't care less for your excuses. You're a man of greed and cowardice. You leave the helpless players to their own defenses while you surround yourself with the strong and capable. You attack the Labyrinths so you can hoard the most EXP and the best items. I will never fight to further satiate that greed. I will never help you, your guild, or your Assault Team."

"How could you be so idiotic?" Lind shouted. "How could you be so short sighted as to not see that the Assault Team are the ones selflessly risking their lives to get everyone home? We are here, fighting on the frontlines, while everyone else hides in the towns!"

"The frontlines?" Israel spat. "Is that what you think? You're all a bunch of heroes, fighting some glorious war? Battling on the 'frontlines?'" He pointed at the Labyrinth walls. "The 'frontlines' are out there! The war is out there! People are dying out in the fields, the forests, the swamps. They die because they want to emulate you!" Israel's voice grew louder. "They want to join you and fight beside you!" He was near yelling now. "And you leave them to die!" His hand closed around the pommel of Silverthorne.

Instantly, the guild members drew their swords. Jae's spear twirled into his hands as he stood at Israel's side. A pang of guilt swept through him as Israel saw that though his brother was no doubt beyond furious with him, and disagreed with everything he was saying to Lind, Jae was still ready to die for him. Only Lind kept his weapon in its sheath.

"Brother," Jae whispered without taking his eyes off the guild members. "Let go of your sword. Calm down and think about what you're doing. Let go of the sword."

Slowly releasing Silvethorne, Israel nonetheless maintained a fighting stance as he stared at Lind. The majority of the Assault Team had already left, eager to advance to the Third Floor and see what awaited them there. Yet a few dozen besides Lind's guild had noticed what was going on and formed a small crowd around the tense players.

Lind, though he looked like he wanted nothing better than to fight, motioned at his guild. Reluctantly, the players sheathed their weapons and stepped back. Jae sighed in relief beside him.

"You are wrong, Israel." Lind said, his voice filled with conflicting emotions. "You are so, so wrong. But I see now that your mind is made up on the matter, so there is no reason to continue talking with you." He gestured at the spiral staircase behind him. "Go."

Israel dipped his head sarcastically. "With pleasure."

Striding past the players gathered around him, Israel didn't look back as he ascended the spiral staircase. Anger surged through him, and for every step he took, his rage only grew.

He was no longer angry with Jae. On the contrary, he was already beginning to regret his harsh words to his brother. No, it was Lind he was furious at. Lind, Kibaou, the entire Assault Team. His disbelief in them had now turned to hatred.

Stepping into the teleport gate, Israel didn't even realize it had activated around him until he found himself standing in the center of a new city.

…

"Lind," Jae began as Israel disappeared up the staircase. "I am so sorry. My brother…"

Lind shook his head. "There's no need to apologize for the actions of someone other than yourself. Not even your brother." He paused. "Though I do admit, I didn't expect him to be so different from you."

Jae looked down at his feet. "Yeah, we have a habit of being at each other's throats." He looked up at the faces of the guild members surrounding him. "But I don't appreciate anyone drawing a weapon against my brother."

One of the guild members looked furious. "He was ready to cut Lind down where he stood! We all saw it!"

"No." Lind said firmly. "Jae is right. We aren't murderers. We won't kill Kirito for his role in Diabel's death, and we won't kill someone else just because he shouts mean things at us."

"He put a hand on his sword!"

"But he didn't draw it!" Jae said sharply. "If he had wanted to attack Lind, he would've done it without hesitation. He's impulsive that way."

Lind nodded. "I believe you. He doesn't seem like the cautious type. But Jae." He fixed Jae with a hopeful look. "In spite of the day's events, I would still like you to join us. The Holy Dragon Alliance needs men like you and your brother. He's made his position clear. What of yours?"

Jae hesitated. He wanted to join, now more than ever after the stunt Israel had just pulled. But he also wanted to fix things with his brother.

Before he could answer, Lind waved a hand. "I'm sorry if it feels like I'm pushing you into an answer, but it's just that I need good people. People I can trust, and sooner rather than later. Listen, take as long as you need to decide. I'm going to begin setting requirements on who can join the Holy Dragon Alliance soon, but in your case, consider the invite open indefinitely."

Jae smiled gratefully. "Thanks Lind, I-"

The door leading into the Boss room creaked open. Turning, Jae saw a short, thin girl run inside purposefully. Wearing a hood and cloak, it was difficult to make much out of her appearance, but Jae could see that on her face were what looked like painted on cat whiskers.

Lind furrowed his brow at the girl. "Argo?"

She stopped, looking around the quiet room in amazement.

"You...you killed it?" She asked.

Lind paused. "If you're talking about the third Boss, then yes. It's dead, and Floor Three is unlocked."

Sighing, Argo's relief was palpable. Turning on her heels, she made to leave before Lind cleared his throat.

"Argo." He said blankly. "You and the other info-brokers failed to mention that the real Floor Boss wouldn't spawn until halfway through the battle."

Argo shook her head despondently. "No, Lind! We told you everything we knew. In the beta-test, the Floor Two Boss was Baran, and his only companion was the sub-Boss, Nato. This is something new added by Kayaba, something no one could have prepared for."

Jae arched an eyebrow. "Then how did you know about it? You came running in here like you expected us all to be dead."

Argo shot him a dark look. "Are you accusing me of something?"

Lind shook his head. "No one is accusing you, Argo. But several people did die because of what happened, so you'll understand if we aren't too pleased with the day's events. How did you know about the third Boss?"

Argo stuck her tongue out at Jae as she walked over to them.

 _What a child._

"I know," she began as she stopped in front of Lind and his guild members. "Because I was out gathering intel on a quest outside Yilvon Village, as part of a transaction with a client, when I met an NPC who started talking about 'the monster of the land,' named Asterius. At first it sounded like some kind of Field Boss Event, so I did a little digging. I had to talk to about a hundred NPC's from all over Floor Two before I figured out that Asterius was the new Floor Two Boss. I came straight here as fast as I could," She glanced at Jae," And at great risk to myself, just so you know. I'm nowhere near equipped to be fighting in Labyrinths."

"Look, I didn't mean it like that." Jae said in annoyance.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lind's expression turn into one of sorrow.

"Was Israel right?" Lind asked, half to himself. "Had we taken the time to explore the Floor, we could've found out about the third Boss."

Jae shook his head. "We would've had to scour the entire Floor and do all the quests in order to figure this out. That would've taken days, weeks even. That's time we don't have. That's days or weeks of more people dying. No, the best thing to do is keep clearing the Labyrinths. What happened here is Kayaba's doing, not the Assault Team's."

Lind looked unsure of himself for the first time. "But this proves Israel wasn't entirely wrong, at least on one point."

Jae shrugged. "The world is never black and white. Things are always more complicated. That's something my brother struggles to see. To him, his way is the only way. So he may have been right on one point. He's still wrong in the others. We're doing the right thing here."

Lind nodded, putting a hand on Jae's shoulder. "You're right. We're doing the right thing."


	26. Chapter 26

26

December 16th, 2022

Floor 3, Forest of Wavering Mists

"Switch!" Kat shouted.

Jumping forward on either side of her, Naomi and Evie quickly unleashed a flurry of blows on the pack of tree creatures. Splinters of bark flew out in all directions as they hacked at the monsters. Squealing in shrill tones, the small trees swung their roots in an effort to counterattack, but Naomi was having none of it.

With a grunt, she chopped off three of the tentacle like roots before charging at the monsters. Keeping her shield held high, Naomi warded off the remaining roots as she swung at her first target. Burying the hatchet in between the creature's strange gnarled eyes with all her strength, Naomi watched as it exploded into shards.

The remaining trees rounded on her, but she wasn't worried. Just as Naomi prepared to kill the rest of them, Evie and Kat tore forward, quickly cutting down two more. Watching the rest of its pack die all around it, the one tree still alive suddenly turned, launching its roots forward into the ground as it tried to escape.

Without bothering to give chase, Naomi instead activated a sword skill. A golden hue emanated from the axe, and with a flick of her wrist, Naomi launched the weapon into the air. Spinning in full rotation as it sailed through the forest, the blade of the axe quickly reached the monster tree and buried itself into the creature's bark. With a groan, the mob shattered into a thousand pieces.

Stepping past the inanimate trees all around, Naomi quickly retrieved her axe, dropping it into the sheath at her belt before turning to Kat's excited face.

"I levelled up!" Kat said happily, opening her menu and distributing her attribute points.

Evie swept up beside them, her traveling coat billowing out around her.

"It's about time. What level is that? Seven? Eight?"

Kat shot her a sarcastic look. "Level twelve, actually."

Naomi chuckled. "Better watch out Evie, Kat's getting pretty strong."

Evie waved a hand dismissively. "Psh. She's just a tank. The only reason she gets kills is because we're nice to her."

Kat put an armored hand on her hip playfully. "Your disrespect to my role has gone on long enough. I doubt you'll think DPS characters so superior when I destroy you in a duel."

Evie giggled. "Come on Kat, you don't want these problems."

Naomi raised a hand hopefully. "I for one would like to see this duel. I'll be referee."

Kat nodded before slinging her large kite shield on her back. "Not today though, I'm exhausted. We've been out grinding since breakfast."

Naomi opened her menu, checking the time. "Yeah, it's getting late. We should head back to Zumfut before it gets dark."

They walked cautiously down the narrow dirt track leading through the Forest of Wavering Mists, staying alert for any mobs that might target them from behind the dense trees.

Floor Three had been open for two days now, and Naomi had immediately fallen in love with it. The whole Floor was covered in forest. Some areas, like the Forest of Wavering Mists, were denser and darker, but even the Towns were woodland themed. The mobs, while steadily growing more difficult, now offered a notable increase in EXP and Col, making grinding more rewarding. Yet for all that, Naomi still found herself thinking about the patrols. People were still dying, and she was no longer helping them.

"So," Evie said, breaking the silence. "Where should we go for dinner?"

"Will said the tavern he's staying at has some pretty amazing bean soup." Kat offered. "It's right at the front of the city too, so we won't need to walk far."

"Speaking of Will," Naomi said, dodging a tree branch, "What's taking him so long with that quest? He's been at it since yesterday."

Evie kicked aside a rotting tree stump in her path. "I sent him a message earlier asking just that. He said the Dark Elf quest has multiple chapters. He only just finished chapter three this morning."

Naomi frowned. "I don't remember the Dark Elf quest having stages in the beta." She sighed. "It's times like this I feel like I can't depend on anything that happened during the beta-test."

"On a brighter note," Kat elbowed Evie in the ribs. "I didn't know you and Will were talking so much. What's going on there?"

Evie scowled down at her. "What? He's in our party and I checked up on him, that's all."

Kat rolled her eyes. "Come on, don't be like that. You never answer _my_ messages, and you definitely don't check up on me."

"That's because you're always standing right in front of me, dumbass."

Naomi began tying her hair back as the humidity of the forest started becoming uncomfortable. "True, but you never send me messages either, Evie. And I'm gone all the time."

Evie's scowl only deepened. "That's because I know you can take care of yourself. Will isn't what I'd call the most skilled swordsman out there. Besides," she grinned mischievously, "The last thing you need is a message notification popping up while you're spending time with that blonde guy. What was his name?"

Before Naomi could reply, Kat cut in. "Wait, did Naomi not tell you? She's not talking to him."

Evie arched an eyebrow. "Ignoring the fact that you kept me out of the loop, why aren't you talking to him? Didn't you two-"

"Yes," Naomi retorted. "Yes we did. And that's why I kind of stopped talking to him."

Evie blinked. "I'm not following."

Naomi sighed as the two girls waited expectantly. She had known they would be like this when they found out. Naomi had shared a dorm with the two girls for over a year, and in that time she had found out just how much they thrived on drama. Naomi herself had never subscribed to gossip, but Evie and Kat were the closest thing to sisters she had. Telling them about her guy problems had become all but second nature.

"You guys know me," She began, "I'm not a fan of relationships. Love and marriage and all that."

Kat frowned. "Is that Israel was after?"

Evie snapped her fingers. "That was his name! Damn, it was killing me trying to remember. What kind of a name is Israel anyway?"

"I mean I didn't stop to ask him what he was after," Naomi said above Evie's mutterings, "but pretty much all the guys I've slept with before have wanted to try and build something lasting out of it. They all wanted to start something serious."

Kat chuckled. "That's for sure. I'll never forget your face when Pat asked you to marry him."

Naomi cringed at the memory. "Don't remind me."

"So did you run away from your own house the morning after you had sex with the poor guy, just so he wouldn't wake up next to you?" Evie asked. "Because that would be kind of sad, and something you'd do."

Naomi rolled her eyes. "No, and that's not something I would do. He woke up first and started getting dressed. Then I woke up and said you guys needed my help with something."

Evie shrugged. "That's pretty much running away from your own house, but go on."

"Has he messaged you at all?" Kat asked.

Naomi shook her head. "No, thank God. But now I don't know what to do. It's possible he got the idea and knows I'm not after something serious, especially not here in SAO. On the other hand, what if he's just hurt that I don't care as much as he does? What if he's just hoping I'll message him? I don't want to lead him on."

Evie shot Naomi a lazy expression. "You're making this more complicated than it has to be. If you're really that scared about getting into something serious, then just forget him. Why even bother thinking about it?"

Naomi opened her mouth to reply, but suddenly realized she didn't have an answer.

It was Kat who broke the pause. "But I thought Israel was working on something you wanted to be a part of?"

Naomi nodded. "He wants to help the weaker players. He's trying to find out as much information as he can on the layout of each Floor, down to the last detail. With that intel, he plans on patrolling the areas where the most players die." She gazed out into the vast expanse of trees all around them. "I've been wanting to help players too, but until I met him I wasn't sure how to do that. His project is pretty ingenious."

"But definitely not convenient." Evie pointed out as they walked. "I mean, gathering that much information would take forever."

"Not with my connections." Naomi countered. "He and I have been splitting payments on numerous info-brokers to help us out. In fact, last time Israel and I talked, he had a good deal of Floor Two all mapped out and detailed."

Kat gave Naomi a look. "Naomi, you've been helping players since day one. What Israel's trying to do sounds exactly like what you want to do. You should get back to helping him."

Naomi hesitated. "I want to. I believe in what he's doing. I want to help him." She shook her head bitterly. "If I just hadn't had sex with him, everything would be fine."

The trio walked in silence for a moment. Naomi was so entrenched in her thoughts she scarcely noticed. If she went back to partying up with Israel, he might very well believe she had serious feelings for him. Then there would be no end to trouble, and the very last thing she wanted was to hurt him.

Finally, Evie shot Naomi a sidelong glance. "But from the way you talked about the sex the other day, it didn't sound like you had any regrets."

Kat giggled. "I was about to say the same thing."

Naomi shoved Kat into Evie. "I hate you guys."

"We love you too, Naomi." Evie smirked.

…

It took about an hour to walk back to Zumfut. Each building, no matter the size, looked like a rustic logger's cabin. The streets themselves consisted of endlessly long wooden planks nailed into the earth. Unlike the living places on Floors One and Two, each house in Zumfut had chimneys with endless plumes of smoke rising from their depths. As with Urbus when Floor Two had been unlocked, Zumfut was now inhabited with the vast majority of players. Still, Naomi was beginning to notice that a very small but steady trickle of people were moving back to the first Two Floors.

 _The higher up the Assault Team gets, the less people will follow. Eventually the excitement of new Floors opening up will fade, and players will settle down in whatever areas they like best._

The tavern where Will stayed was called the Lion's Hat and was easy to find, close as it was to the city gates. After waiting for some time for him to to join them, Evie sent another message. Will soon confirmed that he would be continuing his quest for some time, and that they should go on without him,

"I swear," Evie complained, "His obsession with questing is borderline unhealthy."

Kat nodded enthusiastically. "I mean quests are useful, obviously, but a day of grinding on this Floor and we probably have him beat in Col and EXP."

No longer needing to wait for him, Naomi and the others helped themselves to dinner. The bean soup was delicious. Chock full of sausage, potatoes, carrots, onions, garlic, and a colorful variety of over a dozen kinds of beans, Naomi quickly ordered several more bowls, and was heartily disappointed when she was finally too full to consume more.

Leaning back in her chair, Naomi sighed.

"That was so worth the Col."

Evie didn't look as pleased. "I don't know about all that. I mean it was alright, but not enough to warrant seconds on my part."

Kat shook her head at the taller girl. "You're insane, that was the best meal I've had since SAO started."

A thought suddenly occurred to Naomi.

"Hey, would you guys like to come along and watch the blood moon with me?" She asked.

Evie and Kat both took on questioning looks.

"The blood moon?" Evie questioned.

Nodding, Naomi opened her menu to check the time.

"During the beta-test, a blood moon would occur on the midnight of the second night of Floor Three's opening, and then again on the night of the second month."

Kat swallowed a bite of soup. "Only you, Naomi, would take the time to remember something like that."

Evie yawned. "As interesting as standing around watching an artificial moon take on artificial shades of red in an artificial death world sounds, I'm exhausted, Naomi. I think I'm just going to go crash at my place."

Kat nodded in tired agreement. "I'm sorry, Naomi, but I'm really tired too."

Naomi waved a hand as she smiled. "Don't worry about it, it's cool. I'm fine with watching alone." she raised a finger at Evie matter of factly. "But actually, the blood moon is a phenomenon which occurs when the moon, in total eclipse, is illuminated by the sunlight filtered and refracted from the earth's-"

Evie rose to her feet. "Welp, that's my queue to go. Don't worry Kat, I'll walk you home safely so no strangers talk to you."

"Not that I was going to ask," Kat huffed as she too stood up. "But if you insist." She flashed a smile at Naomi. "See you tomorrow, ok girl?"

Waving as the two of them left, Naomi remained for several minutes more. The dining hall of the tavern was warm and cozy, with a roaring fire crackling in the hearths at each wall. Though there were several players at a table in the center of the hall, they kept mostly to themselves, laughing occasionally at one another's jokes as they ate and drank. At the bar, an NPC was drying a wine glass with a clean rag.

Finally forcing herself to her feet, Naomi left a tip of several Col for the NPC before realizing what she was doing.

 _Do the NPC's spend the money they're paid, or does it simply go back into the system? They're all so lifelike, it's hard to tell._

In the end, she left the money on the table and headed outside. The night air was cool and crisp as she stepped outside, and the singing of the cicadas echoed in the gentle breeze. Looking up, Naomi couldn't see past the clouds cloaking the horizon. She checked the time again.

 _Eleven thirty-six. I still have some time to find a good place to watch from._

Walking down the wooden streets, Naomi could see the occasional player through the light of their windows. Some were alone, but most of them stayed in small groups, laughing or talking together as another day in Sword Art Online came to a close. Another chance at life secured.

Exiting the city, Naomi made for a hill with few trees not far off. Before she had cleared the city gates, however, Naomi saw a hooded man approaching from the road. He at first made to enter the city, but after a quick glance at her, halted in surprise.

"Naomi?" He asked.

She paused. "Yes? How do you know me?"

Lowering his hood, the man revealed himself. It took her a moment, but she recognized him. If not for his scraggly beard and mohawk style haircut, she probably wouldn't have remembered him at all.

"Brock? What are you doing out here?"

The man shrugged. "I was just completing some work for a client, but I'm glad I ran into you. Back on Floor Two you asked me to collect information on the most dangerous areas on the Floors. I sent you back an extensive list of data, filled with only the facts."

She nodded. "You did, and I already paid you for it."

He laughed. "You misunderstand. I'm not here to try to extort money from you." opening his menu, the man procured a tightly wrapped scroll of paper. "However, I also know that you paid other information brokers to come up with similar intelligence. Therefore, I took it upon myself to begin data analysis of player deaths and mob locations on this Floor ahead of time. The first few pages of results are here in my hands."

Naomi placed a hand on her hips suspiciously. "What is it you're after, Brock?"

Stepping towards her, he extended a hand, offering her the scroll. Confused, Naomi kept her eyes on him as she took the paper.

He smiled. "Consider that bit of data free of charge. I only ask in exchange that from now on, you come to me first for your information gathering. I'm not saying don't hire the others, just come to me first. If I don't provide the right information, or not enough in the time you need, by all means feel free to go to more brokers."

Naomi arched an eyebrow. "Why do you care so much?"

Brock shook his head. "I don't. My transactions with clients are their business, not mine. I'm just greedy. If I see an opportunity to earn some more Col, I'll try my best to take it. And gathering vast amounts of data and details on the players, their operatives, the Floors, and mobs? That's got potential to be a very long lasting and lucrative business."

Naomi smirked. "I appreciate the honesty. Alright, you have yourself a deal. I'll come to you first from now on. But I doubt you'll be able to get me all the information I need by yourself."

Brock shrugged again. "Like I said, if I don't, feel free to hire any of the others." He lifted his hood. "Anyway, I have to be leaving. I have a client waiting in town. Stay safe, Naomi."

"And you, Brock."

Marching past her, the info broker silently and swiftly disappeared into the shadows of the gates.

 _He gets points for being creepy._

Moving the scroll into her inventory, Naomi again set out for the hill, bypassing mobs wandering the forest.

 _Israel will need this scroll. Maybe I should just have it sent to him?_

Reaching the top of the hill, Naomi sat down. Glancing up, she saw the clouds suddenly disperse, leaving behind a massive blood red moon. The rays of rust colored light seemed to gleam as they came down from the heavens. It was even more beautiful than she remembered.


	27. Chapter 27

27

December 17th, 2022

Floor 2, Ethara Mountain

It felt strange being clean shaven after a month with facial hair. Still, he didn't mind. Israel leaned back, allowing his legs to dangle over the mountainside as his arms propped him upright. To the east, the sun continued its ascent into the sky, basking the Floor in a warm morning glow. The wind picked up, sending a gentle breeze through his long hair. From the top of the mountain, he could see the shadows dissipate as the sunlight streamed in. In all respects, it was a perfect morning.

Except of course for the thoughts on his mind.

 _I wish I had Naomi helping me out._

This was the start of the third day that Floor Three had been open. Though he had worked almost without end to gather the information he needed on mapping out the place, he was still far behind the quota he had set for himself. He felt weighed down by the vastness of the job, and as if that weren't bad enough, Israel knew that each day that passed would bring the Assault Team that much closer to beating the next Floor Boss. The moment that happened, his work would be useless.

Sighing at the thought of the Assault Team, Israel was beset by yet another thought.

 _I need to make amends with Jae._

Israel hadn't seen his brother since the argument with Lind. It wasn't that he was avoiding Jae. Quite the contrary, he had wanted to set things right almost as soon as he had arrived on Floor Three.

 _But not for Lind. I won't apologize for what I said to that asshole._

Forcing his mind clear, Israel nodded in determination. He would set things right today, starting with Naomi. After that, he would get back to the patrols.

Opening his menu, Israel reached his Friend's List. Selecting Naomi's name, he hesitated as he tried to decide what to say.

"I thought you'd be up here."

Spinning around, Israel rose to his feet. Naomi stood just behind him, an awkward smile on her face as she waved.

"Hi."

Israel closed his menu and began brushing the dirt from his pants. "Hi."

Naomi's jaw worked. She looked unsure of how to proceed. "You shaved."

Closing the distance between them, Israel offered a smile as he involuntarily traced his smooth jaw. "Yes I did. It's nice to see you. Did you catch the blood moon last night?"

Naomi's eyes widened. "You knew about it?"

He shook his head. "No, but I was lucky enough to catch sight of it while working on the Floor Three map. I ended up spending almost an hour watching. It was beautiful."

Naomi grinned in agreement. "It really was."

Silence then.

Looking away from him, Naomi kicked a small rock off the mountain's edge.

Forcing himself to speak, Israel began.

"Listen-" They both said.

Surprised, Israel chuckled before extending a hand. "You go first."

Naomi dipped her head in thanks. "I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for giving you the cold shoulder after...you know. And I also want to keep helping with the patrols. But I do want to make clear-"

Israel furrowed his brow in amazement. "Seriously?"

Naomi hesitated. "What is it?"

He laughed, letting out a deep breath of relief. "Wow, that makes things so much easier. I was literally going to say the exact same thing."

She frowned. "You...were?"

"I'm not kidding. I wanted to apologize for not talking to you ever since we slept together, and I wanted to ask for your help with the patrols again."

Naomi looked perplexed. "Wait, so you were deliberately not talking to me too? Why?"

He scratched his head in embarrassment. Well, to be honest, I was worried you might be after...something more."

Her expression went from confused to shocked. "Something more?"

Israel offered an apologetic smile. "Yeah, sorry. I guess I just kind of assumed you were one of those girls who wanted commitment and a relationship and-"

Naomi burst out laughing. "This is what we get for not just communicating like adults."

Israel crossed his arms as he smirked. "So you're telling me that you thought you were the one avoiding me, for the exact same reason?"

Still laughing, she nodded. "I've never been one for the committed relationship thing. I was worried you were after something serious too."

Israel shook his head as he smiled. "Wow. From now on, I'm going to let my feelings be known a bit sooner." He appraised her for a moment. "I guess we're even more alike than I thought."

"Yeah…" she studied his eyes. "So what do we do now?"

Israel's face took on a serious expression. "Feel like getting some much needed work done? I've been falling behind on things, and it's killing me."

Naomi opened her menu. "We need to make up for lost time before the Assault Team breaks through to the next Floor. And I have something that will help."

Procuring the scroll from Brock, she handed it to him.

Opening it, Israel's eyes widened.

"This is exactly what we needed!" He tapped the paper. "This covers a good portion of Floor Three, areas I haven't started documenting yet. And even the beginning of player death analysis." He glanced at her. "Where did you get this?"

She shrugged. "A particularly greedy info broker. I have no doubt he'll be useful to us. For now though, we need to get started."

Putting the scroll into his inventory, Israel began walking towards the south side of the mountain. "There's a staircase leading down now. I think it spawns once you start the Martial Arts quest."

"I know, I used it to come up. I'd rather save time and just teleport to Zumfut though." She paused. "I heard about what happened during the Boss fight the other day." she glanced at him. "Is it wise making enemies of the Assault Team?"

Israel scoffed. "I don't care about the Assault Team. As long as they leave me alone, I'll leave them alone. But I'm not helping them with raids anymore. I won't risk my life to further their self-righteous ways."

"But what about Jae? Lind respects him, and from what I hear, Jae feels the same."

Israel nodded. "Jae probably hates me right now, but I do plan on smoothing things over later today. I don't want him and I to separate just because I've gone public with my feelings on Lind and the rest of them."

She sighed in relief. "That's good. I was worried you'd stop talking to him." Naomi shot him a meaningful look. "You guys both have issues, but you really love each other. Don't forget that."

Israel smiled at her words before taking out a teleport crystal, Naomi following suit.

"Teleport, Zumfut!"

…

"Is everyone back?" Lind asked.

Jae heard several shouts in the affirmative. Turning, he scanned group H one final time to be sure everyone was present. David caught his gaze.

"I already counted." The teen said. "Everyone's here."

Nodding gratefully, Jae brought his attention back to Lind.

The Assault Team was situated on the fourth flight of stairs in the Floor Three Labyrinth. The fighting had been sporadic, but not too difficult. Ever since the Floor Two Boss fight, the volunteer players who had made up group H decided to temporarily retain the name as none of them were in guilds. Officially there was no party leader, but more often than not, the others looked to Jae for the final word or mob fighting strategy. While he was unsure why, and often doubted his ability to command, Jae did his best to keep them all safe.

Kibaou stepped up beside Lind, his guild of around fifty strong staying just off to the right of the main Assault Team.

"Lind and I have talked about what we can do to make the Assault Team a more effective fighting force. What it comes down is this: we have too many people now." He gestured out at the packed crowd. "The Aincrad Liberation Squad did a headcount yesterday, and as of last night we have over four hundred people in our ranks."

Lind nodded gravely. "While normally a larger force would be good news, the events of the Second Floor Boss raid have shown us all our mistake. Those of you who fought in the main group fighting Baran, and then later Asterius, can attest. Too many people fighting in one area makes us cumbersome. With less room to move and evade, two players died where they stood, packed in as they were by everyone else." He gazed out at the army before him. "Two more players died because with so many people targeting the Boss, it became practically impossible to predict who it would go for, and keeping it focused on our tanks."

The players remained silent, but Jae could feel the sorrow fill the air. Four players had died during that battle, but he hadn't thought of how the Assault Team's choice of offensive itself impacted those deaths.

"So," Kibaou stated flatly, "We've decided on a different approach. From now on, the Assault Team will be splitting up. Each party and each guild will take on different sections of the Labyrinth, and when it come to Boss fights, we will attack in groups of fifty to sixty players max. No more than that."

Protests began to ripple through the crowd, but Lind quickly waved them down.

"I know it sounds more dangerous attacking in smaller units, but this is a necessity. We've learned the hard way that too many people attacking all together will only spiral battles beyond our control. Kibaou and I were barely able to command our own guilds during the fight with Baran and Asterius, let alone the entire Assault Team. Since then, several more have died here in the Labyrinth because there are so many of us clogging the halls and chambers. Our numbers have made battle too disorganized. We've done the math, and forty four to fifty players is all it takes to have all components of a Boss raid force. Don't forget, that's the number we had fighting the Floor One Boss."

"If there are players unsure of how they should form their parties, or with who," Kibaou said with finality, "Then feel free to come to me or Lind. This meeting is officially over."

Voices began echoing across the dark hallway as the crowd dispersed. Some made for Lind and Kibaou, others began gathering into groups. Jae saw about a dozen solo players drift quietly back into the recesses of the Labyrinth rooms.

Jae turned to face David and Aranal, and was surprised to see that the entirety of group H was still there, all eyes on him.

"Since we're already kind of a party," Aranal said, stepping out of the group. "We might as well stick together until we decide what guild to join."

The others nodded. One of them, a tank named Briton, gave Jae a hopeful look.

"Feel like sticking around with us?"

Truth be told, Jae had almost stepped forward and declared his membership of the Holy Dragon Alliance now that the Assault Team would be splintering, but thoughts of Israel, and the players of group H, made him refrain.

He shrugged. "Fine by me. Those of us who aren't quite sure about the guilds yet should be sticking together anyway. For now, let's just keep clearing this Labyrinth." Twirling the spear into his hands, he began making for an unexplored section. "Group H, with me!"

…

The day went by slowly. The rest of the morning and most of the afternoon were spent cross referencing the data Naomi had gotten from her info broker friend. Together, the two of them managed to mark an area in the Forest of Wavering Mists where a good number of player deaths were recorded. Aside from that, almost a quarter of the Floor was mapped and detailed by the time the sun began to set.

Rising from the table at the inn where they had worked, Naomi yawned.

"One thing's for sure," she exclaimed. "This is way more exhausting than fighting monsters. I have a headache."

Israel leaned back in his chair. "Still easier than working alone." He smiled at her. "Thanks for your help, Naomi."

"No problem." She gestured out at the rest of Zumfut. "Do you have a place to sleep here or are you still in Trevica?"

He nodded with a yawn of his own. "Yep, still in that shit hole of a room. Jae didn't want to think about moving until we reached this Floor, but I haven't seen him since we beat the Floor Two Boss."

She shrugged. "I'm still staying in Tolbana, and I have no intention of leaving anytime soon. There's not really a need for it yet." She cast him a concerned look. "You should really go and get some sleep."

He arched an eyebrow at her. "Are you saying I'm not looking good? Maybe you're starting to miss the beard."

Smirking playfully, she put a hand on her hip. "Speaking of, why'd you have to wait until after we had sex to shave? Kissing you would have been a lot more fun."

Israel crossed his arms under his chest. "Is that a complaint? I don't remember you having a problem with it during." He raised a finger. "In fact now that I think about it, was it five times or only four that you-"

She shot him a menacing glare. "Do you want to die?"

"Alright, alright." He laughed. "I take it back. Must've been six times."

Naomi charged after him.

Running for the door, Israel continued laughing as he scrambled outside.

The wooden streets basked in the light of the night lamps activating one by one. Looking up, Israel forgot everything else as he watched the sunset.

Bolting up beside him, Naomi was about to tackle him to the ground when Israel pointed up at the horizon. She stopped, and together they watched the sky.

"It's so beautiful." she exclaimed. "I have a hard time remembering that the sky in this world is fake."

"Does it matter?" Israel grinned at the orange tinted horizon. "Beauty is beauty, no matter how the end result is brought about." He took a deep breath of the cool evening air. "I've always loved watching the sky. A part of me thinks Kayaba does too. How else could this be brought about if not from inspired passion?"

She nodded. "I feel the same way. Aincrad is a death game, but sometimes...sometimes I can't help but admire it."

They watched as the sun began to disappear behind the edge of the world. Aincrad really was something.

"Anyway." Israel craned his neck over at the woman standing beside him. "You should get some sleep before it gets too late. Can you be at Zumfut tomorrow morning? Around nine?"

She nodded, still gazing up at the sky. "Tomorrow we'll finish up the patrol paperwork. I know we can."

He chuckled. "I hope so. Then we can finally get back to actually patrolling."

She glanced at him, searching his eyes. "Seriously though, you should sleep too. I know you feel like there's a lot to be done still, but-"

He waved her down. "Don't worry, I don't plan on staying up. I need to stay alert."

Satisfied, Naomi went back to observing the sun's retreat before the advancing night.

It was nearly dark when Naomi and Israel parted ways. As soon as he was sure she had teleported back to her house in Tolbana, he set out down the streets of Zumfut. Making his way to the gatehouse, he ignored the NPC guards making their rounds as he slipped past the double doors.

Going out beyond the safe zones at night was dangerous. With impaired vision, human players were at a disadvantage against mobs, who could still target as easily as if it were noon. Yet it had to be done.

 _We made good time today, but we're still behind schedule on the intel. I have to get this done before more people die._

Winding his way into the woods, Israel remained light on his feet as he walked, his hand on Silverthorne at the slightest noise.

Before long, he entered the western side of the Forest of Wavering Mists. Taking out his map and quill, Israel began charting the details. Mobs, terrain, possible player activity, and anything else that he could use, he took note of. The Forest was a particularly large and eventful spot on Floor Three, from what he had gathered so far. Still, as of yet he rad recorded little on this section of the place, and patrolled less.

Moving quickly but quietly, he had to juggle between watching his surroundings and charting them. Once or twice he was forced into fighting some monsters, but for the most part he kept close to the trees to stay out of sight.

Hours past, and Israel was just about to pack up when he heard a rustle not far ahead. Straining his eyes to see past the light fog, Israel soon caught sight of a shape approaching him. Preparing to duck for cover, Israel suddenly realized that it was a player.

Quickly putting the map and quill back into his inventory, Israel closed his menu and walked forward. Emerging from the mists, the player stopped several feet in front of him. Wearing chainmail and leather armor, and armed with a one handed longsword, the player also had on a mask. Face covered, Israel was unable to tell if the player was male or female.

"Hello there." It was a male voice, his words muffled slightly by the mask.

Israel waved a hand. "Hey. Are you alright?"

The player nodded. "I'm fine." He glanced at Israel's sword. "That's a rare drop, isn't it?"

"I wouldn't know." Israel was unsure why he didn't answer truthfully, but he found himself growing suddenly cautious. "Why?"

The player shrugged, his chainmail clanking together. "Call it a hunch, but I think that's a rare sword called Silverthorne. I know a few beta testers who've been looking for it for some time now." He rested his longsword on his shoulder. "Are you lost?"

Israel shook his head. "No. I'm right where I want to be."

"As am I." The player didn't move, but Israel could see his body tense. "I'm going to need your sword."

Israel kept a blank face. "My sword?"

The player nodded. "And everything else you have. Drop everything, except your clothes of course, and then turn around back the way you came."

Anger surged through him. Dropping a leg behind him to form a defensive stance, Israel shook his head. "That's not going to happen."

The man sighed behind his mask. "I'm only going to say this once. If you don't start dropping your items and Col in the next three seconds, I'm going to kill you."

Israel could feel his rage building like a storm. That a player was willing to rob another was bad enough already. But now he had just shown a willingness to commit murder.

With a roar, the player charged forward.

Israel had barely managed to draw Silverthorne when the first blow came down. Knowing he would be unable to block the sword, Israel instead darted to the side. Wind rushed past his face as he leaped away from the attack. Now on the right side of the player, Israel had an opportunity to strike. Instead, he held his ground.

"Stop." Israel warned.

Spinning around with inhuman speed, the player lunged for his chest. Twisting his wrist, Israel parried the blow. The green cursor over the player's head abruptly changed color to orange at the impact. Recovering immediately, the player used the momentum of Israel's parry to spin his sword again, this time aiming for Israel's exposed neck.

Israel saw an opening in the assault, but instead of counter attacking, he leapt high into the air, kicking the player in the face.

"I said sto-" Leaping into the air just as easily, the player bashed his pommel into Israel's face before he could finish, knocking him to the ground.

Israel could feel his jaw clamp shut from the impact of the blow. Jumping to his feet, he leapt back several steps just as the tip of the player's sword whistled through the air, scratching his leather breastplate.

Panting in pain and fury, Israel halted his retreat.

 _Fine. You want to fight? Let's fight._

With a shout of hatred, Israel charged forward, swinging Silverthorne at top speed as the player went for another slash. Sparks flew outwards in all directions as the two blades clashed. Without slowing down, the enemy player disengaged, his blade a blur as he aimed for Israel's sword arm. Raising his sword to deflect the blow, Israel saw too late that it was a feint. Switching direction, the player instead struck low, slashing open a small gash along Israel's leg.

Wincing against the pain, Israel went for a rapid lunge, Silverthorne glinting in the night as the blade tore forward.

Twisting his blade, the player effortlessly parried the stab.

Before Israel could blink, he found himself again on the defensive as the player launched a brutal counter attack, swinging his sword in a weaving pattern as he advanced. Focusing all his skill into the fight, Israel blocked every strike, but only just, and with each blow he found himself losing ground.

 _Fighting players is so much different than battling monsters. There's no way to predict what's coming. There's no pattern of attack. I've spent too long fighting NPCs. I need to remember what it's like to duel in real life._

Grunting, Israel ducked down as the longsword swept overhead. Before the player could halt his momentum, Israel dived forward without bothering to rise, aiming for a stab at his enemy's exposed belly.

Lurching to the left, the player only just managed to sidestep the attack, Silverthorne's sharp edge cutting his side as it swept past.

Dropping to a knee as he spun around to reposition, Israel anticipated what the player would retaliate with and raised his sword in a horizontal block as he moved. His guess proved correct, for as soon as he complete his turn, the player's longsword came down for an overhead blow. The collision jarred his sword arm, but Israel refused to let his advantage slip away.

Forcing his weight forward against the block, Israel stepped in close before the player could disengage and smashed the pommel of Silverthorne against the man's face. A small multitude of cracks appeared along the mask as the player stumbled back a step.

Rather than make the foolish mistake of getting cocky, Israel held his ground while the player quickly recovered, hesitating for a moment as he glared through the eye holes of his damaged mask.

Israel grinned wickedly.

Shouting in anger, the player again advanced with blistering speed. Without hesitation, Israel lunged forward to meet the assault, his screams of rage echoing out into the forest.


	28. Chapter 28

28

December 18th, 2022

Floor 3, Forest of Wavering Mists

The metallic clang of sword clashing against sword filled the forest as the duel continued. Sparks of light rebounded off their blades with each blow, briefly illuminating the player's masked face before fading back into the fog. Several times as they fought, their rapidly moving bodies would touch briefly before one would disengage, reposition, and fight on. Never slowing down, the enemy player always managed to channel his momentum into another slash, another lunge, another swing.

With each blow, Israel got better. Years of European style sword training in real life against Jae and other opponents began to awaken in his memories, and before long he had delivered four more cuts on the masked man.

But it wasn't enough. With each wound he delivered, Israel received two more. Fighting at top speed and with all of the skill he could muster, Israel was beginning to tire. His sword arm throbbed from the impact of blow after blow, and Silverthorne felt like lead in his hand.

Judging by the speed and grace with which he moved, Israel guessed the masked man had Acrobatics as well, and at a higher level. On top of that, the player demonstrated exceptional reflexes, again and again managing to parry or deflect Israel's lightning fast killing thrusts. As the battle progressed, it became apparent that the only advantage Israel did have was in Strength. His attacks hit harder, often forcing the player to use both hands when blocking. But hitting harder would cost him speed, rendering him vulnerable against the whirlwind strikes the masked man continued to deal with deadly precision.

His exhaustion beginning to slow him, Israel lifted his sword to block an overhead swing too late, and the tip of the masked man's sword laid open his cheek.

Gritting his teeth, Israel felt a small surge of adrenaline course through him as the pain hit. Lunging viciously, Israel abandoned the attack at the last second and instead arced his sword, cleaving through the player's shoulder armor and into his upper arm.

Crying out in surprise, the masked man retreated several steps as his health entered yellow.

Feeling triumphant, Israel's small victory was quickly brought to an end when he saw his own health: It was well below half. If the battle continued the way it was going, he would lose. The masked man would kill him. Before Israel could attempt to open his menu and drink a health potion, the player leapt forward, his sword all but invisible as he launched a blistering counterattack.

Desperately warding off the onslaught, Israel tried again and again to go back onto the offensive, but the masked man would have none of it. Each time Israel began an attack of his own, the player merely advanced a step and continued his assault. Such tactics forced Israel to choose between carrying his assaults home or abandoning them and falling back into the defensive. The fight had become a battle of attrition; whoever could afford to lose more health would be the victor. And both of them knew it wouldn't be Israel.

Though he had begun applying stat points into health for several levels now, Israel knew he was still well behind players such as this. On top of that, and though he hated to admit it, the masked man was better than he was. The difference was slight; the player was a speck quicker, his reflexes a fraction superior, his sword a hair faster. But it was enough. Somehow, Israel knew that even if their health bars had been equal, the result would have been the same.

He was going to lose.

Another cut sliced up his arm, and Israel's health was now in the red.

Holding nothing back, the two fighters launched everything they had into the final clash. The climax was at hand.

Using every fiber of remaining energy within him, Israel drove past the masked man's guard and delivered a stab into his left shoulder. Before he could reposition, the enemy's longsword slashed once at his stomach, once at his arm, and finally at his chest. The blows were light, but each carved a deep gash into his skin.

Israel's health was now beeping in alarm as he reached his last two percent.

 _This is it._

The masked man lunged forward with blinding speed, the point of his sword aimed straight for Israel's heart. Israel lifted Silverthorne, but he knew he was now far too exhausted to parry the thrust in time.

And then a tree plowed into the masked warrior.

Israel blinked in confusion as the player tumbled to the ground, tree roots striking him from all directions.

The tree mob had come up from behind, so it had only targeted the masked man.

Without hesitating, Israel opened his menu, fingers shaking as he withdrew a health potion.

"Heal!"

Leaping up in a rage, the masked man swung his sword furiously, cutting the entire tree in half with one fell blow. Shards billowed out into the fog.

Locating Israel, the player stepped forward to attack, but halted in his tracks as he saw Israel's health now back to almost halfway. His own health was now in the red.

The player hesitated.

Snarling, Israel ran forward. The tables had turned.

After a split second of uncertainty, the man turned and fled into the mists just before Israel could reach him.

Israel wanted to give chase, but he knew the man would even now be healing himself as well. And it was doubtful another mob would come to his rescue.

More trees began to pour out of the fog, but Israel already had his teleport crystal out.

"Teleport, Trevica!"

Light flashed all around, and the world dissolved. Before he could comprehend what was happening, Israel found himself standing in the teleport gate of Trevica. The sound of Norran's hammer reverberated along the small and simple houses.

Stepping out of the teleport gate, Israel realized he was shaking. Examining his trembling hand, he began rubbing his palms together in an effort to calm his nerves. Every muscle in his body, though burning with exhaustion, remained tense and alert. His eyes darted around wildly, half expecting players to come out and attack him.

Israel shook his head forcefully. _Calm the fuck down. You made it. You're safe._

Exiting the plain courtyard, he began walking slowly towards the room. Then he stopped.

 _I'm not safe. No one is. That bastard is still out there. Who knows how many people he's killed already? How many he'll kill tomorrow? He needs to be stopped. I need to find him. But I'll need help._

It was dark, and Trevica had no street lights, but Israel knew the small village inside and out at this point. Quickly making his way back to the room, Israel couldn't help but watch the shadows as he moved.

That he was paranoid was an understatement. If players were now killing each other, everything had just changed.

Opening the door, Israel stepped inside.

The fireplace and candle lamp flashed to life, their light filling the room. Jae sat up on the bed, blinking away sleep.

Closing the door behind him, Israel quickly approached. Throwing off the blankets, Jae stood up and gazed at him.

"Where the hell have you been the last two-"

"Jae, I need your help." Israel's tone was urgent. "This can't wait."

Jae's tired confusion immediately gave way to concern as he heard the seriousness in Israel's words. "Of course. What's wrong?"

…

"And you said you fought him here?" Jae gazed around at the small clearing surrounded by mist and trees. He twirled his spear around his hand as he scanned the area.

Israel hesitated. "I'm not sure. Maybe."

Jae grunted his displeasure. "What do you mean maybe?"

"Look, this whole fucking forest looks the same. I know I was mapping out the western side, right around here, when I ran into him. But the fight didn't stay in one place."

Jae's face was etched in anger and irritation as he continued staring into the shadows. "And does none of this look familiar?"

"That's the problem," Israel replied as he tried to mentally retrace his steps, "It all looks familiar. I know that most of the fight took place in a clearing of sorts, where the air was clear. But that could be any number of places in a wood as big as this."

Jae continued walking deeper into the trees. "Did he tell you anything about himself? A name? A guild, maybe? What did he look like?"

Israel gritted his teeth as he maintained his pace beside his brother. "If I knew any of that, I would've fucking told you. Every second we waste wandering around here is another person in danger." He paused. "He did say that he knew beta testers who wanted Silverthorne."

Jae nodded, processing this new information. "So he was after your sword?"

Israel ran a hand through his hair. "No. He wanted it when he saw it, to be sure, but he would've tried to rob me regardless." He glanced at Jae. "The way he walked up, and how he talked to me, it seemed like he had been doing this to people for a while. He offered me his terms without hesitation. And he was confident about it."

"And what were his terms again? Give him all your Col or he kills you?"

"Everything. Armor, items, Col. Everything but my clothes."

A tree branch snapped some distance ahead of them.

Dropping to their knees without hesitation, Jae and Israel strained their eyes as they gazed out into the mist. Nothing could be heard but their faint breathing. Tense and alert, the two brothers waited patiently, their weapons at the ready.

Sweat beaded Israel's brow as the minutes ticked by. Though the Floor itself wasn't hot, the Forest of Wavering Mists did an excellent job of locking in all of the humidity. The fog didn't help either. To the left, Israel could see the tentacles of darkness slowly giving way to the advancing sun. It would be light soon.

After almost twenty minutes of still silence, the two exchanged looks before rising again.

"Was there anything about him you can remember?" Jae asked as they again set out into the mists. "Anything that we can use to locate him?"

Israel stepped over a rotting log. "His face was covered with a mask, but that doesn't do us any good. He wouldn't be fool enough to wear the mask he uses to rob and kill back in the towns."

Jae scratched his jaw. "You're right."

Israel saw a tree mob approach them from off to the right. He motioned to Jae to go around before saying, "He fought with a one handed longsword. The weapon didn't look rare, but it was well made. Better quality than what the average player uses."

Jae shot Israel a suspicious glance. "Are you saying you think this criminal is a member of the Assault Team?"

Israel shrugged. "Can't rule out the possibility."

Jae rounded on him. "Let me stop you right there. I get that you have a problem with Lind and all the rest of them, but saying that someone from the Assault Team goes around robbing and murdering players in his free time just doesn't make sense."

"Not saying." Israel corrected. "Suggesting."

"Whatever." Jae continued forward, examining the ground for any tracks or clues.

The better part of an hour passed, and the two brothers found no trace of the masked man.

The rising sun coated the Floor in it's light as Jae opened his menu to check the time.

"It's almost seven. I have to join up with the Assault Team at eight. I'll let Lind know about what happened. If players are turning to crime, only strength can keep them in their place. I'm sure that once news of this goes around, groups of strong players will help us scour the Forest again."

"On that at least we agree." Israel said. "But what do we do with him when we catch him?"

"I'll leave that for Lind to decide, but I imagine we'll have to hold him somewhere."

Israel frowned. "Like a prison?"

"Something like that I guess." Jae gave Israel a concerned look. "Listen, do me a favor and don't wander around here by yourself again? I know how you are, you'll want to go after this guy alone. But don't."

"I can't go alone." Israel replied bitterly. "He was better than me. He would've won the fight if a mob hadn't spawned nearby and targeted him."

Jae face lit up into a hint of a smile. "Looks like that bad luck streak finally broke." He hesitated, glancing down at his feet. "Before I join up with the others, I'd like to eat breakfast first...you coming?"

Israel shook his head. "I have to keep charting the Floor."

Jae opened his mouth to say something, but instead began walking back the way they came.

Running up to him, Israel caught his arm. "Listen, I'm sorry for being an asshole to you at the Boss fight. I shouldn't have lost it like I did."

Jae's face lit up. "So you want to take Lind up on his off-"

"Hell no, fuck that guy." he pointed at Jae. "I'm apologizing to you, not to Lind or the Assault Team. I'm not going to have any part of their activities, and that includes the Boss raids that I know you'll keep going on. I don't take back what I said to them. But I know you're not like them. You and I both care about saving lives. We're just going about it different ways."

Jae threw up his hands. "Yeah, we've established that multiple times now. The Assault Team is the same-"

"No, I don't believe they are the same as us." Israel said grimly. "Some of the average fighters in the crowd, maybe, but definitely not the guilds or the leaders. Don't join with that guild, Jae. Please."

Jae reattached his spear to his back as they made their way out of the Forest of Wavering Mists. "I won't. As long as it's you and me, I don't need a guild. Just make sure that it stays you and me."

Israel nodded. "I will. I don't want us to drift apart here, where we need each other most."

"We won't. I promise."


	29. Chapter 29

29

December 21st, 2022

Floor 1, Trevica

"It feels like it's been ages since we've duelled." Jae smiled as Israel parried his spear thrust. "I miss our battles."

They were standing in the courtyard of Trevica, the teleport gate humming with energy about twenty feet away. Scarcely more than a flat patch of dirt and weeds, the wide and open courtyard was the perfect place to hold a duel.

Israel swung Silverthorne in a horizontal arc towards Jae's neck, his brother's face flashing in alarm as he ducked underneath the blow.

"Are you trying to kill me?"

Israel advanced a step, lunging with his sword. "We can't play around. Fight me as if I was really trying to kill you."

Knocking aside the sword with a twirl of his spear, Jae arched an eyebrow. "That masked man really scared the shit out of you, didn't he?"

"Part of the reason I would've lost against him," Israel said as he lifted Silverthorne into a high guard. "Is because I wasn't used to fighting real enemies. He was. We've spent almost two months in SAO killing NPC monsters with set attack patterns and abilities. We've forgotten what it's like to battle real people. We're rusty." He brought the sword down in an overhead attack.

At the last minute, he pivoted on his left foot and instead swung downward at Jae's ribs. Such a feint would have worked against a sword armed opponent, but spears had reach no sword could hope to match. Seeing the sword's tip now flying towards his side, Jae released the spear with one hand and allowed the shaft of his weapon to fall vertically from its overhead position down the length of his body, just in time to meet Silverthorne.

The fields rang out with a sharp crack as steel crashed into tempered wood.

Israel looked on in surprise as Jae grinned at him, obviously pleased with himself.

"I don't get rusty."

Disengaging, he followed up with a furious series of blows, each faster than the other as he twirled his spear endlessly. Israel blocked some, dodged others, and countered where he could, but soon realized he needed to reposition. Grudgingly, he retreated several steps.

"Good, that's what I want to hear." Israel smiled wickedly. "But now you can't get mad when I fuck you up."

Running forward to gain momentum, Israel forced himself to think of Jae as a mortal threat, one that needed to be eliminated. With a cry of rage, he lunged for his brother's chest.

Spinning the spear to the side, Jae batted aside the blow effortlessly. But that was exactly what Israel had wanted. Using the force of the impact to power his sword, Israel swung at a backhanded angle. The tip of his blade connected with Jae's shoulder, slicing through the skin.

Wincing in pain as his health dipped slightly, Jae responded with another furious assault. This time, Israel was ready. Swinging Silverthorne in a weaving pattern before him, he charged to meet the attack.

Their weapons were a blur as the two brothers fought. Using the reach of his spear, Jae stayed farther back as he spun the weapon in his hands with deadly grace, launching multiple attacks almost simultaneously. To get past the disadvantage, Israel never once stopped moving. Utilizing the finesse and speed from his days in the real world, he disengaged, sidestepped, and attacked in one swift pivot or sudden turn. Forced to counter such flanking, Jae attempted to pin Israel down with blistering rushes and attacks from all directions.

Up and down the courtyard they fought, kicking up so much dirt from the fury of their battle that a small cloud of dust seemed to hover permanently around them. Never stopping, never slowing down, the two players fought with strikingly different styles; while Israel thrived on rapid movement and complicated footwork coupled with new angles of attack at all times, Jae excelled at straightforward, head to head combat with little need or desire for repositioning beyond that of the relentless advance.

Each blow Israel landed, each pivot and turn performed, were based on calculation and strategy. To him, duelling was like physical chess: a complex series of moves thought out well in advance of the acts themselves. Even when reacting to attacks or pushed onto the defensive, Israel chose which blocks or evasions were tactically superior and could be used to his advantage. Jae, while by no means any less intelligent in how he thought, adhered to a far different fighting concept: instinct. Relying only on his gut feelings and years of hard earned skill, Jae kept his mind clear as he fought, his only thought being to win.

Even their greatest, and often finishing, blows were different. Following his concept of speed on the battlefield, Israel was especially skilled at sudden and brutal thrusts aimed at the chest or stomach. While the stab appeared simple in nature, it was easily parried unless timed and executed perfectly. Keeping the blade perfectly vertical, and launching it at lightning speeds past enemy weapons and armor, all while being attacked every step of the way, required a level of skill beyond that of the average fighter. In contrast, Jae's area of expertise was in the counterattack. Often deliberately setting up feints or allowing himself to fall back on the defensive, Jae would more than make up for lost ground with a withering and unpredictable counter blow after the first onslaught left his opponent vulnerable.

Thus, the two brothers fought in styles that differed greatly from the other. Yet somehow, Israel and Jae had proven time and again in the real world that their skill was almost equal. Each of them were formidable opponents, and every time they clashed, it proved a truly titanic struggle. And this time was no different.

Israel's shirt clung to his chest as sweat coated his skin. His sword darted almost as quickly as his eyes as he blocked, parried, glanced, lunged, and slashed again and again against Jae's spear. Their breathing was growing more ragged, and their fierce battle all along the courtyard was quickly stomping the weeds out of existence.

Both faces were fixed with rigid determination, broken only by the occasional gasp of pain as they exchanged small cuts. They were in a safe zone, so ordinarily dealing wounds would be impossible, but Israel had insisted on a formal duel. Under the conditions of duels in SAO, players involved could fight anywhere. Duels themselves consisted of three categories. There was first strike, in which the winner was determined based on whoever dealt the first serious blow. Then half health, in which whoever reached half HP first lost. And finally, to the death.

They had agreed on first strike.

Israel deflected a swing and went for a lunge, Jae parried and launched a counterattack, and on and on the fight raged. At times one would push forward, and then the other, while all the while the blows continued to rain down.

Israel was exhausted, but he knew that Jae had to be as well. With that in mind, he stepped back as the duel continued, their weapons beginning to slow down as strength ebbed on both sides. Sensing victory, Jae pressed the assault, driving forward with ever more relentless fury and every last reserve of energy he could muster. Nearing the end of the courtyard as he continued to fall back, Israel finally seized the moment.

Pivoting on his right foot, he sidestepped at the same moment as he lifted Silverthorne for a final overhead swing.

He saw Jae's grin as he realized what was happening. Spinning around, his brother began lifting his spear. Israel swept the blade down with renewed speed, desperate to complete the strike before he was blocked. The end was at hand.

And then a message screen appeared in front of Jae's face.

"Pause!" Jae shouted blindly.

Digging in his heels, Israel forced the blade to a standstill inches from his brother's head. Jae's spear was also mere inches from the attack, so it was unclear who's weapon would've completed its journey first.

"What the fuck, man." He said angrily. "I told you to turn of messages before the duel."

"My bad, I forgot." Jae's eyes skimmed over the message as Israel muttered in annoyance. And then he beamed excitedly. "Dude!"

Israel dragged the end of Silverthorne through the worn dirt. "What is it?"

"I set the system activation on alert for when the house I saw is officially open for sale."

Israel heaved a sigh. "What house?"

"An epic place in a town called Favrast on Floor Three." He closed his message and fixed Israel in a hopeful gaze. "We have to go."

Israel threw up his free hand in irritation. "And buy a house I've never even seen? No thanks. I have better things to do with my money."

"Bro, come on. If we don't act now someone else might take it." He rolled his eyes at Israel's unenthusiastic face. "At least let me show it you. We can decide on it together."

Israel opened his menu to check the time. What he saw shocked him. "Damn, we've been fighting for over an hour." He glanced back at Jae's impatient gaze. "Fine, I guess that's more than enough practice time. Show me this house."

Jae twirled his spear back into the latches at his back. "Awesome. Thanks man."

Israel shrugged before giving Jae a ghost of a smile. "I would've had you anyway. You were done."

Jae scoffed. "Please, I had more than enough time to react. You're not as fast as you think. I would've blocked and then in the same move counter lunged at your exposed stomach."

"I guess we'll never know who would've won."

Jae extended a hand to the teleport gate. "After you. I really think you're going to like this place."

"We'll see."

Together, they stepped into the portal. "Teleport, Favrast!"

The town of Favrast was essentially a series of logger's cabins interspersed throughout a large clearing in the endless woods of the Third Floor. The narrow streets were made of birch, and therefore a lighter color, but other than that most of the place looked the same as the Floor's main city, Zumfut.

"You know I've never been a big fan of wood themed houses, right?" Israel said as they walked out of the teleport gate.

"Just shut up and wait until you see it."

Israel rolled his eyes in answer.

After several minutes of walking, Israel began to realize that the town was actually huge. In fact, he wouldn't have been surprised if it was the same size as the Town of Beginnings.

He glanced over at Jae. "Just curious here, but how long is it going to take to get there?"

Jae kept his eyes on the road of wooden planks, occasionally observing the various sized cabins on either side. "The house is on the other side of town, so it'll be a bit of a walk- but it's worth it." He added quickly.

Israel couldn't help but smile as a thought crossed his mind. "You know, this reminds me of those walks we used to take across Virginia Beach."

Jae grinned in turn. "You're right. The two of us wandering the streets for hours. We always drew attention to ourselves by singing too."

The two brothers exchanged brief looks, knowing exactly what to do next.

"I tried so hard!" They sang together loudly, "And got so far! But in the end, it doesn't even matter!"

…

Stopping at a corner near the end of town, Jae motioned for Israel to turn. Following his brother's gaze, Israel saw the house.

Shaped like a rectangular tower, with narrow slits for windows and a large balcony roof, the house more closely resembled a defensive outpost than a living place.

Which was exactly what Israel liked about it.

"This place looks-"

Jae held up a hand as he approached the door. "Don't say anything until we get inside."

Entering the house, Israel was taken aback.

Used to the small and simple confines of their room back in Trevica, Israel had to blink several times at the vast open space within. The living room was huge and came complete with large shelves lining the walls for books or other objects, a massive oval table in the center with three chairs, and at the far end nearest the next room was a large hearth,

Behind the living room could be seen the kitchen, embodying two sinks, a counter top, an oven, nearly a dozen cabinets of varying sizes, and a rectangular cooking table lining the center of the room.

Stepping towards the kitchen entrance, Israel saw a hallway breaking off to the right. Jae followed his glance.

"That leads to our rooms, and the stairway that goes up to the roof."

Israel's eyes widened. "Our own rooms? That's something I'll have to get used to again."

Jae nodded excitedly. "Each comes with it's own bed. And each one is bigger than that room in Trevica."

Israel began walking quickly down the hall. "Well come on, I want to see this balcony."

Jae opened his mouth to say something, but at that moment a message notification popped up.

Halting at the sound, Israel turned to see. "Don't tell me it got sold already?"

Jae shook his head. Finishing the message, he hurriedly closed the screen. "The Assault Team has found the Boss room. They're calling a meeting right now."

Israel crossed his arms. "Oh."

He and Naomi had finished charting and detailing all of Floor Three two days ago, but it still felt incredibly soon. That the Assault Team were pushing themselves at a breakneck pace was an understatement.

Jae flashed a determined look. "I'm going to this raid. This is important to-"

Israel waved away his brother's words irritably. "I know, I know. Go ahead. I'm not stopping you."

Jae hesitated. "You know I'd feel a lot better with you covering my back."

Israel shook his head staunchly. "I was serious about what I said, man. I'm not doing anything to help them."

After a brief moment of silence, Jae sighed. "Fine."

He began walking back towards the front door.

Israel took a step towards him. "Wait. What about the house?"

Jae ran a hand over the oval table affectionately. "So you like it then?"

"I mean I haven't quite decided yet. What if it gets sold while you're gone? Maybe you should stay."

Jae chuckled. "Of all your excuses to get me not to go, that's probably going to be the worst. I'll pay a fee to the NPC mayor to reserve the place until I get back or you decide. His house is on the way to the teleport gate."

He reached the door.

"Jae." Israel said quietly.

"Yeah?"

"Be careful."


	30. Chapter 30

Author's Note

hey everyone, sorry to keep you guys waiting. I'm currently working on writing my own book and creating a website for said book, so I've been struggling to manage my time better. But rest assured, I will be getting back to writing Brothers In Arms on a regular basis again. The adventures of Israel and Jae are near and dear to my heart, so please feel free to leave a review and tell me what you think of the story at any time. Cheers, guys!

30

December 21st, 2022

Floor Three, Labyrinth

Stepping out of the portal made by the teleport crystal, Jae had to blink several times to grow accustomed to the darkness. The Floor Three Labyrinth was made of the same dark colored bricks as the previous two. Though torches lining the length of the hall offered some measure of light, they were dim and didn't reflect well against the walls and floor. Like the Labyrinth on Floor Two, the room before the Boss Room itself was a vast chamber supported by dozens of pillars. At the far end of the hall, two large double doors stood dauntingly, as if waiting for someone to dare enter.

In front of the doors, the Assault Team was gathering. Some sat huddled together in small groups while others stood, leaning on their weapons. Small chatter and the occasional cough reverberated throughout the room. Beyond the main body of people stood several solo players, hovering silently as they watched their comrades converse. Jae was unsure why anyone would want to be a solo player. It seemed unnecessarily dangerous and inefficient.

His footsteps echoed along the black stone as he approached. Craning his neck, Jae kept an eye out for group H, but couldn't yet pinpoint them. Sidestepping a large group conversing on which weapons offered the highest DPS, Jae could see Kibaou at the head of around sixty of his guildmates, the Aincrad Liberation Army. He was speaking to them quietly and with a calm demeanor, but the entire guild stood at rapt attention nonetheless.

Scanning the remaining faces around him, Jae was surprised to see that Lind and his Holy Dragon Alliance hadn't yet arrived.

 _They're normally the first people here._

"Jae."

Turning, Jae saw David waving him down as he approached.

"Where's everyone else?" Jae asked.

"Aranal and the rest of group H should be here any second now," The young man replied.

"What about Lind's group? It's not like them to be late."

David scratched his head. "Not sure. But I have heard rumors going around that the HDA and Kibaou's guild almost butted heads over a long multi stage quest earlier this morning. Lind had to intervene and calm his people down."

Jae's curiosity was aroused. "Seriously? They almost fought each other? Was Kibaou with his guildmates?"

David nodded. "From what I heard. He was ready to start fighting right along with the others until Lind showed up."

Before Jae could say anything else, he saw Aranal and the rest of Group H, about a dozen men, appear from one of the doorways of the Labyrinth. Raising a hand to get their attention, he saw Aranal spot him.

"What's going on, fearless leader?" Aranal said with a smile.

Jae rolled his eyes. "I'm no leader. Group H works together, everyone has equal say in what we should do." He looked at the faces staring back at him. "Where's Brock?"

One of the players, a thin man who looked like he might have been in a fraternity back in the real world, pointed at Kibaou's guild. "He joined the ALS last night."

David broke into a frown. "And he didn't even tell us?"

"Why should he have?" Jae questioned. "Group H is a temporary party, nothing more. The moment anyone here decides what guild they want to join or where they want to go, they can leave."

Aranal nodded. "Speaking of, I've been thinking we should all go join Lind's guild. The Holy Dragon Alliance is well organized and Lind is a good leader. They're still taking new people."

Jae shook his head. "I won't be joining any guild personally. But if you feel that way, Aranal-"

Aranal waved a hand. "Nah, I'm good here as long as this group stays around. We got good fighters here. Not to mention our brave her-"

Jae punched his broad shoulder. "Would you quit? I get enough sarcasm from my brother."

One of the players, named Titus, laughed. "Sarcasm? Dude, you saved Lind's life and rode a goddamn giant spider. You're starting to make a name for yourself."

The thought brought Jae to stunned silence. He hadn't considered what the Assault Team thought of him, or even that anyone knew who he was.

"Finally." Kibaou's guttural voice resounded out among the crowd.

Glancing up, Jae saw Lind and his guild appear close to the double doors, the portal disappearing behind them. The HDA looked resentful as they heard Kibaou speak, but they remained silent. Heads down, and with most of them shuffling their feet in quiet anger, Jae couldn't help but think Lind had given them a serious talking to. Whatever the cause, Lind remained calm and composed as he turned to face the Assault Team.

Within seconds, everyone was up and gathered in a close semi circle around him and Kibaou.

"Alright everyone." Lind said in a tired but confident voice. "First let me say great work on reaching the Boss Room this soon. At this rate, we'll reach Floor One Hundred by Saint Patrick's Day."

"A fitting day for celebration!" Someone shouted out cheerfully.

Lind smiled. "Indeed. Now then, let's get to business. The`Floor Three Boss is known as Nerius the Evil Treant. As the name would suggest, he's a tree mob. With dozens of roots that are well over seven meters long, Nerius is a an AoE Boss. His strength will come from being able to hurt the raid group all at once. Single target damage isn't his strong point, but don't underestimate it or attempt a one versus one." He paused to take a breath before nodding in Kibaou's direction.

As if on queue, Kibaou strode forward. "As you all should know by now, we won't be going into that Boss room with all of our strength. Based on the info broker intel given to us, Lind and I have decided that no more than fifty-five Assault Team players will take part in this battle."

Though the crowd kept quiet, Jae could feel the uncertainty about such a plan. Personally, he had full confidence in the idea. After all, there hadn't been more than forty-four players during the First Floor Boss battle. Having too many people all piling up and getting in each other's way was an easy recipe for chaos and panic. If discipline and organization broke down, players would die. The best way to prevent such a thing was to utilize small but well trained groups. That way, orders could be given effectively and battle could be contained in a small zone, not to mention a far easier mobility factor.

Kibaou opened his menu and proceeded to open a scroll.

"We've made a list of those we want to accompany us on this battle." He motioned to the left, where the majority of his guild waited. "If you hear your name, and want to fight in today's Boss raid, then simply step out of the crowd and stand beside the Aincrad Liberation Squad."

…

"Naomi, don't let him get surrounded!" Israel shouted roughly as he hacked apart the snarling Albino Wolf with one last slash. The thick muscled beast shuddered once, the hatred in it's eyes clearly evident even as it finally shattered into a thousand pieces.

Without hesitation, Naomi spun around to protect the beleaguered player's exposed back. The turn was executed with the grace of a falcon, and even as she disengaged from the monster she was fighting, Naomi lifted her axe in a blinding flash, liberating it's head from it's exploding body.

Dropping her shield in front of her to ward off the two remaining goblin warriors now closing in, Naomi easily blocked both attacks.

Confident in Naomi's ability to watch the wounded player's back, Israel returned his focus to the wolves. Three remained, but they were smaller and weaker than the Albino had been. Swinging Silverthorne's familiar weight around him, Israel tore open the leading wolf's face before sidestepping the second one's snapping jaws. Before it could reposition for a second attack, Israel ran it through.

Turning to face the third and final wolf, Israel was surprised to see it far closer than he expected and already leaping up to rip open his throat. Raising the tip of Silverthorne as quickly as he could, Israel launched the tip of the sword up through the wolf's throat and out the back of it's skull. The beast yelped once, then went limp. A second later, a blast of air rushed past Israel's face as the on death explosion removed the now dead monster from the virtual universe.

Naomi grunted, and Israel turned in time to see her bury her axe into the final goblin's face.

"Thank you." The downed player said breathlessly. "How...how did you get to me so fast?"

Israel opened his menu and quickly retrieved a health potion. "We saw you backing down from the wolves when the Albino showed itself. For a moment it looked like you had things under control, but when we saw the goblin pack you ran into on top of the wolves, we knew you'd be in trouble." He lifted the potion above the player's head. "Heal!"

The player's health, which had previously been about to enter red, now returned to green. Though the man looked to be at least in his early twenties, his face now carried the astonishment of a child.

"But how did you know where I was? No one comes down here to this part of the forest."

Naomi scoffed before Israel could answer. "You'd be surprised how many people tell us that, right after we save them. This area has been a hotspot for player deaths for days, ever since one of the info brokers leaked the five percent rare drop chance here."

Israel nodded. "Three people have died here since Monday."

The player frowned. "How can you know that?"

Israel sighed. "Research. Lots and lots of research."

Bending down, Naomi offered a hand. "I'm Naomi. What's your name?"

"Robin," the man said as he gratefully accepted the hand. "Thank you again. You saved my life."

Israel sheathed his sword as he smiled. "Glad we could help." His face took on a more serious edge. "You might want to consider traveling in parties from now on though. The majority of deaths since we first got to Aincrad has been due to players going it solo."

Robin nodded. "That doesn't surprise me. But I'm not a solo player, I'm actually a member of the Holy Dragon Alliance guild."

Israel blinked, his expression darkening.

"So you're on the Assault Team?" Naomi said quickly in a cheery voice, "What are you doing out here alone?"

Robin scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "Well, I was taking the day off from the Labyrinth raids and heard about the five percent chance for a rare drop around here. Being a higher level than most of the other players, I guess I got over confident and shrugged off the danger." He smiled at them apologetically. "I won't be making that mistake again, you have my word."

Israel was about to make an insulting remark when Naomi caught his gaze.

"We should get going before we fall behind schedule." She said meaningfully. "The southern part of the forest won't patrol itself."

Robin's eyes widened in curiosity. "So you guys just wander the Floor, looking for players in danger?"

"Well it's more organized and planned out than that, but yeah, we do our best to keep players safe," Naomi said humbly.

Israel turned angrily and began walking back the way he and Naomi had come, muttering, "Someone has to…"

…

Jae paced irritably along the Boss Room door, straining his ears for any sound that might tell him what was going on inside. Any anger he had felt at not being selected to take part in the Third Floor Boss fight had been subsequently replaced by restless anxiety. Why were they taking so long? Surely the battle should've been over by now?

Without breaking pace, Jae checked the menu for the time. Twenty two minutes had passed since the raid party had gone inside.

"Jae," David said without looking up from his own menu, "You're going to drill a hole in the floor if you keep that up."

"They should've killed it by now." Jae retorted, half to himself. "Why doesn't anyone come and let us know what's going on?"

One of the players in Group H, named Svenn, stood up and stretched.

"You're getting too worked up. If something goes wrong they'll let us know."

"And what if they can't?" Jae snapped back. "What if the Boss has some impairment ability we didn't know about and they're all stunned or paralyzed?"

Svenn looked unsure how to respond and, after a final stretch, he sat back down and began readjusting the light chainmail shirt he was wearing underneath his tunic. Jae merely continued pacing.

Before entering the Boss room, Lind and Kibaou had asked for a volunteer force of twenty players to remain behind in the outer room, in case the raid group ran into trouble and needed back up. Guild members who weren't deemed powerful enough to warrant a spot in the raid, and still wanted to be part of the battle somehow, took up most of the twenty player reinforcement spots. Jae and four Group H players took up the rest. Aside from them, the rest of the Assault Team had left to either grind or take the remainder of the day off.

The moment the doors had closed behind Lind and the others as they entered the Boss' lair, Jae had been on high alert. Spear in hand as he paced furiously, Jae found it remarkable that the other nineteen players could sit and organize their inventories at such a time.

And then, on the other side of the door, he heard a bloodcurdling scream.

That was all he needed to know.

Jae launched himself into the doors and burst inside the chamber before the others had time to rise to their feet.

Looking around as he charged forward, Jae quickly took in the battle.

Lind and Kibaou stood at the rear, shouting orders and maintaining discipline among the fifty or so players scattered in various group types. The players had completely surrounded the Boss; a giant tree named Nerius the Evil Treant, whose last remaining health bar was in the deep red

The tank groups in the front were doing their best to contain the dozens of tentacle like roots and branches being hurled against them, but a few attacks had managed to reach the DPS groups madly hacking and slashing at the flanks and rear of the Boss' vast trunk. A body on the floor was being dragged desperately away from the fight by several tanks as tree bark and sap exploded outwards, and Jae could see that the player's health was in shaking red and he seemed to be stunned.

"Get it's attention!" Lind shouted as he rushed forward to help drag the downed player to safety. "Group F, contain the attacks!"

One of the tank groups responded by advancing boldly on Nerius, keeping their shields held high as they hacked at the wild roots. Nerius swung haphazardly at the tanks with one of his branches, but the Boss' eyes were fixed on the downed player, and he tore forward. Nerius' great bulk all but threw the tank group aside as he reached Lind and the other warriors. Bravely ignoring the imminent threat, Lind didn't bother drawing his sword, focused only on pulling the downed Assault Team member away. The other players turned and braced, ready to protect one of the Assault Team leaders as best they could.

With incredible speed, Nerius forced over a dozen roots forward towards the downed player and the others around him.

Diving forward furiously, Jae let out a roar as he got in between the players and the Boss. Twirling his spear with blinding speed, Jae batted aside four of the roots before he was struck in the chest by the fifth.

The root was dull and blunt, and only grazed him, but the force of the impact alone was enough to knock the wind out of him and stagger his health by around a hundred points.

Sucking in breath, Jae spun away before the other roots could hit him, but he knew he couldn't let them reach their destination. Just as the monster's remaining roots sped past to reach the downed player, Jae brought the razor sharp spear tip down with all his strength. Nerius shrieked as three of it's roots were cleaved apart, but Jae wasn't finished yet. Without a moment's pause, he flipped the end of the ashwood spear up, smashing the durable wood end upwards into the last few roots, knocking them away. It's attack thwarted, Nerius continued to propel himself forward, readying his branches for another strike.

Jae pointed at the two players guarding Lind and the downed player. "You two, with me!"

Without waiting for a reply, Jae charged, dodging one of the branches as it lanced forward at him. Pivoting on a foot, Jae spun to the left and extended his spear to the side in one quick motion, the blade end ripping through bark and sap as he ran along the Boss' side. \

Following him, the two guild members swung their weapons along the same path Jae had torn through at his command, deepening the wound.

Jae glanced up at the monster's face and grinned as he saw his plan have the desired effect. Taking such heavy damage at one direct point forced Nerius to divide his attention, and he now targeted Jae and the two players beside him.

Turning away from Lind and the downed fighter, the Boss gathered its immense roots for another attack, this time aimed mostly at Jae. Before it could begin, however, the raid group reached it. Fifty swords glowed with rage and intent as they hewed at the massive tree, slashing the thick branches apart like rotten wood. Jae considered joining in the counter attack, but at that moment the last health bar reached zero.

With one last screech, Nerius exploded in a shower of pixelated shards, and then all was quiet.

In the next instant, a victorious cheer rose up from the players as the Congratulations sign appeared above them all.

Jae swiped away a smaller notification sign showing him the experience gain he received, and saw Lind approaching. A grim look was on the guild leader's face.

"You went against orders, Jae. You and the others were not to come in unless I sent someone back for you. On top of that, you gave a command to two members of my guild."

Jae frowned but said nothing.

Lind was a quiet for a brief moment before a smile ghosted it's way onto his features. "You saved that Assault Team member's life...and mine, again."

Lind extended a hand in gratitude.

Chuckling, Jae shook Lind's hand. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I think at this rate you might want to invest in some bodyguards."

Lind laughed. "I tried that, but you refused to join HDA. Still," He paused, quickly getting Kibaou's attention. "We need to write Jae's name down in the ledger. From now on I want him with us on Boss raids."

Jae struggled to reign in his smile.

…

It was dark by the time they got back to Zumfut, and both of them were exhausted as they made their way to the teleport gate.

"We did good today," Israel said with a yawn.

Naomi nodded, carefully stepping over a large branch lying in the middle of the wood planked road. "Tomorrow we need to get started on mapping out the new Floor."

Israel sighed at the thought. "We were barely able to perfect the patrol routes and schedules ahead of time, and already we have to do it all over again."

Naomi shrugged. "That just means we have to work harder. We're getting better at pooling our intel with each passing day anyway. I wouldn't worry about it."

Israel shook his head. "I know that much. It's just the Assault Team that's really pissing me off. They just won't stop-"

"Not trying to sound like an asshole here," Naomi replied softly, "But you need to stop complaining about them. They're not going to slow down or change course. They're doing what they believe is right-" She paused just long enough to glare as Israel scoffed, "And we're doing what we believe. All we can do is keep at it."

"Yeah, you're right."

A thought came to him. "Have you heard anything from your beta friends about the masked player?"

Naomi shook her head as anger crossed her face. "No. I've been trying to spread the news to as many info brokers as I can. They're making sure to keep an eye out." She paused. "There are a few I've talked to who think there's more than just one masked man out there."

Israel frowned. "What do you mean? He's got a group with him?"

Naomi shrugged. "From what I was told, it seems more likely that individual players are turning to robbery alone and at random. There aren't any groups working together from what my connections could tell."

"Not yet anyway." Israel rubbed his forehead as dark thoughts closed in on him. "It was bad enough just thinking about one criminal out there. If what your contacts say is true, we could very well end up unable to trust players soon. As if Aincrad wasn't dangerous enough."

They walked in silence for the last few minutes of their walk, and as they turned the corner into the courtyard at the center of town, the teleport gate came in view.

"Well," Israel said, "I guess that's it for the night."

Naomi nodded hesitantly as they stopped just beyond the portal. "I guess so."

"What time do you want to meet up tomorrow? I can be up at six."

She nodded again. "Sounds fine."

There was an awkward pause.

It had been like this for the past few nights. Though Israel was glad there wasn't anything going on between them, he couldn't help but think about the night they had slept together, and think about it often. Though they were both glad to be friends, there was a tension in the air that seemed inescapable.

Clearing his throat, Israel stepped towards the portal. "Consider yourself lucky you get to sleep in a bed," he joked. "Jae takes it every time he gets back to the room first. I guarantee you I'll be sleeping on the floor."

Naomi raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to get me to take pity on you?"

"Enough to invite me back to your place?" Israel scoffed. "Of course not, that would be silly." He grinned wickedly. "Why? Is it working?"

She shook her head with a grin. "You're an idiot."

Israel laughed before placing a foot into the portal. "I'll see you tomorrow, Naomi."

"Or," She said suddenly, "You could come over to my place."

Stopping square in his tracks, Israel turned.

"What?"

Naomi shrugged, meeting his uncertain gaze with a bold look. "My bed is more than big enough for both of us."

Raking his fingers through his hair, Israel stepped towards her intently, but before he could speak, she cut him off.

"Look, I know we blew things out of proportion last time, but now we both know how we feel about not starting anything serious." She paused. "But that doesn't mean we can't...mess around. We could die at any time in this world. That makes me feel like why not do something for ourselves for once? We both know that we're attracted to one another. We both know that the sex was amazing, even if we were half drunk at the time." She glared at him, but not in anger. "I want you. And I know you want me. Neither of us wants commitment, so we don't need to commit. It's as simple as that. Most importantly though, it won't interfere with the patrols." She placed a hand on her hip as if passing judgement. "So I think you should come back to my place and let me fuck you tonight."

Israel's face went from one of surprise, to awe, to wild and unrestrained lust.

He cocked his head ever so slightly as he closed the distance between them, deliberately pressing himself against her.

"I can't argue with that. Your logic is undeniable." Wrapping an arm around her fiercely, he yanked her head towards him, kissing her aggressively. Naomi responded with equal fervor, forcing him back a step as she pressed her body back against his while at the same time battling for control of the kiss, her tongue forcing back his own.

That she possessed the same dominating and lustful attitude as he did still caught him by surprise, but not in a bad way. In fact, he found it more arousing than anything else he had ever experienced.

He broke away for breath. "You know, You're starting to sound like me with that speech there. I think I'm rubbing off on you."

Without letting go of him, Naomi guided them into the portal. "Just say the words and shut up."

He grinned wickedly. "Someone's getting bossy."

She kissed him again.

"Teleport, Tolbana!" They said as one.


	31. Chapter 31

31

February 5th, 2023

Floor 1, Tolbana

"Move your feet," Naomi groaned sleepily, kicking his legs away. "It's not that hard to stay on your fucking side."

Israel yawned. "Says the one who steals the entire blanket every night."

Opening his eyes, Israel studied Naomi's blue dyed ceiling as he blinked away sleep. In his peripheral vision, he could see the the sun's morning rays beginning to sneak across the room. A light breeze, carried in by the partially open window to his right, wafted into the room.

Still battling the desire to go back to sleep, Israel forced his eyes open as he remembered the patrol schedule.

 _We were supposed to be up at fucking eight!_

Israel sat up abruptly. Turning, he could see Naomi's long brown hair cascading around her face. Her hair was one of his favorite things about her.

"Naomi." He said, patting her shoulder lightly, "I thought you said you set the alarm?"

Swiping blindly at his hand, Naomi tried to wiggle deeper into her blanket. "No," She grumbled, "We agreed you'd set the alarm because you said you hated my ringtone."

Already out of bed, Israel paused in the middle of retrieving his pants from the floor. "Oh yeah."

"Dammit Israel!" Naomi shouted, jumping up in response to his suddenly hesitant tone. She glared at him, his lopsided grin at the situation only serving to further her anger.

Swiping at the air, she opened her menu.

"You idiot," She shouted while grabbing a pillow to throw at him. "It just turned six!"

Trying to dodge the pillow, Israel tripped over his pants and fell to the ground. Before he could get up, Naomi appeared at the side of the bed above him and began beating him indiscriminately with another of the goosedown pillows.

Bursting into laughter as the blows rained down on him, Israel struggled to breathe.

"Isn't..isn't that a good thing?" He managed in between laughs.

Without letting up, Naomi continued to attack him as she jumped to her feet off the bed. "It would be if some asshole hadn't woken me up two hours early!"

Standing over him now, Israel could see that Naomi hadn't put her bra back on, and was completely naked except for a pair of his boxers that she had tried on last night. Though she tried her best to keep a straight face, Israel could see the corner of her lips breaking out into a grin each time she swung the pillow at him.

Just as she raised the pillow for another strike, Israel rolled to the side and swung his legs out at the same time, tripping her. Before she could right herself, Naomi came crashing down. Just before she hit the floor, he rolled back and extended his hands, quickly wrapping her safely in his arms as she landed.

Their faces inches apart, Israel snuck in a quick kiss. "You shouldn't let your emotions cloud your mind in the heat of battle. Could get you killed."

She opened her mouth to speak, but Israel snuck in another kiss, deeper this time.

Naomi looked both furious and overjoyed at the same time.

He shook his head at her as he grinned. "You have to stay focused or the enemy will be able to sneak in multiple attacks at-"

Before he could finish, Naomi's enclosed fist met his jaw in a powerful punch, the impact knocking his face to the side.

Releasing his hold on her, Israel felt his face instinctively for blood. He was fairly sure that if they had been in the real world, his jaw would be broken.

"What the hell was-" Before he could finish, Naomi snuck in a kiss of her own.

Israel blinked in surprise, and this time it was Naomi who laughed.

"You shouldn't let your emotions cloud your mind in battle. Could get you killed."

Shaking his head as he stared at her, Israel felt another smile force it's way onto his features. It was simply impossible to not be happy when Naomi was with him.

She laughed again, and Israel thought it was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard.

And then she gave him her special smile.

"That's it," Israel said, pinning her arms to the ground and rolling on top of her.

Though she struggled to be the one on top, he could see the arousal in her eyes. "What's it?"

"Well," he explained, allowing his lips to only just brush hers before withdrawing ever so slightly. "I can't exactly take back waking you up early, but I can think of one or two things I can do that'll make you glad I did."

Naomi raised an eyebrow, and Israel had to restrain a shudder of lust as he felt her arch her back against him. "You have my attention." She whispered against his ear. "What did you have in mind?"

…

"Right then," Naomi said, quickly trying to brush her hair back into some semblance of order as they made their way downstairs almost two hours later. "What's the first order of business?"

Equipping the last of his chainmail armor over his leather outfit, Israel gestured towards the map strewn coffee table in the living room. "You check the latest map and intel reports, and I'll make us some breakfast real quick. Deal?"

"Deal."

Reaching the living room, Israel turned towards the kitchen. Almost everything in the house, from the walls to the floor rug, were some shade of blue. The color scheme wasn't Israel's favorite, and in fact when he had first visited Naomi's house almost two months ago, he had hated it. Now though, he felt at home amidst the various indigos and azures. It was certainly more color than he had known at the room he and Jae had back in Trevica.

Israel paused at the thought.

 _It's been almost two weeks now since I've been back there...longer still since I've actually seen Jae longer than a few moments._

The two brothers had grown more and more distant since the start of the new year. It hadn't been because of an argument or a change of opinion. Quite the contrary, when they did see each other, both remained polite, even if more than a little withdrawn. No, it wasn't anything direct that had driven the wedge further between them. It had been everything else.

Each passing day, Jae seemed to grow more and more attached to the Assault Team and their ideals. In fact, and much to Israel's annoyance, Jae was beginning to grow famous among the player community for his heroic feats in the Labyrinths and against Floor Bosses. From what Israel had heard, it was largely due to his brother that the Assault Team had gotten so far so fast; in the first two months of SAO, they had just barely managed to get to Floor Six. Now in one month since the New Year, the Clearers, as they were beginning to affectionately be called, had beaten fifteen more.

That such rapid and relentless progress would birth exaggerations of the players and events resulting in it was an understatement.

The names of Lind, Kibaou, Asuna, and even the hated Kirito were fast becoming legend, and Jae's own name wasn't far behind. Rumors of his experienced and loyal Group H only served to heighten his brother's image all the more since he was by all accounts their leader.

Israel shook his head at the idea.

Jae had never been much of a leader in the real world, but that wasn't what bothered Israel. It wasn't jealousy either. True, he sometimes couldn't help but feel pangs of resentment towards Jae receiving the love and adoration of the fast growing class of the common people. Was it not Lind and the Assault Team Jae fought for, keeping the strongest players strong while the weak remained weak? Ignoring the death rates among the common players that continued unabated? And all the while, Israel was the one risking his life each day to keep more from dying, to stop Sword Art Online from claiming more victims. Yet Jae won the glory, and Israel's name went unnoticed.

Still, such pangs were few and far between. Both Israel and Naomi had reasoned that being on the more obscure side was better for their purposes anyway, allowing them to move about more freely and without drawing attention.

What really bothered Israel was that his brother seemed to be acting less and like the Jae he knew. At time he even thought that perhaps he had never even known the real Jae at all. Maybe the Jae there in SAO was the real side of the man. Israel still loved him, to be sure, but these days he was beginning to question what exactly it was he loved.

Naomi's voice echoed back from the living room, breaking his sullen thoughts.

"How far did you get charting the Swollen River yesterday?"

"Mapped the whole thing," he replied while opening a cabinet door above the counter. "There's no bridge, but I found a shallow crossing on the west bank." Seizing hold of a frying pan, Israel turned on the stove. "That crossing will shave off a good half hour walk to both of those high PK zones you charted last night. Redstone Beach and...what was that other one?"

"Traveler's Refuge." Came the voice from the next room.

Israel snickered grimly at the irony. Tapping the outside of the fridge, he scrolled through a long list of foodstuffs, most of which he had insisted on Naomi purchasing for cooking purposes. Tapping a small screen with a picture of eggs, Israel's hand was suddenly overflowing with the yoke filled shells.

After placing the whole eggs in the frying pan and turning on the heat, he next retrieved cheese and several basic herbs and added them to the pan. Swiping a hand in the air above the stove, Israel lazily scrolled through the options list before finding what he was after: omelettes.

Not a second later, the mound of ingredients within the frying pan disappeared, replaced instead by two golden, perfectly folded omelettes.

Israel shook his head. "Takes all the fun right out of it."

"Talking to yourself again?"

Turning, Israel saw Naomi walking up beside him, a map in her hands.

He shrugged. "From an early age I discovered that in order to find my equal I would have no other choice than to talk to myself."

She rolled her eyes. "Was I supposed to find that funny?

"You were supposed to laugh until your sides hurt, yes."

"Sorry, my social skills are a little rusty."

"That's one word for it, I suppose."

Elbowing him playfully, Naomi peeked over his shoulder at the stove. "So, what evil have you conjured for breakfast this time?"

Israel reached for the small pile of glass plates on the end of the counter. "Well I had planned on going for deep fried child basted in virgin blood, but alas, I am an artist without resources."

Turning back to dish out the food, Israel was just in time to see Naomi lift the frying pan to her chin with one hand while using a knife normally kept at her hip to bring slices of the food to her lips.

Fixing his stare with one of her own, Naomi swallowed a bite. "Is that distaste at my barbaric ways I see in those pretty eyes of yours?"

"I think arousal would be nearer the mark."

Though she didn't reply and went back to eating, Israel could see the pleasure in her face.

As soon as they had finished eating and the frying pan was cleaned and put away, Naomi opened the map she had been carrying on the counter. Israel knew at once what it was.

Floor Twenty had been opened for only two days now, but Israel and Naomi were now more efficient at gathering intel for patrols than ever before. Everything in Floor Twenty had been mapped, down to the last known mob spawn point.

In fact, they had gotten the concept of mapping, charting, recon recording, and patrolling down to a science in the weeks since the New Year. With each passing Floor cleared by the Assault Team, Israel and Naomi grew only more efficient at the vast amount of data needed to successfully patrol. Player deaths in the first few weeks after the New Year had begun to show signs of steady decline, and when the news reached them that the patrols were becoming more successful than they had dared hope, Israel and Naomi had taken the day off and celebrated until the sun went down.

But the victory was short lived. Ever since Israel had duelled the masked man that cold night on Floor Three, reports of players robbing, and sometimes even killing, other players had begun to trickle in as a result of both their own reconnaissance and Naomi's beta-tester connections. Such occurrences were random and unpredictable, and as a result little could be done to mount a counter movement. Neither the two of them nor the Assault Team had any way of bringing justice to the criminals, let alone curbing the crimes themselves.

But that had just been the beginning.

The final week of January had seen a sudden and terrifying escalation in player crime. Large scale robbery and murder spread like wildfire throughout the most populated Floors, creating panic and horror in a game already filled with both. Israel guessed that it was precisely because of the player base's surprise and inability to stop crime within SAO that had resulted in such a rapid breakdown of order. After all, why would someone risk their life to get money and items when they could simply take such lifelines from others, and without fear of punishment to boot? He hated to admit it; the logic was cold and selfish, but sound.

 _It was only a matter of time before this happened._ Israel thought. _We were all fools to expect law and order to exist free of effort in a world with no rules and only death to look forward to. Hell, it's hard enough keeping the real world from tearing itself apart. It's actually kind of amazing anarchy didn't show itself here sooner._

"So," Naomi said abruptly, tearing Israel from his dark thoughts. "I've been trying to piece together any patterns on criminal player activity for this new Floor, and while the majority of robberies and murders these past two days has been random and scattered everywhere…." She waved a hand at the dozens of tiny circles she had drawn all over the map to show what she meant before continuing. "Most of the info brokers are agreed that several organized groups of criminal players are causing a large part of the crimes, but there are many smaller splinter groups as well, and god knows how many individual players all doing the same. Still, those biggest groups are the ones emerging fastest and are therefore the biggest threat."

"Any party names?" Israel asked. "Guild titles?"

Naomi shrugged. "Here and there people are saying some of the criminals are naming themselves. Stupid catchphrases like Hell's Chosen and Laughing Coffin. Lame shit like that will never catch on. But locale is more important than any name. There might be something here-" She pointed to a larger circle drawn around several of the smaller ones that were clustered slightly closer to each other, her chainmail gauntlet clanking as she moved. "In the Torvfas Woods."

Israel squinted as he surveyed the map. After a moment, he shook his head.

"It's too early to tell. These could all be from a group, but then again it could just as easily be multiple parties acting in the same stretch of land at different times. We haven't had time to cross reference the newest reports yet either. For all we know these locations could be exaggerated, or misplaced entirely."

Naomi scowled as she crossed her arms under her breasts and leaned against the countertop. "I know that, but we need to start acting. The longer these people believe they can rob and kill at their leisure, and with no repercussions, the worse the crime rate will spike."

Israel sighed, raking his fingers through his long blonde hair.

"Trust me, we're on the same page in that regard. These assholes are destroying everything we've been working so hard to create these past few months. This new level of danger to the player base is making the mobs look like an old friend by comparison. Before long, all this patrol research, all this study and cross referencing, will become obsolete if these guys aren't stopped. There's no point in fighting to keep everyone safe from the game when we can't even protect them from each other."

"Exactly!" Naomi exclaimed. "That's why we need to check this out. We need to let these...these orange players know justice is coming for them!"

Again Israel shook his head, his sad eyes meeting Naomi's fiery gaze. "If we waltz in there without proper info, we could be wasting our time. Worse than that though, we'd be giving away the element of surprise. A poorly planned assault could jeopardize our lives as well as tip the orange players off that someone is onto them. That would only encourage them to be more careful, more cautious, and then we'd never be able to catch them. All we can do is wait until we've gathered enough data- factual data- on this topic, and then prep for a strike big enough to actually drive some fear into the rest of the criminals, and all those thinking of joining them."

Silent for a moment, Naomi at last nodded her head in acceptance. "You're right. We need to be patient here. We need to know everything before we attack." She paused, glancing up at him. "But when we do attack, what's the goal? Do we fight to kill and drop down to their level? Or are we going to have to pretend we're cops from now on, locking people away somewhere and guarding them indefinitely? I'm not a fan of either idea."

"Me neither. I think we should just wait to cross that bridge when we come to it."

"One thing's for sure," Naomi said quietly. "When we are ready to start fighting these guys, we'll need your brother and the rest of the Assault Team with us."

Israel scoffed. "Like the Assault Team gives a damn about threats to the common player. As long as these orange players leave them alone, the 'Clearers' will turn a blind eye."

Naomi raised an eyebrow. "Don't be stupid. Jae's not like that, and I'm sure there's at least some fighters in their ranks that feel the same way about this growing problem as we do. We'll need to talk to them at some point." She paused. "When was the last time you talked to Jae?"

"Jae and I are fine, we haven't had an argument in forever now...we're getting off topic." Israel said flatly. "We've said all that can be said about the orange players for now, but that doesn't mean we don't have other things to do. It's time to start patrolling. There are still players out there who might die unless we guard them."

Exiting the kitchen, Israel double checked to confirm he had all his gear before drawing Silverthorne part way from its sheath at his side, just to be sure it was loose and wouldn't cling when he needed to draw it. Naomi followed behind, and they were just about to exit her front door when he stopped.

A thought suddenly struck him.

Opening his menu, Israel rolled the smooth stone from the Martial Arts quest through his hands for a moment as he thought. Then, in one motion, he allowed the stone to drop to the ground. Even as it fell through air, he allowed himself to drop to a knee.

Opening his right hand, Israel slammed his open palm right in the center of the stone. It wasn't a hard strike, but nor was it a soft one. It was loose, fluid, and that was all he needed. Using his vitality rather than his strength, his calm rather than his rage, Israel felt the stone shatter before the first crack had even begun to appear.

There was a sharp series of snaps, like age old tendrils shattering, and the stone collapsed into a small pile of rubble in front of him. A small screen appeared a foot in front of his face.

 _Congratulations!_

 _You've completed the Martial Arts Quest!_

 _You will now be allowed to deal and absorb damage with your body rather than just your weapon. Use your power well! Return to Ethara Mountain to claim a bonus reward!_

Israel was silent for a moment as he closed the screen, and then he burst out laughing.

"That was it? That was all I had to do? God am I the world's biggest idiot. I don't know why you sleep with me, Naomi."

She shrugged playfully. "Self-loathing mostly." Interest crept over her features, and she gestured at the smoldering pile of dust that was even then beginning to shatter into a thousand pixelated shards. "How did you do it? What was the answer? You were trying to solve that quest forever ago."

Israel brushes off his hands as he stood. "Simple really. All it took was a reminder of a history stone is called the 'Stone of the Five Eras. That's the name of a rock in real life, a slab of stone engraved with a way of life created by Aztec philosophers. That way of life is dictated by living, and fighting, with one's own spirituality rather than physicality. Calm and inner peace and all that other stuff. I figured if I used the proper mindset and applied it to my hit, the stone would accept the attempt."

Naomi frowned. "That's simple?"

Already deep within his own excited thoughts, Israel couldn't hear her. Flexing his right hand, he grinned.

 _I'm about to fuck some shit up._


	32. Chapter 32

32

February 5, 2023

Floor Twenty, Ashurni Ruins

Twirling his spear back into its latch sheath at his back as the pixelated shards burst out around him, Jae paused in annoyance to adjust his bronze and iron cast breastplate. The armor, called the Captain's Tunic, had dropped as a reward for him getting the last attack bonus back on Floor Two and was a legendary item that had easily surpassed all the common gear sold at smiths for the next dozen or so floors.

Now however, it was simply becoming outclassed by the steel breastplates sold on the latest Floors, even with the upgrades and refinements Jae had purchased for it. On top of that, it was cumbersome and became unwieldy during protracted combat. He needed something knew, but for now it got the job done, and though Jae would never admit it to his party members, he also liked how it looked on him.

"That's the last of them." He heard David say beside him.

From behind, he heard Timuric curse. "Already? These respawn times are bullshit."

Jae turned to face him just in time to see the peach fuzz mustachioed young man point down into the valley before them. "We should just go down there. The mob respawn timer is more efficient, and they give more EXP."

"You know why we can't do that." Came Aranal's deep throated reply. "No point in starting pointless arguments."

The last member of their Group H sub party, Richards, stepped up beside Timuric. Though only seventeen, Richards' full beard and powerfully built body made him look almost a decade older.

"It's only pointless if we let them have their way without even saying anything. I don't care how strong they are, the Holy Dragon Alliance is no better than the rest of us. Why should they get the best farming grounds? We're part of the Assault Team too."

If it bothers you so much," Jae snapped, "Why don't you both go join their guild?"

Timuric blinked, and Richards gave Jae a puzzled look. "That's not what I meant-"

"Then what did you mean?" Jae asked incredulously. Before either of them could answer, he pointed down into the valley.

"The Aincrad Liberation Army and the Holy Dragon Alliance are the backbone of the Assault Team. Without their leadership and bravery in the front lines during raids, the rest of us party groups and solo players wouldn't have gotten anywhere near this far in such a short time. Do I need to remind you both of the casualties we've suffered getting here? The majority of Assault Team deaths has been from the guilds, and that's because they always throw themselves in first. If they get more EXP than us, it's because they need it more than we do."

"Why do you always defend them?" Timuric spat. "You know as well as the rest of us that the real reason for these new rules is because of Lind and Kibaou. They've been at each other's throats all week, each of them trying to get their guild ahead, and their authority with it. Before too long, their bullshit rivalry is going to leave the rest of us helpless on the higher floors."

"That's enough." Jae said angrily as he rounded on Timuric. "I understand your concern, but Lind and the Holy Dragon Alliance are doing what they believe is best for the Assault Team, for you and me, and for everyone else trapped in this hell." He stepped close, until his face was only inches away from Timuric's.

"Every player in Group H is free to come and go as they please, but as long as you're here, you will not speak poorly about the guilds. If you can't abide by that, then leave now." He pointed back down the path they had come up that morning.

It was dead silent around them as the other players waited quietly, their eyes switching from Timuric's face to Jae's.

Finally, Timuric turned away. "I hear you."

Jae straightened, relaxing his stance. "Alright then." With a sidelong glance towards the sun's position in the sky, he began walking back towards the dirt track running down the valley slope. "It's getting late," he said to the men behind him as he stretched his sore arms. "We'll meet back with the other half of Group H at the rally point and then we can all head home."

Following mumbles of agreement, Jae's men fell in behind him. The path was narrow, but the slope wasn't too much trouble. After winding it's way to the bottom of the hill, the path would eventually lead them back to a small village in the woods set up about halfway between the main town of the Floor and the Labyrinth.

On Jae's right, Timuric caught up but refused to make eye contact and instead quickened his pace until he was ahead of the rest of them. Pangs of guilt crept up on Jae like curved knives, and he sighed in frustration at his outburst. He hadn't meant to cause dissent among his party, at least no more than there already was, but Timuric and Richards had pushed his patience for almost two days now, when Kibaou had sent a global message to every player in the Assault Team; that his guild had begun officially claiming several popular monster spawn points on the new Floor. As a side note, Kibaou stated that no players were allowed into the Guild's new grinding grounds.

Less than an hour later, Lind had sent a similar message.

In truth, Timuric and Richards' protests were much the same as what Jae felt on the subject. At least partially.

In the last month, The rivalry between HDA and ALA had only grown. Following several disputes on how to command Boss raid groups, Lind and Kibaou had begun butting heads more frequently, often to the point where leadership in battle suffered as a result. The memory of several players dying in the last Boss raid alone due to clashing tactics and lack of an overall commander was still fresh in Jae's mind.

Yet instead of such needless casualties bringing about an end to the infighting, the conflict seemed only to further ignite a schism between the Assault Team. Kibaou blamed Lind for the deaths, and Lind reacted by demanding sole authority over the next Boss raid to prove his leadership would not cause such tragedy. Kibaou, of course, refused such terms outright.

Jae rubbed his eyes angrily as he sighed at the thought.

As a result of the growing divide, the two guilds had begun to alienate themselves from one another. Players from both the Holy Dragon Alliance and Aincrad Liberation Army walking together in the towns, or fighting together anywhere outside of Labyrinths, was fast becoming an inconceivable occurrence.

Up until that point, Jae had still been completely on Lind's side, and by extension, the side of the Holy Dragon Alliance. It was obvious to him that Kibaou was a less capable leader than Lind. It was also obvious that, unlike Lind, Kibaou refused to acknowledge his mistakes and would rather blame others. On top of all that, it was Kibaou who had fanned the flames of the witch hunt against Beta testers early on, an act that still continued each day. The man seemed to live to incite conflict.

Conflict led to distrust, which in turn led to isolation.

The new rules put in place by Lind and Kibaou proved the result: Each guild selecting their own farming and grinding grounds on each floor for their own advantage. Of course, this quickly led to the two guilds vying for superior areas over the other. In the end, it was the Assault Team members who were not part of either guild that suffered most. Being forbidden to enter the most well known, efficient training spots left Jae and the others at a disadvantage, both in EXP and Col rewards.

The new rules had also forced Jae to lose some of his respect for Lind. From the beginning, he had supported the man based on what he saw of Lind's talent as a leader coupled with his intellect and bravery. Yet now, how could he explain such selfish actions? Lind had all but betrayed the non guild members of the Assault Team, practically stooped as low as Kibaou without hesitation, assuring the success of himself and his guild to the detriment of everyone else.

Jae's anger flared up further at the thought. He had been a fool to put so much faith in the man. And yet, for reasons he couldn't completely understand, he had just defended him. He wanted to find some explanation for Lind's action, wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt.

The ensuing protest had been widespread at first, but was quickly shut down when the two guilds threatened to permanently exclude from the Boss raids, the Labyrinth fights, and even the Assault Team anyone who broke the new rules.

In the days that followed, nearly a third of the members of Group H joined up with one guild or another, along with dozens of players who had previously been involved in parties or had played solo. Jae understood why his players had left and did not fault them for it. He had, after all, said often and loudly that Group H was simply temporary, and anyone could leave at any time. Still, the loss of strength had been keenly felt in the past few days, bringing an ebb to Jae's newfound position as a popular player in the Assault Team as well as weakening the battle capabilities of the Group.

This combination of events had kept Jae in a foul mood for some time, and it had been all he could do to hold his tongue as the remaining members of the party bickered about the same problems he felt just as strongly about. Though he now felt badly for snapping at Timuric due to his own conflicted feelings, his mood showed no signs of changing.

Israel's harsh words back on Floor Two suddenly came back to him; _Before long, I wouldn't be surprised if your guild and Kibaou's started murdering each other to see who gets the best farming areas or who gets to fight the Floor Bosses first._

Jae gritted his teeth. _I bet Israel will be ecstatic when he hears about this._

He blinked then.

Jae missed his brother.

It had been over a week since the last time they had seen each other, and then only for a few moments to discuss the status on finding the Masked Man who had attacked Israel on Floor Three. There were no leads, and now the Masked Man was but one criminal player among dozens. And that number looked to continue rising.

"I always liked this kind of weather."

Forced from his thoughts, Jae turned to see David had fallen in beside him.

"What?"

David gestured out ahead.

Craning his neck, Jae saw what lay in front of him. A light mist had fallen over the Floor. Not thick enough to blanket the earth in humidity and darkness, but also not too light as to appear nonexistent. Instead, the gentle haze brought a moist, cooling breeze, as well as some shade against the backdrop of the setting sun. Every now and then, beams of light burst through gaps along the wall of grey colored fog, bathing the ground in a serene orange glow.

"It's alright." Jae gave David an inquisitive look. "Is this what it's like where you live?"

David scoffed. "No, not at all unfortunately. I live in Maine. It's cold and dry pretty much all the time. Bleak days without much color. But this?" The young man shook his head in amazement. "It's the perfect contrast."

Jae frowned out at the digital horizon. "Well that makes sense; it's all fake. In the real world, there are no perfect contrasts."

David's lips curled up into a smile as he held up a finger. "That's where you're wrong. In the North China Plain, slight hazes like these, mixed with sunlight, are reported and photographed regularly. A closer to home example would be the Mojave Desert in California, where unique red colored hazes caused by the frequent brush fires are made even more impressive by the clear horizon." He paused for dramatic effect, kicking a rock out of the road as they continued to walk down it. "But in my personal opinion? It's the Harmatton in Nigeria that really beats out the competition. Hell, it puts this digitally constructed view to shame."

Jae was surprised by this sudden outburst of information from David, and intrigued at the same time. "The Harmatton?"

David nodded passionately, reaching out with his arms at some unseen memory. "I have tons of photos all over my wall, each one at different angles of the phenomena. You see, the Harmatton is a special season in West Africa when the dry, dusty winds of the Sahara Desert blow southwards and mingle with the Gulf of Guinea. The mingling of these two properties, and their location just south of the equator creates a one of a kind haze, almost honey colored, to glow throughout the horizon. I swear, it almost looks like the sky is on fire. But not mid fire, more like right at the exact second the sky would burst into flame and then paused there."

Unsure of how to reply, Jae arched an eyebrow. "The sky bursting in flame?"

David nodded dreamily, but upon looking back at Jae's face, he immediately seemed to withdraw from what he had been talking about. "Yeah, well, I'm not very good at explaining things. Anyway, I meant to ask you, do you think it's worth it for me to refine my sword again? I've already hit two refinements, and the chance of success is down to-"

"Are you a photographer in the real world, David?" Jae asked suspiciously, but with a smile on his face.

David exhaled through his nose before rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment. "Nah, not my thing."

Jae scowled in disbelief. "You give me a goddamn speech on global weather and Harmatta skies exploding, and you expect me to believe-"

"Harmatton." David corrected.

Waving a hand to prove his point, Jae blinked, waiting for an answer.

Finally, David laughed. "I want to be a naturalist painter, horizons and visual weather phenomena being my main interest."

"You're shitting me."

Resting a hand on his sword as he walked, David shook his head. "Dead serious, bro. Growing up where I did, in a boring grey, it made me want to see if I could find somewhere not so boring. I guess that's what sparked my love of nature. Well, that and the fact that my grandad was an almost famous naturalist painter named Peter Doig."

Jae smiled in amazement. "Wow man. I had no idea. It's weird, how we kind of lose sight of who people are, how they have entire lives worth of experiences, hopes, and dreams. All this need for manpower and fighting sometimes has us forgetting that each person, even those we've never met, is more than just a face and a sword."

Jae clasped David's shoulder in thanks, and then they continued walking.

There was silence for a moment, broken only by the sound of nearly a half dozen footfalls crushing the crisp grass and leaves underneath them as the party reached the bottom of the hill and entered a more wooded area. The dirt track continued on into the depths of the patch of trees, but was less narrow now and of better quality.

"I have just one question," Came Aranal's booming voice from behind them. "What the hell is a wannabe Vincent Van Gogh doing playing an RPG?"

"You kidding me?" David looked over his shoulder. "Digitized constructed weather and natural visuals are an amazing source of inspiration and-"

A frightened cry tore through the air not far ahead of them, followed by the clash of steel.

Without hesitation, Jae broke into a sprint along the trail path, his spear twirling into his hands as he moved. He could hear Group H draw their weapons right behind him.

There was a sharp bend in the path drawing close when Jae heard another clash, followed by a second terrified cry, from a girl by the sound. Then there was a dull thud.

Turning the corner, Jae all but leaped forward, only to see the thin outline of a player, her health bar at zero, as her body exploded into a thousand pixelated shards.

Forcing his eyes to scan the area around the scene of the crime, Jae caught only the briefest glance at an orange player cursor above a small tree, just before he saw the glow of a teleport activation. A second later, the murderer was gone.

The orange players had killed again.


	33. Chapter 33

33

February 6th, 2023

Floor 20, Sunshine Forest Outskirts

The clash of steel rang out into the sunlit woods as Israel blocked one of the monster's scythe like limbs with Silverthorne. To his right he could hear Naomi grunt, followed by the metallic thud of her shield deflecting a blow.

Raising his sword overhead, Israel warded off another attack from a second giant mantis. Before the massive insect could recuperate, Israel brought Silverthorne down in a heavy overhead attack, crushing the beast's head. As the on death explosion rebounded off the nearby trees, Israel turned to help the injured player to his feet. To his surprise, the man was already rushing to rejoin the battle.

"I'm alright," He said without slowing, "I can help you guys."

Grabbing hold of the player's sleeve before he could reenter the fray, Israel called out to Naomi.

"Get them off us for a minute!"

Nodding, Naomi immediately changed stances, her shield lighting up in a low iridescent glow as she activated a sword skill.

Slamming her buckler into the ground, Naomi braced as the resulting shock wave crashed into the three remaining Killer Mantis', momentarily scattering them.

Using this lull in the fighting, Israel spun back to face the brown haired player who had been close to getting overwhelmed by the mobs. Opening his menu, Israel took out one of the health potions he had purchased from Tristan's shop.

"Heal!" He shouted.

The potion shattered instantly, it's effects evident in the sudden jump from shaking red back to the red/yellow border on the player's health bar.

"Thanks," The player said gratefully before brushing Israel off of him and brandishing his two handed greatsword, "I can help you finish them off now."

Nodding grimly, Israel gestured to Naomi to fall in beside them. Together, the three players formed a line side by side, weapons at the ready. At the same moment, Naomi's sword skill wore off and the three Killer Mantis' charged forward to re engage.

"Israel," Naomi shouted as she raised her shield, "You take the one on the left. I'll take right."

"I'll take the center one." The player said without looking away from the monsters closing in.

As one, the three players charged, the sound of battle filling the woods as they collided into the massive insects.

Dodging a blow from the Mantis in front of him, Israel didn't take the bait and instead dropped into a roll to the side just as the monster brought its other scythe like limb down onto where Israel's head had been not a moment before.

Jumping back up and slashing outward with Silverthorne in one motion, Israel felt muscle and bone give way to silver steel as his blade hacked off two of the beast's six legs. Stumbling from the attack, it was all the Mantis could do to hold it's balance as Israel pressed his attack, ripping apart the mob's green hide in a withering onslaught of diagonal slashes. Glancing up at the creature's health, Israel could see that it was nearly dead. A quick look back at his comrades confirmed that Naomi and the player they had saved were both winning their engagements as well.

Dashing forward to finish the mob, he curled his right hand into a fist, fiery sparks igniting from his knuckles as he let loose his only Martial Art sword skill.

Before his attack could reach it's destination, however, the Killer Mantis swung one of it's scythe limbs out in a sweeping counter attack. Before he could react, Israel felt his chest cavity shudder as the blow crashed into him, tearing at his chainmail hauberk and inflicting a shallow but long cut across his chest.

Falling back several steps from the attack, Israel examined his health. It hadn't gone done by much, and he was still in green, but he was still angered at his failure to properly time his attack.

Advancing to capitalize on its sudden success, the Killer Mantis brought both scythe limbs up for a combined overhead attack.

His anger unleashed, Israel waited just long enough for the monster to begin its assault. Then, with a cry of hatred, he arced his blade through the air. There was a shriek from the mob's mouth, and then Silverthorne ripped both limbs apart, sending them flying before the SAO system shattered them into pieces.

Taking a step forward, Israel again closed for a mid section punch, this time not bothering to initiate a skill. Before his fist could reach the Mantis, the creature lurched violently forward, it's two stumps flailing as it's body crashed into him.

Feeling like he had just been hit by a train, Israel flew backwards several feet, his sword flying from his hand as he hit the ground. Struggling to get his breath back, Israel had no time to reach for Silverthorne before the monster came plowing forward again. Bracing for another collision, Israel lifted his arms to form some sort of buffer.

It came as some surprise then when Naomi's axe came flying through the air above him, embedding itself into the monster's face.

Exploding into a thousand glasslike shards, the Killer Mantis was dead.

Stepping up beside him, shield on her back, Naomi frowned down at him before extending a hand.

"What happened there?"

Taking her hand gratefully, Israel rose to his feet and began brushing himself off while looking around for Silverthorne. "My fault, I was being stupid."

After retrieving his sword and returning it to it's sheath, Israel and Naomi returned to the player, who stood taking one of his own healing crystals.

With shoulder length, jet black hair and and a relatively thin build, the man nonetheless looked like a competent player.

Extending a hand to first Naomi, then Israel, the man smiled. "I'm Nero. Thanks for the assist back there. I wouldn't have survived against five at once by myself." He looked around. "Were you guys farming this area?"

Naomi shook her head. "We were just walking along the road when we heard some fighting in the trees not too far from here. There was a party of players grinding one of the Mantis spawn points without much trouble."

"But that's when we heard you fighting against another spawn area just a bit further into the trees," Israel continued. "When we saw that it was just you alone, we jumped in."

Nero nodded, brushing his hair out of his face with a hand. "I had no idea I was walking into a spawn point. There were no changes in scenery or even a nesting area. I swear, each Floor we go up seems to get better at leading us into traps."

Israel shrugged. "All the more reason not to travel alone. Are you a solo player or something?"

Nero's expression changed at the question. Slowly, the player shook his head. "No, I wasn't at first."

…

After leading Nero back to the main road and supplying him with two extra healing crystals, Israel and Naomi retraced their steps and continued on their patrol. Taking out their map of the area, Naomi tapped one of the highlighted phrases they had written down; _North Western Sunlit Forest area full of hidden/concealed mob spawn points. Player death risks elevated._

"Looks like Brock's info proved right yet again. I'm actually starting to think his ridiculous prices are worth it." When Israel didn't reply, she looked over to find him activating his Martial Art sword skill and punching the air. "Are the flies that bad?"

Shaking his head in irritation as he continued punching, Israel gestured at his hand. "I thought this Martial Arts thing would be simple. Close fist, punch, repeat."

"I'm pretty sure you can kick too-"

"That's not what I'm talking about. The timing is what's throwing me off." He winced as he let loose another haphazard punch. "Well, that and the fact that the range is awful."

Naomi lifted an eyebrow at him. "Well I mean, that was to be expected wasn't it? Fighting with fists offers nowhere near the length a sword or axe would."

He paused, looking up at her. "The axe you fight with, it's shorter than pretty much any sword, right?"

She nodded. "Usually by a foot at least."

"So how do you compensate when fighting mobs with long reaching weapons?

Naomi tapped the buckler on her back. "Shields provide the defense needed to close the distance. At that point, close quarter weapons beat swords every time. It's a pretty effective combo."

Sighing, Israel returned to punching the air. "That doesn't help me. I'm not a shield user. I guess I just need to work at compensating reach and length with ability and judgement."

Naomi's expression turned serious as she nodded. "Just like in the bedroom."

Scowling, Israel pushed Naomi away. Catching herself, she burst out laughing, satisfied with her own joke. Though he tried his best to retain his somber mood, Israel couldn't help but have his spirits lifted hearing her laugh.

"I'll remember that remark next time you're on the verge of orgasm."

Grinning from ear to ear, Naomi elbowed him playfully in the ribs. "Is that so? Well, two can play at that game."

Catching her arm, Israel was about to pull her close when he heard armor clanking not too far ahead of them. Naomi must have heard it at the same time, for both of them glanced cautiously up the road, hands dropping to the pommels of their weapons.

A group of players, some wearing armor, others dressed in lighter gear like leather and customised coats, appeared along the path about twenty feet in front of them, and walking their way. Though there was no uniformity in the gear worn by the group, all of them used a black foreground color on their gear, with golden outlines and backdrops. Israel guessed it was their color theme. His eyes darting to the cursors above the group's individual players, Israel let out a sigh of relief.

They were green.

Naomi seemed to take notice as well, for he felt her relax her grip on the axe at her belt and begin moving forward again. Israel followed suit.

"Hey there!" Came a friendly female voice from the player in the lead of the opposing party. "It's a bit dangerous for just two people to be out so far on a new Floor, don't you think?"

Taking off her conical metal helmet, the lead player revealed her features; with long, red hair tied back into a bun, sharp cheek and jaw bones, and hazel eyes, the girl was beautiful.

Before he could answer, Naomi waved in greeting. "We're pretty good at taking care of ourselves. Looks like you guys are too."

That brought several smiles to the faces of the party in front of them, including the girl. Holding her helmet in her off hand, the party leader halted a few feet away, her fellow players stopping as well. Israel counted six in all.

"That we are, thanks for the compliment." The girl, who was clearly the leader, gestured to one of her men. Nodding his head in response, the armored man opened his menu and began shuffling through screens.

"So," Israel asked, trying to prevent an awkward silence, "I'm guessing you guys are after the special item only found in Sunlight Forest?"

The woman shook her head. "Nah, we figured there was no point, considering the Beta Testers would probably already have grabbed it."

Israel frowned in confusion, glancing over at Naomi. Ignoring his gaze, she shook her head while folding up the map in her hands. "No, I'm pretty sure I heard that the highest any of the Testers got in the Beta was some guy named Kirito getting to Floor Ten. None of them knew what was beyond it."

The young woman shrugged. "Doesn't really change anything. The Beta Testers know how to collect info better than the rest of us, so it's pretty easy for them to stay ahead."

Israel scratched his jaw, unsure what she was driving at. "How would you know that unless you're Beta Testers yourselves? Are you?"

Peels of laughter rippled out into the trees as the woman and her party voiced their amusement at the question.

"Sorry," the lead girl said as she saw Israel and Naomi's blank faces. "But that was pretty funny."

When no one said anything, the girl lifted an eyebrow in surprise. "Do you guys not know who we are?"

"Should we?" Naomi asked. She sounded polite, but Israel could detect a hint of suspicion in her words.

"We're a guild called Justice." The woman's words took on a more somber tone. "We look for Beta Testers."

Naomi stiffened beside him.

Israel felt his knuckles suddenly tighten around the hilt of his sword.

"Why?" He asked quietly.

The woman shrugged. "Someone has to make sure they take responsibility for what they've done."

Israel blinked in anger. He had heard all about the hatred against Beta Testers ever since Floor One. "And what exactly is it they've done now?"

One of the men behind the girl, a tall man with short cropped hair, replied, "Where the fuck have you been since this game started? The Beta Testers are responsible for the Massacre of Floor One. Their greed and selfishness allowed the deaths of two thousand people in the first month of this game alone!"

The woman maintained a silent demeanor as Israel replied, "That's bullshit, man. The game is the cause of those people's deaths, not the Beta Testers. Kayaba is probably laughing at you all right now for picking fights with other players instead of focusing on our real enemy."

"What is it you do to the Beta Testers you find?" Naomi asked suddenly.

Her eyes flicking from Israel to Naomi in what looked like curiosity, the young woman tilted her head ever so slightly. "We're not murderers, if that's what you mean. Nor do we approve of it. The red and orange players are just as much in need of Justice as the Testers are."

"What do you do when you find them?" Israel repeated.

"I'd say our punishment is pretty lenient." The girl adjusted her weight, moving the helmet from one hand to the other as she continued. "When we find Beta Testers, we charge them eighty percent of their total Col, to be dispersed among the rest of the common players."

"That's fucking ridiculous." Israel spat. "You know how hard it is to accumulate money in this game."

"You seem pretty eager to defend those who have a moral obligation to pay for what they've done." Muttered another man towards the rear of the group, his hand on his warhammer. "I'm guessing you're one of them?"

"Stay in your place and go fuck yourself," Israel snapped, "I'm talking to your leader."

The man stepped forward angrily, obviously prepared to start a fight. With a sharp look back, the woman glared at him.

"Stay where you are, Franjon."

Never taking his eyes off Israel, Franjon nonetheless backed up a step.

Turning back to face Israel, the woman crossed her arms under breasts. "Well, I've heard just about all I need to. I don't like violence among players unless it's inevitable, but if you insult my friends again, I'll be forced to reconsider my likes and dislikes. We're just trying to find those who've been committing injustice to the common players. Do you deny being a Tester?"

"You're a crazy bitch if you really believe what you're doing is-"

"He's not a Beta Tester." Naomi spoke up suddenly. "I am."

Israel glanced at her through his peripheral vision. "Naomi!" he whispered.

The young woman nodded. "I thought so. That wasn't so hard was it?"

Naomi said nothing.

"Right then," The leader said. "Are you going to comply with our terms or is a fight inevitable?"

Israel took a protective step in front of Naomi. "You aren't getting shit from-"

"I comply." Naomi interrupted.

Before Israel could say anything more, she was already opening her inventory.

"I'll need your name for a trade exchange." The young woman said, opening her own menu.

"Naomi. And yours?"

"Sarah."

Nodding almost shamefully, Naomi showed them the total Col number on her menu before typing eighty percent of it into the trade screen. Then she hit accept.

Eyes widening at the exceptional sum, Sarah smiled ruthlessly as she too hit accept.

"I appreciate your honesty and cooperation, Naomi." She said sweetly. "Even if you are a Beta Tester."

"You got what you wanted," Israel said through gritted teeth. "And it's far more than someone like you deserves. Naomi has done more to protect the common-"

"I don't like you very much." Sarah said flatly, staring directly into Israel's eyes.

Grinning, Franjon stepped close. The other members of Sarah's guild stood tense and waiting.

"Here," Naomi said, taking off a ring she always wore on her left hand. "This is a rare item I got on Floor Eight. It boosts Vitality by sixteen points."

"Naomi, no..." Israel breathed, "You already gave them-"

Seizing the ring, Sarah gave it a quick look over before handing it to another member of her party. After what looked like a scan of the item in his inventory, the player handed the ring back to Sarah with a nod.

"Excellent." Sarah said, again reverting back to her cheery voice. "Pleasure meeting you two. Take care."

With a curt nod to the players behind her, Sarah stepped smoothly past Israel and Naomi, her guild following close behind. Neither Naomi nor Israel moved until the last of the footsteps receded into the distance. And then Naomi continued walking as if nothing had happened.

Israel was dumbstruck. More than that though, he was furious.

Walking close behind her, he asked, "Why the hell did you do that?"

"Do what?" She replied without turning or slowing her pace, "save your stupid ass from getting jumped?"

Staring coldly at her back, Israel again had to walk forward to catch up. "They were green players, what the hell would they have done? They're good at bluffing, nothing more."

"Can we just get back to work?" She said irritably, "We're going to fall behind on patrols-"

"Fuck the patrols," He said, his voice becoming louder, "You didn't even bother trying to defend yourself against those smug dicks. Why?"

"Why what?" She shouted, still not slowing.

Grabbing her shoulder, Israel spun her around until they were face to face. "Why the fuck did you give them your money? Why did you give them a rare item that wasn't even part of their price?"

"Because maybe what they were saying is true!" She screamed at him, her voice wavering. There were strands of hair in her face, so he couldn't see her eyes, but he did see tears dripping down her chin.

His anger dissolved almost instantly, and was instead replaced with concern.

"Naomi…" He whispered. "How can you say that?"

He tried to gently brush some of the hair out of her face, but she batted his hand away. She then tried to break free of his grasp, but he held fast.

"Because they're right…" She said, her voice breaking. "They're right…"

Breaking down into quiet sobbing, Naomi again tried to pull away, but Israel would have none of it. Hearing her cry felt like being stabbed through the heart with a blade of ice. Though he didn't understand why it hurt him so bad, he didn't really care. All he cared about was her.

Pulling Naomi into his arms, Israel hugged her fiercely.

"No Naomi, they weren't right. They're wrong to think the way they do."

"You don't understand," She whispered, her hot breath clinging to his ear. "What they said was true. During those first few weeks, I knew people were dying. I knew they didn't know what to expect, or what they would be facing. They didn't know where to go or which mobs not to fight. They didn't know...they didn't know…"

She paused to catch her breath, and Israel could only think of how badly he wanted her to feel better.

"Naomi, that doesn't...what happened wasn't because of…"

"It was." She whispered again. "I could've told people. I should've. I should have sprinted to the gates of the Town of Beginnings and warned everyone. Told them what to avoid and what to expect. Then all those people wouldn't have died. But instead I only looked after myself. I was a coward. I was a selfish monster."

"No."

Stepping back from her by just a few inches, Israel again made to brush the hair out of her eyes, and this time she allowed it. Seeing the trail of tears and her despairing eyes, while at first making him hurt all the more, also gave him strength.

"No." Cupping her face in his hands as gently as he could, Israel looked into her beautiful, perfect eyes. He felt tears begin to fall from his own, but he didn't care.

"Naomi, I'm only going to say this once, so pay attention. You are the bravest, most selfless person I've ever met. For months now, you've risked your life saving people with me practically every fucking day. When someone is at risk, you never hesitate. Never once. I've seen you throw yourself into the face of death to get people you've never met before out of harm's way more times than I can count. The first time I spoke to you with Jae, you told us about a quest that was a major reason he and I survived during that first month, when so many others didn't." He chuckled as he shook his head at the memory. "And right after that, you gave me a goddamn legendary sword that hardly anyone could find. And I was a complete stranger."

Sniffling, Naomi shrugged lightly. "A hot stranger."

"Shut up." He grinned. Wiping away her tears, he brought his forehead against hers. "I never want to see you cry again, you hear me?"

She smiled sincerely for a long moment, but then blushed and giggled. "Well if you're going to turn into a giant bitch like this whenever it happens, I definitely won't."

He smiled, drawing close as he stared at her lips. "You mean everything to-"

She stiffened, backing up slightly, and he caught himself, suddenly realizing what he was about to say, what he was about to do. He had kissed her many times before, obviously, but those had always been out of lust or playfulness. And that was to say nothing of what he had almost said.

 _You mean everything to me?_

In some ways, that sounded dangerously like love. No wonder she had reacted.

Releasing hold of her, Israel raked his hair back as he tried to regain his composure.

 _What just happened? Was that a moment? Why were we so close?_

"Umm…" Naomi said uncertainly. She too took several steps back.

Israel cleared his throat, but had no idea what to say.

Neither one of them met the other's gaze, and for a moment neither one of them knew quite how to move past what had occurred. The awkwardness in the air was torture.

Opening her map, Naomi gestured down the road. "I guess we should…?"

Nodding, Israel followed her lead. "Yeah, we're going to fall behind schedule if we don't hurry. Let's wrap up this patrol."

Falling in beside him, albeit several steps away, Naomi kept her eyes fixed on the map. At the same time, Israel kept his eyes trained on the woods ahead.


	34. Chapter 34

34

February 8th, 2023

Floor 20, Labyrinth Entrance

"Quiet down, everyone!" Lind commanded, raising his hand to further show he meant business.

The dirt and stone covered field was packed, with nearly six hundred members of the Assault Team all present and eager to finally get through Floor Twenty's Labyrinth. Looking behind his position near the front of the crowd, Jae still found himself amazed at their numbers every time they all gathered. Most of the time the guilds, parties, and solo players went about their own business, each assigned sections of Labyrinth Floors or quests throughout the Floor that might help with the next Boss. On top of that, the new rules imposed by the Holy Dragon Alliance and Aincrad Liberation Army had further alienated the two major guilds from the remainder of the Assault Team.

The dull roar of hundreds of players all speaking amongst themselves took time to die down, and Jae crossed his arms in irritation as he waited. He wanted to get on with the day's events.

David squeezed past several Group H players to fall in beside Jae, leaning forward to ensure he was heard. "Everyone accounted for." He said with a nod.

Again Lind shouted for quiet to no avail, so Jae leaned in as well. "No, Timuric is missing. I double checked just a few minutes ago."

Shaking his head as he surveyed the mass of players standing before Lind and Kibaou, David replied, "He joined a guild this morning. I guess he didn't like what you had to say the other day. Or maybe he did like it. Either way, he took the advice I guess."

Sighing, Jae gestured up at Kibaou and his officers who stood with arms crossed on the platform not far from Lind. "Was it them?"

"No, the ALS has twice the numbers Lind does so they're not accepting anymore people for now."

"ALA," Jae corrected. "They aren't a Squad anymore, it's Aincrad Liberation Army now."

David waved a hand in answer. "Yeah yeah, I keep forgetting. Anyway, from what I hear he joined one of the smaller guilds called The Companions."

Jae frowned. "Haven't heard of them."

At that moment, several players surged forward as they talked among themselves, pushing into Jae and David without noticing.

Regaining his balance, Jae turned to face them.

"I don't know if you guys are new to the Assault Team," he said in an irritable tone, "But you need to get over your excitement and stop talking." He pointed up at Lind. "He's trying to get this meeting done as quickly as possible, don't make this harder on the people actually trying to keep order around here."

Several of the players got quiet, but one of them, a white haired boy, waved Jae away. "Who the fuck do you think you are, telling us what to-?"

The player next to him, a heavyset boy in his teens, yanked his friend away.

"Dude shut the hell up," he breathed to the angry player, "That's Jae, leader of Group H. Lind has his back."

The white haired boy's face took on the same shade as his hair and he grudgingly closed his mouth. Not meeting Jae's eyes, he backed up along with the rest of his group until they were quickly swallowed up by the crowd.

David let out a low whistle. "Looks like you're starting to get some influence."

Jae rolled his eyes. "How many times do I have to tell people I'm not the leader of Group H?"

Before David could answer, Kibaou strode forward in front of Lind and began shouting loudly.

"Shut the hell up! We're already days behind schedule on this fucking Floor!"

That seemed to get the attention of most of the crowd, for the din finally began to die down.

Nodding at Kibaou, Lind fell in beside him and cleared his throat.

"Right then, let's get to it. As you all know, and as Kibaou pointed out just now, we've been on this Floor for almost four days now. In the past month, we've managed to clear a Floor practically every other day, but now we've begun to slow down." He paused for dramatic effect, looking deliberately out into the crowd. "We cannot allow our momentum to falter! We are the Assault Team! The players of this game are depending on us!"

A cheer rose up from the players, but Kibaou cut it short by waving his arms. "That doesn't mean sit here and clap, that means pay attention."

Taking out a small notebook, Kibaou leafed through it until he found the page he was looking for, then began pacing as he read. "Right, to business. Though we've already failed in taking twice the time to reach the Labyrinth on this Floor, there is some good that came out of it. Our info brokers have managed to accumulate more knowledge than normal on what we will be facing in there. The Labyrinth on this Floor is smaller than the others up to this point, but more maze like. Multiple halls loop back around, and some doors open up to dead ends. For that reason, Lind and I have decided to split up the Assault Team, with a group heading down every available path. That way we can chart the place and reach the Boss without being significantly slowed down. Mobs throughout the Labyrinth will mostly be heavily armored and enhanced versions of the skeletons found on Floor's One and Four. They don't have any special abilities, but they're programmed to be both agile and hard hitting, so don't get cocky in there and don't walk into swarms. Take them down as you go, inch by inch."

"As for the Boss," Lind said curtly, stepping up to the edge of the platform, "My guild has confirmation from completion of the Midnight Logger Quest that it will be a giant sized rhino with three horns called Qartorus. It won't have as much armor values as some of the other Bosses we've faced, but it will have charge, stun, and scatter skills. So DPS players, don't be surprised if we rely more heavily on tanks and healers for this upcoming battle."

"With all that out of the way," Kibaou interceded. "Let's address the elephant in the room. I've heard plenty of damn complaining from a lot of you party goers and solo players on the new rules ALA and HDA have concerning private farming grounds. I only have one thing to say." His voice took on a hard edge. "If I or any of my guild members catches you in our hunting grounds, you will be charged Col as reimbursement and the culprit and his party will be left out of Labyrinth raids on the next Floor."

A stir of protest rose up from the crowd as players began either shouting, laughing, or cursing at what had just been said.

"Complain all you want," Kibaou snorted as he turned away, "I don't give a damn. That is how it stands."

Rejoining his guild, Kibaou hefted his sword and began walking toward the massive Labyrinth doors.

"Alright guys," Lind spoke up amidst the noise, "Kibaou and I have drawn up a list ahead of time of where each guild or party will be fighting during this raid. Remember, while speed is essential in retaining our clearing momentum, your lives are worth more, so be careful in there." Lifting up the notebook, he squinted as he began speaking. "Alright, Kibaou's guild plans on pushing center chamber and along the stairwells. The Holy Dragon Alliance will push for the back walls. Guilds Golden Smith and Legends of-"

"Wait." Jae said loudly, but not disrespectfully.

Lind gazed out in surprise at the crowd, looking for the source of the outburst. When his eyes fell on Jae, the surprise turned to what looked like curiosity.

"Go ahead, Jae."

Feeling hundreds of eyes trained on him, Jae adjusted his weight. He could feel himself break out into a nervous sweat, but nonetheless maintained an air of confidence as best he could.

"What about the orange players?"

A hush fell over the crowd, and Jae could see many of them nod their heads as they waited for Lind's response.

Closing his notebook, Lind straightened. Behind him, Kibaou halted as well.

"What about them?" Lind asked cautiously.

"What about them?" Jae repeated incredulously. "It's estimated that almost two hundred players have been robbed, and at least forty people have been confirmed killed."

When Lind said nothing, Jae shuffled his feet anxiously. He half expected he was about to made a fool of, but he couldn't stand idly by waiting for someone to address the escalating crime going on in SAO.

After a long moment, Lind shook his head sadly. "I understand your anger, and I feel the same way. Murderers should never be allowed to run free. But this isn't the time or place to address-"

"With respect," Jae interrupted. "This is the perfect time."

Then, to his surprise, several voices began to ring out in the midst of the crowd all around him.

"He's right!" from one.

"Listen to Jae!" from a girl somewhere behind him.

"What do you mean this isn't the time?"

As individual voices turned into a few dozen, Lind raised both hands to signal quiet.

"I don't think you all understand. I assure you, I want to see justice brought to the orange players just as much as all of you. I myself have…" Lind faltered for a moment, and Jae knew at once what it meant. Lind had lost someone to the orange players.

Composing himself before he gave way to any emotion, Lind cleared his throat and continued before anyone else seemed to notice.

"Even if the entire Assault Team focused our energy into trying to catch these criminal players, we wouldn't catch them all. Hell, if we're being honest with ourselves we probably wouldn't even catch half. The info brokers and Floor scouts we're in contact with have made repeated attempts to try and find the orange players hideouts, and they've had almost no success. In a world where teleportation is a free and easy accessibility, crime not only inevitable but also practically unstoppable. I'm sorry everyone, I know this isn't what you want to hear, but I believe the only way to stop this PvP violence is by continuing what we're doing: beating the game as fast as possible. The faster we get through these Floors, the sooner we'll have stopped more deaths from happening. That's all I have to say about that. Now if there's no more questions, I'd like to get back to trying to free everyone from this death game."

Lind waited for a sad, somber moment. No one spoke up, and except for a cough here and there, there was dead silence. Jae looked down at his boots. He hadn't considered those points before. It seemed Lind had already weighed the options long before.

The rest of the meeting went by without any more protests, and after Lind finished assigning sections of the Labyrinth to each party, guild, or group of solo players, he stepped down from the platform that was raised before each meeting.

"Group H," Jae said, his words drained by how he felt, "Let's move out."

His men collected around him, Jae followed the Assault Team as they poured into the Labyrinth.

Like the majority of the Labyrinths to come before, the entrance doors opened on a vast frontal chamber, but instead of being upheld by pillars, this one featured a massive thirty foot stone statue. Carved into the likeness of a man, the statue's arms were fastened to the ceiling of the chamber, as if to suggest this stone man was holding the Labyrinth together. Though Jae would have ordinarily felt awe at such craftsmanship and detail, now he all but ignored it. Lind's words were logical and couldn't be argued, but that only made them all the more depressing.

"Jae."

Turning to the source, Jae saw Lind walking up to him, several of his officers in tow.

"Lind," Jae replied as his men cleared some space around the two of them. "Sorry about what I said back there. I wasn't trying to cause problems."

Lind's face took on a disapproving look. "Jae, never apologize for speaking your mind. You had every right to want a plan of action against those murderers. Actually I was the one who wanted to apologize again for not acting. But like I said out there, I truly believe our best course is to continue what we're doing."

Staring out ahead of him into the great hall, Jae nodded. "I understand now, no need to apologize."

There was silence for a moment as Lind continued to stare. Finally, the guild leader adjusted his weight. "But...I'm guessing there's still something gnawing at you?"

Jae chuckled. "You're good at reading people, I'll give you that."

Lind dipped his head in acknowledgment. "I'm going to go out on a pretty short limb here and say you're angry about the new rules? For closed farming grounds?"

Several members of Group H stirred at the subject, but Jae shot them all a glare before turning to face Lind, his arms crossed.

"Again, you've struck the mark. But why do you care what I think?" He gestured out at the fragmented groups and parties receding into the depths of the Labyrinth. Every now and then the clash of swords began to ring out alone the halls. "A lot of people feel the same way, many even stronger about it."

"Guys, leave us for a moment." Lind said to the men behind him. Without a word, they shuffled off to rejoin their own men.

"A word in private?" Lind asked.

Glancing at his men behind him, Jae nodded. "It's all good guys. I'll catch up. Aranal, could you-"

"Yeah," The big man answered cheerfully, "I'll keep formation. Let's get a move on guys."

As his party began heading over to their chosen section, Jae raised his hands questioningly. "So what's up?"

Lind smiled. "You said you wanted to know why you? I'll tell you why. Those players back there-" He pointed back to Group H. "They'd follow you pretty much anywhere. They listen to your orders even though you're all just temporary party goers."

Jae shrugged. "We've become friends since Floor Two. Even in groups without leaders, it makes sense for someone to command during battles. I just volunteered first."

Lind chuckled. "I think it's a bit more than that. You are a capable leader, Jae. Those players saw it back on Floor Two and have stuck with you ever since. And now others are starting to see it too. I don't know if you noticed, but there are a good many people who sided with you during the meeting just now."

Jae shook his head. "They were all thinking the same thoughts I was. I just spoke when no one else would. Trust me, Lind, I'm no leader."

"Alright, alright." Lind said reluctantly. "Agree to disagree. But regardless of whether or not you're leadership material, which you are-"

"Which I'm not."

"Regardless of that, you _are_ gaining in respect and influence. That's a fact that can't be denied. Many people have seen you in battle. You risk your life to save others rather frequently. You're brave and a skilled fighter to boot. People notice that. There's a decent number of players who would join a guild led by the mighty Jae, or listen to what he has to say."

Jae rolled his eyes, but didn't bother arguing about it again and instead asked, "What does this have to do with your new rules?"

"Look, I'm going to be honest with you here. I never wanted those rules."

Jae considered calling bullshit, but he could hear sincerity in Lind's words. "Then why give the order? That's the kind of shit I would expect from Kibaou, not you. I have to be honest with you, I thought better of you than-"

"That's exactly it!" Lind said impatiently. "It was Kibaou who created the rule first. You do recall my own closed farming ground rule not coming out until an hour after his, I trust?"

Jae sighed. "Yes…"

"Kibaou wants his guild to attain the highest influence, the greater strength. He knows that if he achieves that, he can lead the Assault Team. Just him."

Jae nodded slowly. "And that's been something you've tried to avoid."

Lind rubbed his eyes. "For some time now, yeah. You've seen him lead, you know he's unfit for command. Now, that's not to say that I'm perfect over here, but still. I can do a better job. Keep more people safe. Get the Assault Team moving. Do you agree?"

"I do." Jae said cautiously.

"So when Kibaou let loose that new rule of his, forbidding anyone to farm or grind in the areas his guild chooses, I had to act."

Realization hit Jae like a cold wave. It made perfect sense. "You knew that the only way you could stop him from outing you and eventually becoming sole commander was to play his game. You had to keep your guild strong enough to maintain authority among the rest of the Assault Team."

Lind smiled. "So you believe me?"

"Believe you?" Jae shook his head at himself shamefully. "Lind, I owe you an apology. I thought you had betrayed my trust, and the trust of the Assault Team. And at the same time, I also started to believe you didn't care about the common players. But the whole time, you've been making the hard decisions. You've been weighing the options and making the best choices for everyone's sake."

Lind raised a hand. "Well, we don't yet know if the decisions have been the right ones. We can only hope I don't prove to be a complete idiot."

"No," Jae said firmly. "Things will work out. Again, I'm sorry, man."

Lind raised an eyebrow. "Accept the invitation to join my guild, and I'll call us even?"

Laughing, Jae clapped the blue haired player on his armored shoulder. "Sorry, looks like I'll need to find some other way to pay you back. Not that it'll be hard though."

Lind frowned. "How's that?"

Jae checked the time. "Most likely I'll have saved your life again by the end of the day."

Lind scowled. "Bitch. Just for that, next time I see your reckless ass trying to one verse one a Floor Boss or battle a thousand spiders alone, I'll turn a blind eye."

After they had parted to go rejoin their respective groups, Jae felt invigorated. He had been so down since losing his faith in Lind and the HDA that he hadn't quite noticed it. Now though, he felt like there was still hope. As long as Lind kept the majority of control of the Assault Team, they would clear the game. And Jae intended to help keep it that way.


	35. Chapter 35

35

February 10th, 2023

Floor Twelve, Old Arena

Dodging his swing as Israel attempted to connect his punch, Naomi sped forward before he could fall back and reposition. Utilizing the momentum of her charge, she raised her shield in front of her and then extended her arm, smashing the heavy metal buckler against his chest. The impact from the blow knocked Silverthorne out of his hand and forced him off balance. Before Israel could right himself, her axe was at his throat. The duel timer above their heads beeped once before stopping, and a sign appeared above the two of them:

 _Winner: Naomi_

 _Time: 38 Seconds_

Irritably brushing the hatchet away from him, Israel turned to retrieve his sword.

"That wasn't bad," Naomi offered. "You lasted longer that time. Let's go again."

"We've been at this for hours." Israel stooped down, picking up Silverthorne as he spoke. "I don't know, Naomi. Maybe I should just stick to one handed swords."

Wiping sweat and dirt from her forehead, Naomi frowned. "You're just saying that because you're tired of losing. Implementing a new style into your existing one takes time, and effort." Pausing, she opened her menu and issued the duel challenge yet again. "As it is, some of your real world skill with dual wielding is showing here, even if not in the same aspect. You have the potential to be considerably more powerful if you can just master Martial Arts and One Handed Sword together. Again."

Raising her shield in front of her and widening her stance for combat, Naomi stood waiting.

With a sigh, Israel accepted the challenge and corrected his own stance. And then he began.

Drawing in a quick breath, Israel attacked, laying down a barrage of attacks with his sword while at the same time forcing his way forward. With each slash, he advanced a step. Naomi's shield was a blur as she took on the defensive, blocking each strike as quickly as it had come. Though at first she managed to hold her position, eventually his withering onslaught began forcing her to give up ground. Sensing an opportunity, Israel sidestepped to the right and aimed a punch at Naomi's knee with his offhand, hoping to buckle her or at least throw her off balance. Before he could complete the attack, however, Naomi reacted.

Slamming the flat metal back of her axehead down onto his arm until his punch faltered, she then darted forward again with lightning speed. Countering in desperation, Israel brought Silverthorne down in a powerful overhead attack directly in front of him. At the rate she was moving, she would fall right into it.

Upon closing the distance between them, however, Naomi raised her shield over her head without slowing. A numbing bang rang out around the Old Arena and sparks flew everywhere as steel collided. Her path now clear, Naomi slammed the edge of her shield into Israel's stomach. Doubling over in pain, Israel was just in time to meet the sharp edge of her axe.

"Dead again." She said smugly, removing the axe.

There was another victory sign, this time in forty two seconds, and Naomi backed up a few steps.

"I think the problem is that you're using your fist as if it were another sword. You need to memorize the reach of your arm and fight according to your strengths rather than weaknesses."

Israel nodded thoughtfully. "I know that much. Closing the distance needed to make my arm applicable is death until I fully grasp the timing needed to make up for lack of reach."

Gazing out around them, Naomi gestured at the setting sun. "It's going to be dark soon. Want to head back?"

Israel leaned on Silverthorne, catching his breath as he looked around. The area they were in was called the Old Arena, a safe zone containing a fighting circle surrounded by a small amphitheater. The stone aisles were cracked and vines grew all around, giving the place a long abandoned look. Small doors on either side of the fighting circle led to tunnels which served as both exits and entrances. Above the Old Arena, the sun was just beginning to sink beneath the top of the amphitheater wall, casting shadows over Naomi's half of the fighting area.

"You know what?" He said, brandishing his sword. "You're right. I need to put in the effort. We still have a few minutes before sunset, and we finished our patrols for the day. I'm down for one more if you are."

Naomi lifted an eyebrow as she pushed some of her long hair back behind her ear. "Sounds like I'm a good motivational speaker."

Israel scoffed at the idea. "I wouldn't quit my day job just yet if I were you."

"Alright, asshole. Let's do this."

Bracing herself for combat, Naomi accepted the duel request.

Seizing the initiative, Naomi burst forward with her shield held high and her axe at her side.

Taking advantage of the reach of his sword, Israel countered by unleashing a series of quick cuts and slashes, his plan being more to slow her down and bide himself some time rather than hope for a quick victory. Blocking most of his attacks with her shield and evading the rest, Naomi's advance was nonetheless delayed, forcing her to alter her plan of attack. Sidestepping away from the center of their battle, Naomi again moved in, gracefully dodging his wide slashes designed to keep her out of range. Close enough now to use her axe, she brought the weapon down in an overhead attack.

 _Playing to my strengths._

At that moment, Israel had an idea.

At close quarters like these, both he and Naomi knew that he could never bring his sword around to block the blow in time. Instead, he lifted his fist, activating one of the three Martial Arts sword skills now available to him. Flames burst out all around his fist and ran down his forearm.

He saw Naomi's eyes go wide as his flame covered arm collided into the axe. As Israel suspected, the activated sword skill protected his hand from getting cut off. Even better, the impact flung Naomi's axe back, and it looked like it took all her strength to keep the weapon in her hand.

Following up his success, Israel prepared to launch a fresh attack with Silverthorne, but Naomi would have none of it and allowed the momentum of the impact to spin her axe into an arc aimed for his exposed side.

Again Israel activated a Martial Art sword skill, this time coating his hand in light blue ice. Cold steam rose from around his arm as he met the attack, his forearm smashing into the axe head.

Shards of ice exploded out into the amphitheatre, and Israel could see Naomi shudder as the vibrations went down her arm, forcing her back a step. Looking into her surprised face, Israel grinned as he saw a mixture of anger and determination in her perfect hazel eyes.

Advancing forward, Israel unleashed an assault that reminded him of his days in the real world, of training in the art of western swordsmanship with his brother. Of duel wielding. Bringing Silverthorne up in a diagonal slash, Israel didn't let up when she deflected it with her shield. Instead, he continued his assault, spinning the sword back into a second attack while simultaneously jumping into the air and punching down onto Naomi's shield arm.

Gasping in surprise and pain as his fist smashed into her elbow, Naomi involuntarily dropped the shield. In the next moment, Silverthorne returned, cutting open her thigh and forcing her back another step. Still not slowing down, Israel continued his onslaught, forcing her to choose between dodging his sword or fist. Yet whether she chose to evade Silverthorne or use sword skills on her axe to knock back his fist attacks, one of his attacks always made it through. Before long, multiple cuts and bruises appeared on her arms, chest, and stomach.

She countered where she could, each well timed swing of her axe forcing him to abandon one of his blows and change position for others, but the blocking capabilities of axes were limited at best, and without her shield, the weapon was all but useless against his relentless attack. He could feel victory.

Grunting from the effort, Naomi aimed a desperate cleaving blow past his guard and towards his neck with incredible speed.

But Israel was ready.

Raising Silverthorne at a vertical angle, he caught the blow just underneath the haft of the axe, where the steel blade met the top of the wooden handle. For a brief moment, they were both still as their weapons stood locked together. Pivoting on his foot, Israel spun towards the entangled weapons, his fist now formed into an open palm. Just as Naomi began twisting her axe to free it, Israel's open palm slammed into the handle, sending the weapon flying out of the arena and into the amphitheatre.

Naomi blinked as the realization hit her that she was now completely unarmed. With blinding speed, Israel swung wide with Silverthorne. The duel was at an end.

But just as the tip of his blade whistled towards her, Naomi dropped to the ground, bending her shoulder as she buckled. The sword swung past where she had been standing before Israel could redirect it, and Naomi rolled past him, sending dirt flying up in her wake.

Turning to pursue, Israel saw her seize hold of the fallen shield, break her roll, and leap up onto her knees. Dust billowed out around her, but Naomi seemed scarcely to notice it.

Charging straight for her, Israel felt a sudden chill race up his spine when he saw the fury in her eyes.

Letting loose a cry of pure rage, Naomi flung the buckler out at him with incredible speed and strength, using the circular shape to keep it spinning like a frisbee as it flew through the air. Even as it exited her hands, the shield erupted into the bright white light of a sword skill, which seemed to only further speed it towards it's destination. Before Israel could so much as blink, the shield crashed into his chest.

The next thing he remembered was being on the ground, his body oddly contorted as the sign above him flashed:

 _Winner: Naomi_

And then Naomi stood over him, rolling her eyes.

"Come on you pussy, get up."

"You…" Israel groaned as he felt waves of pain lance down into his stomach. "Are the devil…"

Her beautiful laughter echoed out around them, but at that moment he found it positively torturous.

"Come on, I didn't even it throw it that hard." Naomi complained. "Stop being such a bitch."

"I think I'm going to throw up."

Still smiling in amusement, Naomi bent down to help him up. "I need to wash these clothes anyway. Here, put your arm around me."

Slowly rising to his feet, Israel had to wait a moment before nodding to her that he could stand on his own. Gesturing at the shield now slung over her back, he scowled.

"That was cheap as fuck. You were done. Admit it."

Naomi blinked. "If I was done, how did you end up on the ground?"

Shaking his head in annoyance, Israel nonetheless found himself smiling. "I'm really glad you're on my side, badass hot girl."

For a moment it looked as though she was about to blush, but Naomi turned away, her gaze falling on the axe lying on one of the amphitheatre aisles. She shook her head.

"I could say the same for you. There aren't many people I know of who could have disarmed me like that." She punched his shoulder playfully. "You really fucked me up. It looks to me like you've finally gotten the hang of your new style."

Israel nodded, flexing his right hand. "There's a lot I can do yet to hone my skills and improve, but yeah, that felt good."

"Then my job here is done." Climbing up out of the fighting area, Naomi stepped over the aisles until she retrieved her axe. " I like the way you used Martial Art sword skills to block my blows, it worked really well. But sword skills open you up to vulnerabilities in the heat of combat due to their rigid behavior and inability to retract them once you activate. I would suggest investing in an armored glove or gauntlet. That way, you can block attacks without having to use skills or damaging yourself, while at the same time increasing the weight and power behind punches. Now come on, there's one more thing I need to do before we can call it a day."

…

"I didn't know you still talked to Tristan." Israel remarked as they entered the man's item shop. And then they both stopped dead in their tracks as they saw it. The massive store was divided into dozens of huge shelves dividing up sections of goods just like Israel had remembered, but with one exception this time: the entire store had been painted pink, and heart shaped balloons practically covered the ceiling.

Israel and Naomi hesitated.

"Did we make a wrong turn somewhere?" Israel whispered.

"Naomi! Israel!" Came Tristan's familiar voice.

Glancing to the source, Israel and Naomi saw the disheveled looking shop owner approach them, a broad smile on his pale, feminine face.

Israel lifted a hand in a haphazard wave, most of his attention still focused on the shop.

"What's up Tristan. Been a minute."

"Absolutely," Tristan replied cheerfully, "Long time no see. Good to know you're still alive. Nice shave, you look less rugged. Glad you didn't cut your hair though, us long haired guys need to stick together.."

Before Israel could think to reply, Tristan turned his attention to Naomi. "Hey, were you able to gather all the ingredients?"

Nodding, Naomi opened her menu. "Everything required to tame Albino Wolf companions, as promised. Hey Tristan, what's all this for?"

He peered at her, the confusion evident on his face.

Naomi waved a hand around the room. "All this." Leaning in mischievously, Naomi clapped him on the shoulder. "Are you trying to impress someone?"

"What?" Tristan laughed. "No. I rethemed the shop for Valentine's Day."

"Valentine's Day?" Israel and Naomi asked as one before exchanging surprised glances.

"Um...yeah." Tristan replied cautiously. "Valentine's Day."

There was silence.

"You know, the holiday where people express their love and passion for people they hold dear?"

Israel blinked.

Naomi coughed.

Tristan looked dumbfounded. "Do you guys seriously not know-"

"Yes Tristan we know what it is." Naomi interrupted.

"Alright, then you should also know it's in four days, and this stuff is going to make me a fortune."

Israel frowned. "Dude, it's a nice idea and all, but we are kind of in the middle of a death game."

Naomi nodded. "Do you really think people are going to celebrate Valentine's Day when they could die at any moment?"

Tristan looked at them like they were both insane. "You're kidding right?"


	36. Chapter 36

36

February 12, 2023

Floor 21, Ridge River

"So what's this idea of yours?" Israel asked Naomi as they walked along the left bank of the shallow creek. "You sounded pretty excited about it during breakfast."

"Hang on," Naomi muttered as she fiddled angrily at the shoulder straps of her new steel breastplate. "That fucking Water Sprite mob messed up the latches. Now it feels like the armor is about to fall off."

Israel scratched at his stubble, seriously pondering what she had just said. "Is there any part of that possibility that's supposed to be bad?"

"Shut up and help me with this."

Chuckling, Israel sheathed Silverthorne and walked over to her. Turning her back, Naomi pushed her thick, wavy hair out to the other shoulder. Her hair and skin smelled like flowers. "Can you see it?"

Furrowing his brow as he eyed the intermingled straps, Israel began trying to pull the most tangled ones apart. He had had no idea just many straps and latches were required with plate armor.

"What did the Water Sprite hit you with, a tank?"

"You're one to talk. I recall you getting knocked to the ground."

"The dude targeted me while my back was turned," Israel protested. Removing one of his fingers when he thought he had finally made some progress, Israel sighed when nothing changed. "Well, that was a fail. Time for plan B I guess. Take off all your clothes."

"Wait, wait." Naomi waved a hand while keeping her body rigid. "Whatever you just did, it's working. Don't move."

Freezing in the middle of trying to get his hand out of the latches, Israel blinked. "Ok...now what?"

"Tighten the strap wrapped around your index finger. Don't go too far…" There was a moment of intense silence as she waited, and then, "Perfect, right there...keep your finger there."

Israel suppressed a laugh.

Naomi swatted at him with her hand. "You're a child."

"I think that's more of an insult towards you than me, considering."

Shaking her head ever so slightly as she chuckled, Naomi stopped when he yanked the last strap back. "Good. Ok, we're good to go."

Releasing hold of the armor, Israel suppressed the urge to kiss her exposed neck. Not because it would've been inappropriate, but because he wanted to do it tenderly. With feeling.

 _What the hell is wrong with me._

"Right," He began again as they continued along the bank. "This idea you brought up?"

"Well to start," Naomi said as she carefully avoided stepping on some dandelions on the ground. "It wasn't technically my idea. It was Evie and Kat's."

Israel raised a hand to his forehead to ward off the sun as he peered out ahead. The gentle rolling hills continued for what seemed like an eternity in front of them, dotted every now and then by various mobs, but not far ahead the river forked to the left where it became a short but deep stream that flowed down into a small gully. Just beyond the fork, Israel could see the bridge that led across the river to the village of Neza. Though they couldn't see it past the hills, Israel knew the safe zone wasn't far.

"Evie got the idea first when I was hanging out with her the other day. She told me she wanted to join us in doing the patrols."

Israel glanced over at her in surprise. "She and Kat have both been helping in giving us their map info for some time now."

Naomi nodded. "Yeah, but she wants to do more than that. So this morning she messaged me and said that Kat and Will were both down. They want us all to form a guild, and I think it's a good idea."

Israel laughed. "Seriously? Why?

Naomi shrugged. "Symbolism? It would be a morale booster for the player base to know about a guild made specifically to save people. Who knows, it might even get us volunteers to help take on different patrols."

"You and I have been doing just fine with patrols since Floor Three." Israel replied. "We don't really need help."

Naomi lifted an eyebrow at him. "You're not thinking straight. You imagine the Assault Team and the Holy Dragon Alliance when you hear the word guild. Think of the people who died in areas we hadn't patrolled yet on a given day, or had just finished patrolling, ever since we started this. We could definitely use the help."

Israel was quiet for a moment as he thought it over. She was right, his distaste for the idea of guilds was because of Lind and Kibaou, not the concept itself. And with even just Evie, Kat, and Will helping with patrols and organizing research...it would only aid them in the long run.

Glancing back at Naomi, he nodded amenably. "So what did you tell them?"

"To wait until after I convinced you."

He grinned at her. "You know me too well. Still, we should all meet up before we go making decisions that big. We can show them all the work that goes into what we do, and then they can decide."

Naomi flashed her special smile at him for just a moment before returning to her message screen. "I agree. They aren't doing anything big today, so I told them to meet us at Neza. It's pretty close and we're heading there anyway."

Israel's eyes widened. "Right now? Someone's in a hurry."

Naomi shrugged. "I think this could be the start of something really good. Why delay it? Besides, those three are awesome. I've been wanting you to hang out with them more."

Israel rolled his eyes. "Why, so I can watch Will judge me in silence like the living friendzone that he is?"

Suppressing a laugh, Naomi was about to reply when they were forced to pause on the fork in the river blocking their path.

"It's not very wide," Israel offered as he gazed into the water. "But I for one would rather not get my clothes soaked."

"Same." Naomi glanced around, and then pointed down the slope where the stream formed into a small lake. Around the lakeside however, ran a dirt track that led back up and passed the river bend. Following the path, Israel and Naomi saw it connect to the wooden bridge just beyond the stream.

"Looks like we have our way around." Israel said. "Watch your step on the way down though. The slope looks pretty steep."

"Fair warning in advance," Naomi said as she walked past him and began trudging down into the gully, "I will laugh at you if you fall into the lake."

Israel followed behind her, both of them keeping their eyes to the ground as they descended the small but relatively steep slope. "I won't laugh at you. I'll be too busy watching your nipples harden underneath that form fitting armor."

Naomi smirked up at him. "Who are you talking to? Your nipples are bigger than mine."

"For the last time," Israel growled as they both reached the lakeside, "Guys have bigger areolas when they work their chest muscles out all the-"

All at once, the surface of the lake exploded, sending a massive jet of water up into the sky above the small lake. Before the water had time to properly break apart in the sky above them, a large beast crashed up onto the lakeside just in front of Israel and Naomi.

Covered in water, mud, and barnacles, the creature looked like a statue of a horror monster buried for a hundred years in the ocean. Half a head taller than both of them, the monster had to crane its neck to examine them, It's two massive arms snapping away from it's sides.

Their weapons already in hand, Israel and Naomi braced for combat.

"Is this some kind of water mob?" Israel asked uncertainly.

As if angry at the question, the beast roared vehemently. Two huge, leathery wings spread apart on either side of it's back, and in one arm appeared a large two handed sword. And then it's entire body, from the wings to the sword in it's hand, burst into flame. A name appeared above the beast's horned head, followed by three health bars.

 _Abidox the Infernal_

Israel's jaw dropped as he realized what was in front of them.

"It's a Field Boss!" Naomi shouted, already pivoting on her right foot and yanking him back with her. "Run!"

Turning on his heels, Israel sprinted beside Naomi as they raced back up the slope. If they got out of the gully, it stood to reason the Field Boss might not follow them as that marked the end of the lakeside area.

Before they could reach the top, however, the fiery monster slammed down into the ground ahead of them with wings still outstretched, cutting off their escape.

Stopping dead in their tracks, Israel and Naomi stumbled backwards as the creature's flaming sword came slicing through the air towards them, just missing Naomi and singeing Israel's scale mail armor.

Naomi dashed to the right, and it was obvious she planned on trying to crest the slope at a different angle, but Israel grabbed hold of her shoulder.

"It can fly faster than we can run!" He yelled, his eyes fixed on the Field Boss, "If you try to escape, he'll come down on us again and we might not get back in time."

Naomi's glance shifted from his frightened but determined eyes to the Boss stepping towards them, it's flaming sword arced back for another swing.

"We can't fight a Boss!" She shouted at him before pulling out of his grip and yanking him along with her. "We have to get out of here!"

Knowing that pulling against her would only halt them both, Israel cursed under his breath as they again sprinted up the slope. Once more, the beast had but to flap its wings before crashing down right in front of them, This time slashing out at them with a flaming tail that Israel hadn't even seen up until that point.

Before either of them could react, the tail crashed into them, sending them both tumbling down the slope and back to the edge of the lake.

Jumping to his feet, Israel bent down to help Naomi only to discover she had broken her fall and was already back on her feet as well, axe and shield held high in front of her.

"We can't beat him to the edge," Israel repeated breathlessly, his eye on the Field Boss. "We have to fight."

"So it would seem," She replied cautiously, "But not both of us."

Glancing over at her, Israel nodded. "I was thinking the same thing. I can distract him while you-"

"I'm not leaving you here."

"Right back at you."

Taking in a deep breath as she readied her axe, Naomi nodded at him. "Together then. Field Bosses aren't anywhere near as strong as the Floor Bosses are, but it still took five Assault Team members to kill the last one on Floor Twenty."

Opening its wings, Abidox propelled itself into the air towards them.

"It's using a heavy two handed sword, so our attack speed should be relatively higher," Israel noted. "As long as we keep changing positions, we should be able to avoid losing too much health."

"Easier said than done."

And then the Boss was on them.

Dodging out of the way on either side as the monster crashed down, Naomi and Israel wasted no time and charged forward, their weapons a blur as they launched a merciless assault. Slashing open the monster's right shoulder with Silverthorne, Israel reversed the blade's path and laid open another, deeper cut down it's thickly muscled side. He then followed up with a sword skill Martial Arts move, punching down onto the wound with all the might of his ice coated arm.

Howling from the pain, Abidox was about to retaliate when Naomi's axe buried itself into the fire demon's left arm. Letting out a vicious yell, Naomi forced the axe out, ripping out a large chunk of the Boss's skin and muscle along with it. Stepping forward, her shield took on a golden hue as she activated a shield bash sword skill, ramming the buckler against the monster's side. Pushed off balance, Abidox twisted around to strike at her, but Israel would have none of it.

Leaping up into the air with his Acrobatics skill, Israel held onto Silverthorne with both hands and lurched forward, the tip of his blade aimed at the back of the monster's neck. But before he could reach his target, the demon's tail slammed into him.

Feeling the flames burn into his armor as the tail bore him to the ground, it was all Israel could do not to scream in pain as he struggled to squeeze out of the mass of muscle and flame covered skin. Hitting the ground hard, Israel felt the wind get knocked out of him, and it took all his willpower to keep his eyes in focus.

With a grunt, Israel forced himself into a hard roll to the right, tearing away from the tail and stumbling back to his feet, albeit a little off balance.

Looking up, Israel saw Naomi dodge an overhead blow from Abidox's flaming sword and arc her axe into a backhanded swing, hacking off the Boss' left hand. In a rage, Abidox again swung his greatsword, this time with far greater speed and supported by a swing of his massive tail.

Lifting her shield, Naomi braced herself. A massive boom echoed out over the lake from the impact, and Naomi was thrown violently to the side some feet away from Israel.

Darting over to her, Israel helped her to her shaking feet.

"He's coming back." Naomi said breathlessly.

"Get ready to defend," Israel replied with a pant. "Once we've cleared an opening, go for the tail."

Nodding, Naomi took on a grim expression as Abidox closed the distance.

The lake shuddered with each blow as the Field Boss let loose it's full fury on the two players. Standing side by side now, Israel and Naomi had to use all of their combined skill to ward off the assault. Deflecting some blows, dodging others, and at times even lifting their weapons for a combined block against the heaviest attacks, both of them nonetheless began to rapidly accumulate burns, cuts, and bruises all over.

Checking on their health as the battle raged, Israel struggled to reign in his rising panic as he saw both his and Naomi's health hit the halfway mark and continue to dip. The Field Boss itself still possessed two bars out of it's three.

Finally seeing an opening after a particularly ferocious tail swipe had been side stepped, Israel nodded over to Naomi. "Now!" He screamed.

Charging forward as one, Naomi and Israel ducked the flaming greatsword as Abidox tried to stop them, and flew towards the tail. Raising Silverthorne, Israel hacked down at the tail with all his might, creating a tremendously deep cut into the base of the whiplike coil of flesh.

Following his lead, Naomi brought her axe down with everything she had, even throwing her own body weight into it when Abidox tried swiping her away with his stump of an arm. The resulting blow left her temporarily helpless on the ground, but it paid off. With a screech, Abidox swiveled its head around in time to see its tail shatter into a thousand pixelated shards.

"Naomi!" Israel screamed.

Turning onto her back while keeping her shield held above her, Naomi tried to rise but was too late. Bearing down on her with all it's might, Abidox prepared its sword for a killing blow.

Throwing himself forward, Israel activated his Martial Art sword skill and threw his forearm up into the flaming sword's path. Stumbling backward as it's sword shuddered and recoiled backwards, Abidox quickly recovered and again sped forward, slashing outward with reckless abandon.

Israel readied Silverthorne at an angle to deflect the blow rather than block it, but at the last moment, Naomi reached him, both her arms pressed against the back of the shield as the sword collided into her. With a cry of pain, Naomi flung her arms out as she toppled backward, her legendary shield shattering into pieces.

Seizing the opportunity she had given him, Israel slashed Silverthorne at a downward angle, laying open the right side of the monster's face and severely damaging it's right eye. From there, Israel roared with fury as his fist smashed into the Boss' face. There was a loud crack, and Israel could feel bone give way to his knuckles. At the same time however, his heard something pop in his wrist, followed by excruciating pain.

…

Gulping in air as best she could, Naomi struggled to get to her knees as the world vibrated around her. Her health was now in deep red, and she was still unable to fully comprehend her shield breaking after using it for nearly every battle in the past few months of never ending combat, but Naomi instantly forget it had even existed when she heard a loud and all too human pop as a result of Israel's punch.

Rising to her feet, Naomi saw the monster's jaw hanging broken and partially torn out of its face in the aftermath of Israel's punch. Next she saw Israel on his knees but a few feet away, crying out in pain as he cradled his right hand. Hatred dancing in it's eyes, Abidox stepped forward, preparing its sword for another blow. Israel seemed scarcely to notice.

"No!" Naomi screamed.

Distracted by her cry, Abidox turned to face her. Lifting it's one good arm to prepare another blow, the Boss was interrupted by Israel weakly seizing hold of its wrist.

Shrugging Israel off without much effort, Abidox brought his sword up in an uppercut slash, ripping open Israel's armor and flesh as though it were paper. Cut nearly from his thigh to his neck, Israel crumpled into the dirt like a rag doll. His health, already in the red, plummeted at a fatal pace.

In an instant, the entire world dissolved around Naomi as she cried out in horror, tears streaming from her face. She had no idea why she was crying so profusely, why if felt like her heart had just been ripped from her chest and forced down her throat. She had never in her whole life imagined feeling so broken, so hopeless, as she did in that moment, helpless to Israel's health about to hit zero.

Why should she even go on? There seemed no reason. Her universe shattered a thousand times a second as she replayed the fatal blow a thousand times in her head, unable to blink it away, unable to save him.

She tried to stand, but her body still shook from the blow she had received, and her mind was in an even worse state. So instead she started crawling towards him. Completely ignoring the Field Boss, she inched towards Israel. Maybe if she got to him in time, if she could just touch him. Maybe time would reverse itself. He was laying on his side, his back facing her, so she couldn't even see his face.

Her eyes never left his health bar as it continued to drain, its parameters beginning to beep as his health hit the five percent mark.

Three percent.

Two percent.

One percent.

And then it stopped dropping.

Remembering to breathe, Naomi gasped in air after what felt like an eternity of drowning. The only explanation was that Israel had managed to open his menu and get to a health crystal or potion while his HP was still dropping. Fresh tears rolled down her cheeks when she saw Israel stir, an empty health potion deteriorating in his hand, rolling onto his back only to see the Field Boss stepping forward before Naomi could get to him.

"No." She breathed, unable to even find enough voice to yell. "Take me. Look at me. Kill me."

Ignoring her quiet pleas, the Field Boss closed the distance to Israel's helpless body.

Then two figures leapt down into the gully beside Israel, Their swords crossed over his body in defence.

"Heal!" Came a familiar voice right next to her.

Startled, Naomi looked up to see Evie's face beside her, a health crystal in her hand.

Her health returning to the red and yellow border, Naomi again struggled to her feet.

"Wait," Cautioned Evie. "One more. Heal!"

Another crystal shattered above her, and then Naomi's health was safely in the yellow. Closing her menu, Evie helped her to her feet. Still intent on reaching Israel, Naomi finally realized that the two players defending him were Kat and Will. Blocking a blow from the Field Boss with their combined defense, Kat unleashed a shield bash sword skill, knocking Abidox back several feet while Will quickly used three crystals on Israel.

"Get out of the gully," Evie ordered, "We'll hold him off."

Naomi shook her head as they sidestepped the staggering Boss and made it to the rest of the players. "You can't beat it alone."

"She's right." Israel said, his voice colored with obvious pain as he flexed his wrist. "We finish it together."

"Fine." Will answered, his Katana at the ready as he eyed the monster. "But let me and Kat take tank positions. The rest of of you go DPS and switch when we say. It's down to less than a health bar, so it should only take one well timed assault from all of us. "

"Agreed." Evie replied with a nod before turning to Naomi. "You're going to need this back."

Glancing down, Naomi saw her axe in Evie's hand. Seizing hold of it, she fell in beside Israel, wiping away tears in embarrassment when he looked over at her.

"Naomi…" He faltered, clearly unsure what to say. He must have seen her face when she thought he was going to die. He must have seen how empty she had felt.

"It hurt when he broke my shield, ok?" She lied. "You were crying too when you hurt your wrist."

She saw his by his expression that he believed her.

"Kat, with me!" Will cried, and the two of them closed ranks.

After blocking several attacks from the Boss, and Will even countering once or twice, they waited to call for a switch until Abidox's last attack was broken.

"Now!" Kat cried as she and Will deflected a particularly heavy blow, glancing the flaming sword aside. "Switch!"

Evie leaped forward, her knives a blur as she slashed and stabbed the demon's chest. Israel and Naomi were both still in pain and winded so they couldn't match Evie's charge in speed. Nonetheless, they inflicted numerous cuts on the monster's face and chest, vengeance for the pain he had caused.

Leaping into the fray, Will and Kat unleashed their own assaults, and within seconds, the last bar of health was gone.

Crying out one last time, Abidox the Infernal dropped his sword and shattered into a million pieces.

They had won.

Dropping to the ground to rest, Israel and Naomi sat back to back, each leaning on the other.

"How did you know we were in trouble?" Naomi asked.

"We didn't at first." Evie replied. "We waited in Neza for about ten minutes, but every time I checked your position on the map, it hadn't changed, so we started getting worried and ran here as fast as we could."

"I'm just glad we got here in time." Kat said quietly. "What the hell kind of a place is this for a Field Boss spawn?"

"Field Bosses can emerge anywhere," Will answered. "In the Beta there was one almost right outside the gate of one of the main cities on Floor Six."

Turning his head to the right, close to her hear, Israel whispered, "I'm glad you're alright. I guess he hurt you even worse than me, making you cry like that. Still, I'm making fun of you forever. That's just a given."

"I know, I know." Naomi smiled, still hardly able to suppress her joy that he hadn't died.

And then she realized just how happy she was that he was ok. It seemed like her heart, her mind, the world, and the universe had all automatically repaired themselves as soon she knew Israel was safe.

 _Oh for fucks sake. I'm in love with him._


	37. Chapter 37

37

February 14, 2023

Floor 1, Trevica

Closing the door behind him, Jae shivered. The room always got cold during the night, especially when no one was inside, but he doubted he'd ever get used to it.

 _Drafty fucking hole._

He found himself cursing the room more and more frequently with each passing day. It was cramped, empty, cold, too far away from the current Floors, and the bed was too small to name just a few problems. Each time he came back to the place after yet another late night Labyrinth grind or raid, he vowed to leave the next day. Hell, he had wanted to move out months ago. And yet, he never did.

So instead it became repetition. Each morning before he left to head off to the front lines, Jae told himself he wouldn't come back, and each night he asked himself why he had. And the answer was always his brother. Israel had moved out over a month ago, but never officially. They hadn't had a falling out either, just loss of communication. At any moment, he reasoned, Israel could walk right in. If the room was sold, Israel wouldn't know where to go to find him. Obviously, he could just send Jae a message, or even check his location on the maps, but that wasn't the point.

After setting his spear on the wall by the door and activating the fireplace, Jae sat down on the small bed and contemplated even bothering to take his armor off before passing out. Deciding to go through with it, he opened his menu and shook his head at the time. It was nearly four in the morning. Life on the front lines with the Assault Team had a way of taking up most of his waking hours.

Muttering under his breath at the inconvenience of having to unequip one item at a time seemed only to add to the eternity it took to get all of his gear off. Finally done, Jae wrapped the worn blanket around his body and laid down. The pillow had long since lost its plush, making it somewhat difficult to find a comfortable position, so several minutes of continually shifting his body had become something of a requirement.

When he at last found the right spot, Jae took a deep breath, exhaled, and closed his eyes.

And then the message notification beep went off in his ears.

"I swear on all that is fucking holy…" he grumbled irritably, opening his eyes to see who had messaged him at four in the morning.

It was from Israel.

…

Leaning against one of the stone arches of the public fountain, Jae looked around.

The plaza located in the center of the Town of Beginnings, the same place where Kayaba had issued his bloody ultimatum, was bigger than he remembered. The cobbled ground was smooth and spilled out into the four streets that exited the plaza, one in each direction. While the other three streets eventually wound their way to the main gate of the city, the north street led to just one building: the Black Iron Palace.

The Palace had become a symbol of both love and hate for the residents of SAO. Not because of anything the building itself had to offer, but for what was within it. Jae hadn't visited the Monument of Life, and he hoped he'd never feel the need to. For it was on that massive slab of black marble that the names of every player who had died to date in SAO were etched. Jae couldn't decide if Kayaba had been cruel or kind in the making of the site.

"Jae."

Turning, Jae saw Israel approach. His brother wore a scale mail hauberk and brown brigandine pants over a chainmail undershirt. Sheathed at his side was Silverthorne.

"Israel."

The two looked at each other awkwardly for a moment, neither one knowing quite what to say. After a moment, Israel gestured at Jae's steel chestplate.

"You look cool as hell in plate armor."

Jae chuckled. "You look pretty badass yourself. Kind of reminds me of a sellsword in Game of Thrones or something."

Israel laughed softly. "Can't say I'm not proud of that kind of compliment."

Silence again.

Jae cleared his throat. "So...why exactly did you want to meet at four thirty in the morning?"

Israel flashed an apologetic smile. "Yeah, that's my bad. I didn't want to wake you, but I didn't know who else to turn to. I'm out of my fucking depth here man. In fact it's been making feel pretty sick for days now. I've been up all night, just laying in bed."

"Alright, slow down." Jae said. "You need to tell me what exactly you're talking about. Do you feel like you have some kind of illness of something? Like a serious one?"

Israel nodded enthusiastically. "Exactly. And I've got no idea what to do about it. It's been eating at me for days, ever since Naomi and I visited Tristan's shop."

Jae rubbed his eyes, trying to find patience. Israel was clearly distraught. "Alright, what's been eating at you?"

Israel hung his head in shame. "I need to get Naomi something for Valentines Day and I need your help."

Jae blinked.

And then he burst out laughing.

"Dude, this is serious. I came to you in good faith."

"Yeah no, I…" Jae struggled to stop laughing, but he couldn't help it. "I just need...process this for a second…"

Israel turned to go. "Alright, fuck this."

Containing himself as best he could, Jae grabbed hold of his brother's shoulder. "My bad, dude, my bad. I'm glad you came to me with this."

Turning back around, Israel crossed his arms under his chest. "So you'll help?"

"I will." Jae paused. "The only thing is, and please don't take offense if this sounds bad, but what exactly do you need my help for? Can't you just grab some cheap red roses and chocolate and call it a day like every other guy alive?"

Israel shook his head vehemently, his shoulder length blond hair flying out behind him. "No. Red roses imply love, and so does chocolate. I can't get her shit like that. It has to be less than love, but not too much less."

Jae frowned in confusion. "I'm lost."

"Don't you remember what happened when Naomi and I had sex for the first time?"

"Yes, you wouldn't stop bitching about it the entire time it was going on. You guys were a dumpster fire."

Israel raised a hand matter of factly. "There you go. The reason we were a dumpster fire was because I was scared she might have gotten the wrong idea and wanted to start something serious. And vice versa."

Jae nodded. "Ok, but that's kind of in the past at this point, right? I mean, you guys are kind of living together now."

Israel shook his head. "I moved in with her because it made patrolling together easy and convenient. We weren't planning a goddamn family."

Jae's eyes widened in mock surprise. "You got Naomi pregnant? Wait…" He scratched his stubble. "Is that even possible?"

"Jae, stop joking around." Israel began pounding his forehead with a palm. "God, I have no idea what I'm doing."

Jae straightened. "Alright, let me see if I can understand this. You and Naomi are fuckbuddies, but you want to be something more, but she-"

"I mean I wouldn't exactly say that." Israel protested.

Jae fixed his brother in a disbelieving stare. "You're falling apart at the seams trying to decide what to get her for Valentine's Day, in the middle of a murder game that could kill us at any time if we make even one tiny mistake."

Israel closed his eyes in shame. "Fair point. Continue."

"Alright, so you want to be something more, but you aren't sure if she reciprocates the feelings and you don't want to push her away, but at the same time you can't go on anymore without telling her how you feel. So you figured the best thing to do was get her something for Valentines Day that betrays affection, just not too much affection. Am I correct?"

Israel nodded. "I'd say that hits the nail on the head pretty well, yeah." He wrung his hands. "Are you saying there's a better way of going about this?"

Jae pondered the question for a moment. "Actually no...I honestly have no alternatives. I mean unless of course you just told her you...erm...kind-of-love her."

Israel shook his head. "I would have no idea how to put it into words. You know me, I'm shit with relationships and love. No, the right gift will explain it way better than I could."

Jae shrugged. "I guess we'll find out. So why here in the Town of Beginnings?"

"More people live here than anywhere else," Israel pointed out. "There's probably some good player item shops. And the Town of Beginnings is the biggest city in the game so far, so there's plenty of NPC event themed shops as well. Which means all we need to do is search out every shop until we find the right thing. Its early so most of the shops won't have any people buying things yet, so that gives us more time to narrow down options and choose."

Clapping his hands together, Jae straightened. "Right then, sounds like a plan. Let's do this."

…

"This is a terrible idea." Naomi groaned, burying her head in her pillow. "I can't go through with it. I'd rather fight a Floor Boss."

Sitting down on the coffee table, Evie rolled her eyes. "You've been saying that for the past twenty minutes. You do realize it's almost noon now, right?"

Sitting up again, Naomi picked up the box, setting it in her lap as she stared at it.

After purchasing Israel his Valentine's Day present the day before, she had also bought a small wooden box to hold it, as well as red and white wrapping paper and a ribbon. Looking at it now, she wondered how she had ever thought she could go through with giving it to him.

"Why does everything have to be so complicated?" Naomi complained. "The one guy I feel this way about, and I can't even tell him."

"I'm your friend," Evie said seriously, "So I'm going to come right out about this and be honest. I think you should stop bitching and tell him how you feel. I mean after all, today's the best day for it."

Naomi shook her head. "You don't get it. If you were in my position, you would not be thinking its that easy."

Evie shrugged. "That's why I make a habit of not getting into those positions. In fact, anything that screams, 'This is something Naomi would do,' I generally avoid."

Naomi scowled at her. "Some friend you are."

"You love me."

Keeping the gift in her hands, Naomi stood up and began pacing the room, carefully avoiding tripping over several articles of Israel's clothes.

"I just don't want to ruin what I have with him, you know? Like, is it really worth risking our current relationship showing him how I feel when he might not even feel the same way?"

Evie considered the question for a moment. "Do you think he doesn't?"

Naomi adjusted her leggings as she continued pacing. "No. I mean, I don't know. Lately there have been a lot of moments where it really seems like he might feel the same way."

"Like during the Field Boss fight the other day?"

Naomi nodded. "And a few days before that, when that guild Justice came looking for Beta Testers."

Evie's face went grim at the name. "Fuck those guys. They're lucky I wasn't there. Honestly, the one time Israel's recklessness would've been justified, he didn't even try to kill them."

"Focus, Evie. This is a serious crisis."

Evie raised her hands helplessly. "I don't know girl, I can really only see two options here."

"Which would be?"

Standing, Evie walked over to the window and grabbed a bag of roasted peanuts from off the sill.

"Those are Israel's," Naomi stated, still looking forward as she paced. "He'll turn into a moody bitch if he finds out they're all gone."

"Let him," Evie said cheerfully. "I'm over here putting work in fixing his relationship, the least he can do is donate some snack food." she threw a handful in her mouth, chewed, and then gave Naomi a disappointed look. "There's not enough salt."

"You said you saw two options?" Naomi asked

"Yes I do," Evie said around bites, "Number one being you tell him how you feel regardless of how he might respond. If you love this guy, and I've known you long enough to say I really think you do, you can't just pretend like that feeling isn't there. That would be like friendzoning yourself. And no one does that."

Naomi rolled her eyes. "And number two?"

Brushing crumbs off of her woodland jacket, Evie swallowed. "Number two is you kick him out and end the relationship. Or if that's too cold for you, you move out, but I mean this was your place first and-"

"Why the hell would I do something like that?" Naomi asked incredulously.

"If you never tell him how you feel, it's just going to go to your head after a while. You'll feel like you're living an artificial life when you could've had something real. You sure as hell won't be happy."

Naomi looked over at her friend, a sad expression on her face. "Sounds like you know what you're talking about."

Evie went back to looking out the window. "I'm just stating facts. Now personally, I'd rather you didn't go for number two. Mainly because I still want us all to make a guild, and I want to help protect people. That job will be a lot less efficient, and incredibly more awkward, if I'm doing it with a girl who friendzoned herself from the same guy we're working with, not to mention guilting herself forever afterwards."

Naomi stopped pacing and leaned against the wall in defeat. "You certainly don't beat around the bush."

Evie nodded thoughtfully, meeting Naomi's eyes. "That's why you asked me to come over. But seriously Naomi, just tell him. If it doesn't work out, at least you can say you tried instead of making this death game even more of a trainwreck."

Before Naomi could reply, a message notification appeared in front of her along with the familiar beep that accompanied them. Seeing that the message was from Brock, Naomi opened it.

 _I've heard more than a few rumors starting to go around that some orange player guild named Laughing Coffin is going to attack players heading into the Town of Beginnings for Valentine's Day. Thought you should know._

…

Hearing the teleport gate begin to activate behind him, Israel quickly opened his menu and moved Naomi's gift into his inventory.

"You were already here?" He heard Naomi ask in surprise.

Turning, he saw her stepping out of the teleport gate ready for a fight. Axe at her side and bedecked in chain and plate armor, she was an intimidating sight. On her back was a new shield, larger but not as durable as the legendary one she had had before their Field Boss encounter.

"I was in the area when Brock sent me the message." He said with a nod. Meeting her inquiring gaze, he added, "I met up with Jae. We went and had breakfast together. Talked some things out."

Naomi offered her special smile and his heart lifted at the sight. "That's good. I'm glad you guys talked. Does the Assault Team know anything about these rumors?"

Israel shook his head. "Not to my knowledge. Jae didn't mention it and he left before I got the message."

Falling in beside him, Naomi took off at a brisk pace towards the nearest exit out of the plaza. "You should let him know anyway. If we can get the Assault Team to help us keep a watch out on the roads leading to the Town of Beginnings, we'll have more than enough strength to deal with trouble if something happens."

"Already done, but I doubt he'll read the message. He mentioned going on another Labyrinth raid today, and it would be stupid for players to open menus and check messages when they need to keep their guard up checking for traps and mobs."

Naomi sighed. "Just us then. Maybe against real people this time." She glanced at him. "You ready for this?"

Israel nodded grimly. "Don't aim to kill, but if it comes down to our lives over theirs, pick ours."

Checking to make sure Silverthorne was clear in its sheath, Israel readied himself for battle.


	38. Chapter 38

38

February 14, 2023

Floor 1, Town of Beginnings Outskirts

Israel rubbed his eyes. "What time is it?"

Opening her menu, Naomi took another look around the boar strewn fields. "Almost six now."

"Any updates from Brock?"

Naomi checked her messages again. "Nothing new since four. He'd said he'd keep his eyes open along the roads and send us word if he or the other info brokers saw any orange players."

His knees sore from the constant walking back and forth along the main roads, Israel moved to sit on a nearby log.

He sighed. "I'm glad it's looking like the rumors were unfounded, but this would've been our one chance to score a preemptive strike on those bastards. After today they'll have the element of total surprise again."

Naomi nodded. "I say we patrol all the roads one more time before calling it a day."

"Agreed," Israel answered as he rose. "By then it'll be dark, and most of the player base stays in safe zones at night. But first, let's grab some food from one of the shops to bring with us. We can eat on the way."

Naomi took one last glance out into the fields before nodding. "Sounds like a plan. I haven't eaten since I woke up."

Still wary as they turned and began heading back along the road leading to the Town of Beginnings, the two of them looked around constantly, both keeping their guards up.

They had been patrolling the eight square mile stretch of roads leading to the Town for over six hours already, constantly scanning and searching for any sign of criminal player activity. Several times, they had run into small parties of players heading to the Town for Valentine's Day festivities, and each time they asked, the answer was the same: no one had seen anything out of the ordinary, let alone a guild of orange players.

Though it had become clear as the day wore on that the rumor was more than likely going to prove to be just that, both Israel and Naomi wanted to stay near the area. After all, players lives could still be at risk.

By the time the two of them had returned to the Town of Beginnings, it was nearing seven in the afternoon, and the sun began to draw closer to the edge of the horizon.

Entering the red and pink flower covered gates, Israel did his best to avoid meeting Naomi's gaze. Under the present circumstances, giving her his gift was out of the question as long as the threat of an orange guild attack loomed. Yet he couldn't help but feel guilty, even inconsiderate, that there they were, spending the entire Valentine's Day together, and neither of them had even mentioned it. He knew they weren't technically together, but it was becoming more and more clear to him that he wanted to be.

As much as he tried to explain his feelings away, minimize their importance, or simply ignore them entirely, he knew that he wanted to be with her, really be with her. His feelings for her were undeniable, which made it even harder when she more than likely didn't return them. Though it was impossible to read her or guess her true thoughts, Israel had noted that Naomi had grown slightly more distant since their run in with the Justice guild, and even more after they had fought the Field Boss demon.

On top of that, all day it seemed she had put more effort into avoiding the topic of it being Valentine's Day than he had. She didn't stare long at any form of decoration theming the area, and when NPC birds had appeared above them and begun singing a romantic tune, Naomi shooed them away.

After purchasing several sticks of jerky and some honeyed bread at one of the main inns, Israel and Naomi quickly exited, as multiple NPC couples were kissing in the corners.

"Gotta give Kayaba credit for one thing at least," Israel joked as they closed the inn door behind them and returned to the streets. "He's good at emersion."

Naomi scoffed as they turned a corner. "I've seen-"

A cheer erupted in front of them, causing them both to look around in shock.

At least fifty players were gathered just in front of them in the side street, some spilling out into the buildings on either side and cheering through open windows. The crowd was formed in a dense semi circle around a makeshift platform, and everyone's eyes was on who stood at the top.

On the platform stood a young couple, the man dressed in a rich dark blue outfit with a golden trim. Beaming from ear to ear, the man, who looked to be a couple of years younger than Israel, stood proudly as he held the young woman beside him close. The girl wore a beautiful forest gown of lincoln green, and in her hair she wore a silver tiara. Though she was blushing from what must have been a kiss judging by how their faces pulled apart, she looked even happier than he did.

Israel and Naomi stood frozen as they watched the proceedings in utter confusion.

Producing a small bouquet of flowers out from behind her back, the girl laughed happily as she threw it into the air. The crowd lurched forward, men included, and when the bouquet landed, a tall girl with chainmail armor lept into the air, waving her trophy triumphantly.

One of the men standing closest to the platform beckoned at the newly christened husband.

"Get out of here you two! It's honeymoon time!"

Giggling as they held hands tightly, the couple descended the steps of the platform and walked forward. The crowd parted as one, and in the next instant everyone was laughing and smiling as dozens of players began throwing small handfuls of white rice at the newlyweds.

"I always wondered why people threw rice at weddings." Naomi said, half to herself.

"It's an ancient Roman tradition," Israel answered blankly as he stared at the couple, "Meant to be a fertility blessing."

As the couple exited the crowd and walked past them Israel couldn't restrain himself and tapped the young man on his shoulder.

Still beaming with joy, the man grabbed hold of Israel's hand and shook it profusely.

"Thanks for coming out," He said, "Both of you. My wife and I wanted as many people to be here as possible to make it feel like a real wedding, but we had no idea so many people would show. You don't even know us, but you came anyway."

The woman nodded gleefully. "Thank you both. It means the world to us."

Awkwardly fumbling for words, Israel blurted out, "I'm so happy for both of you...and I'm sorry to interrupt you like this, but I just wanted to ask...Why now?"

The man frowned. "Now?"

Stepping up beside Israel, Naomi nodded. "We don't mean any offense, but why get married here, now? We're trapped in a death game while our real lives are put to a halt outside."

The woman looked from Naomi, to Israel, and back to Naomi, flashing a knowing smile. "We understand what you mean. We had the same thoughts back when we first met. But you know what we came to find out? It's for those exact reasons we should get married, and so we did."

The man nodded. "We didn't know each other before SAO, and we've only been together for a few months, but in this world, we need to treasure our time. We could die at any moment, and it's that knowledge that not only makes the days in this game longer, but also makes those same days more meaningful. Simply surviving is a blessing, so we chose to make the most of our time, by following our hearts and our happiness."

"Forgetting about what it means to live," The young woman said, "to really live, is how Kayaba wins. Focusing solely on the dark and depressing things about this world, and always contemplating our possible deaths, is what he wants, and we won't give him that. We found each other here, and for us, our love is what makes this game worth seeing it through to the end."

The crowd, noticing the halt, quickly began converging on the newlyweds with more rice in tow.

"Now if you'll excuse us," The man laughed, "We need to go before the player base goes crazy."

Taking hold of each other's hands again, the couple took off around the corner, practically glowing as hey went. The crowd, still cheering even as they dispersed, were all smiles and laughter even when the platform got carried off and the street finally cleared.

Israel and Naomi both paused where they stood. Though he was unsure what Naomi thought, Israel found himself touched by the couple's words. In the real world, he had been opposed to marriage, and in SAO that opinion had been practically redoubled, but now he found himself wanting, almost craving, to feel that same joy with Naomi. Everything that couple had told them not only made sense, but seemed the only true way to go about life anymore. Israel was tired of pretending, of pushing down, of ignoring his feelings for Naomi. He wanted to hold her like the young man held his wife. To tell her that he-

"Israel!" Came Jae's voice.

Turning in surprise, Israel and Naomi saw Jae standing at the street corner, his polished steel and bronze armor shining in the sun and a deadly looking spear strapped to his back. Around Jae stood five players that Israel recognized as Group H, the Assault Team members that had stood by him and Jae during the Floor Two Boss fight.

"What are you doing here?" Israel asked in bewilderment.

Jae frowned at him. "You sent me a message this morning about the orange player rumor, right?"

Remembering now, Israel nodded. "I didn't think you'd check your messages seeing as you'd be Labyrinth raiding."

"I didn't for quite some time, but I got hurt pretty bad by an arrow trap and had to leave the Labyrinth for a while to repair my gear. That's when I checked. As soon I saw it," He gestured out to his men, "I asked the Assault Team for some help."

Naomi brightened. "Thank you Jae, and you too guys. We really appreciate having some extra hands to keep a watch on the roads."

Israel scowled. "Where are those asshole guilds? Too busy playing at being saviors?"

Jae looked like he wanted to make a remark, but held his tongue and instead said, "Lind and the Holy Dragon Alliance wanted to come when I let everyone know, but Kibaou and the ALA refused. Kibaou doesn't believe any attack will come today, that it's just rumor made up by scared people, so he stayed at the Labyrinth with his men."

"Since when does Kibaou hold command over Lind's guild?" Israel asked in disgust. Have they finally had the sense to unite rather than continue fracturing?"

"Kibaou isn't in charge of the Assault Team," Jae said firmly, "But he wants to be. He wants his guild to be the main, strongest force in play. That way, he can hold all the power and authority. Lind can't let that happen, not at any cost. Lind believes that if Kibaou takes over, the Assault Team is doomed to lose countless people in the future, and that in turn will only make things take longer out here for everyone else." He met Israel's eyes. "And I agree with him."

Israel opened his mouth to retaliate, but Naomi quickly cut him off and said, "Alright, I'll guess we'll just have to make do with what we have. Come on, we'll share our map info on the road systems with you and we can divide our numbers to go on patrols."

She began walking down the now empty side street, and the rest of them were forced to follow.

"The two main guilds may not be helping," Jae said as they marched, "but there were several parties and a few solo players who told me they'd head for Floor One and keep a watch on the roads as well. They're probably already out there."

Israel nodded. "Good, depending on how many there are, we might have enough people to watch every road without having to travel to different ones and backtrack."

"Has there been any fighting so far?" One of Jae's party asked, his hand on his sword. "Any contact with the orange players?"

Naomi shook her head. "We've been patrolling all afternoon, and talking with anyone outside we can find. It's been quiet so far."

Jae scratched his jaw. "Maybe Kibaou was right. Rumors are usually just tall tales borne of fear."

"We still have a few hours before sunset to prove that theory correct." Israel said flatly. "We'll just have to wait and see."

…

Throwing off their boots as they entered the house, Israel and Naomi both sighed.

"At least no one got hurt," Israel said, more to himself than her. "But I was really hoping we could catch some of those fucks. They'll just strike again somewhere else later."

Closing the door behind them, Naomi stretched.

"Yep. Tell you one thing, I'm done standing today." Walking over to the couch, she laid down, packing multiple pillows behind her head. "Did Jae and the others make it back alright?"

"He said he'd message me when everyone was safely back at their homes. You want anything to eat?"

Naomi shook her head. "I'm good thanks."

Walking into the kitchen, Israel scanned the countertops for any food. Finding none, he opened the fridge.

At that moment, a message notification appeared in his inbox. After giving the fridge a quick look, he opened the message. It was from Jae.

 _You give her the gift yet?_

Quickly closing the message and checking behind him to be sure Naomi hadn't seen, Israel closed the fridge, his appetite instantly vanished.

Exiting the kitchen, Israel turned back into the living room and began walking past, aiming for the hallway.

"You're not eating?" Naomi asked curiously from the couch.

"Nah," He said without slowing. "I'm too tired. I'm going to get ready for bed, just be a few minutes."

…

As soon as she heard his footsteps recede, Naomi stood up and began pacing.

 _Is this it? Is he getting his gift? He's going to give it to me. He got one too._

Opening her menu, Naomi allowed her own giftwrapped box to drop into her hands. Staring at it, she felt her heart skip a beat in nervousness.

 _What if he doesn't have one? What if he doesn't feel the same way? I can't tell him unless I know for sure._

Clutching the box to her breast, Naomi crept silently down the hallway. She had to know first. She had to know before she made a move. She had to know before she told him.

…

"Stop being such a bitch!" Israel cursed quietly into the mirror, staring at himself with disgust.

 _Just tell her. You need to tell her._

Opening his menu, Israel set his gift down onto the sink. Staring at it for what felt like an eternity, Israel felt the urge to open it, to make sure it was still there, still the way he had left it.

Opening the box, he pulled out the bracelet.

Made of glittering gold with dozens of tiny purple crystal fragments encrusted along it's slim body, it was an incredibly beautiful piece. Yet it was the centerpiece that he liked best. A magnificent sapphire of the purest quality, Naomi's birthstone, sat in the center. Though he had been tempted to have it cut into the shape of a heart while examining it with Jae that morning, Israel had ultimately decided against it.

As it was, he didn't regret the choice. The bracelet was exactly how he wanted it, for he felt like it conveyed how he felt perfectly.

 _I can't do this._

"Stop it, Israel growled at his reflection in the mirror. "Be a fucking man. Tell her how you feel."

 _I can't do this._

"Yes, you can. You have to. Please."

 _I can't do this._

…

Reaching the bathroom, Naomi saw that the door hadn't been closed all the way. Stopping at the edge, she tilted her head just enough and looked inside. She saw a box wrapped in red cloth in Israel's arms. Giddy relief, excitement, and love struck terror raced through her all at once.

 _This is it. This is it. He got me one too. He feels the same way._

And then she saw him open his menu, press a single button, and the box disappeared into his inventory.

Naomi paused.

 _Why would he hide it? He already got the gift, why would he…_

Israel turned and began walking towards the door. Bolting past with lightning speed, Naomi flew into their room and laid down. She had just managed to pull up her covers and remove the gift back to her own inventory when Israel walked in, not meeting her gaze.

"Do you...erm…" He paused. "Do you need anything?"

Naomi shook her head. "No...thank you though…"

Nodding, he laid down on his side. Turning her back to him and scooting to the edge of her side, Naomi heard him do the same.

She felt hot tears begin to roll down her face.


	39. Chapter 39

39

February 15, 2023

Floor 2, Urbus Outskirts

Moving from tree to tree as silently as possible, Israel pressed on deeper into the small forest. Careful to avoid stepping on leaves or twigs as he went, he took out his map for what felt like the hundredth time.

 _This should be the spot. How can they not be here? How can I not see anything?_

His location icon was standing in the center of the highlighted area; a suspected orange player hideout.

After he had lost the nerve to show Naomi his gift and the two had gone to bed, Israel had woken up sometime around two in the morning to a message from Brock and several info brokers. Each message had been short and concise, but none were any less horrifying.

Though the exact time was purely speculation, it was widely agreed to have been just before midnight, before Valentine's Day had officially come to close, when a group of orange players called Hell's Chosen had ambushed a small party of players just outside the borders of a safe zone town on Floor Two.

The entire party, consisting of four players, had been murdered no less than five feet from the borders of their town, and for over an hour after the event, no one had any idea what had happened. It wasn't until one of the party member's friends grew concerned and, after repeated attempts to send messages, checked the Monument of Life. Around the same time, witnesses began to come forward, confirming the culprits.

When Israel received the messages confirming the murders, he immediately prepared his gear and maps and left for Floor Two, intent on finding the orange bases, and the players responsible. Once he obtained the locations as well as the strength of the orange players, he would force the Assault Team to help in subduing weren't yet any prisons in Aincrad, but the time had come. Criminals needed to be locked up to prevent them from hurting others, it was as simple as that.

Looking up as he realized that dawn would arrive shortly, Israel cursed under his breath. He had spent the remainder of the night scouring the forest for any clue or sign that the orange players were there, tracing and retracing his steps, and yet he had found nothing.

There had been a moment, around an hour into his search, when Israel had felt as if someone was watching him. But when he turned around, there had been nothing.

There had been no cave systems, no hidden dungeons or camouflaged treehouses. In fact throughout the entire forest, there appeared no sign of human life. The mobs had been numerous as well, only adding to the lack of evidence of player activity. All in all, his search had been for nothing. Those four players were still dead, and their murderers were still free.

After crisscrossing the highlighted area on his map one last time before dawn's rays began to show themselves over the horizon, Israel grudgingly left the forest, cursing his inability to find anything of worth.

After walking out from behind the treeline and emerging back on the roads leading to Urbus, the main city on Floor Two, Israel received a message notification. Irritably opening his menu, Israel paused in his thoughts when he saw that it was from Jae.

 _Hey man, I got an hour or so before I need to meet up with the Assault Team. Feel like grabbing breakfast?_

Israel studied the message briefly, wondering how best to decline, when he realized that he wanted to see Jae. His problems with Naomi, the deaths of four more players, and his failure at getting any closer to catching some of the orange players had all put him in a foul mood, but also made him feel like he needed to talk to someone. More than that though, he wanted to see his brother again.

…

"So, someone bought the house." Jae said quietly, almost as an afterthought, around a mouthful of scrambled eggs.

Israel paused, toast in hand. "The house?"

Jae nodded. "The house on Floor Three that we had considered getting a couple months ago."

"Oh," Israel said as the memory returned to him. "Sorry man, I know how much you liked it. It's my fault we never got it."

Jae waved a hand before taking a drink of orange juice. "Don't worry about it, I had completely forgotten until I got the notification."

There was a moment of silence, broken only by the sound of forks scraping against plates.

"Did you hear about the murders last night?" Jae asked.

Israel nodded slowly. "Yeah. I heard."

Jae formed his hand into a fist as he stared out of the window beside their table. "Those bastards will get justice one day. Once this game is cleared, we'll tell everyone what happened."

Israel cocked his head slightly. "What?"

"Once we're back in the real world, we can tell the public, the police department, the media, what the orange players did."

Israel blinked. And then what?"

Jae hesitated, obviously unsure of Israel's question. "And then they'll be arrested and thrown in prison, like they deserve."

Israel's jaw worked in irritation. "So what, until then we're just supposed to accept that players murdering each other is a part of fucking living in SAO?"

"No of course not, that's not what I'm-"

"Then what the-" Israel stopped, forcing himself to calm down. He didn't want things between them to go badly again. "Sorry. I'm just really pissed today."

Jae dipped his head. "It's cool, man. Did…" He hesitated. "Did Naomi not like the bracelet?"

Tensing, Israel set down his knife and fork. "Not to sound like a jerk, but I'd really rather not talk about that just now."

"Alright."

They finished their meals in silence.

…

"So, anything new in the world on your end?" Jae asked curiously as the two of them left the restaurant and began heading to the teleport gate on the other side of town.

Israel shrugged. "Not much. Patrols are more efficient now. Oh, and you remember Naomi's friends? Evie and Kat and Will?"

Jae nodded. "They're good fighters. Why?"

"They're going to start helping with the patrols. In fact, we have plans to make a guild together. Them and Naomi and I. We're going to start looking for a base in a few days."

Jae smiled. "That's awesome man. A guild made completely to keep players safe? Be prepared to get famous, because that sounds like a headline."

Israel raised his eyebrow at Jae. "Says the guy who's already up there with Lind and Kibaou. 'Captain Jae, Commander of the mighty Group H.'"

"Shut up." Jae pushed him playfully. "It's not even all that. I'm known mostly because Lind respects me. I don't do much."

Israel rolled his eyes. "Sure you don't. I'll bet a hundred bucks right now that by the time we're done with this game, you'll be hailed as the hero of SAO for years to come."

"Have you ever even owned a hundred bucks?"

Israel punched Jae's shoulder with a chuckle. "Bitch."

"Jerk."

Quickly pointing at each other, both brothers shouted, "Supernatural!"

Laughing in unison at the old TV show reference as they continued down the paved road lined with houses and town hall buildings, Israel and Jae both realized at that moment how much they had missed each other.

They had just turned the final corner past a large inn when Israel looked at his brother, a serious expression on his face.

"I'm glad you're doing well man. You may not think it, but you deserve some recognition. You're the bravest guy I know."

"Thanks man," Jae said gratefully. "It means alot coming from you. I'm glad things are looking up for you as well, what with this guild coming together. You've already done so much to help the common player, you deserve some help. I assume you'll be guild leader?"

Israel scratched his head. "Honestly, I have no idea who'll be in charge. If I had to guess, though, I'd say Naomi. She's the better fighter and she's smart as hell."

Jae smiled. "You really do care about her don't you?"

Israel was quiet for a long moment. "I do."

With the teleport gate now within sight, Jae scratched his jaw.

"You know, this new guild idea could work well to our benefit."

Israel hesitated. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, seeing as you're about to turn the patrols into a guild effort, and guilds have some prestige and influence among the player base," Jae explained, "Maybe the Assault Team guilds could work with yours on dealing with catching and arresting orange players. Two groups fighting a common enemy, you know?"

Israel thought it over. "Not a bad idea. But your people don't seem very interested in dealing with the orange players. No offense."

Jae shrugged. "For now. But once your guild starts to gain traction, and I know it will, they'll want to get in on the influence and authority."

"Definitely something to consider," Israel answered. "If things do go like that, we could really start changing this game for the better while we're here."

"Either way," Jae said proudly, "You know I'm on your side in this, and whatever you try to do. Group H stands with you brother."

Israel smiled. "Thanks man."

After they had closed the distance to the teleport gate, Israel stepped inside. "I'm heading to Floor One. Naomi will wake up soon and then it's time for patrols."

Jae nodded. "I have a meeting with an info broker over a legendary amulet, and then I'm heading to the front lines."

Israel suppressed the urge to rebuke the term 'front lines,' and instead said. "We really need to start keeping in touch more, bro. It's been shit without you."

Jae nodded knowingly. "From now on, we start going back to how we used to be. See you around, brother."

Israel offered a grin. "Stay safe, you crazy bastard. Teleport, Tolbana!"

…

After Israel disappeared into the portal, Jae was about to turn around when he glimpsed a man standing some distance ahead, behind the teleport gate.

Squinting, Jae recognized the slicked back hair. "Malachi?"

Malachi strode forward. "Was that Israel?"

Jae nodded. "You got the info on that legendary amulet?"

Nodding, Malachi procured a scroll from his belt. Holding it out, he hesitated. "You have the money?"

Jae nodded, opening his menu. "Eight thousand Col...sent."

Visibly pleased, Malachi handed over the scroll.

"Pleasure doing business." He said, turning to go as Jae opened up the scroll. "Good to see at least one of you brothers isn't a cheat." He muttered quietly.

Jae closed the scroll. "What did you say?"

Malachi kept walking and waved a hand behind him casually. "Nothing, don't worry about it. Enjoy the amulet."

"Stop." His tone was ice.

Malachi slowed to a halt and turned.

"You said something about my brother being a cheat." Jae began closing the distance between them. "What the fuck does that mean?"

Malachi glanced around nervously. "No, I-"

"No one says shit about my brother unless he's done something to deserve it. You hear me?"

Malachi nodded. "Alright, fine. My mistake. I'll get out of your-"

Jae lifted an eyebrow. "Why would you imply Israel cheated you? He's not that kind of guy."

"Look," Malachi said shakily. "I'm not supposed to say anything, it was a mistake alright? Sometimes I get carried away and don't realize what I'm-"

Jae inched his face closer to Malachi's. "Tell me."

…

"Israel!"

Turning at the sound of his name, Israel saw Jae walking angrily towards him from the teleport gate.

 _I wonder what I did this time._

"Didn't you say you had an Assault Team-"

"What kind of asshole are you?" Jae asked furiously, pushing an NPC out of the way as he walked.

Israel was in no mood to be called names, but he held back. Crossing his arms as he stood there, Israel shrugged. "The handsome kind, I guess."

"You really are an idiot."

Closing the distance between them, Jae leaned in, pointing angrily at Israel's chest.

"You're a lying, scheming idiot."

Swiping Jae's finger away, Israel felt his blood beginning to rise. "And you're starting to piss me off. What do you want?"

Jae looked ready to attack him. "I want the truth. Right now."

Israel rolled his eyes. "What truth?"

"The truth about your stats!"

Israel was taken aback. "What?"

"And while we're at it, how about the truth on lying to me for ages, swearing you weren't keeping anything from me, swearing you weren't doing anything stupid and reckless. And how about also when you threatened Malachi into keeping his mouth shut?"

Israel tilted his head. "So it was Malachi who told you?"

"It should've been you who told me!" Jae shouted. "Better yet, you shouldn't have lied to me to begin with!"

Unable to control himself any longer, Israel exploded. "Stop fucking crying! I did what I felt like needed to be done at the time! If I withheld information from you, it was because I knew you'd break down like a little bitch about it and so I tried to spare you the embarrassment! And you know what? This whole conversation is fucking meaningless now anyway! Yes, I lied to you about the stats, and yes I lied about keeping things from you, but guess what? I stopped putting all my stat points into just strength months ago, back in december when Naomi found out!"

"So you told some girl you wanted to have sex with about your stats but not me?" Jae yelled. "Not the one guy in this whole game who's been trying to stick with you even though all you do is piss people off and push people away? The one guy that was ready to die for you at any given point ever since we entered this game? And you told her? Why?"

"Because I cared about her alright!"

"And look how that turned out for you!"

Israel's jaw snapped shut as he blinked.

Jae was about to continue yelling when he saw Israel's face.

"Look…" he fumbled for words. "I didn't mean…"

Israel leaned forward, pushing Jae back. "I could give a shit what you meant. You know what? I just realized something. I'm glad you found out about the stats. Now you know how fucking pathetic you are; you're own brother had to lie to you to keep you from breaking down like a little girl because you just can't stand being out of the loop."

Jae shook his head. "Israel, what I just said was out of-"

"Go fuck yourself."

Turning, Israel began to walk away when he heard Jae stepping towards him.

"Stay away from me." Israel said without looking back. "Go back to your Assault Team and swim in your self-righteousness while you can until a Boss takes your dumbass out. Have a nice life."

And with that, he strode down the road without looking back.


	40. Chapter 40

40

February 15, 2023

Floor 1, Tolbana

Slamming the door behind him in his rage, Israel stepped inside the house. The blue themed living room, a place that he was normally happy to see after a long day, now incited only anger from him.

 _Why the fuck is all this garbage blue?_

Kicking the coffee table away from him as he strode into the kitchen, Israel saw Naomi sitting at the table, her menu open and a cup of coffee in front of her. She didn't look at him.

"I didn't think you'd be up so soon." He said flatly.

"I've been up for a while now." She kept her eyes on her menu. "You were gone when I woke up."

Israel turned to exit the kitchen. "I couldn't sleep, so I went to an inn and got some drinks."

"Liar."

Israel stopped in mid step and winced. He had had enough of being called names this morning.

"What?"

Naomi closed her menu and stood up. "You just lied to me. Now, where did you go this morning?"

Israel narrowed his gaze at her. "Naomi-"

"You went to one of the orange player areas alone!" She said angrily. "And you won't even tell the truth about it?"

Israel rubbed his forehead. "Not now, Naomi. This is really not the time."

"Oh," She said mockingly, "And when would it be a good time? When would it be convenient for you that I speak?"

"Naomi-"

"I woke up to some of the messages coming in about the player deaths early this morning, and you weren't in bed. I already knew that if you had left like that without waking me or consulting with me, you were up to something stupid. So I pulled up the map of Floor Two, and I saw your icon in the middle of the fucking orange player sighting areas, alone!"

Israel stared at her. "Well done. You solved the great mystery of where I really was last night. You should be a detective." He turned again. "Now I've had a really, really shitty morning so if you'll excuse me-"

"How much of an asshole are you?" She screamed. "Is it so impossible to show any concern for how I feel?"

"When you're being an insulting lunatic?" Israel snapped loudly. "Yes! I couldn't if I wanted to!"

"I'm the lunatic?" Naomi laughed bitterly. "That from the idiot who decides he's going to try to discover the orange players' hide out all by himself, without giving anyone warning of where he's going?"

Israel rounded on her, waving his hands in a frenzy as he yelled, "Why the fuck do you care so much? Why is everyone trying to make me the bad guy? I wasn't putting you in harms way, so why do you care? I was trying to keep you safe!"

Undaunted by his aggressive posture and hand gestures, Naomi's icy gaze remained fixed on him as she stood stoically.

"Newsflash, you moron, I don't need you caring about my safety! I want you to be safe and not going around doing stupid and reckless things alone all the time! Is this all some kind of joke to you? You could die out there!"

"If the things I do bother you so much," Israel roared, "Why do you hang around? Has it ever occurred to you that maybe people don't want you in their business? That maybe, just maybe, there are things I need to do that don't revolve around you or how you'll feel about it?" Naomi said nothing, so Israel kept going. "Jesus, I'm surrounded by pests who don't know how to get off my fucking back! Why do you insist on attaching yourself to me like a leech, watching everything I do, if it-"

Naomi pushed him back several steps. "Because I love you, ok?!

Silence enveloped the room as the words rebounded off the walls for a few brief seconds. Still in a rage, Israel was shocked at the sudden confession.

He opened his mouth to speak, but Naomi cut him off.

"Don't bother trying to come up with words of pity, I know you don't love me back alright? I saw you throw your Valentine's Gift away last night because you thought I would've taken it too seriously.

Israel's world was twisting inside out as she spoke. She loved him?

"Naomi-"

"Don't try to sound nice and concerned now!" She screamed at him. "I know how things are between us, alright? After all, how could someone like you love anyone. All you do is insult and scorn people whenever they try to help you or show concern for you!"

Her repeated accusation erased any sense of joy he felt at realizing she loved him too. How dare she act like she knew him better than he knew himself. She had no idea how much pain he had been in for the past few weeks thinking that she didn't care for him in the same way. And now here she was screaming that he didn't know how to love at all? He couldn't take it.

"My only question is," Naomi continued coldly, her look of ice constant and unwavering, "If you don't have feelings for me, why bother keeping me out of your stupid and reckless missions?"

"You know what, Naomi?" Israel exploded. "Fine, I don't love you. But just because I don't love you doesn't mean I want to be the reason you die. Did it ever occur to you that maybe I don't feel like having the overbearing burden of your death on my conscience?"

Naomi stood there, quiet for a moment. Then, without saying another word, she walked into her room and closed the door behind her. He could hear the lock tick into place.

"Damn it all to hell!" He said through gritted teeth, knocking over a bookshelf and storming out of the house without bothering to close the door.

…

There was a knock on the door.

Setting down the shattered bedframe, Jae turned and checked the one small window.

It was Israel.

Twisting the latch, Jae opened the door.

His brother looked mentally and emotionally exhausted, and though some traces of rage could still be seen in his sharp blue eyes, now they were mostly taken over by overwhelming sadness and regret.

"Jae…" Israel paused,opening and closing his mouth several times before saying. "I'm not here about us. Because of that, you don't owe me anything. We're done, but right now, at this moment, I need someone, anyone, to help me. If you want me to leave, just say the word and I'll go."

Jae lifted his eyebrows in surprise. "No, no it's cool. You want to come in?"

Israel nodded.

Stepping inside, his brother looked around at the destroyed bookshelf , chair, and table strewn all over the floor. "Looks like we both destroy stuff when we're pissed."

Jae kicked the debris aside enough to clear a path to the bed, but Israel didn't move and instead continued standing straight. Even so, he looked haggard and older than he had when they had fought not a half hour earlier.

"For the record," Jae began. "I really am sorry for-"

"I just ruined my relationship with Naomi before even getting the chance to start a real one."

Jae paused. "What do you mean? What happened?"

Israel looked out the window rather than meet his eyes. "She accused me of not loving her, of not even knowing what love was."

Jae shifted his weight on the bed. "And?"

"What do you think?"

"Well, knowing you, I'm guessing you blew up?"

Israel threw up his hands. "She started it. She was screaming and yelling at me the moment I walked in. Then she admitted she loved me and-"

"She said she loves you?" Jae asked in amazement. "She said that exactly?"

Israel nodded. "And then she told me not to bother pretending like I loved her because she knew the truth or some such shit."

Jae scratched his jaw. "What made her so angry to begin with?"

"That's not the point," Israel pressed. "The point is I'm pretty sure now that she was testing me to see if I'd say I loved her. I didn't realize it at the time, but I'm almost positive now."

Jae nodded. "That sounds like females, alright. So you told her you felt the same way?"

Israel shook his head. "She kept repeating that I didn't love her, that I didn't care about people. You know I'm not good at staying calm when people target me like that, and I was already pissed from my fight with you-"

"You told her you didn't love her?" Jae said softly.

Israel met his eyes, and Jae could see his pain. "I'm a fucking idiot, I know. I've messed up, man. I've messed everything up. The girl I love thinks I hate her and I'm pretty sure she hates me now too. I don't…" His voice wavered, and Jae could've sworn he saw a tear. "I don't know what to do. Why am I such an idiot?"

Standing, Jae walked up to Israel and pulled his brother into a straightened position. "You're not an idiot, man. You were angry. We all say crazy things when we reach our breaking point."

Israel wiped at his eyes. "That doesn't change anything. I'm broken on the inside. I feel like shit for what I said and I wish more than anything I could take it back. But now it's probably too late."

"No." Jae pulled away from his brother and put both hands on his shoulders. "It's never too late to make one last effort. You really do love this girl. Our entire childhood, growing up, I never thought you'd love, really love, any girl alive. And now you do." His brow furrowed in determination. "And I'm not about to let that go wrong for you."

Israel offered a sad smile. "So what should I do?"

Jae shrugged. "You already know the answer to that question. You need to go back to her and tell her how you really feel. You show her just how much you care. If there's any chance at all she still cares for you, she'll realize that tensions were just high is all. Arguments always happen. It takes a man to get over them and face his fears. It's time you faced yours once and for all and told her the truth. That's the only way this can fix itself."

As Jae stared, he could see the spark of determination, small at first, light up in Israel's eyes before igniting into an inferno. His brother's motivation was back.

"You're right." Israel said with a smile. "You're so right. I'm done keeping secrets, holding things back. I'm telling her everything. In fact, I'll do more than that."

Jae frowned. "What do you mean?"

Israel flashed a look of bliss, joy, and pure terror all at once. "I'm going to ask her to marry me."

Jae took a step back. "Bro...are you...are you sure?"

Israel stood proudly, his head held high and waving his hands around in excitement. "For the first time in my life, I'm more sure than anything. I want this. I want to marry her."

Jae felt tears beginning to form around his eyes and quickly brushed them off before they had a chance to properly form. "I wish you the very best of luck, brother. Truly."

With a nod, Israel made for the door. "I'm going to go find her right now. She's probably with Evie and the others. Thank you for every-"

"Wait!" Jae shouted as an idea struck him. Excitement coursed through his veins.

Israel hesitated at the door. "Bro, I really need to go. I need to tell her the truth and see if she says yes, in spite of my never ending idiocy."

Jumping towards the door, Jae gestured for Israel to follow him. "You positive about marrying this woman? Being with her for the rest of your life? Being a husband?"

Israel positively beamed. "I am."

"Then I know exactly what you need."

…

"Naomi, it's ok." Evie said as they walked down a paved road leading towards the main city on Floor Twelve. "You and Israel were both just too angry to think rationally. He didn't mean what he said."

Naomi stifled her crying as best she could. "How are you so sure?"

Kat nodded. "Yeah, and how can you defend this guy? He's an asshole. He said horrible things to Naomi."

Evie shook her head. "I'm not defending what he said. Yeah, he was a fucking moron if he really said all that. But I know guys, and I've definitely known my fair share of breakups and end of the world arguments. Guys say dumb shit all the time. Israel said some stupid things, that's undeniable. But to be fair, you kind of instigated a fight."

Will fell in beside Evie, hand resting on his Katana as he nodded. "She's right. Us guys aren't very good when it comes to tests."

Naomi scowled at him. "Trust me, that much every woman knows."

"And yet you fems continue giving them." He glanced at Evie meaningfully, who laughed. "Whatever, get over yourself."

Naomi opened her menu and checked for any messages.

"He hasn't even tried to contact me. What am I supposed to think? He's probably just being a careless idiot again and trying to find orange player lairs."

Evie stepped over a large rock in the ground. "I doubt it. He's probably sulking in an inn somewhere or complaining to his friends. But that's not the point. The point is I know for a fact he didn't mean it when he said he didn't love you, idiotic as it was for him to say something like that."

Naomi looked doubtful. "How can you know?"

Evie shrugged. "Simple, I've seen the way he looks at you. When you guys were jumped by that Field Boss and it was about to kill you, I was close enough to see him grab the monster's arm, just to distract it from you for another second. And he was so beat up he was helpless at that point."

"That's no excuse for his behaviour. Naomi said she loved him, and he said he didn't love her back. He yelled at her!"

"And she yelled at him." Will countered. "No offense Naomi, but I do think there's always two sides to a fight."

Naomi nodded. "You're not wrong. I was pretty aggravated when he first came back, I know that. I was just so worried, and so angry when he left on such a reckless mission without even waking me. Our job is to help people together, and he left me there when the messages started pouring in. I was really angry, and I still am about that. He's ruined our relationship and our partnership all at once."

…

"What is this place?" Israel asked as he looked around, his voice echoing deep into the chamber.

"A mini dungeon that some guys on Group H found thanks to info broker advice about a month ago." Jae answered as he walked. "The mini Boss was killed, so it's pretty safe. There are some mobs though, so have your sword ready."

Drawing Silverthrone, Israel kept his eyes to the dark walls as he followed behind Jae. "And why are we here again? I need to confront Naomi man, not go dungeon raiding."

Jae glanced back, a massive smile spread across his features. "You'll see. It should only take us about ten minutes to reach the chest at the end."

"What's in the chest?"

Jae set his sights forward again. "You'll have to see for yourself."

…

Naomi wiped sweat from her brow as the sun beat down upon them. There were a few trees here and there, but not nearly enough to provide shade. On either side of the road, shallow swamp water only served to add to the heat and humidity. "How much longer?"

Evie pointed at a fork in the road some several hundred yards further up. "Once we make that left turn, it's a straight shot to the town itself."

Will nodded enthusiastically. "Wait until you see the house. Well, to be honest it's more like a three story tower. Great vantage point."

The three of them had found a place on Floor Twelve that they believed would be perfect for a guild, and all of them were confident the mere sight would cheer Naomi up. They hadn't made any reservations of course, but they were determined to have the tower house be their base.

"I don't know about checking this place out without Israel." Naomi said quietly. "This whole patrol thing was his idea. We were all supposed to do this together."

Kat took her hand. "It's fine, we're just going to give you a sneak peak to tell us what you think is all. If things with Israel work themselves out, we'll all take him on a different day. If not-"

Evie glanced at the tank. "Kat." She scolded.

Kat shrugged. "What? I'm just considering all the possibilities."

Naomi sighed. "Thanks guys, but just one look ok? After that, I need a drink."

Will looked ecstatic. "I was hoping you'd say that. One of my favorite inns is in this town and I'm star-"

There was a sound like an electric charge going off, and Will trembled once before collapsing onto the ground.

"Will!" Evie cried out, dropping to her knees beside him.

Kat and Naomi both unsheathed their weapons, but couldn't see any enemies near them. Glancing at Will's health bar, Naomi was surprised to see that it hadn't gone down. Instead, a yellow glow encompassed the edges of the bar, and beside it was the symbol of what appeared to be a lightning bolt.

"Aah!" Kat cried in shock behind her.

Spinning around with her shield held high, Naomi saw Kat collapse onto the ground like Will. Both seemed unable to move, and both of their health bars had the same symbol around them.

Wasting no time, Naomi raised her shield, preparing to activate her shield bash sword skill that would daze anyone nearby. Before she could unleash the move, however, she felt a white hot pain lance up her side, and then she too found herself collapsing onto the ground, unable to even hold her hands out to soften the fall. Then she saw orange players emerge from the swamp.

…

Pixelated shards burst out all around as Israel finished off the last of the Evil Dwarf mobs on his side. Glancing to the right, he saw Jae already done with his enemies and glancing around to be sure the perimeter was secure.

They were standing in a large chamber with a single beam of light coming down from a crack in the rock above them. All around the room, old looking chairs and books littered the floor.

"Alright, I think that's the last of them." Israel said. "Now what?"

Jae dipped his head towards a small table in the back of the chamber. "There's a chest underneath the table. Open it."

After one last scan of the immediate area, Israel sheathed Silverthorne and approached the table. It was made of a dark color, decorated with engraved leaves and flowers.

Lifting the table and allowing it to fall backwards onto its side, Israel stooped down. There, in between the now upturned legs of the table, sat a small silver chest with a picture of a couple on it.

 _What the…_

Opening the chest, Israel saw that the inside was framed and padded with soft red velvet on all sides. And in the center sat two beautiful, golden rings; one with an obvious masculine touch in that it was more simple and made to be thicker, while the other was designed for a female hand and had a small diamond perched on it's top.

With the rings in hand, Israel stood up and turned to face Jae.

"Are these wedding rings?"

Jae grinned. "Better. They're specifically designed for couples. As long as you and the person you're married to each have one, they act as a set. As long as you have those rare rings on, you and Naomi will be able to teleport to each other at will, always see each other on the map, and always be able to send messages to each other specifically. They look pretty classy too, don't they?"

Israel stared in amazement at the gorgeous rings, then looked up at Jae, an inquisitive look on his face. "How did you find out about these? You planning on getting married?"

Jae laughed. "No. one of the info brokers who provide knowledge of rare items to the Assault Team told us all about the rings when we were here on Floor Fourteen. At the time I didn't think they'd be much use to anyone."

Israel closed the distance between them and clasped Jae's hand firmly. "Thank you, brother. For this gift, and for helping me come to see that I need to stop living in the past and embrace the future. Face my fears." He grinned. "I'm going to fix things with Naomi. She's everything I've ever wanted. She means the world to me. I can't go back to pretending like I don't agree with love and marriage ever again after this. I'm going to ask the woman I love to marry me man!"

Jae smiled. "I already know she's going to say yes."

…

"No!" Will screamed out in agony. "No, please, no!"

Naomi felt tears trail down her face as she heard Will being cut to pieces by several orange players. Looking up as best she could without being allowed to move, she couldn't see Will's body as Evie had fallen beside him, covering him from view. She could see his health though.

Standing over them all were a dozen orange players, all of whom wore dark cloaks and hoods that covered their upper body and hid their faces. Armed with swords, scimitars, and axes, The players were mostly silent as three of them hacked and stabbed at Will's helpless body, but several of them were laughing.

Naomi saw Evie go pale upon hearing Will's cries. "Please stop hurting him!" She screamed out loudly. "Leave him be! Please!"

An instant later, Will went silent as his health bar reached zero, and Naomi shut her eyes as she heard him shatter into a thousand pieces.

One of the cloaked players, armed with a warhammer and shield, gestured to Kat and Naomi.

"Check them next so they'll be ready when we get to them."

Following his orders, two of the players strode up to Kat and began stripping her of gear, Col, and any other materials in her inventory they liked. Another approached Naomi.

Struggling with all her might to break free of whatever they had paralyzed her with to no avail, Naomi was completely helpless as the orange player took hold of her hand and forced her into making the open menu hand gesture.

"Get away from my friends." Naomi said through gritted teeth. "I'm a beta tester. I can show you all how to find rare items that not even the Assault Team has found yet. I have connections with most of the info brokers, I can be useful to you, but only if you stop hurting my-"

"Shut up you dumb bitch." The orange player said casually. With her menu now open, he began scrolling through her gear. "Damn. You've got some nice equipment."

"I'm telling you," Naomi asserted. "I know where to find-"

Backhanding her with his armored glove, the player brought a finger to his lips. "I said shut up."

Stunned from the blow, Naomi could feel her lip bleeding, but she didn't care. Tears still stung her face as she thought of Will.

And then she saw the orange players start on Evie, who began crying out in pain as swords pierced her stomach and chest.

"No!" Kat screamed. "Evie! Please, please God, no!"

One of the two orange players searching her laughed scornfully.

"There is no God in this game. Only Death." He turned and signalled to their apparent leader with the warhammer. "Alright, they're both clean."

The leader nodded. "Double up on the tank, she's got the most HP and we need to end this quickly."

The man who had taken everything from Naomi's inventory got up and, sword in hand, made for Kat with his two comrades. Glancing around futilely for anything she could use, anyone she could call to for help, or even a mob she could somehow target, Naomi found her thoughts frozen in place when her eyes met Evie's.

Evie's health was down to the last five percent, and on her face was despair, sadness, and pain. But in her eyes, there was calm. Naomi smiled at Evie one last time, the tears flowing freely down her face as her closest friend reached zero HP and closed her eyes.

And Evie shattered into pieces.

The players who had targeted her next approached Naomi.

Behind her, she could already hear Kat screaming.

…

Exiting the mini dungeon, Israel took in a deep breath. "It feels like a new day already."

Jae nodded. "I hope so. I gave up my day in the Labyrinth to help you get those rings."

Israel smiled. "Thanks again man. Hey, I don't suppose it's been a long enough time since our last fight for me to ask you to be best man? I know we've had one too many falling outs at this point. Too much bad blood. But helping me realize that I need to marry Naomi while there's still time is something I can never repay, and it would only be right for you to be best man."

Jae's eyebrow shot up. "You sound pretty cocky of this marriage going through all of a sudden."

Israel pushed him playfully. "You said yourself you knew she'd say yes. And I just have a feeling, you know? Naomi and I have been through so much together. So far, we've overcome everything this game has to offer. We'll overcome this fight and then we'll be together. I won't let anything keep us apart any longer."

…

Kat went silent as her HP hit zero, and Naomi heard the pixelated explosion.

 _How could this happen? Why is this happening to us?_

Maintaining her composure as best she could in spite of the crying, Naomi gulped back her terror as the orange players encircled her.

"Shame that we have to destroy such a pretty face." One of them said mockingly.

And then they started stabbing.

Gasping in pain as she felt sharp, cold steel tear apart her skin and start ripping open her insides, Naomi refused to scream. She would not give them the satisfaction.

Her health plummeted into the yellow, and even as she watched, it entered red as the barrage of sword thrusts impaled her broken body again and again.

She gritted her teeth as the pain seemed to stretch on for an eternity. And then, her health reached zero and the pain finally subsided.

A small sign appeared above her head;

 _You are dead_

Though the last thing she saw was her body disintegrating into pixelated shards, Naomi's last thoughts were of her beautiful mom, her jokester dad, and the man she loved, Israel.


	41. Chapter 41

41

February 16, 2023

Floor Twelve, High Road

He could hear leaves crunch as someone approached from behind him, but he didn't stir.

Standing silently by the roadside, Israel kept his gaze on the spot where it was believed Naomi and the others had died. They had been on the High Road somewhere along the swamp, that much was known for a fact. But beyond that, it was pure guesswork. For all he knew, they could be in the wrong spot entirely.

Every few minutes, a silent tear escaped him, but he didn't care. In fact, he didn't care about anything anymore.

"Israel." He heard Jae say behind him. "You've been standing here since last night. I have some food-"

"Have your men found anything?" Israel asked quietly, his voice devoid of any emotion. He already knew the answer.

"Not yet," Jae said, the concern evident in his tone. "But don't worry, we'll figure out what happened."

Israel said nothing. He wasn't trying to be rude, it was just that there was nothing else to say. Naomi was gone, and with her, all point and purpose in his life. And she had died thinking he didn't love her.

Another tear rolled down his cheek as he stared out along the road.

Jae took another step closer. "If you won't eat, at least come and sit down while we wait. Please."

Israel didn't so much as blink.

Jae touched a hand to his shoulder as he stepped up beside him. "I can't begin to imagine how you're feeling right now…" He hesitated, and Israel knew he was having trouble finding words. "What you've lost...I'm so sorry, brother."

Israel hardly heard him. He began to consider what it would be like to commit suicide. It was well known that dozens of players had killed themselves out of despair and fear since the game began. Aincrad was a flat world, and though each Floor was vast and spanned roughly twenty miles in each direction, each had an end. It was to these edges of the world that players had gone and thrown themselves over the side into the nothingness that awaited beyond. To feel nothing, to simply fall through space and time until the system terminated you, sounded ideal.

After all, it was said that in the moments before death, a person briefly relived their entire lifetime.

Which meant he would be able to relive every second he and Naomi had shared together.

"Israel, please." Jae pleaded. "Come and sit, get some rest. You've already been up all night and…"

Israel tried to listen to his brother speak, if for no other reason than because he almost felt badly hearing the pain and worry in Jae's voice, but he simply couldn't. Nothing mattered anymore. Each moment since Naomi's death had been confirmed had become the same empty, monotonous, pointless existence. Time had lost all meaning, and the universe itself was a cold and wasted ideal.

The only thing that Israel could feel at all anymore was pain. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her giving him her special smile, the one she reserved only for him, which was torment enough. Or he saw Naomi's heartbroken face when he had lied and told her he didn't love her. His heart felt like it was ripping itself apart inside him, and he had difficulty telling whether or not the torture lasted for seconds, or for decades. His mind, his body, his very soul, was numb.

If a person could die from sheer will, he would already be dead.

"Israel, stop!" Jae exclaimed emotionally, forcing Israel to face him.

"It seems strange at first," Israel said, more to himself than to Jae, "Realizing that nothing matters anymore. But then, it feels almost freeing."

"Stop talking like that." Jae said firmly. "Naomi loved you, do you really think she would want you to lose yourself because of this?"

Israel fixed his eyes on Jae. "She loved me, but she died thinking that I didn't have a care in the world for her."

"You couldn't have known this would happen. Don't blame yourself for-"

"She died thinking I didn't love her. And now it's too late. I'll never get the chance."

Pulling himself free from Jae's grasp, Israel turned back to face the road. "After things fell apart between you and me, she was the only thing that kept me sane. And the whole time, I was too stupid, to cowardly to tell her how I really felt."

Jae opened his mouth, but Israel's thoughts drifted away from the roadside. All he wanted now was to be with Naomi. Why stay in a world without her? If he followed her, maybe, just maybe, he could tell her how he felt. Tell her that he was sorry.

Making up his mind, Israel opened his menu and checked the map. Jae was silent as he watched. As soon as Israel had located the Floor's edge, he closed his menu. He was ready to die.

Turning to go, Israel was about to start walking when a group of players emerged from the partially submerged trees further out into the swamp.

"That's the others," Jae said encouragingly. "They wouldn't have come back yet unless they found something."

That was true enough. The first few hours after the death of Naomi and the others, Jae had called on his Group H members to take it in turns to scour the area for any evidence of how Naomi had died. Israel knew from the start it was just a formality, something to make him feel like her death wasn't just going to be swept under the rug and ignored. He supposed it was a nice gesture, but it was pointless all the same. The game had killed Naomi, what more was there to know? What more was there to care about?

And then he saw an orange cursor in the midst of the green players approaching them.

Straightening, Israel made for the group. Jae followed beside him, his brother's face etched with worry.

As they closed the distance, Israel saw that two of Jae's party were holding the orange player on either side as if he were a prisoner. The man's hands were bound in front of him in such a way that it looked like he was praying. Garbed in a loose, black trench coat with a hood on to cover his face, the player looked dark and insidious.

"What is this, Aranal?" Jae asked one of the players holding him, a big man with a scowl etched onto his features.

Aranal made a sidelong glance at Israel. "I think we should talk alone for a-"

"Tell me why you have an orange player." Israel said so quietly it was almost a whisper.

Jae hesitated, looking between the orange player and Israel, but then nodded. "Go on."

Stepping behind the orange player, Aranal pulled back his hood and kneed him in the back. Hard. Dropping to his knees, the orange player cried out in surprise before looking up at Jae and Israel, fear in his eyes.

Israel examined the man curiously. An office haircut, coupled with a receding hairline and wrinkles on his forehead and chin, gave the man the appearance of a typical middle aged father, all too accustomed to nine to five shifts and problems with the bills.

"We found him and one other hiding out along the roadside," Aranal explained. "When they saw our gear and numbers, they must have thought we were looking for them, so they took off running."

Jae gazed down at the man in disgust before returning his attention to Aranal. "And then?"

The other player who had been holding onto the prisoner, a younger man Israel recognized as David from the Floor Two raid, spoke up.

"We split up our numbers and surrounded them as best we could. We managed to encircle this one here," He shoved the orange player hatefully. "And he threw away his sword and surrendered. He's been crying and pleading like a bitch the entire way back."

"What happened to the other orange player?" Israel asked without taking his eyes off the man.

Aranal looked disappointed in himself. "He got away. Must've had a movement speed buff or something."

Jae looked up in alarm. "If that's true, he'll go back to his party and tell them what happened."

Bending down, Jae seized hold of the man's collar and yanked his face close. "You. How quickly can your murdering friends get here to help you? If you lie to me, you die first."

Trembling, the man shook his head emphatically. "They wouldn't come back for me, I... I swear. We have a code. If...if one of us gets caught, he gets left behind. Please believe me, I'm not lying. Even if there wasn't a code, they wouldn't try to help me."

"And why's that?" Jae asked coldly.

"Because they don't consider me one of them."

"Who's 'they?'"

The man looked from Jae's face to Israel, who remained silent. It seemed he was even more afraid of Israel's still calm, so the man faced back to Jae.

"Laughing Coffin."

Israel recalled the name. He and Naomi had heard rumors of the orange players dividing into many parties and guilds since crime began to spike, but it seemed Laughing Coffin had greater numbers than the others.

"And you're saying they don't count you among them?" Jae asked. "Why? Your cursor is orange just like the rest of them. You've hurt people, haven't you?"

The man shook his head. "You don't understand. You don't know. They made me one of them because I'm a skilled info broker, that's the only reason. They forced me to give them all my intel and to continue providing more. They would've killed me if I didn't listen to them."

"Your cursor is orange." Jae maintained. "How many people have you hurt?"

"You don't understand-"

"How many?"

Closing his eyes as tears began to flow down his face, the orange player put his hands over his ears as if to block out the sounds of his memories. "Three."

Aranal muttered curses. David's glare looked like it would set the man on fire. Jae tilted his head. "How many have you killed?"

The man's eyes shot open, and he looked truly terrified. Not towards Jae, but at himself.

"Two. But you have to believe me, I didn't want to. I never wanted to. You would've done the same thing in my position."

Jae shook his head. "I would never take an innocent life just to save my own."

"It wasn't to save _my_ life!" The man cried.

Jae frowned. "What are you talking about?"

"I'm...I'm a father." The man took in a breath as Jae's party all looked taken aback. "I have two kids in the real world. I need to get back to them, don't you understand? I have to survive this game for them!" Though he was crying openly, the man seemed to take on an air of determination. "The moment Kayaba told us all that we were trapped here that first day, I knew I needed to do whatever I had to to stay alive, to get back to my kids."

Jae hesitated. "So you're saying the orange players forced you into hurting and killing people, even though they didn't consider you one of them? Why?"

"Because they thought it was funny." The man sobbed. "They made a game of ordering me to participate whenever I was around for an ambush." His eyes looked wild as he narrowed his gaze on Jae. "But never once did I want to. I hate them. I hate them all. I only did as I was ordered because I need to get home. I need to get out of this game alive."

There was a long silence. Israel didn't make a move. Instead, he watched to see what Jae would do.

"Why were you laying in wait along the road today?" Jae asked.

"We had a good haul yesterday." The man said quietly. "Laughing Coffin wanted to take a chance and see if they could be as lucky today."

"Do you know anything about the murders of a four player party that occurred somewhere near here yesterday afternoon? Maybe something you heard?" Jae asked.

"There were three women and one man." The orange player said without hesitation. "They were travelling along this road."

Israel tilted his head. "What weapons were they using?"

The man paused as he looked at Israel.

"I doubt he would remember something like that." Jae intervened.

"Bullshit." Israel said. "At this point in SAO, the orange players are skilled in setting up ambushes. Any proper ambush would first be built around an analysis of the players about to be attacked. That includes their gear and weapons."

The man nodded. "You're right."

"And you," Israel continued, pointing at the orange player. "Being an info broker naturally makes you a skilled scout. You have levels in skills like hiding, stealth, and detection, right?"

Again the man nodded. "I do."

"So what weapons were they using?" Israel's tone was ice, and he held the man in a raptor gaze.

The man took in a breath. "The man had a Katana. One of the girls two knives, another had a sword and kiteshield, and the last one had an axe and buckler."

For a moment, Israel forgot to breathe.

The game hadn't taken Naomi from him.

The orange players did.

"Israel, David, Aranal," Jae said, gesturing off to the side so they could talk privately. "A word?"

"What are you going to do to me?" the man asked desperately. "I've told you everything truthfully, I swear."

"I believe you," Jae answered. "But that doesn't mean you can just go free. Once we're done here, I'm taking you to the Assault Team and we'll find out where to put you. You'll be locked up until we know for sure that everything you've told us about yourself is true. Fair enough?"

The man nodded gratefully. "Yes, thank you. Thank you. That is more than fair. You'll see that what I've said is true, I swear-"

Darting forward with all his speed, Israel drew Silverthorne from its sheath.

"Israel!" Jae shouted as he dove forward to tackle his brother. "Stop!"

The members of Group H charged up as well to get in between Israel and the orange player, but they weren't fast enough for him.

No one was.

"Please!" The middle aged man screamed as he toppled backwards in an effort to escape. "I'm a father! I'm a-"

Using both hands, Israel drove all of his forward momentum into a powerful horizontal slash aimed for the man's neck.

In the next instant, Israel felt Silverthorne cut through skin and muscle as he beheaded the orange player where he sat.

The player's headless body shattered into a thousand pixelated shards even as his screams echoed out into the swamps.

And Israel's cursor turned orange.

Everyone froze, staring incomprehensibly at what he had just done.

Sheathing Silverthorne, Israel turned.

It had begun.

"You're a murderer!" Jae screamed at him. "You just killed an unarmed man!"

Israel paused and looked back over his shoulder. "Yes, I did."

"I need...I need to take you in. You can't be allowed to roam free after what you just did."

Israel laughed menacingly. "I did what needed to be done. I gave him justice. And I'm not stopping there."

He started walking again.

"Where do you think you're going?" Jae shouted as he and the other men began to run towards him.

But Israel already had his teleport crystal ready.

"Teleport, Sunlit Forest." He said quietly so Jae and the others wouldn't hear.

The world turned white around him as his body disappeared from Floor Sixteen.

Stepping out of one of the teleport gates on Floor Twenty, Israel closed his eyes.

"I'm going to kill them all."


	42. Chapter 42

42

February 20, 2023

Floor Twenty three, Caverna Forest

Scrolling through the available skill list, Israel stopped when he saw Stealth. Quickly applying his newest skill point into it, he closed his menu and turned to look out from behind the tree he was leaning against.

The Caverna Forest was dark and foreboding, and reminded him somewhat of the Forest of Wavering Mists back on Floor Three. Tall, menacing trees were scattered throughout the wood, their boughs so large that each tree's branches intermingled with one another, creating a blanket of leaves above the wood that all but blotted out the sun. There was no fog as it had been on Floor Three, but instead the ground was covered in knee high shrubbery and strange plants that looked suspiciously like giant venus fly traps. A single road ran through the forest to reach the city on the other side, and it was just beyond the borders of this path that he saw them; two orange players garbed in the same black cloaks as the man Israel had killed. Keeping low to the tall, dark grass in the tree line, they were all but invisible.

Though Israel had been searching without respite for orange players ever since his own cursor turned the same color, he had found the two he was now shadowing purely by accident. He had been wandering the areas most heavily targeted by orange players for the first three days and nights since turning orange, without success, when his body began to shut down from lack of sleep. Covering himself in plants and dirt where he lay so as to not be found, he had awoken some hours later to the sound of talking.

Following after the source, Israel had lost them multiple times, once for over an hour, but each time he just managed to catch sight of them again. Now, he had them firmly in his sights and less than fifty yards away.

Cursing his long blonde hair for standing out so vividly from the rest of the terrain, Israel did his best to keep the top of his head hidden behind leaves as he analyzed the two players. One was armed with a scimitar, the other a western style longsword. It was impossible to see what armor they wore under their ragged black cloaks, which would give him a disadvantage in the fight to come. Then there was the obvious; it would be two against one.

Though he thought himself more than capable of taking on one, Israel doubted he could defeat both at once. Therefore, he would need to retain the element of surprise. If he could close with the two orange players without them noticing, he could rush and kill one before they had time to draw their weapons. With only one left to face him in a fair fight, he was confident he could win. If not...he would be reunited with Naomi.

Spurred by the thought, and his plan made ready, Israel silently unsheathed Silverthorne and began his careful advance.

Drawing closer, Israel began to make out what the two orange players were saying to each other.

"How much longer?" Asked the one on the left.

"They should've been here already." The man on the right replied irritably. "At least according to Nurza and Talis."

"Those two idiots don't know anything about tracking," the one of the left said through gritted teeth. "They haven't even killed anyone yet, either."

"You say this every time we get new recruits, Nate."

"Because it's true." Nate spat. "I've been here with PoH since we started this whole thing. All these new guys joining just want to look cool. They don't understand what it's like to take a life, the thrill. I bet half of them don't even have what it takes when the time comes. PoH would agree with me."

"PoH doesn't even talk to you," The one on the right said mockingly. "Stop pretending you're so import-"

"Jett!" Nate hissed, waving a hand to command silence as he pointed at the road.

Jett grew very still as he eyed the path, and both orange players were dead silent. Following Nate's finger as he paused in his advance, Israel caught sight of a small group of players some distance down the road. After a moment passed, he could hear them laughing about something. They were drawing closer.

"Message them, now." Jett said as he opened his menu.

"What will you do?"

"I'm going to get the corridor crystal ready, so hurry the hell up."

Typing furiously, Nate hissed. "Fucking autocorrect."

"Hurry up."

"You don't command me, Jett...there. Sent."

As Israel watched from behind the thick bushes, he saw Jett take hold of a corridor crystal and lift it up behind them.

Corridor crystals were bigger and more rectangular shaped than normal crystals, and instead of simply taking someone to a teleport gate of their choice, these allowed players to travel anywhere. On top of that, they could be linked with other corridor crystals to allow a player to travel to the location of his crystal's link. Corridor crystals were easily twice as expensive as regular teleport crystals, and much prized as a result, but here these two were, using one as if it were routine. More than that though, Israel realized, they were using it to call for assistance. Before he could take another step, the corridor crystal shattered into pixels and was replaced by a small portal within the treeline.

And then four more orange players stepped out of it.

Just seeing the orange colored cursors filled Israel with rage, but then he blinked as he remembered his was the same color. He was just as much a murderer as them.

"Where are they?" One of the newly arrived orange players asked as the group quickly spread out and took cover.

Jett pointed at the four green players closing in along the road. "Nurza and Talis were correct. Party of four. One tank by the looks of it, one civilian, and two DPS."

The player who had spoken scowled. "Nurza sent me a message stating there were two tanks. Civilian wasn't mentioned."

Nate shrugged with a grin. "Not like that's bad news. Easier to kill and probably something good on him."

Jett nodded. "Nurza probably saw the armor and suspected tank. Lots of merchant or info broker players are making small fortunes off of the business they get from the Assault Team, so they can afford some of the best armor."

The orange player still looked unhappy. "When your shift ends, I want you to report to PoH on Nurza's failure. Mistakes will not be tolerated."

Jett nodded again, this time with some nervousness. "Will do."

"Right." Said the player Israel guessed was one of the leaders. "Hold position. Strike at the halfway mark."

Dead silence filled the air as the orange players, their black cloaks and hoods ruffling slightly in the breeze, waited for the green players to reach them.

Israel was only about fifteen feet behind the orange players, and they hadn't noticed him yet, but even if he managed to surprise one of them, two at best, the rest would swarm him. But if he did nothing, another party of innocent players would die.

Barely breathing, Israel considered what to do next. If he jumped out and warned the green players, there was a chance the orange players would kill him before he reached the party. Or worse, they would teleport out and he would miss his chance to kill them.

No, they had to die.

Israel decided that the best thing to do was wait for the orange players to begin their attack on the green party. As soon as they were committed and began charging out of the treeline, Israel would warn the green players and then attack from the rear. With the help of four green players, he figured, the odds were far better balanced at overpowering the six orange players and killing them all. Doubtless the green party would object, but that didn't bother him.

Tightly gripping Silverthorne's hilt, Israel felt his knuckles go white. His heart raced, not in fear, but in anticipation of violence. Of justice. Every now and then a fly or mosquito would buzz near his face, but he didn't move.

After a long moment, the green players' voices could be heard as they began walking past Jett and Nate, who waited on the far right.

"What I don't understand," one of the heavily armored players said, "Is why there aren't horses in this game. Every MMO ever has had them. Players need to get around without crystals sometimes, you know?"

"There are horses," Replied a lighter armed, red haired player. "They're just scarce and really expensive from what I've heard. Not even the Assault Team spends money on horses."

"Not all MMO's have had horses." Said another. "My dad has an MMO he played as kid called Runescape. Not a travel option but running."

Israel glanced from them to the orange players in front of him. All eyes seemed to be on the leader, and his hand was up. The green players drew closer.

The moment they walked in the line of sight of the leader, his hand dropped.

Preparing to charge, Israel began to rise.

Taking out small, needle shaped blades without handles or guards, the orange players took aim, and fired.

Crying out in pain almost simultaneously as the needles made contact, the green players shuddered and collapsed without warning. Israel had no idea what had just happened.

Checking their health bars, Israel could see that none of the players had so much as entered in the yellow. Instead, the perimeter around their health bars was flashing yellow, and a small symbol of a lightning bolt appeared by each of their names.

 _What the fuck is that?_

The six orange players walked forward, and Israel ducked back down into the bushes.

He wanted to help the green party, but if the orange players saw him, they would no doubt simply incapacitate him as they had the rest. His death would be meaningless, but worse than that, they would escape his vengeance.

The black garbed orange players strode towards the helpless green party and methodically began taking all of the players' equipment and money.

"Please!" One of the downed players screamed as his armor was removed. He couldn't have been older than fourteen. "Don't do this! We'll do whatever you want! I have more money back-"

"Stop talking." The orange leader said in a tone of annoyance.

"You don't understand, my parents won't be able to live with themselves if I die here-"

"They're all clear." Jett said as he closed the boy's menu and stood up.

"Good. Kill him first."

Nate grinned as his scimitar came flashing into his hand, and in the next instant, the boy was crying out in agony as swords and knives came down on him.

Israel wanted to look away, but found that he could not. He watched silently, and all he could think of was if Naomi had been this terrified. She would never have screamed, not in a thousand years. No, she probably only thought about saving Evie and the others, even as the swords cut her down.

Wincing back the sadness and misery that coursed through him at such thoughts, Israel struggled to reign in his emotions. He wrestled with them, subdued them, and tried to eliminate them but was not altogether successful. So instead, he used his sorrow, his pain, to fuel his desire for blood. For vengeance. For death.

And he would have it.

…

After the green players had been murdered, the four orange players who had come to help Jett and Nate reopened their portal and disappeared as quickly as they had come, but not before the leader of the group reminded the two scouts to report for a shift change at nine that night.

Israel followed the two of them for the rest of the day, oftentimes struggling to keep up and stay hidden from their sight. Once or twice, Jett would turn to check behind him, but each time, Israel would only just manage to keep himself from being discovered.

Exhausted from the constant moving and lack of sleep from the days before, Israel nonetheless continued to push himself. This was his chance, perhaps his only chance, to begin the destruction of the orange players, and the thought gave him strength beyond any he had felt before. After seeing the orange players in action, he realized that in order to kill them, he would need to be like them.

The sun had long since set when Jett and Nate halted. They had been scouring every road along the forest almost without rest, but now they sat and began taking out food. Checking the time, Israel saw that it nearly nine. This was it.

Creeping forward with Silverthorne in hand, Israel slowly closed the distance as he heard the two begin to speak.

"Slow day today." Nate said distastefully.

Jett shrugged. "That party this morning had a good haul. Over two hundred thousand Col between them. I'd call that a pretty good day."

"PoH expects better-"

"For the love of god," Jett interrupted between bites of beef jerky. "Stop talking about PoH. He's not that special."

Nate looked ready to strangle his partner. "PoH is the one who shows us all the way. Without his leadership, we'd either be dead or living like the rest of those helpless fools; hiding away in the towns and cities, pretending they never left the real world."

"Which is practically death already." Jett agreed. "But still. PoH is just a man. You would do well to remember that."

"And you would do well to remember that everything you own, everything you've become since joining us, is thanks to him."

"No argument there." Jett said. He opened his menu. "Come on, it's time to switch. Who's supposed to take the next shift?"

"Lork and Ryan." Nate got to his feet and yawned. "I'm ready to sleep. Got the crystal?"

"Of course."

Standing, Jett open his menu and began scrolling through his inventory. Both of their swords were in their sheaths, their backs turned.

The moment was at hand.

Picking up speed while remaining low in the bushes, Israel tightened his grip on Silverthorne.

Jett took hold of his corridor crystal and held it out in front of them.

"Teleport-"

Charging out of the brush with lightning speed, Israel made for Nate first since he was closer.

Nate spun around, his hand reaching for his scimitar, but he was too slow.

Seizing hold of the man's neck with his right hand to prevent an escape, Israel thrust Silverthorne home, the razor sharp point penetrating the black coat, the armor, and then the orange player's chest as Israel ran him through. He could feel flesh give way to steel, and then a foot of blade erupted out of Nate's back.

Gasping in shock and pain, Nate looked at Israel with wide eyes as his health plummeted to zero. Israel had aimed for the heart, and such a mortal blow was instant death, even in the world of SAO.

Nate exploded into a shower of pixelated shards, and Israel turned just in time to see Jett swing his sword in a powerful overhead attack. Lifting Silverthorne, Israel blocked the blow. At the same time, he stepped forward, using the momentum to power his fist as he struck Jett square in the chest.

Cursing in pain as he stumbled back from the blow, Jett sidestepped around Israel's left side and again swung his sword. Lifting Silverthorne for the second time, Israel held the steel at an angle so as to glance his opponent's weapon down and leave Jett exposed for the killing blow.

Sparks exploded around them as the two blades collided, the impact sending a vibration up the length of Israel's arm.

 _He's pretty strong._

As Israel had planned, Jett's sword was forced downwards from the angle of the clash, and Israel swung Silverthorne in a wide arc. At that moment however, Jett ducked, darting his body forward even as he crouched to dodge the swing. Before Israel could reposition, Jett swung, the tip of his blade slicing a cut on Israel's thigh.

Both players disengaged, falling back several feet from each other as they regained position.

Israel took in a breath and studied Jett's stance with renewed interest. It was the clear the man was a proficient swordsman. Jett also seemed to take in Israel's posture as he sucked in a breath, his chest heaving from the brief but fierce exchange.

Israel narrowed his gaze, and both of them tensed. And then both players charged.

Jett bellowed viciously as he attacked, but Israel remained completely silent, his mind and heart void of any emotion save that of vengeance and blood. He wanted Jett alive, but he was more than happy to end the man's life if push came to shove.

Exchanging a rapid series of blows, both players moved with deadly purpose as they lunged, hacked, and slashed at each other, their blades meeting for but a fraction of a second before disengaging, repositioning, and meeting again. The contest was vicious and without any thought of mercy on Jett's side, but it quickly became clear that Israel was the superior swordsman. Inflicting several cuts across Jett's chest and stomach, Israel began to force his opponent back and gain ground previously fought for.

After glancing quickly at his health bar, and no doubt realizing that he was on the losing side of the battle, Jett dove recklessly forward in spite of the vulnerable state this left him in. Now within two feet of each other, Israel prepared his death blow.

And then Jett spat in his face.

Blinded as the saliva hit his eyes, Israel swung wide to ward off any attack as best he could, but Jett avoided Silverthorne's path. Israel heard his enemy's sword slice through the air and sidestepped to the right, but he was too slow. A flash of hot pain pierced his shoulder as the tip of Jett's sword stabbed through his scale mail.

Crying out involuntarily, Israel retreated, wiping his eyes with his arm as he did.

Sight returned to him just in time to see Jett advance..

 _He fights dirty._

Jett launched a blistering assault, but Israel was tired of fighting. If the man wasn't subdued now, he might try another low blow to gain the upper hand.

Jett let loose a howl as he swung, his blade glinting in the moonlight. Swinging Silverthorne with all his might towards the the base of Jett's sword, Israel remained silent. His blade struck exactly where he intended, and the resulting impact knocked the sword free of Jett's grasp, sending it hurling through the air.

Before Jett could so much as blink, Israel brought his fist down on the orange player's knee. A sickening pop filled the air as bone collapsed, and Jett crumpled to the ground, screaming as he writhed in pain.

Kneeling beside him, Israel brought the pommel of his sword down on the man's head, knocking him unconscious.


	43. Chapter 43

43

February 21, 2023

Floor Nineteen, Iron Caves

"Get up." Israel kicked Jett in the side, knocking the orange player onto his back.

"Fuck you." Jett replied through gritted teeth.

The player's breathing became ragged and hoarse as the pain from his wounds returned to him now that he was awake. His hands were bound, and his tattered black cloak clung to his back and chest. A sheen of sweat coated his face, and as he looked up at Israel, his eyes betrayed both rage and terror.

Israel kicked him again, this time cracking a rib. "I said get up."

Letting out an involuntary cry, Jett scrambled as best he could onto his knees.

"Good. Now stay like that. Move, and you die."

"What do you want?" Jett spat. "Why kill Nate but not me?"

Ignoring him, Israel stood up and looked around, lightly drumming his fingers on Silverthorne's hilt.

The Iron Caves were a multitude of caverns and chambers carved into the side of a small mountain. It had been rumored when the Floor first opened that some of these caves wound their way into deep subterranean dungeons, but Israel knew this to be an exaggeration. Some of the caves did extend deeper into the earth, it was true, but none ever led anywhere. The cave he had taken Jett to was small, only about fifteen feet wide and seven feet high. But the place was out of the way and scarcely travelled, so it served his purpose.

"What guild are you in?" Israel asked.

Jett hesitated. "What kind of question is that? I'm an orange player, that should be enough. But guess what? So are you."

Israel turned and kicked Jett directly in the face, the impact knocking the man's head back against the stone walls of the cave. "What guild?"

"Laughing Coffin!" Jett cried out as he clutched his broken nose.

Any physical wound received in SAO would heal after a short time, but ever since Kayaba had revealed that they were in a death game, the pain remained. Israel guessed the introduction of pain, however diluted, was a further step of realism Kayaba had waited to implement until he was sure the players were safely trapped inside his world. And Israel was grateful for the move.

"Open your menu." Israel commanded. "Leave the guild and unfriend any members of Laughing Coffin you have in your friends list. Do it now."

Jett stared at him blankly.

Stepping forward, Israel stomped his foot down on Jett's broken knee. The orange player screamed out in agony as tears began running down his chin.

"Alright, alright! I'm sorry! Please!"

Israel let up some of the pressure on his foot, and Jett quickly opened his menu and began scrolling, his fingers trembling the entire time.

It was only a few minutes after nine, but Israel knew that if Jett and Nate took much longer to return, their absence would soon be noted and Laughing Coffin members would search for them on the map. However, seeing someone's location on the map was only possible if they were in your guild or friend's list.

Jett pulled up his guild screen, and Israel nudged him with his boot. "Stop for a moment."

Stepping beside his prisoner so as to better see the screen, Israel quickly took note of the orange guild's location on the map, as well the locations of any members not currently at that area.

Israel pointed to a shining black icon with the words HQ above it. "Is that Laughing Coffin's base of operations?"

Jett nodded quickly. "Yes."

Israel opened his menu and began typing up a note of the location. He knew the area. It was a small ravine on Floor Thirteen, well hidden from players and difficult to gain access to. Jett chuckled as he watched.

"No point in that."

Israel paused and contemplated bashing the pommel of Silverthorne into the man's eye. "Why not?"

"Laughing Coffin isn't run by idiots. You'll soon learn it's quite the opposite. The guild changes it's location every few days. Pairs of sentries are kept on constant patrol of the perimeter. You would either die trying to get inside, or simply find an empty area."

Israel frowned at the news. If Jett was telling the truth, it would be near impossible to attack the orange players unawares. Then again, even if he did manage to get inside the HQ, how could he hope to defeat dozens of players all attacking him together?

"Leave the guild. Now."

Jett did as he was told. A small black icon above his health bar, complete with a picture of a smiling face inside of an open coffin, faded until it disappeared.

"Now empty your friend list."

Jett began scrolling through his friends list, deleting one after another, until the screen stood blank.

Israel stood up again when he was sure Jett had unfriended everyone, and began pacing the length of the cave.

"Now, here's what happens next. You're going to tell me everything you know about Laughing Coffin. Every detail. I want names of players, I want places anyone lives if they don't stay at your HQ. You're going to tell me how many people are in the guild, how good their equipment is, and what levels they are. Tell me how they obtain their gear and keep it repaired since orange players can't enter safe zones. I want to know where they get their food, who the leaders are, and every location they've used as a base that you can remember." He paused, fixing the man in an iron gaze. "And I want it now."

Jett stared at him with an open jaw. "What need would you have for all that information, unless…" He burst out laughing.

"You're going to try and wipe out Laughing Coffin? All by yourself?"

Israel shrugged and began walking over, but Jett glowered at him.

"Hurt me all you want, you fucking animal. That won't change the truth. You say you want me to tell you everything I know? Here it is: you can't kill Laughing Coffin. You could have the support of every green player in this world, and it still wouldn't be enough. Every day, more players join our ranks. Every day, our numbers grow along with our capabilities, and soon, we shall have an army. You have no idea what we have managed to do after putting our minds to the task. I suppose you think that most of the legendary drops up to this point are in the hands of the Assault Team?" Jett shook his head as he grinned wickedly. "No. _We_ have the numbers. _We_ have the weapons. _We_ have the knowledge. Laughing Coffin has already uncovered secrets that none of the other players would have ever thought possible."

Israel blinked. "Those darts you threw at that green party this morning."

Jett's eyes widened slightly. "So you followed us all day? You would do well in Laughing Coffin. Yes, those darts were coated with an item called Paralysis Potion."

Israel was taken aback. "Paralysis?"

Jett nodded. "Yes. There are very few potion makers in this game, no doubt because it seems like a less than desirable skill when compared to combat skill trees. Fewer still among the potion makers have advanced their levels sufficiently to unlock Paralysis Potion- among other things. But Laughing Coffin has certainly found a use for the stuff."

Israel thought about how the green party had shuddered and collapsed almost instantly. They had had no chance. Unable to fight, let alone move, they were completely helpless to Laughing Coffin.

Even if he did somehow manage to pinpoint one of LC's temporary bases, even if he somehow slipped by the sentries, he would be shot down by paralysis before he could lift a sword.

"And that's not all." Jett continued, his murderous glare spreading across his features. "Oh no. Laughing Coffin is more than just a guild now. Much more."

Israel narrowed his gaze. "What are you talking about?"

"You are aware that there are other orange guilds, aren't you?"

"Of course. Hell's Chosen, to name just one."

Jett looked surprised. "Very good. Not many people know that." He leaned forward. "What you don't know is that there are almost fifty orange player guilds out there, and dozens of them already belong to us."

Israel tried to wrap his head around what the orange player was implying. "What are you saying? That these other guilds obey Laughing Coffin?"

Jett laughed. "More than obey. Think of them as vassals, client kingdoms in subservience to us. Oh, they have their own leaders, their own guild commanders, to be sure. For the most part, they run their own affairs. But when an order from Laughing Coffin reaches them, they obey without hesitation. Say a threat to Laughing Coffin itself was made. Orders would go through to each of our vassal guilds, and our numbers, already substantial, would double in minutes. On top of that, these guilds pay us weekly fees. Whether it's Col, food, or gear, they provide us with whatever we want on top of what we procure for ourselves. This has made Laughing Coffin invincible."

"And why would these other guilds go through with such terms?" Israel asked. "Why willingly allow themselves to be bullied by Laughing Coffin? Did your guild threaten to kill them too?"

Jett laughed. "No, nothing so foolish. I told you already, our leadership is far beyond your intelligence. Orange players need to stick together, seeing as we live in a hostile world. In exchange for their services and duties, the orange guilds working under us receive a share of the map and player info, gear taken from green players we kill, and of course our protection."

"Protection?"

Jett nodded. "Though it's unlikely to ever happen, in the event that groups of green players rise up with thoughts of wiping out the orange guilds, our vassal guilds are too small to defend themselves effectively. We've pledged to come to the aid of any of our client guilds if such a thing happens."

Israel was amazed. The start of orange player crime had begun less than two months ago, but was already far more complex and organized than anything he had expected, if Jett was to be believed. And Israel could tell just by looking at the man that he was telling the truth. In a way, revealing the truth about his guild's power was a small victory for him, so Jett was happy to oblige.

Israel knelt down in front of the man, a grim smile on his face.

"You keep saying 'we.' Have you forgotten? You are no longer a member of Laughing Coffin."

Jett's smile withered, transforming into a scowl. "You can't hope to win. Try to fight us, and you will die. Don't fight us, you still die. Each day, we gain new recruits from among the green players. Each day our strength grows, slowly but surely. Laughing Coffin is already rooted deep within the world of SAO, tendrils growing ever larger in just the two months since we were founded. You see? We are not a guild. We are an organization. A network. Imagine what we will become in a year's time? In five?"

"Keep ranting," Israel said darkly. "And you'll never live to find out."

Jett forced his mouth closed, but his eyes remained fixed with murderous intent.

"There is only one way you survive this." Israel took out one of the maps he had always carried while patrolling with Naomi, along with a pen. "Tell me everything I want to know. No more speeches. No more bullshitting and wasting my time." He flipped the map over to it's blank side, then handed it to Jett. "Let's start by writing down the ingredients for that Paralysis Potion, as well as how to make it. Lie to me, and your death will be as slow as I can possibly achieve.." He paused when a thought struck him. "Is there an antidote?"

Jett looked genuinely unsure. "We believe so, but no one has leveled their potion making skill high enough to confirm it yet." He took the paper and pen.

After Jett wrote down the ingredients and steps to the Paralysis Potion, Israel next had him write down where the ingredients were most commonly found, as well as the names of all the potion maker players Jett knew of, including Laughing Coffin members. Then came the names of every orange guild known to the man.

"Don't forget to write down their base locations." Israel added. "Or do they all move every few days as well?"

Jett shook his head reluctantly. "Most of our vassal guilds have more permanent HQ's."

"Good. Now write. And keep in mind, I'll be checking for myself to see if these locations, and everything else you write down, are the real deal. Your life hangs in the balance."

From there, Jett wrote down the names of the guild leaders of some of the vassal groups, though he didn't know many. It seemed Laughing Coffin didn't much care who was in charge of their worker guilds so long as they received their dues. When the time came for the leadership of Laughing Coffin itself, Israel shot Jett a curious look.

"Your scouting partner, the one I killed...what was his name?"

"Nate" Jett spat.

"Nate, that's right. I heard him mention a player named PoH often and loudly."

Jett's jaw worked as he considered what to say next. For a moment there was silence in the dark cave, broken only by the occasional droplet of water hitting the earth floor.

"Talk." Israel snapped.

"PoH is our guild leader," Jett said. "He founded Laughing Coffin back towards the end of December."

Israel shifted his weight as he nodded, standing over the man with renewed interest. "I figured that much. Why was Nate so fanatical about him? He seemed to almost worship the man."

Jett sighed. "Yes, there are a few Laughing Coffin members like that. Most of them were among those first recruited into the guild, the first players to kill others and go orange. They see PoH as a liberator, a hero of sorts. They feel like he is an icon to be admired and emulated; the man who gave them power they had never felt before in their lives, who made them feared by others. Before long, their admiration turned into a sort of worship."

Israel frowned. "And he allowed this?"

Jett nodded. "I may not be as dedicated to him as that group is, but PoH is a highly intelligent man. It was he who began building Laughing Coffin's prestige among the other orange players, so that he could then use that respect to start the network of vassal guilds working under our supervision. When he found out he had some religious followers, he began using that fanaticism, strengthening it. He has developed his own set of philosophical ideals as far as SAO is concerned, and his most dedicated have taken it as gospel. Of all the Laughing Coffin members, none are more loyal to him, or more dangerous to others, than his core of worshippers. He employs several as his bodyguard at all times."

Israel couldn't help but acknowledge the player's cunning. If what Jett said was true, PoH was not only a capable and ambitious leader, but also a shrewd manipulator and opportunist. Such a man would be difficult to deal with.

Jett had filled the entire page with information, and half of another after that, before Israel could think of no more questions. He now contained a veritable gold mine of knowledge on the orange players. The problem was, he was no longer sure how he would defeat them.

"Alright," Israel said, glancing over Jett's writing once before slipping it into his inventory. "I think we're done here."

Jett looked at him suspiciously. "You aren't going to go and confirm it like you said?"

Israel waved a hand dismissively. "No need, I believe you."

Jett shifted uncomfortably. "So...where will you take me? I hadn't heard the green players got themselves a prison. But then again," he chuckled insultingly. "You aren't a green player."

Israel chuckled right alongside him, the first time he had done so, and Jett quickly grew quiet.

"You're right," Israel said, kneeling in front of the man. "I'm not a green player."

He drew Silverthorne from its sheath, the ring of steel echoing out around the cave.

Jett recoiled until his back hit the wall of damp stone. A sheen of sweat appeared on his face.

"Wait. You said you wouldn't kill me if I told you what you wanted to know. I've given you everything, I swear. I'm not lying, please, check the writing for yourself. It's all true. Please."

"I already told you," Israel said with a cold smile as he shook his head. "I believe you."

Gripping Silverthorne, he held the weapon up. Jett's face drained of color.

"Please!" The man cried. "Please, don't-"

"Oh, wait." Israel paused, reaching out for the man's black cloak and hood. "I'll be needing this."

His eye caught on Jett's now exposed padded leather gauntlet on his right arm. The light armor served as both glove and forearm guard while maintaining much needed mobility. Israel pulled the gauntlet off the player's arm and tried it on his right hand, clenching his fist and punching the air to test it. Pleased, Israel looked back at Jett and placed the hand on the man's shoulder. Veins bulged on the orange player's forehead as he stared in horror.

"It fits." Israel said happily. "Thank you for all your help Jett. I appreciate it."

Jett shook his head. "No, ple-"

Israel lunged, ramming Silverthorne into Jett's mouth and out the back of his head.

Jett gurgled once as his health drained, his eyes rolling up into his skull.

And then he exploded into a thousand pixelated shards.

…

Jae sat silently on his broken and battered bed, the small room completely destroyed around him from when he and Israel had had their fight. Debris covered the floor. The fire had long since died out, but Jae hardly noticed the cold. His eyes were fixed on the screen in front of him.

Israel had denied his friend request.

Jae sighed. Israel had unfriended him the moment his cursor turned orange and he had teleported away, no doubt to stop Jae from using the map to find his location. But that hadn't stopped him.

Jae had spent the next day and night searching for his brother. Group H had spent several hours aiding him, but one by one each of them had given up the chase. Aranal and David were the last to quit, but not before giving him words of encouragement and telling him that it wasn't his fault. Throughout the search though, he saw the look in each one of his men's eyes; they weren't helping him find his brother, they were aiding in the capture of an orange player. By the time he gave up looking for Israel, Jae himself wasn't sure which he was doing.

After returning to the frontlines for a short time, Jae found himself hollow and no longer sure what to do. He and Israel had been together ever since they were children, and even after their relationship had fallen apart in SAO, Jae always told himself they would still be there for each other in the end. Now, he felt cast adrift in a sea of uncertainties. His final hope of reaching out to Israel was when he sent another friend request. And now it was denied.

Anger and sorrow welled up in his heart. Jae had done everything Israel had asked. It was Jae who had tried to make amends each time they had had a falling out. It was Jae who hadn't joined a guild solely for Israel's sake.

Jae blinked.

Israel had made it painfully clear that they were no longer brothers. So why should Jae continue to do as Israel had asked?

Closing his menu, Jae stood and made for the door. Ever since SAO had begun, Lind had been more of a brother to him than Israel had. Lind and the Holy Dragon Alliance respected him, admired him. There, he was wanted. More than that though, with them, he wouldn't be alone. He didn't want to be alone.

Opening the door, Jae took one last look at the small room that contained so many memories of their early days together. If he closed the door, Israel would never know where to find him.

Jae took a deep breath, stepped outside, and closed the door behind him for the last time.

…

"Lind will see you now." Said a short haired woman clad in silver and blue armor.

Jae nodded his thanks and approached the door.

The room he was in was small, and four members of the Holy Dragon Alliance, each one garbed in silver and blue, all stood guard nearby.

"Did you guys all get the same drops from a quest or something? Jae inquired.

One of the guards shook his head. "It's to be the new color theme for the Holy Dragon Alliance as of this afternoon. Lind's idea."

Jae nodded, his hand on the door. "Having a uniform of sorts is smart. It provides a feeling of unity."

The short haired woman laughed quietly. "Lind only did it because the Aincrad Liberation Army just started doing the same thing."

"What are their colors?"

"Grey."

Jae thought about it a moment. "Suits them."

Then he stepped inside.

Lind's chamber wasn't much larger than the room before it, and a large marble table sat in the center. At its head stood Lind, looking down at several maps and documents. When he saw Jae walk in, the guild leader stood up straight and smiled.

"It's good to see you. You were missed on the frontlines. Is everything alright?"

Jae had all but begged Group H not to tell anyone what had happened with Israel. The last thing he wanted was a witch hunt for his own brother.

Jae nodded. "I had to take a little bit of time off to do some thinking."

Lind took on a serious expression. "Is it alright if I ask what about? You don't look too well."

Jae look up at him. "Lind, if the invitation is still open, I'd like to join the Holy Dragon Alliance."


	44. Chapter 44

44

February 22, 2023

Floor 23, Town of Velloshi

Jae took a swig of his drink before glancing back across the table. In front of him sat the four remaining members of Group H; David, Aranal, Lex, and Jon Bright. The others had either either already joined other guilds or had quit the party.

"Thanks for coming, guys." Jae said.

"The others got pretty pissed when you joined the Holy Dragon Alliance." David said. "They decided to quit the party."

Jae nodded. "I was hoping they would wait until I spoke to everyone, but it's fine. I did always say it was a temporary party."

Aranal crossed his arms. "So why ask us to meet up with you?"

Jae took another drink. The mead was sweet and went down so smoothly, he wished the real world made alcohol as good.

"I want you guys to join the HDA with me."

Jon Bright frowned. "Why?"

"Because Group H was one of the best parties out there. We know each other's strengths and weaknesses in battle, and how to work together fluidly to beat any enemy. With our capabilities as a combat group, the Holy Dragon Alliance will be lucky to have us."

Lex straightened in his seat. "So you want us to throw all of our support behind Lind. Is he really the best leader for the Assault Team though?" He gestured at Jae. "Some people are starting to think you would make a good candidate for the position."

Jae waved the notion off. "No, there's no way I could lead an army. Look, I trust Lind. That's why I joined his guild. The division between him and Kibaou is getting serious, and we can't let the Aincrad Liberation Army take command of the Assault Team. Now is the time to pick sides. I need you guys to help me on this. Please."

Aranal smiled. "You can count me in. I was always wondering why we weren't joining HDA to begin with. I'm with you Jae, if Lind accepts me into the guild, that is."

Jae dipped his head in gratitude before replying, "I've already talked to Lind, and he's more than happy to have Group H bolstering his ranks."

"I only have one question." David said with a scowl. "If we join, how do we know you'll still be our leader during raids?"

"I'd like to know as well." Lex spoke up. "I don't particularly care for some Holy Dragon Alliance officer we don't know commanding us in battle."

Jae was taken aback. Before SAO, he had never considered himself a leader at all. In fact, he had often gone out of his way to avoid positions of authority. Now, across the table from him, men were hinging their decision on whether or not to join a guild solely on if he would still be leading them directly.

Jae couldn't help but smile.

"Of course I'll still lead Group H." He said cheerily. "Lind has seen how well we do in battle, he would be crazy to split us up."

…

"I'll be splitting you up." Lind said as he interlaced his fingers on the tabletop.

Jae blinked. "What? Why?"

Lind gave Jae his most diplomatic look. "My officers and I need to know exactly what our guild members are capable of-"

"No offense," David interrupted. "But we are just as skilled and just as experienced as anyone in your guild. Jae himself saved your life multiple-"

"You misunderstand." Lind stood up from his chair, his light blue cloak falling to the floor behind him. "I know full well the combat skill Group H has. Hell, the entire Assault Team does."

"Then why separate us?" Jae asked suspiciously.

Lind seemed to ponder the question for a moment. "Anyone is able to lead when those he leads are his friends." He gestured at Jae's men. "And vice versa, anyone is capable of following orders when the one giving them out is trusted and well known."

There was silence as Lind walked around the table towards them, his silver armor clanking.

"Being part of a guild means that everyone needs to be friends. Everyone needs to trust, know, and understand each other. You party members from Group H know Jae. You knew he would do his best to keep you safe, and that he was competent enough in his knowledge of each of each of you as fighters to make the right calls, give the right commands, in the heat of battle. In the Holy Dragon Alliance, I'm the commander. Beneath me are over a dozen officers of varying ranks. Beneath them are squad leaders. I know your skills as players. That's not what I'm interested in. That's not what I need to know. What I need to know is how well you can take commands from people that aren't Jae."

Aranal dipped his head reluctantly. "Makes sense. So we'll be given a different leader?"

Lind nodded. "For now. I'm going to assign you men roles in one of my squads for a day or so. The squad leader will take note of how you respond to his orders, and how well you fight with our guild members. I understand that while you were simply Group H, you kept eyes mostly on each other. Given the choice between watching someone on a guild's back or covering one of your own, you most likely picked your own every time." Lind's expression turned serious. "Taking such action now that you're in my guild, though, will not be tolerated. The safety of every member of the Holy Dragon Alliance is now just as important as that of your party's was. Each player within HDA will cover you, fight beside you, and risk their lives for you from here on out. All I ask is that you do the same for them. Is that understood?"

The four Group H members nodded.

Lind smiled. "Excellent." He turned to Jae. "You will be assigned to a different squad. The squad leader in charge is a good guy, I think you'll like him."

Jae frowned in confusion. "So I won't be given a leadership role?"

Lind maintained his gaze. "Did you want one?"

Jae suppressed a laugh. "No, no, I most definitely do not. I'm not that great of a leader, honestly, and I'd really rather just be in the thick of the fighting with everyone else. It's just that since everywhere I go lately, people clamor for me to be in charge of something, so I was a bit surprised you didn't share in the enthusiasm. Thank you for that."

Lind leaned back on the table. "Don't thank me yet, after your assignment with the first squad you'll be taking command of a squad of your own for a day or two."

Jae sighed. "I guess I spoke too soon."

Lind nodded. "You did."

David scratched his jaw. "Why give a Jae a test run as both leader and follower?"

Lind pointed at the young man matter of factly. "Good question. I need to see if Jae's temporary position as a party leader hasn't gone to his head or made him overconfident. He still needs to know how to follow the orders of those above him. If he can prove that, he will move on to proving whether or not he can lead men other than those he knows well."

Jae glared at Lind. "If you already had this all planned out, why'd you just ask me if wanted a leadership role?"

"Easy. The reluctant leaders are, ironically, often the best. If you had said yes I wouldn't have added the squad leader assignment."

Jae rolled his eyes. "You're a sneaky bastard, you know that?"

Lind nodded. "I have been told that more than once, yes. Now then, after everything I've told you all, I completely understand if anyone of you would like to back out of joining the guild. If so, you can step out now and I will not hold it against you."

"Is the separation going to be permanent?" David asked. "I understand the need to for test runs and such, but after that?"

"If the test runs go smoothly," Lind replied, "I see no reason why I can't put all of you into a squad back together."

The Group H members nodded happily and quickly affirmed that they'd be joining. Jae simply shifted his weight and waited. He was committed.

Clapping his hands together, Lind gestured at one of his guild officers, the short haired woman Jae had seen the day before.

"If you guys would be so good as to pull up your menus and send your guild join requests to Avari here, she will confirm them and officially induct you into the Holy Dragon Alliance. After that, she will take you to the armory."

That peaked Jae's interest. "You give out gear to new guild members?"

Lind chuckled. "I wish. That would make a pretty badass first impression. But no, we're not that rich."

Avari nodded. "There's silver and blue dye packs in the armory. You have to apply it to your gear as our uniform theme. Silver is primary, blue is secondary and trim."

Jae wasn't entirely sure what trim meant, but he decided not to worry so much about it. He opened his menu along with the others and began sending her the guild request.

…

"This base seems...kind of small." Jae noted as they turned another tight corner.

The hallways were so narrow that the group had to walk in almost single file with Avari at the head. Rusty lamps lined the creaky wooden walls at uneven intervals. Some of them weren't even lit. What was even more astonishing was that the entire building was the same way; rundown and overcrowded. Every now and then guild members would squeeze past, talking quietly to each other or arguing about the next raid. As they walked by numerous rooms that Jae guessed were public areas for lounging due to the numerous couches and chairs, he could see that each was packed with players all trying to pass the time in simple ways, from card games to debates to simply going over their inventories.

"It's cheap." Avari said with a shrug as they leaned against the wall to allow several players past. "That's all that really matters."

"I never imagined guilds needing to worry much about money." Aranal said from behind him.

Avari turned her head to scowl at him. "Your imagination must not be that impressive then."

Jae shook his head at Aranal before the big man could reply. He glanced at Avari.

"So the Holy Dragon Alliance is financially unstable right now? What caused that?"

Avari raised an eyebrow at him. "What caused it? Try running a guild sometime. Keeping this thing together is far from easy. We have over sixty people living here, guild members that we are obligated to feed and room. That alone puts a tremendous strain on our resources. Just this simple operation of providing everyone in the guild with silver and blue dye has forced Lind to scrape up whatever resources he could find."

Jae was taken aback. He had never thought about monetary necessities for guilds before. He had been the unofficial leader of Group H, but each of them had their own place of living and managed for themselves when not raiding dungeons with the Assault Team.

"In here." Avari said flatly as she entered one of the rooms towards the end of the hall.

Following her lead, Jae and the others stepped inside. They were in what appeared to be a storage room of sorts; crates and boxes were stacked on top of each other along the length of each wall, and a bundle of spears and shields were neatly arranged in the corner. Avari made for one of the smaller boxes, and upon opening it took out several glass bottles, some filled with a silvery liquid, the others blue.

"We have to dye all of our clothes?" David asked. "Or just our battle armor?"

"What you wear when you're not operating with the Assault Team is entirely up to you," Avari answered, handing him one of each bottle. "But while representing our guild, you must wear our colors. If you don't want to keep your armor permanently guild themed, there is a box of vanishing dye over-"

"Thank you," Jae interrupted apologetically, "But we're not picky. I don't mind keeping my armor HDA approved."

Avari ceded a nod, and then quickly handed out the dyes to each of them in turn. "Once you're all done, report back to Lind for instructions on your test runs. I expect he'll want to send you all out today. He doesn't like to put things off."

"Where will you go?" David asked.

Avari sealed the dye crate and strode past them towards the door. "I'm one of Lind's officers. I don't have time to sit around and watch you guys fight. I have a job to do with my squad that will probably take me most of the day."

"Of course," David said in embarrassment. "Sorry."

The woman gave David a curt smile before exiting the room, her footsteps echoing off the stone floor.

Aranal gave David a playful shove. "Looks like someone's in love."

David's face turned red as he punched Aranal's muscled shoulder. "Shut up."

Lex leaned in confidentially towards Jae.

"If the HDA is on the verge of bankruptcy, is it really the best idea to join up with them?"

"We are committed." Jae said. "If you don't like what the future may hold here, you can still back out. But I'm seeing this through."

"As am I." Aranal added, already applying the silver to his chest plate and arm guards. "Parties can only see it through so far. This guild is strong, and we'll make it even stronger."

Lex still didn't look altogether convinced, but he nonetheless opened the dye bottles and set to work.

"We're with you, Jae." Jon Bright said with a nod. "We'll see this through."

Jae clapped the man on the shoulder in gratitude, then quickly began applying the guild colors on his Captain's Tunic.

"Just do us a favor and don't fail the test runs, Jae." Said David with a smile. "We'll need our commander back with us."

Jae raised an eyebrow. "Same goes for you. I can already imagine you and Aranal disobeying every order your new squad leader tries to give you."

Aranal laughed. "You know us too well."

It was midday by the time Jae and the others returned to Lind and received their instructions. Group H was given over to the command of a young man who, Jae had learned, had newly risen to the rank of squad leader. Though he couldn't have been older than seventeen, the player possessed a mature quality in his features that betrayed past hardships as a child. Then again, it could simply have been the effect of playing SAO. Jae knew for a fact he looked a bit different after what he had gone through.

 _And we're only four months in._

After his friends had left on orders to help clear a section of the new Floor Labyrinth, Jae was ordered to party up with a squad under the command of a girl named Vivienne. With long, majestic brown hair, piercing green eyes, and an unreadable expression, the woman looked every bit the leader.

"Pleased to meet you," She said as she approached him with a hand extended. "And welcome to the Holy Dragon Alliance. Jae, right?"

He nodded. "Thank you. Is it alright if I ask where we'll be conducting my test run?"

Vivienne glanced briefly over to Lind still sitting at his marble table. When Lind gave a small dip of his head, she looked back over to Jae.

"My squad and I have been charged with beating a quest line outside the village of Hillvat for a few days now. We've already beaten two chapters, which leaves the final one that I'm trying to complete by the end of today."

Jae nodded as he listened. "Sounds like we don't have much time to waste. Hillvat is on this floor, right?"

"Yes, but the level requirement isn't as high for this quest as some of the others, if that's what you're worried about.

Jae waved a hand dismissively. "No worries, I'm level twenty-two."

"Only a few levels behind me then," the squad leader said with a smile.

"If there aren't any questions, Jae," Lind said without looking up from some papers he had just received from one of his guards, "You should get ready. I want that questline completed today."

"It will be." Vivienne said with finality before Jae could reply. She glanced in his direction. "Just one question. Are you tank or DPS? I can already tell you're not support."

Jae tapped his spear affectionately. "DPS primarily. Although, I can take a fair bit of damage and I've been working on keeping my defensive skills up with my damage, so I'd like to think I'm pretty versatile."

The young woman raised an eyebrow at his armor. "In that outdated gear?"

Rather than start an argument, Jae let the question stand and instead said, "Put me in the fight today and see for yourself."

Vivienne appraised him for a moment before dipping her head in respect. "Well said. I think we've wasted enough time here, meet me outside the gate when you're ready. Don't take longer than five minutes."

Jae glanced briefly at Lind. He wanted to ask the guild leader about the financial problems Avari had mentioned, but he decided now wasn't the time and returned his attention to Vivienne.

"I'll be there in three."


	45. Chapter 45

45

February 22, 2023

Floor 23, Pelia Road

"Is it true you saved Lind's life twice?" asked Meifan, one of the guild members attached to Vivienne's squad.

"Of course it is," answered another as they walked, "I was with the Holy Dragon Alliance when it happened both times."

A younger guild member, who looked to be around twelve, nodded excitedly to his squad mates. "I saw it when Jae jumped on top of that mini boss spider and-" He made a downward stabbing motion with his hands. "Got him right in the head."

Meifan smiled apologetically at Jae. "Sorry, it's just I only joined the HDA a few weeks ago myself, and rumors fly around like crazy among the player community."

Vivienne, walking at the head of the squad, scoffed at her men as she looked over her shoulder. "Why would you apologize to him? You're all over here practically worshipping the man for simply doing what the rest of us have been: trying to beat the game."

The squad members looked at each other for a moment, unsure how to respond.

Rather than rise to the insult of his actions being underscored, Jae nodded his agreement. "She's right. I'm nothing special. I just try my hardest to help us all get through this, just like you all are doing. In fact, I should be apologizing to all of you for not joining up sooner." He smiled at Meifan and the boy. "You guys saw the importance of making sure the Holy Dragon Alliance remained strong and the backbone of the Assault Team long before I did." He glanced up at Vivienne, her eyes still on him. "Thank you for that."

"Hmm." Vivienne turned her gaze back to the road ahead.

Meifan and the others followed her lead and picked up the pace, but not before the boy tugged on Jae's sleeve, a smile on his face.

"I'm glad you're with our guild."

Jae returned the smile in kind, and the boy quickly returned to his place as he walked forward, checking once to be sure his shortsword was loose in its sheath.

Jae hadn't thought much about the fact that there were dozens, perhaps even hundreds, of children stuck in SAO right alongside everyone else. It was a strange thing to imagine how such a young kid had survived for so long, let alone gone on to join one of the clearing guilds. Jae vowed to himself that he would look after the boy.

They had been walking for over an hour since leaving the Holy Dragon Alliance HQ. Vivienne had informed them that Hillvat had no teleport gate, and apart from using Corridor Crystals, the only way there was to follow the road. Corridor Crystals were an expensive luxury; Jae himself had only managed to buy three of them with all of the Col he had earned farming and dungeon raiding, and those he was saving for a rainy day. Judging by what he had learned concerning the guild's money troubles, he doubted Lind was prepared to spare any of theirs on a simple quest line.

Vivienne's squad had been assigned to take over the shift of another HDA squad that had already spent much of the morning continuing the quest line. When Vivienne had met up with the other squad leader, he had told her that his squad had cleared all but the remaining three missions involved with the last quest chapter. Their next objective was to return to the NPC quest giver, a librarian named Fenor within Hillvat, and receive the next mission.

Vivienne's abrupt halt forced Jae from his thoughts as the party slowed to a stop behind her.

She seemed to be listening alertly.

Looking around with a hand on his spear, Jae briefly took in his surroundings with a new sense of caution.

The road they were on led through rough terrain; rolling hills dotted with shoulder high grass and tall trees, as well as small outcroppings of rock and stone, some jutting out wider than several men standing side by side, and at least as high. With so many obstructions blocking clear view past a dozen or so feet, the area offered plenty of cover to would be assailants.

Jae glanced towards Vivienne and followed her gaze. She stared intently at the top of a small plateau formed by the sheer outcroppings of rock nearest them. The top of such high ground offered clear vantage points all along the road.

It was then that movement caught his eye, but not atop the plateau.

"Everyone get back!" Jae warned, his voice booming out along the rock walls and trees.

Vivienne whipped her head around at him, her expression deadly. Before she could say anything, Jae pointed ahead and to the left of them, where the small but sheer walls of the plateau curved into a corner. It was from behind that corner that over a dozen Rock Golem mobs shambled forward, their faces etched with slothlike concern and even less care as they shuffled onto the road.

"Formation!" Vivienne said calmly but firmly, her tone commanding obedience.

Before Jae could blink, the squad members had formed a double line with the tanks in front, shields and spears level, and the DPS players just behind brandishing a terrifying array of weaponry, from swords and axes to maces and flails.

Vivienne drew her own sword, an elegant but deadly looking steel saber, it's single edge glinting in the sunlight. Falling in at the left flank of her squad, Vivienne glanced at Jae, her long brown hair whipping around behind her.

"Get behind the tanks! Now!"

Though it was against both his style and his nature to hide behind other players, Jae obeyed, his seven foot spear twirling effortlessly into his hands as he took up a position behind Meifan, who stood at the end of the line with a large tower shield planted in front of him.

"Hold fast." Vivienne ordered, her authoritative voice carrying over the silent double line of death that was her squad.

"Since when do mobs walk across the roads?" One of the men toward the middle of the line asked, more to himself than the others.

"Hardly ever." Vivienne answered as she kept her gaze riveted on the pack of monsters dragging their stone feet across the path. "Mobs never spawn on roads and rarely ever cross them unless targeting a player. And they haven't even noticed us yet."

As if on queue, the swarm of Golems caught sight of the party and slowly turned, their eyes bubbling over with newfound hatred as they targeted the players.

Jae glanced back up at the top of the plateau suspiciously, but kept his thoughts to himself as the creatures broke into a wild charge, their heavy stone bodies causing the earth to shake beneath their feet with each step.

"Tanks, brace!" Vivienne shouted over at her men.

The sheer size and mass of the tall stone beings threatened to crash over the double line like a wave, but the HDA members stood strong. Jae tightened his grip on the spear until his knuckles turned white.

And then the wave of Golems collided into the wall of shields.

The noise was deafening. The impact sent vibrations through the ground as the tanks pushed against their shields, driving their weight into the defensive line. Massive stone arms heaved against the shields creating dents and every now and then forcing one of the tanks back a step, only to have him redouble his efforts and push forward back into line.

"Recover and Switch!" Vivienne shouted above the din even as she drove her sword into one of the Rock Golems that had targeted her on the far left.

As one, the line of tanks turned their shields, overlapping them with one another until the line had created an unbreakable wall. Then, with a great shout, the players rammed their shields forward with all their might, not only halting the mob attack but also knocking the creatures several feet back.

On his left, Jae felt a tug and looked down to see the young boy with his sword raised.

"When they split their line, we charge."

Jae nodded, readying himself while at the same time keeping an eye on the boy.

Freed from the grip of the mass of monsters, the tanks immediately disconnected their overlapping wall of shields and spread out, deliberately creating gaps in their line.

With a cry of fury, the DPS players charged through the gaps, each of them eager to eliminate the threat. Jae rushed forward right alongside them, already targeting two of the Golems just ahead.

Before the mobs could recover from their disorienting contact with the shieldwall, Jae crashed into them, forcing the heavy blade end of his spear right until it smashed into the side of the nearest one's head, sending chunks of rock flying outward while the monster itself stumbled to the right. Not slowing down, Jae spun his body around, using the momentum to power his spear as he brought it level with his chest. Completing the turn, Jae stabbed forward into the belly of another Rock Golem, burying the first two feet of his weapon deep into the monster's stony mass.

Before Jae could rip his spear free, the impaled mob swung its massive rock arm towards his head. Without hesitation, Jae ducked down, the swing barely missing his skull.

Just before he rose, Jae saw a flash of steel above him. A longsword slashed into the chest of the impaled creature, and in the next instant Jae saw his enemy shatter into a thousand pixelated shards.

With his spear now free, Jae turned and saw the boy dart past, already on to his next opponent. Following suit, Jae targeted his next foe and launched a withering barrage of powerful blows, each intended to stun as much as deal damage. The movement of his spear was blinding as it twirled, dealing damage with both it's blade end and the hardened ash wood one. Within seconds, the Rock Golem was dead.

Panting as much from the adrenaline rush as he was from the exertion of combat, Jae looked around for another enemy to face only to find that the DPS players were all that remained of the brief encounter, the only evidence of violence being the shimmer of pixelated shards that hadn't yet disappeared.

Vivienne, standing among the DPS players, sheathed her sword.

"Good job, guys. That's all of them. Let's keep it moving, Lind needs this questline done today."

Quickly falling out of formation and setting out again behind Vivienne, several players among the squad nodded to Jae in approval of his prowess.

Stealing one last glance towards the plateau where the mobs had emerged, Jae turned and fell in beside his new party.

…

"This is bullshit." exclaimed Meifan. "All we need is one more root and the mobs just stopped spawning?"

Vivienne shot the armored tank a glare. "This is the main nesting ground. Just be patient and wait."

Jae sighed as he leaned on his spear, waiting impatiently as the sun beat down on his face.

After defeating the Rock Golems, the squad had arrived at Hillvat and accepted the newest mission from the NPC librarian: Collect twelve Redwine Root items and bring them back to be checked for impurities. The task had seemed simple enough until Vivienne informed him that the roots could only be obtained in the form of drops from mob kills, specifically the Demonic Crows. Small nests of the beasts were scattered all around the outskirts of the village, but the party had quickly discovered that the drop chance per kill was infuriatingly low. Vivienne had split the squad into small splinter parties, each tasked with farming one of the spawn points, but even that tactic had proved ineffective against the drop chance. Over two hours had already been spent farming, and after finally reaching eleven of the needed twelve Redwine Roots, the Demonic Crows seemed to have stopped spawning altogether.

Jae had been ordered to go with Vivienne's splinter party- no doubt because she was even now testing him on Lind's orders- along with the tank Meifan and one other player named Noyes. Now they stood in a semi circle, irritably leaning on their weapons or adjusting their weight as the sun continued to descend from it's perch in the digital heavens.

Stung by his squad leader's rebuke, Meifan closed his mouth and began checking his stats and gear on his menu. The silence that ensued was broken only by the sound of menu scrolling and the occasional clash of swords from further out as the other splinter parties of their squad battled the Demonic Crows to no avail.

Jae yawned, still leaning on his spear, then glanced over at Vivienne.

"So, were you a businesswoman or store manager of something before SAO?"

Vivienne turned to give him a puzzled look. "No. That's a random question to ask when we're in the middle of completing a quest."

Jae shifted his weight. "You just seem really capable as a leader. I'm curious."

She stared at him blankly for a moment before a small grin lit up her features as she shrugged. "Actually, I was a waitress at a pizza place, that's all."

Jae was taken aback, but then found himself smiling too. "Must've been some serious pressure to succeed at the pizza place."

Meifan and Noyes both chuckled at the joke, and Vivienne laughed. "You have no idea."

"I do." Noyes said with a shudder. "I was a delivery boy for Domino's once. You haven't seen hell until you've worked at a pizza place."

Vivienne scoffed at the man. "Delivery had it easy, you people never had to stay inside the restaurant and listen to the never ending bitching from the customers."

"Are you kidding?" Noyes asked in an exasperated tone. "Try driving for half an hour only to have the people you deliver to tell you that they got the wrong pizza and want a refund. And don't even get me started on the tips-"

Vivienne dismissed his argument with a wave of her hand, but the smile on her face remained. "You think you're tips were bad? At least you got paid a decent hourly wage. I was sitting at two bucks an hour, praying that the next table I waited would give me at least a dollar."

Jae held up a hand. "Now hang on a minute. Everyone knows that pretty girls never have a problem with tips. You were probably making more a day than Noyes just based on tips alone."

Vivienne paused, and for a moment it looked like she was about to blush, but quickly caught herself and tilted her head playfully towards him instead.

"Did you just call me-"

"Look!" Meifan exclaimed, darting forward as a huge black bird flashed by in front of them.

"Surround it!" Vivienne shouted in order, and the players quickly spread out with Meifan and Jae running to the left while Vivienne and Noyes bounded to the right.

Quickly encircling the Demonic Crow, Jae stabbed at it with his long spear, the steel edge piercing it's feathery hide and clipping it's wing before it could soar free. Quickly tumbling through the air, the bird fought to maintain balance and began flapping it's good wing at a much faster pace while at the same time targeting Jae. Shooting forward to scratch at his face with it's talons, the bird was forced back as Meifan's lance stabbed upwards, only just missing it.

Before it could right itself, Vivienne activated a sword skill and threw her saber like a javelin into the air, impaling the the creature and sending it plummeting to the ground. Before it reached the earth, however, the bird exploded into shards, sending Vivienne's sword rattling to the ground.

For a single, breathless moment, it appeared as though the bird had dropped nothing, but then a small, veiny root materialized on the ground beside the saber.

"Yes!" Meifan cheered, banging his lance against the tower shield in his other hand. "Fucking finally!"

Picking up her weapon as well as the root, Vivienne sighed happily before glancing at them all.

"We still have time left before night comes. Let's get the others and finish this fucking quest."


	46. Chapter 46

46

February 22, 2023

Floor 23, Hillvat

The library of Hillvat was small and rather bland, with several rows of bookshelves running onto the wall on either side of the walkway that divided the place in two and led to the librarian who cared for the books, Fenor. Though plain and not altogether remarkable in any way, Jae still found himself curious as to what lore or unlockable quests might be hidden away within the countless volumes. RPG's often tended to have a soft spot for lore lovers and easter egg hunters, few though they were.

Jae scratched his jaw as he considered whether or not to ask Vivienne if they could stay for a few minutes, but decided against it when he saw the focused and impatient look in her eyes as she handed the bag of Redwine Roots to the librarian girl. That she wanted to be done with this questline soon was an understatement.

Though such tenacity was no doubt one of the reasons she had been appointed to the squad leaders, Jae didn't understand what the mad rush was for. It was a simple questline, not an info hunt on the next Floor Boss. If they failed to complete the last of the missions today, there was always tomorrow.

"Well done!" exclaimed Fenor as she studied the Redwine Roots. "Just let me see if these are all of the appropriate quality and without impurities...yes, these will work nicely."

"So what do we need to do with them?" Vivienne asked the girl in front of her.

The NPC librarian handed the sack of roots back to Vivienne before answering.

"There is a swamp, about a mile north of Hillvat. Take the Redwine Roots to a circular shaped clearing with a small rock mound etched with strange symbols and letters. In days of old, rituals were conducted there. Encircle the mound with the roots, and prepare yourself for the final battle."

"What, you mean an end of quest boss?" Meifan asked.

"Where exactly is the mound?" Vivienne spoke over him, still focused on Fenor. "That swamp stretches on for some time. Is the clearing closer to Hillvat or more towards the center of the swamp?"

Fenor shook her head. "You will find the clearing, all you need to do is seek it out."

Vivienne crossed her arms. "I know we'll find it, but we're kind of short on time and I'd rather not spend hours walking through knee high sludge. So please, where exactly is the clearing?"

Fenor shook her head again and took out one of the books she had tucked under her arm, leafing rapidly through it's pages as she spoke.

"You do not understand. The books tell of a clearing located within the swamp. As I have said, barbarian rites were once conducted-"

"I know all that already!" Vivienne shouted. Fenor backed up a step, lifting her book as if it were a shield to protect her from the squad leader's wrath. Jae had to hold in a laugh at the almost comical sight.

Rubbing her temples, Vivienne tried again.

"Look, I just want to know if it's possible for you to better pinpoint the location of this clearing. That's it. Maybe you could point it out to me on my map, or give directions. Is that within your capacity? Do you know where the clearing is?"

Fenor paused for a long moment, her jaw working as if she wasn't sure what she was supposed to say. Finally, and with great effort, she shook her head in relief. "No. I don't know where the clearing is within the swamp."

Vivienne rolled her eyes.

Jae coughed.

"Fucking NPC's." Meifan spat.

Turning on her heel, Vivienne motioned for them to follow her as she made for the door. Footsteps echoed lightly off the tiled floor as armored boots clanked against the stone. The dozen squad members picked up their pace to keep up with Vivienne. Jae lengthened his strides until he had caught up with her at the head.

"Don't you think it would be a good idea to ask about this final battle? Walking blindly into a fight is not the way to win."

Vivienne scowled once at him before reaching the doors and pushed them open with both hands.

"You think I don't know that? I already know everything we need to. We're going to be fighting a mini boss programmed to appear in the clearing once we set the Redwine Roots down around the mound. It's going to be a Lesser Minotaur armed with a battle axe and a stun ability when attacking with its horns. Two HP bars. "

Jae frowned. "How do you know that?"

"Lind paid one of the info brokers to get all the details together the other day when we reached the halfway point on the questline."

"I see."

Jae hadn't expected that, but he supposed guilds did that kind thing for all the quests they undertook.

One of the players, a tall man with short cropped ginger hair, sidled up close behind them.

"Will this Minotaur be challenging? Any tactic changes when it reaches red?"

Vivienne shook her head without look back.

"Nothing strange or challenging with this one, Benic. Straightforward quest mini-boss, that's all. The only notable trait about him will be that he's tanky; probably around ten thousand health."

"That's pretty good for a mini." Meifan noted behind them. "Almost as much health as a Field Boss."

"But nowhere near the damage or attack speed." Vivienne affirmed. "Now can we please set our mind to finding the clearing first? We have less than an hour of daylight left and there are no torches or lamps in the swamp. It'll be too dangerous to wander around blind."

Jae wanted to say more, but Vivienne shot him an iron glare. She clearly wanted to get the mission finished and be done with him.

The party walked in silence as they left the village outskirts and entered the swamp. Low hanging trees covered in mold stood like tall floating islands within a sea of muck. Dirty, dark brown water reached their ankles and, the deeper they got into the biome, began rising up their legs. Jae hated the feeling of water in his boots, but ignored it and trudged on with the rest of them, slapping the occasional mosquito that dared land on him.

They had been walking for almost twenty minutes when Jae paused. There in front him, etched onto a tree by what looked to have been a knife or sword, was an arrow pointing to the right.

"Vivienne." He called out softly.

Glancing over her shoulder at him as her boot slopped back down into the murky water, the squad leader followed his gaze as he gestured at the sign.

Immediately spinning to face the direction of the arrow, Vivienne peered cautiously into the depths of the old trees. Jae noted that it was to her credit that she remained watchful and didn't simply run them all off on a hunch.

The remainder of the squad halted in their march, looking between Jae and Vivienne.

"Do you see anything that way?" The young boy asked.

Silent for a moment as she took a few steps further out to the right, Vivienne's face suddenly lighted up in a grin as she motioned to the rest of them.

"I think I see a clearing out past-"

Before she could finish her sentence, Vivienne found herself cut off by a large pack of humanoid rats stumbling out of the dense trees just in front of her. They looked just as surprised to see her as she was of them. Standing hunched over and armed with wicked looking knives and crooked swords, the rat men bounded forward with inhuman speed as they targeted her.

"Squad," Vivienne shouted as she drew her saber, her silver armor glinting off the steel edge. "Format-"

"Protect your squad leader!" Jae roared, his spear twirling into his hands as the blood rushed through him. "Don't let them cut her off! Tanks up front, DPS take flanks!"

Vivienne shot him a murderous glare, but he didn't care and charged forward, the thick bog water splashing about him as he raced towards the threat. Behind him he heard the squad advancing forward at a run, determined to help their squad leader.

"Get into battle rank-" She began, but Jae wasn't about to let her die.

"Get back!" He shouted at her over the tumult of splashing water and rat men howling as they closed on her position. "Run!"

Gritting her teeth, Vivienne did neither and instead took on a defensive stance, gracefully ducking under the swing of a notched mace from one of the rat mobs and recovering to remove it's head from it's shoulders in one fell swing.

Before she could turn to face the next threat, one of the rat men kicked her square in the chest, sending her tumbling backwards. Jae all but threw himself forward as he tried to reach her in time, knowing that she would be helpless when she fell into the water.

To his surprise, she managed to right herself, throwing out her left arm to regain balance before pivoting on her lead foot and snapping herself upright. Slashing outward in a wide arc to keep the creatures at bay, Vivienne was too slow and cried out angrily as a twisted sword stabbed her in the sword arm.

Unable to lift her saber against the rush of blows from the horde of monsters, Vivienne instead attempted to fling herself at them in an effort to knock some of them down.

Just before lifting her feet off the ground to shoot herself forward, Jae reached her. Grabbing hold of the back of her armored collar with one hand, he yanked back, sending her tumbling off balance into the safety of her men who were close behind them. Without slowing down, several rat creatures ran past him, still targeting Vivienne. The rest, however, swung or stabbed their weapons as they charged him, intent on nothing short of his death.

Holding the spear as if it were a quarter staff, Jae batted aside the innumerable blows one after another and sometimes two or three at a time. The long reach and length of a staff was well suited to fending off multiple opponents at once, but it was all Jae could do to keep their razor sharp blades away from him. Attempting to launch a counter attack, he dodged the next swing rather than block it and swung his spear, the blade end smashing into the face of the nearest monster before slashing open the chest and stomach of another. The latter exploded into a shower of shards.

Before he could recover from the attack, Jae saw a mace flashing towards him from out of the corner of his eye. At the same time, the rat with the now ruined face stabbed upwards with incredible speed surpassing that of any human.

Knowing that hesitation would mean death, Jae reacted. With a twirl of his spear, he brought the weapon blade up towards the mace-wielding mob on his left and stabbed without turning, relying on his peripheral vision and hearing to guide his thrust. At the same time, he snapped his head back from the onrushing blade aimed for his head. He felt a sickening thud as the blade of his spear impaled the chest of the rat on his left, while at the same time, he prayed that he could escape the blade directly in front of his line of sight.

The mace wielder on his left shattered into it's on death explosion at the exact second the thrust of his other attacker's sword pierced the air directly in front of Jae's face. He could see the tip of the blade come to a halt inches away from his left eye.

At that moment, A shield slammed into the rat's already destroyed face, knocking it back several feet. Before it could recuperate, a lance gored through it's chest and erupted out it's back.

Turning slightly, Jae saw Meifan press forward, keeping his tower shield up to defend both him and Jae as he recovered his lance from the pixelated remains of the rat. In the next instant, the entire squad emerged beside him, blades clashing as they battled the rat mobs.

Recovering, Jae aided Meifan in holding their position, his spear slashing and stabbing over and around the man's tower shield planted firmly in front of them. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Vivienne dueling two of the mobs, her elegant saber glancing aside blows before stabbing and slashing in earnest return. Within minutes, the fighting was done.

There was silence for a moment, broken only by the panting of a dozen players as they held position, waiting for another threat to present itself.

"Are you out of your fucking mind?" Vivienne yelled as she rounded on him, finally satisfied that the threat was eliminated.

Jae blinked at her.

"What the hell are you talking about? I just saved your life!"

"And in doing that, you risked the lives of everyone else here!"

Jae paused. "What do you mean?"

Her gaze was iron, and her tone ice as she spoke.

"We didn't know what kind of threat those rat things posed. For all we knew, their blades could have been coated in some kind of poison or impairment effect. They could have been mobs well in advance of our own levels, maybe designed as one last secret challenge towards those trying to finish the quest."

"But Vivienne," the tall player named Benic said quietly. "They weren't. And they didn't have poison-"

"You're missing the point. Just because we were lucky enough not to have problems beyond some simple mobs targeting us doesn't mean that's what we should expect." She met Jae's angry stare. "Didn't you yourself say we shouldn't run blindly into fights? That that wasn't the way to win?"

Jae swept an arm in irritation. "This was different. Your life was at risk because you were too stubborn to get away from-"

Stepping close to him, Vivienne jabbed his chest angrily with a finger. "First of all, I didn't fucking get away because I didn't want you all exposed to an unknown threat. It would have been better for me to die, and in that death reveal vital information on any abilities or traits those mobs possessed to the rest of you, than run back and risk all of our lives at once, potentially losing everyone here! Second, you don't command my fucking men. You think you know something about leadership because you partied up with your buddies for a month? I'm responsible for all of you, but you got in the way of that by not only cutting off and ignoring my orders, but also giving your own! You think you know more about command than I do? You think you should be in charge of this squad? Well? Do-"

Jae exploded. "For the thousandth fucking time, I don't want to be in charge of anyone! I never once asked to be a leader, it's people like you that pull that notion out of the fucking air and throw it around at me every time I do something! I told your men to act because if they hadn't, you would be dead. That's pretty self explanatory to me! So you know what, I'm so sorry I didn't let you die back there, but I would do the same thing again. As long as I'm still breathing, I will do everything I can to keep people alive!" His booming voice lowered to a flat tone as he drew his face up mere inches from hers. "And that includes people who decide to hate me before they even know me."

He was only vaguely aware of the squad members gathered around the two of them as they stared at each other, fire dancing in both of their eyes as they glared. Vivienne was silent for a moment, her jaw working in irritation.

Finally, she gestured at him. "Don't think that-"

"Guys," Meifan said in a hushed but alert tone. "Listen."

Immediately drawing away from Jae, Vivienne glanced at the tank but remained silent, motioning for the others to remain so as well. Straining his ears, Jae looked questioningly at the man. And then the faint sound of clashing steel echoed out from the right, barely audible across the dense swamp.

Instinctively reaching for his spear as he turned toward the source of the noise, Jae blinked in surprise when he found that it wasn't at his back, only to realize an instant later that it was in his left hand.

Again the sound of steel rang out faintly over the water.

"It's coming from where the arrow pointed." Vivienne whispered suspiciously.

"Where the clearing is." Jae whispered in turn.

The two of them met the other's gaze. Jae's suspicions about the mobs mysteriously crossing their path, both at the plateau and there in the swamp, came to a head. It seemed like Vivienne had had the same thoughts judging by the heated look in her eye that seemed ready to blaze into an inferno.

"Follow." She said quietly, and then bounded towards the noise.

Racing to catch up with her, Jae and the others sprinted at a breakneck pace, their armor clanking lightly as the individual links and plates rasped together. Quickly catching up, Jae fell in beside her while the others ran in a loose column formation to maintain speed and not get in each other's way.

"Who do you think it was?" Jae whispered breathlessly as they ran.

"I have a hunch." She answered without slowing.

Cresting a small ridge, Vivienne raised a fist over her shoulder and dropped to a knee, Jae following suit. Together, they peered out past the trees.

There, just below them, stood a large, dry clearing. In the center stood a mound of rocks and what looked like bones, each etched and carved with strange symbols and letters that seemed at once both primitive and remarkably complex. Behind the mound stood a massive beast, it's body in the shape of a man but covered with a tough hide, while it's head was that of a bull, with two deadly looking horns jutting out from it's fur. In the Minotaur's hands was a large two handed battle axe.

The beast snorted, hot air jutting from it's nostrils as it swung the deadly weapon. In a semi-circle around it stood at least a dozen players, their armor and cloaks dyed various shades of grey. Those in front carried kite or round shields and spears, while those behind had large two handed swords or axes. They looked confident and deadly as they fought the monster, working together to easily ward off it's blows before laying it's hide open with organized attacks. Jae recognized Kibaou among them.

"The Aincrad Liberation Army." Vivienne said in disgust, not taking her eyes off the spectacle.

"They knew the Holy Dragon Alliance was trying to finish this quest line and reap the rewards." Jae said, half to himself. He turned to her. "That's why you were marching us at such a breakneck pace. You were racing the ALA to beat the quest."

Vivienne nodded. "Lind received word that they were planning on making an organized effort to beat us out of all the quests on this Floor, so he adopted a more aggressive strategy. He wanted us to rush through as fast as we could before they could catch up."

Jae almost smiled at the cleverness of the opposing guild. "They used that speed to propel themselves along the questline right behind you, and then slowed us down by leading packs of mobs into our path each time we got ahead."

Meifan, kneeling on some mold just behind Jae, slammed a fist into the soggy ground. "We led them right to the boss. We practically beat the quest for them."

Another player cursed. "How could they willingly endanger our lives for the sake of a stupid fucking side quest?"

Vivienne didn't look to be in a mood to answer, so Jae shrugged. "The mobs they've led into us haven't been particularly strong. Just strong enough to delay us and ensure they keep ahead. They figured we'd win, but it would take time. As far as they're concerned, they probably see it as simply being resourceful in order to get ahead."

The young boy with them looked down at the battle, the anger evident in his youthful face. "After all that work, and the danger they put us through, they're going to steal our quest reward."

Silence broke out among them as the squad watched silently. Jae drummed his fingers on the hardwood shaft of his weapon.

Vivienne cleared her throat and began to rise. "Right then. Let's head back."

Meifan gazed at her in surprise. "And do what when we get there?"

"We tell Lind what happened and do our best to beat them to the next quest."

Benic looked distraught. "We can't just let them-"

Vivienne held up her hand. "I'm just as angry about it as you are, alright? But there's nothing we can do. Come on."

"With respect," Jae held up a hand. "That's not entirely accurate."

The squad leader stared at him for a moment, as if unsure whether or not she wanted to hear him speak. Finally, she sighed. "How so?"

Jae stood so everyone could hear him, but kept his voice low so as not to tip off the guild fighting below them.

"They may have beaten us to the boss, but we can still beat the quest and get the reward."

Before Vivienne could reply, the boy looked at Jae.

"How can we do that?"

"It's simple." Jae gestured over at the players locked in combat with the Minotaur. "That boss still has one HP bar left, and he's tanky, you said it yourself, squad leader. That gives us more than enough time to use their own strategy against them if we act fast."

Vivienne raised an eyebrow at him. "Their strategy?"

Jae nodded. "They used mobs to stop us from progressing. We'll do the same to them."

The woman crossed her arms under her breasts in displeasure. "We're not orange players, Jae. Such an act may not directly brand us as such, but it's the same thing. I will not orchestrate the death of players, know matter what they've done to us. You were right before, about me not knowing you, but I thought you were better than-"

"I never said we'd orchestrate player deaths."

She threw up her arms in exasperation. "But that's what you just implied!"

He tilted his head at her. "I already told you, as long as I'm breathing, I will do everything I can to keep players alive." He smiled grimly at the players standing before him. "But that doesn't mean they need to know that."

Silence.

Vivienne glanced from Jae, to the battle raging down below, back to Jae again.

"Alright. I'll hear you out if you have a plan. But just remember. This isn't you taking charge. I'm the squad leader."

Jae met her gaze. "I doubt I could forget. Now, everyone listen carefully. Everyone will need to do exactly as I say."

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Vivienne asked in a low voice as they stumbled through the trees and knee high bog water.

"I hope so." Jae whispered absentmindedly.

"What?"

He glanced at her. "It'll work if everyone does what they're supposed to. That includes us. Come on, we have to get up there."

Picking up the pace, the two players sloshed through the last of the water and emerged on dry, if a little soggy, land. This was where the other side of the ridge began. Sprinting up the small slope while also trying to remain perfectly quiet, the two of them slowed to a halt as the top of the ridge showed itself just a few feet from them. Inching to the edge as they took to their knees, Vivienne and Jae drew their weapons and waited.

Gazing out into the clearing just below, Jae saw the ALA members still battling the Minotaur. He sagged in relief.

It had only taken a few minutes to explain his plan and set it in motion, but Jae had been worried that it had been too long. As it was, the Minotaur was about to enter the red on his last health bar.

He heard Vivienne crawl up just beside him and looked around at the other side of the clearing where they had all been sitting not moments before. Jae and Vivienne had had to race around in a wide circle to get to the other side. From where they now sat, the Minotaur was closer than the ALA members, it's back turned to the two hidden players just beyond the treeline.

"They should be back by now." Vivienne said, her words dripping with worry.

"Wait."

She again glanced out at the trees. "We've put them at too much risk."

Jae didn't take his eyes off the battle below them. "Just wait."

Several members of the Aincrad Liberation Army, Kibaou at their head, launched a vicious assault, each of their blades lighting up as they activated multiple sword skills. Staggering back from the ferocity of the attack, the Minotaur's health dipped well into the red.

"Now." Jae whispered to himself. "It has to be now."

Vivienne looked on the edge of panic as she scanned the area for any sign of her men, but remained silent.

Another attack lit up the sky above the trees, and now the monster's health was shaking red.

"Come on." Jae said through gritted teeth. "Now."

Vivienne looked furious and terrified at the same time. "I can't believe I let you talk me into putting my men's lives at-"

The treeline came alive as dozens of various mobs stumbled into the clearing, weapons in hand and confusion in their eyes. The rat creatures from before made up the majority, but Jae also saw many reptilian creatures among them, monsters that stood half alligator and half man. Nasty looking goblins also appeared, but there weren't many.

A hush fell over the clearing for a single second as the ALA members halted in their fight to look around and find themselves surrounded by monsters. Seizing the initiative, the Minotaur bellowed and swung its axe, knocking a man clear into the air before gravity forced him to the ground. Jae saw the player's health, already below eighty percent, dip into the yellow. And then the mobs targeted the ALA members.

"Formation!" Screamed Kibaou even as he deflected a blow from the Minotaur. "Watch the rear!"

As one, the players scrambled to form two lines, tanks in front, and DPS behind and on the flanks. They had almost finished their formation when the small horde of monsters reached them, bellowing and snarling as they swung their cleavers and twisted swords, knives and axes. The players held them everywhere but the center, where several rat men tore through a small gap and threatened to crumble the line. Kibaou shouted for the few men left beside him to plug the breach, saying that he would finish the last of the Minotaur's health.

Before he could, however, the mini boss rammed him with its horns, sending the guild leader sprawling onto his back, stunned and bleeding.

"Come on!" Jae shouted as he jumped up. "Now's the time!"

Darting up beside him, Vivienne brandished her saber.

At that moment, Vivienne's squad charged out from all sides, taking advantage of the mob's unwieldy mass and previous targeting of the ALA members. Within seconds, they had cut a bloody swathe through the back lines and sides of the monsters.

The ALA members, their faces already ashen from the sight of so many mobs targeting them in the midst of battle, now looked completely and utterly confused.

Ignoring the unfolding battle, Jae charged up behind the minotaur, Vivienne right beside him.

"I got Kibaou!" Jae shouted over at her.

Without waiting for her response, he darted past the hulking beast and planted himself between its axe and Kibaou's stunned form lying on the ground. The man's eyes betrayed terror, confusion, but most of all, rage.

The Minotaur brought down it's axe just in time for Jae to bat it aside with his stout spear. Without hesitation, he counter attacked, slashing and stabbing at the beast to keep it back. It's health now down to the last two percent, Jae advanced.

The Minotaur again raised its axe, but at that moment Vivienne's saber ripped through the length of it's thickly muscled arm, severing it at the elbow.

Howling in rage, the monster bowed its head and rammed its curved horns forward, tangling Jae's spear up in them as it prepared to stun him. Jae struggled to free his spear, but then Vivienne's saber slashed overhead. She aimed for the beast's head, but dropping down further saved it from certain death and instead her sword cleaved through the Minotaur's horns.

With his spear now free and Vivienne beside him, Jae nodded to her. Together, the two of them thrust their weapons home, impaling the creature with twin strikes as their weapons erupted from it's back. There was one last howl, and then it exploded into a thousand pixelated shards.

Immediately turning to help their men, Jae and Vivienne were both surprised to see the battle all but over. Caught between the ranks of the two strongest guilds, one of which had taken them completely by surprise, the mid level mobs hadn't stood a chance. ALA and HDA members both leaned on their weapons as they panted. All around them, pixelated shards filled the air. A scant few mobs remained but were quickly cut down by overwhelming player numbers.

Jae turned to an astonished Vivienne. "What did I tell you? You worry too much."

Rather than answer, the squad leader shoved him away from her as a small smile crept up over her features.

The ALA members parted ranks as the Holy Dragon Alliance squad approached Jae and Vivienne. Some of them even thanked their HDA counterparts.

Meifan was the first to break rank and clap Jae on the back. "We fucking did it! I have to say, Jae, I thought you were insane at first-"

"I think a lot of us shared that opinion." Vivienne interjected, the small grin still on her face.

Some of the men laughed, and Meifan continued amidst the congratulations and back clapping Jae found himself the center of.

"But that plan of yours worked itself to perfection!"

"Thanks," Jae said. "But if it wasn't for Vivienne's help and permission-"

"Oh stop it." She said irritably. "Acting so modestly is annoying. I'm woman enough to admit that I underestimated you." She dipped her head in a gesture of respect. "Sorry about before."

"How fucking dare you!" Kibaou screamed at them, jumping to his feet.

Jae had all but forgotten the man had been there, but now the spiky haired player rounded on him and Vivienne.

"The player base is going to hear about this, just you wait. You tried to get us all killed!"

Jae smiled at him. "Actually, we saved all of your lives. We just wanted you to think we'd gotten you all killed, work up a little fright to get you away from the boss. I'd say it's more than fair exchange for what you did to us."

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Kibaou roared, though it was obvious he was lying. "Your guild is no better than orange players! It's no wonder a murdering bastard like you joined up with it! You're all a bunch of criminals!"

Jae held the man in an iron gaze. "That's more than I can say for you, leading mobs straight into us, leaving us to live or die without a care in the world."

"You have no proof! You never saw us do anything!"

Jae shrugged. "Just as you never saw us do anything other than come to the aid of our battered and beleaguered brothers in arms." He made sure the sarcasm was evident in his tone.

Kibaou eyed him for a long moment, before finally he broke away from Jae's gaze and gestured for his men to move. With one last glance over his shoulder, the man scowled darkly.

"Don't think I'll forget this, 'Jae.' I never forget those who have wronged me."

Jae took an aggressive step forward.

"Is that a threat?"

Kibaou looked like wanted to do nothing more than murder Jae on the spot, but instead spat once in his direction and stalked off, his men in tow.

Vivienne walked up beside him after they'd gone. "Something tells me you're not very good at making friends."

…

"In conclusion," Vivienne said in a businesslike tone as she wrapped up her report to Lind, who sat spellbound at his marble table. "It was due primarily to Jae's quick thinking and capable leadership skills that we managed to beat the quest and deny the rewards to the ALA."

Jae opened his mouth to protest, but Vivienne glared at him to remain silent.

Lind, his fingers interlaced diplomatically, was silent for a moment as if he needed time to mull over what he had learned. Finally, he looked from both Jae to Vivienne standing side by side.

"So you had your squad split up and lead the nearby mob packs to the clearing, while you two went around to take out the boss once the distraction was in place. Then you had your men charge the back of the mobs as they fought the ALA."

Vivienne dipped her head. "I also had them take my small fortification potions to increase damage resistance, just in case the mobs proved more trouble than anticipated."

Lind nodded. "Any casualties?"

"None. On either side."

And was inventory taken of the reward?"

Vivienne nodded. "Four thousand Col, an EXP boosting potion that lasts for ten minutes within a twenty foot radius, and two Corridor Crystals already linked. I've seen to it that the Col has been removed to the treasury and the remaining items have been put in storage for later use."

Lind smiled gratefully. "Well done Vivienne. And congratulations on beating the quest within the allotted time, in spite of the challenges." He paused, and his expression turned more serious. "However, I can't ignore the fact that you, a squad leader, let Jae, who is a novice to our guild, take command of your men, even if was for only a moment. I also can't ignore the fact that he disobeyed your orders and seized authority that wasn't his to take."

Jae frowned at Lind. "If you want to punish me, so be it, but Vivienne deserves nothing but praise. I doubt you'll find anyone in your guild more dedicated to protecting-"

"Jae." Vivienne said in a commanding tone. "I am your squad leader. You are a novice. Thank you for your words, but please do not speak for me as if it were the other way around."

She waited until she was sure he would remain silent, then turned her attention back to Lind.

"I agree that my actions, and my inactions, are deserving of scrutiny. I accept any punishment you have in mind. But there is one last thing I would like to say."

Lind motioned for her to continue with his hands. "Speak."

"When Jae was put under me so that I could be the judge of his testing, I set only the highest expectations for him. I did not, at first, expect him to reach them." She glanced briefly at Jae before continuing. "But after everything that happened out there in the field with him, I need no time to reflect or decide my judgement. Jae is an asset to this guild, and in my opinion, he should be leading a squad rather than following testing to be part of one. That is my assessment, and I will not withdraw it."

Jae sighed.

Glancing over her shoulder at him, she smiled apologetically. "Sorry. I know you don't think yourself a leader or want to be one, but I can see it. And so can my men. You would be wasted as a grunt."

Lind was silent for but a moment, and then suddenly his face lit up into a grin as he pointed at Jae.

"I knew you were clever, but you continue to surprise me at every turn, Jae. For god's sake, you just passed both tests at once."


	47. Chapter 47

47

February 27, 2023

Floor 24, Blood Valley

A faint snapping sound forced Israel from his thoughts. In one motion he sprang up and drew his sword, turning to see if something, or someone, was behind him. He was fairly sure the sound had come from down in the valley just below where he had made camp on the edge of the cliff, but it was far better to be sure of any threats closer to home before doing any exploring. Straining his eyes as he peered out into the brush and trees surrounding him, he bent his legs in preparation for an encounter and stood completely still. Slowing his breathing until it was all but inaudible, he waited.

It took nearly ten minutes before he was finally satisfied that no one was near. Sitting back down at the small fire, Israel nonetheless kept Silverthorne clear of its sheath and laid it on the log beside him, the flames from the fire dancing along it's silver steel edge. He stared at the weapon for a moment, then ran his fingers along it's edge affectionately, careful not to apply any pressure in his touch. The legendary sword was all he had left of her now.

Wiping a tear away before it had time to fall from his cheek, Israel replayed the day Naomi had gifted him with Silverthorne in his mind for the hundredth time. He remembered her attempt at a nonchalant attitude even as her special smile gave away her happiness at doing something to help someone else. How he missed her special smile, the one she had always reserved just for him. He would gladly take his own life in exchange for simply seeing it one last time. But he knew he would never get a chance to make such a bargain. He would never see her again. In the cruelest twist of fate, or perhaps simply some perverse divine humor, the world had snatched away the only woman he had ever truly loved before he even had time to express it. Now, Silverthorne was all he had left of her.

Still, in spite of how important the sword was to him, Israel knew that it was beginning to lose its viability, a fact that was quickly becoming more and more clear as the death game continued. In the past few days alone, it's lower level stats and durability had begun making it more dangerous and challenging when fighting against the orange and red players, in spite of his refinements to the blade. Though he hated to admit it, Israel knew he would soon need to find a much more potent refinement item to use, or he would be forced to trade out Silverthorne for something else made on the newest Floors.

Forcing aside the bitterness of the idea and burying his sorrow in exchange for cold rage and murderous intent, Israel turned his thoughts towards more immediate concerns as he prodded a stick into the small camp fire in an effort to keep the flames going before rising from the log. The chill autumn wind stung his face and hands as he walked out onto the edge of the cliff and peered down. There, about fifty feet below him, stood a small camp cleverly tucked away within the valley walls. Any passersby would easily miss the small ravine, let alone the camp hidden within it. Israel himself had nearly missed it when he arrived at the site several hours earlier. Clambering down the steep slope without making any noise had proven an even more difficult task, only to reveal that the camp was empty. Barely more than a half dozen tents erected beside a large wood pile to be used for fires, it hadn't taken long to realize that the camp's inhabitants were absent, no doubt using the remainder of daylight hours to capitalize on yet more player killing and robbing.

After a brief scan of the area below him, Israel sighed irritably; they still had not returned.

Walking carefully back to his own small fire, Israel resigned himself to yet more waiting.

 _Just have to be patient a little bit longer,_ he told himself. _They'll be back soon._

In the past week since he had obtained the information needed to effectively begin his war against Laughing Coffin, Israel had managed to track down their ever changing base camp three times. Each time, he had tried to sneak inside and slit the throats of each and every one of the players in their sleep. Each time, the attempts had failed and very nearly cost him his life. He hadn't even managed to kill a single sentry, as lookouts were posted in pairs to patrol specific fields of view that overlapped each other. Even if he managed to defeat two players at once, the neighboring guards would quickly discover the threat and rush to the aid of their comrades. Such organized and diligent security systems had proven to be all but impossible to sneak past or take out.

With each passing day, Israel could do nothing but watch as Laughing Coffin grew only more powerful right before his eyes, with new players constantly joining their ranks and new wagon loads of Col and supplies gained at the cost of lives delivered by their vassal guilds. After barely managing to escape capture and certain death during his retreat after the third attempt, Israel realized that he had severely underestimated his enemy. A new strategy would have to be developed.

After two days of shadowing Laughing Coffin and observing how they operated, how they thrived and grew, as well as further research into the finer details of the guild thanks to Jett's information, Israel at last understood what he had to do. His mistake had been in thinking that the orange players could be defeated quickly, in a single blow straight to their hearts. In reality, such an organized and rapidly expanding force could only be defeated one step at a time. Like a giant, who could not be stopped by a single sword thrust alone, Laughing Coffin would need to be taken apart piece by bloody piece.

Removing their supports, Israel had realized, was key to weakening them. Each day, weapons, armor, food, and Col were delivered in vast quantities to LC's HQ. Such stores were imperative to the proper function and increased effectiveness of the guild, as vital to them as food shipments were to armies on campaign; if the men didn't eat and couldn't pay to cover the cost of maintaining their equipment every single day, they would eventually wither and die. Yet it was not Laughing Coffin that provided such lifeblood.

It was their vassal guilds.

With delivery of their means of survival cut off, Laughing Coffin would find itself crippled under it's own weight. Thus weakened, the guild would be far less capable of defending the next objective on Israel's list.

Part of Laughing Coffin's success in targeting and ambushing the player base was due, Israel had learned, to their various outposts scattered all over the most trafficked Floors. Manned night and day in shifts, these watchtowers kept constant vigil over wide areas around them and sent a constant stream of information back to HQ, where the guild leaders then applied the knowledge gleaned into each day's raids. His plan was that upon weakening under the strain of lack of supplies, LC would find itself unable to keep up with each outpost for long periods of time. That would be when Israel would strike, eliminating the outposts one by one.

Once the outposts were destroyed, and Laughing Coffin was deprived of means to defend itself and live comfortable on top of that, they would be a giant both blind and crippled. That would be when Israel would finish them.

But to do all that, he first needed to destroy the vassal guilds.

Having already wiped out his first vassal guild the night before, Israel was confident in his abilities. The guild had been called The Black Death, with a total of four members. Stalking them silently in the forest, Israel had murdered the players in the rear, one by one working his way to the leader at the head of their line. He had hoped to do something similar to this new guild he had tracked down, called Hope's End. With five members, he didn't imagine it would prove much more difficult if done properly. A simple use of paralysis, or slitting their throats in their sleep when they returned, would prove equally effective. Yet now almost three hours had been wasted in waiting for their return. Israel took hold of a small branch and snapped it between his fingers in irritation.

And then he heard an animalistic hiss behind him.

Grabbing hold of Silverthorne as he spun to his feet, Israel was just in time to see a massive seven foot scorpion snap it's claws at him. Darting forward underneath the claw, he slashed upward, ripping open the monster's face and destroying one of its beady black eyes. Hot, green blood poured from the wound and splashed onto Israel's face. Ignoring it, he jumped backwards as the scorpion barreled forward with it's jaws wide open in an attempt to bite at him.

Not slowing down, the scorpion again tried to catch him between it's monstrous claws, but Israel moved back just out of reach. At that moment, he realized that the attack had been simply a distraction, for now the creature's whiplike stinger uncoiled and beared down upon him with incredible speed.

Allowing the stinger to come closer for a fraction of a second, Israel sidestepped smoothly away just as the stinger pierced the air in front of him, the impact burying it into the soft ground. The scorpion began tugging to free itself, but it was already too late. Silverthorne whistled through the air as it swung, hacking off the stinger along with several feet of the whiplike flesh.

The monster's hissing intensified as it shuddered in agony from the terrible wound, it's severed tail flailing above it. In no mood to continue the fight, Israel ran forward before dropping quickly to a knee just underneath the monster's head, and stabbed upwards into it's soft throat with all his might.

Green blood gushed out around his sword and was about to cover him him when the scorpion exploded into a thousand pixelated shards, gore and all.

Quickly recovering, Israel scanned the woods for any sign of more surprises. As he watched, he noted how easily he had dispatched the huge monster. Having fought real players more and more in the past week, his reflexes and timing had visibly improved. Fighting mobs was, after all, relatively simple: figure out the attack pattern and act accordingly. Fighting living people, however, was far more complex. With no set fighting styles or patterns to memorize, not to mention the unpredictability that only humans possessed, players were significantly more dangerous. Pleased with the results of his battle, Israel's victory was short lived when he heard the sounds of voices echoing up from the bottom of the valley.

Quickly stamping out the fire, Israel made for the cliff's edge and and dropped to a knee before peering out at the camp below. Shapes with torches approached the camp from the north, talking among themselves as they walked among the tents. Upon conducting a quick count of the players before they began disappearing into their tents, Israel arrived at five. That was all he needed to know.

He could feel his knuckles go white as his grip on Silverthorne intensified as a result of the fury, the need to kill, the hunger for death that boiled within him. Rising, Israel, kept his eyes on the small orange guild as best he could as he made a wide berth around the cliff to go down the less sheer ground some distance to the right. After nearly slipping down the narrow path, he forced himself to watch his footing before gravity forced him down faster, which in turn made the descent only more dangerous.

It took Israel nearly twenty minutes to reach the camp, both because of the difficult and sheer path down the ravine and the necessary caution and slow advance required to close in among the tents without being spotted. Peering out from a large boulder not fifteen feet from the first of the half dozen tents, he saw one of the guild members standing watch with a spear in hand, occasionally pacing or opening his menu to scroll through unknown screens. The other players had already entered their own tents for the night.

Israel's heart hammered in his chest as he watched, not in fear but in his thirst for vengeance. His need to kill.

Waiting patiently until the lone sentry faced away from him and had settled into a more relaxed stance, Israel shot forward, careful not to step on leaves or branches in his wake. Closing the distance until he was within three feet from the orange player, Israel saw the man stiffen in alarm and begin to turn. But it was too late.

Clamping his leather plated right hand over the player's mouth before he could make any noise or complete his turn, Israel thrust Silverthorne straight into the man's spine. He felt the steel rip through the man's insides, but he didn't let up and put all of his strength into the stab. He felt a rib collapse under the strain of the steel, and then the blade erupted out of the man's chest. He heard the player's muffled cry as his health bar plummeted to zero. And then he was dead.

Ignoring the on death explosion, Israel gazed out at the semi circle of tents to be sure no one had heard anything. After a brief but tense moment of anticipation, he straightened and made for the first tent, walking around the embers of the large pyre the vassal guild used to keep warm. The air was cool and the wind began to howl as if shocked at the violence it had just borne witness to. Israel intended to shock it further. Thunder roiled overhead.

Entering the first tent, Israel had to briefly adjust his eyes as the light blaring out from a small lamp on a corner table temporarily blinded him. Blinking away the sting as his eyes adjusted, he caught sight of a young man tucked beneath wool bedcovers on the opposite corner of the tent. His eyes were closed, his breathing slow and steady.

Gliding silently up beside the makeshift bed composed of layers of thick blankets, Israel stared for a moment at the sleeping player. With a smooth face, thin layers of remaining baby fat, and only the lightest wisps of facial hair, he looked like he was still in high school. Israel imagined how the young man's life might have been different had he never picked up the Nerve Gear. Heated anger flared through Israel as he caught sight of the orange cursor over the sleeping player's body. Visions of Naomi's murder flashed into his eyes. It was selfish, cowardly animals like this who had ripped her from the world.

Gripping Silverthorne tightly in both hands, Israel sucked in a single breath to steady himself as the rage flowed through him, causing his hands to shake slightly from the bottled violence waiting to be delivered.

Plunging the blade down with one strong motion, Israel watched as the weapon pierced the boy's adam's apple and then impaled his throat. The player's eyes popped open, panic evident in his face as his hands flailed beneath the blanket, desperately trying to get free and remove the steel that had buried itself in his neck while at the same time gasping for air. As quickly as the thrashing resistance had started, however, it ended. The boy went limp and shut his eyes for the final time, his body disintegrating as his health bar reached zero. Removing Silverthorne from the now empty blankets, Israel strode out of the tent.

Raising the flap of the next tent with his free hand as he prepared to enter, Israel prepared himself for the possibility of another lamp or torch that might blind him. Upon entering, however, he was met with an entirely unexpected sight. A man and a woman, locked in a passionate embrace as they lay together on another makeshift bed made of similar blankets, didn't notice him at first. Though still fully clothed, neither had armor on and looked about ready to remove the rest of their gear as well. In the midst of a deep kiss, it was the woman who opened her eyes and saw Israel standing there.

Alarm flashed across her features.

Crying out as she pushed the man off her, the woman darted for the side of the bed, her hand reaching along the edge of the blankets. The man jumped up and made for the table where a one handed longsword lay. Israel darted towards the table, but the man was closer and quickly seized the weapon, swinging it with wild abandon in an attempt to keep Israel back. Rather than retreat, Israel blocked the slash with Silverthorne and, stepping forward in one smooth motion, backhanded the man with his leather backed fist. Tumbling backward from the blow, the man was sent reeling into the back of the tent but managed to keep hold of his weapon as he struggled not to fall.

Before Israel could finish him, he saw a flash of steel and sidestepped to the left, just in time to escape an overhead attack from the woman, a rapier in her hands. Without slowing down, the woman went for a lunge. Rapiers were exceptionally light and the blades of the weapons were thin, designed primarily for rapid and lethal stabs over swings and slashes. Aware of this, Israel didn't bother trying to parry the sword and instead jumped back a step, nimbly avoiding the razor sharp edge.

Pivoting on a foot to again face him, the woman was quickly joined by the man with the longsword whom she had managed to save with her assault. Side by side now, the two players said nothing as they faced him, waiting for what would happen next. There was complete silence for the briefest of moments as Israel stared at them, and they at him, all three of them analyzing how to eliminate the threat. And then, with a quick glance over at each other, the two players attacked at the same time.

The sound of clashing steel rang out within the confines of the tent as Israel defended against their joint assault. Silverthorne was a blur as he blocked the man's overhead blow, parried the woman's slash, counter thrusted only to have his own blade deflected, then blocked again as the man went for a diagonal swing.

Swinging Silverthorne in weaving patterns as he sidestepped, blocked, parried, countered, and advanced with jarring swiftness, Israel fought to maintain his ground. If he was pushed back, he knew he would begin to falter before the combined onslaught. Though he managed to more or less maintain his footing and hold ground, Israel winced with pain as first one, then several cuts began to appear along his arms and legs. The wounds were slight and of little consequence, but each one depleted a little of his health and forced him to redouble his efforts. In return, the two players continued to press, using their numerical advantage to keep him in check.

Sweat beaded Israel's forehead as the seconds turned into minutes, each one lasting a small eternity as the battle raged. Utilizing all his skill and experience as a swordsman, he began beating back the aggressive assault and forcing his opponents to keep their guards up as well. Nicking the man's knee and laying open a shallow cut along the woman's leg, Israel watched their eyes as concern began to light up their features. Several times he nearly managed to execute a killing blow on one of the two, but each time the other would bring their own sword to bear in defense of their partner, forcing him back.

As the fight continued, Israel's arm began to tire. Silverthorne was starting to feel like lead in his hands. More cuts across his chest forced him a step back, and now his breathing was beginning to grow more ragged. The man and woman were panting as well, their faces slick with sweat as they continued to press, no doubt observing the advantage slipping away from him.

 _If I don't do something now, I'm going to lose. I wish I had my two swords-_

His mind came alive as he realized what he needed to do. He thought back to when he had dueled Naomi and had overwhelmed her with his combined efforts. He could have already won the fight against these two if he had used his Martial Arts in conjunction with his sword. For some reason, the strangeness and intensity of battling multiple opponents at once had made him forget about his fist. He silently vowed to not make that mistake again.

Raising Silverthorne to block the woman's overhead swing, Israel saw her partner step forward to deliver a brutal side slash. Without hesitation, Israel raised his fist. The man's sword slammed into the boiled leather plates, the impact sending painful vibrations along the length of Israel's arm.

Blinking in surprise at how his sword had been stopped, the man withdrew and quickly followed up with an uppercut slash. Forcing the woman's blade back, Israel swung Silverthorne, knocking the man's weapon away from him. Attempting to use her lover's attack as a distraction, the woman darted forward to deliver a blinding stab. Again Israel swung outward with his fist, but this time allowed it to carry into the weapon rather than simply stop against it. His armored glove effortlessly batted aside the woman's thin blade, and before she could reposition he stepped towards her and, forcing all his strength into his fist, punched her square in the chest.

Stumbling backwards as the wind was knocked out of her, the woman gasped, clutching her heart and desperately trying to suck in air.

Roaring in fury at the sight of his woman hurt, the man charged forward angrily, holding his sword with both hands as he attacked. Effortlessly beating back the man's assault by using both Silverthorne and his fist, Israel quickly counter attacked and stabbed the player straight through his knee. The man cried out in pain and tottered backwards.

Israel held his ground, waiting as he watched the two injured players help each other up, terror now working its way into their eyes as they panted. With one last effort, they scrambled forward at him, both screaming with their efforts as they put their all into the final attack.

Easily thwarting their last assault and knocking aside their blades with the combination of fist and steel, Israel moved faster than they could keep up with, his blade invisible as it hurled through the air and decapitated both of them in a single motion. Their heads toppled to the ground even as their bodies went limp and crumpled. And then they both shattered into pixelated shards.

Taking a deep breath as he recovered from the battle, Israel turned in alarm when he heard the tent flap behind him open.

He was just in time to see a large, bearded man's face as the player shot a paralysis dart.

Pain lanced through his entire body as Israel fell. The ground tilted and rose up to meet him. Shivering from the pain and trying without success to move, Israel saw the man approach.

"You murdered my entire guild you fucking monster. But don't worry. I have several ideas on how we can balance the scale."

With that, his steel toed boot slammed into Israel's skull, knocking him unconscious.


	48. Chapter 48

48

February 27th, 2023

Floor 19, Highland Caves

Israel awoke slowly, the darkness around him receding as he became conscious. There was a throbbing pain in his head, and his body felt tingly, almost numb, but he couldn't remember why. Images of Jae, and then of Naomi, flashed in his mind. Jae had wanted his help in battling the Floor Two Bosses...no, that was a long time ago now. He heard the sound of footsteps approaching, and then realization flooded into him. He remembered his attack on the vassal guild called Hope's End, remembered defeating the man and woman who had been together. And he remembered being paralyzed and knocked unconscious.

Opening his eyes, Israel saw a big bear of a man with a thick beard and a bald head. It was the man who had paralyzed him. The player was sitting comfortably on a wooden chair, watching him in the same way a child might watch a bug when seeing it for the first time.

Israel silently berated himself for forgetting about the fifth member of the guild, the leader no less. He hadn't expected to engage in battle with the man and woman, and the fight had been unavoidable, but it was no excuse. He should've kept his guard up. In his rage, his hunger to extract vengeance on Naomi's killers, he had made a terrible mistake. One that looked like it would cost him his life. The only thing he was unsure of was why he was still alive.

Israel's hand began to reach instinctively for the familiar feel of Silverthorne's handle, only to find his hands bound by tight iron manacles at the wrists behind him and the back of the chair he was seated in. Alarm raced through him, but he ignored it and attempted to jump to his feet, only to find that his bare feet were also chained, locked together at the ankle and somehow connected to the floor beneath him to prevent any movement. The heavy clink of metal struck the stone floor beneath him, sending a pale ringing sound out around him. By the way the sound reverberated along the walls, he knew he was in a small room or cave. He noticed that he was wearing nothing but his pants.

Once he was sure there was no way to escape, Israel abandoned his struggling and glanced menacingly at the big orange player sitting across from him.

"Where are we?"

The man smiled at him. "Tell me that you're sorry for murdering my friends."

"I could give less of a shit about your friends. Where are we? Why am I still alive?"

The man stood, the smile still on his face as he scooted his chair back and opened his arms, his eyes taking in the dimly lit room.

"Interesting little place, isn't it?" His voice was lighter and more pleasant than Israel would have expected. "My guild and I found it while we were doing a quest. It was a prison room for the NPC character we needed to rescue in order to beat the quest." He began pacing, walking along the stone walls as he spoke. "The chains I used to tie you down were already here, along with...other things. Sorry about the need for all that by the way, but after seeing you beat Marvin and Sarah, my two best fighters, I knew I couldn't take the risk of underestimating you. I have to say, that was impressive; defeating both of them at once like that. Are you on the Assault Team?"

Israel ignored the question. "Why did you bring me here?"

The man shrugged. "I suppose you couldn't be on the Assault Team, being an orange player and all. Still, I would like to know who you are. Why were you hunting us?"

"A player killer is surprised that his actions ended up having consequences? You're bigger fools than I thought."

A small smile curled on the man's lips. "Come now, there's no need to be so rude. I'm just curious as to who you are and why you did what you did. They were my people, my friends that you killed. I think I deserve to know. I'm Drefan, leader of the orange guild known as Hope's End, vassal to Laughing Coffin. There, that's everything about me, now let's move on to you. It's only common courtesy to get proper introductions out of the way, don't you think?"

"Fuck your introductions, you piece of shit."

Drefan let out a long, slow sigh.

"I don't think I like you very much."

Israel smirked at him. "I'm sure your friends felt the same way right before I gutted them."

The big man's hand seemed to twitch for a moment as he cocked his head down at Israel sitting helplessly in his chair.

"Speaking of my friends. I already asked you once, I'd like to hear you apologize for what you did. For killing them."

Israel's gaze was iron as he defiantly held Drefan's glare. "I don't think I will. I'm glad I killed them. In fact, I can still see the fear, the pain in their eyes as their health bars reached zero. Have you ever wondered what happens when we die here? Just before our bodies shatter into oblivion, I mean. I know I have. Knowing Kayaba, I imagine he probably has a sign pop up saying something like-"

Drefan darted forward, backhanding Israel so hard that he toppled backwards in his chair, the back of his head slamming into the stone floor. He felt the chains at his feet go taut as the world swam around his vision, blurred by the pain that lanced through his skull from the impact. Drefan grabbed hold of the chair on either side and heaved, propping it back into position.

Israel struggled to hold his head steady, his vision beginning to clear.

Drefan brought his face down close to Israel's. He smiled.

"Apologize for what you did to my-"

Snapping his neck forward, Israel headbutted the orange player with all his strength. A sickening pop filled the air, closely followed by Drefan's involuntary cry of pain as he backed up several steps, his hands comforting his now broken nose. Israel saw the man's health go down slightly. He grinned.

"Fuck your friends."

Removing his hands from his oddly contorted nose, Drefan's eyes widened with glee in a way that sent shivers up Israel's spine.

"I see you're going to make this hard. I respect that. It would've been no fun otherwise. Just remember, all you had to do was say you were sorry. Now then, let's have some fun, shall we?"

Turning, he walked over to a small table in the corner of the room that Israel hadn't noticed before. On the ceiling above the table hung a dimly lit lamp, the small flame within dancing about violently as if trying to escape its metal prison. Israel turned his head to better look at what Drefan was about to grab, only to see dozens of terrifying looking devices lying neatly all along the tabletop. Sharp, twisted edges and jagged metallic clamps of all shapes and sizes stood there, the stuff of nightmares come to life as the light from the lamp glinted along their crude edges.

Drefan took hold of something off the table and returned to his place in front of Israel, humming excitedly as he walked. In his hands was a small butcher's knife. He waved the weapon and glanced at Israel apologetically.

"I know, it's nothing fancy or interesting, but I think it's best to start small, don't you? After all, there's nothing wrong with simplicity."

Israel fought to maintain a defiant look as he forced down his rising panic. "You think you can scare me with a fucking knife? At least kill me with something that makes you look like a man."

Drefan raised an eyebrow. "Kill you? I don't think you understand. I have no intention of killing you until you tell me you're sorry. I want you to beg my forgiveness for murdering my friends, players who you never even knew or met, who had never done you any harm themselves. Are you ready to apologize?"

Israel laughed. "Do whatever you want, fatass. I'll just think back on how happy it made me to hear them scream."

Drefan shrugged, but his widening smile showed his increasing excitement, something that Israel found altogether terrifying, almost demonic. "You do that. If at any point you're ready to apologize, simply say so and I will stop. Ready?"

Without waiting for a response, Drefan held Israel's left hand down along the manacle to keep it still, and with the knife in his right hand, he swung, chopping off Israel's thumb and forefinger just above the knuckles.

The room disappeared from sight as agonizing pain crashed into him, shooting up from his injured hand straight through to his brain. An involuntary scream escaped his mouth, the pain in it echoing off the walls as he yanked his hand, only to find that it would not budge. Tears welled up in his eyes, but he blinked them back, trying to maintain control of himself. The pain had been far worse than he had anticipated, and was still seeping through him as he fought to hold in another scream.

Panting as he shook from the strain of the inferno of anguish, Israel slowly brought himself back under control, biting his lips until they almost bled just to keep his mouth closed. His head ached from the pain, each second bringing with it another wave of fresh agony. His left hand went partially numb.

Drefan, his knife held high, smiled at Israel again.

"How about that apology?"

Israel slowly raised his chin, focusing all his hatred, all his pain, all his rage, into the glare he now showed the man who had control over his life.

"Fuck. You."

Drefan seemed almost blissful at the rebuke, his eyes closing for a moment as he beamed.

"Right then, let's continue."

He brought the knife down, the blade slicing through skin, muscle, and bone as it hacked off Israel's middle and ring fingers.

The world dissolved, replaced by a sea of mind numbing pain as Israel's screams again filled the room.

After taking his time in chopping off all of the fingers on both of Israel's hands, Drefan returned to the table and brought back a small, medieval fantasy themed hacksaw. Kneeling in front of Israel, the orange player began humming to himself again as he took firm hold of Israel's foot and began sawing at the ankle, the jagged blade easily parting skin and flesh as it was pushed methodically forward and backward. With each drag and pull of the saw's edge, Israel found himself unable to gain control of his shattering mind, his body trembling as each nerve began to run rampant within him. Unable to speak, unable to think, unable to even breathe against the torturous pain that engulfed his very being, he felt the tears rolling down his face without restraint as he cried.

By the time Drefan had finished removing his foot and paused to go back to the table, Israel heard the echo of his screams continue to rebound off the walls even after he finally forced himself to stop and instead take in much needed breaths.

Drefan reappeared in front of him to Israel's surprise, as he had thought the man still at the table a mere second before. Panic filled his lungs and set his heart beating frantically as he realized the pain was beginning to alter his cognitive thought.

Drefan showed Israel the new device with pride, as if he were presenting something he had spent long years completing. The instrument appeared to be a sharpened and double edged crowbar of sorts.

"This next piece," The man said cheerily, licking his lips. "Is quite fascinating. I designed it myself, but even I was surprised by the end product."

Israel's eyes darted from the device to the joyful expression on Drefan's face. "What...what is it?"

Drefan looked ecstatic to be asked. "Well, the way it works is actually very simple, but the pain it can inflict? Oh…" He shook his head as his eyes bulged, apparently unable to find words to explain what he knew. "You'll just have to feel it to believe it. Like I said, we had to start simple, because, well, I wanted you to have an appreciation for the more interesting selections when we got to them. Trust me, the pain you've felt up to this point has been nothing."

With great effort, Israel forced a smile. "Good, I'll probably be dead before you can use it for long."

Drefan laughed warmly as he shook his head. "Don't worry, I've been keeping close eye on your health. You only just hit yellow. Once you reach the last two or three percent, I'll heal you so we can continue."

Israel sagged as hopelessness spread within him. Not even death was going to save him. Only if he apologized could he hope for a reprieve. He thought about it for a long moment. As if reading his thoughts, Drefan peered at him curiously.

"Unless of course you're ready to beg forgiveness for what you've done."

Israel thought of Naomi, of what she had suffered at the hands of monsters like this. She was dead because of the orange players, Drefan included. The thought hardened within him. Israel blinked, stifling back a sob as he braced for what was to come.

"Fuck. You."

Drefan practically danced with joy before stooping low to show the device to Israel, to make sure he saw every detail.

"I'm going to stab the wide flat end of this underneath one of your ribs. You see the curve, right along there to make the blade turn past the three inch mark? That's going to act as the lever. Once the blade end is firmly fixed underneath the rib, I'll simply yank down, forcing the flat of the blade up and out, but not before ripping out some flesh and snapping the rib outward right along with it."

Israel struggled not to vomit. Sweat beaded his face and began mingling with his half dried tears. He licked at his chapped lips and looked away from Drefan's cheerful gaze.

"Just get on with it. I'll never apologize to you."

"So be it."

With a grunt, Drefan drove the sharpened flat of the metal directly underneath the top rib on Israel's left side. Letting out another scream as he felt his chest fill with fiery agony, Israel struggled to hold his breath, for each time he breathed, the pain seemed to only intensify within him. Using all of his willpower, he attempted not to move, feeling the metal wriggle, twisting at his organs as Drefan moved it enthusiastically.

"Now comes the good part."

With a strong, controlled push downwards, Drefan forced the metal up, the sharpened edge cutting and tearing at whatever it touched inside of Israel's gut as it went. Before he could react from this new pain, however, the metal launched itself forward, splitting his rib and forcing it to snap outward along with something inside him that felt caught on the device.

Time and space shattered. Israel's mind was wiped momentarily clean. The world went first white, then completely dark, then red as his heart skipped a beat from the sheer magnitude of the torture burning within him. His insides felt like they were on fire. His brain felt like it was about to implode, unable to comprehend such pain. Then the world came back in a rush, the room came back into his vision, and his voice went hoarse from the screams.

After what seemed like an eternity, Israel was finally able to slow his frantic gasps. His heart was beating dangerously fast and needed to be slowed. Drefan stood transfixed as he watched, waving the metal crowbar through the air as he waited for Israel to calm down. Large chunks of flesh clung to it, only to dissipate into pixelated shards a second later.

"My, but that was exhilarating!" Drefan exclaimed, clapping Israel on the back as he pointed with the crowbar to the gaping, broken hole in his gut. The two halves of broken rib were stretched outward on either side, holding the flaps of skin open and exposing the other ribs directly underneath. Drefan's gaze slid to the top of Israel's head, and he opened his menu.

"Looks like your health took more of a plunge from that then I expected. Good thing I didn't keep going before checking." He tapped one of the screens on his menu and a large health crystal appeared in his hands. "Heal!"

Israel cried softly as he saw his health go back up into the green.

"Oh and look," Drefan said happily. "Your fingers are coming back!"

Israel glanced down at his destroyed hand, only to see his fingers, with the same scars and the same oddly disjointed pinky finger he had received at the hands of Jae's practice sword several years ago in the real world, return to him.

"Excellent." Drefan cracked his knuckles as he spoke. "I have a lot of tools specifically designed for fingers. A lot of them are prototypes though, so please, bear with me when we get to those. Now I have a good timeframe to work with between when you lose your fingers and when the system returns them to you. It's faster than I anticipated. This is such fun."

Israel looked away from his eyes and hung his head, silently grateful that at least he wouldn't have to feel the metal crowbar again.

Drefan held the flat end of the device underneath Israel's chin, forcing him to gaze back up into the monster's eyes.

"Oh but don't worry. I think we should get in a few more ribs before we get back to that, don't you? Really try it out and see if it holds up to lengthened use."

Despair welled up within Israel's mind as newly formed memories of the pain shot through him. He tried to swallow, but realized his throat had gone dry.

"Let's begin shall we?"

Drefan was about to ram the flat end of the metal bar underneath another rib when Israel broke.

"Please...please...no more...no more."

Drefan frowned in fascination and lowered the bar.

"You want the pain to stop so soon?"

Israel nodded, the tears rolling down his chin in twin torrents. "Please. Just end it. Kill me."

"You know what I want. Apologize."

"I'm sorry...please…"

Drefan drew closer. "Beg my forgiveness for what you did."

Israel gasped for air, his eyes never leaving the curved bar in Drefan's hands.

"Please...I beg you...forgive me."

"Forgive you for what?"

Images of Naomi flashed into his mind, but Israel could no longer fight. The pain had washed away all of the anger, all of the rage, and had replaced it only with despair, terror and agony.

"Forgive me for...for killing your...friends…"

Drefan smiled and laughed, holding his belly as he did so.

"There, you see? That wasn't so hard."

And then he leaned forward to stab underneath another rib.

Israel's eyes bulged as he strained against the chains.

"Wait! Wait! You...you promised! You said...you said…"

Drefan paused. "I know what I said. And thank you for your apology by the way, I appreciate it. The only thing is, I don't accept it."

Israel trembled violently as he cried.

"No...no, please...I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry….sorry-"

"I know you're fucking sorry." Drefan grinned down at him. "But I don't accept it. Now then, shall we continue?"

Israel's screams rang out into the stone room and threatened to destroy his eardrums as Drefan plunged the bar home, but he couldn't stop.

He was in a living hell.


	49. Chapter 49

49

February 28th, 2023

Floor 25, Azren Fields

"Watch out!" Jae cried, seizing hold of David's arm and yanking them both back as the ground opened up before them. Leaves, dirt, and rocks all disappeared into the gaping hole that seemed only too eager to swallow them up.

Close beside him, Jae saw the rest of his squad manage to retreat, falling back while grabbing hold of each other to stay upright and moving. Another player, an older member of the Holy Dragon Alliance Jae didn't recognize, couldn't turn in time to escape the trap and lost his footing, crying out in surprise and fear as he fell. Just before his upper body forever disappeared from view, Aranal's massive arms shot out as the big man knelt before the ever expanding hole, seizing their guild member's arms and quickly hauling the player up and over the edge.

"Thank you…" Gasped the man at his savior. "I-"

A panicked scream cut him off, forcing the raid group to glance back at the trap. Jae's eyes snapped forward just in time to see a woman, her silver and blue themed armor flashing as she fell, disappear from view as her arms flailed in vain for any purchase.

The ground shuddered for a moment, and then was still, leaving a massive hole in it's wake directly in front of the narrow path. Silence enveloped the dozens of Holy Dragon Alliance players as they realized another of their own had just died.

"Who was she?" Jae asked, finally breaking the silence.

"Her name was Becca." Lind replied sadly. "She was one of the first to join the guild back on Floor Two."

"That's our third casualty since we hit this Floor." Avari stated, a serious expression on her face as she looked around. "The mazes and traps here seem to make up the entire map."

Meifan, the tank on Vivienne's squad, stepped forward as he strapped his large tower shield onto his back.

"And we're still no where close to the Labyrinth." He glanced meaningfully at Lind. "Maybe we should stop to get some better map info before proceeding any further."

Lind shook his head and began walking forward, angling his line of march to go around the gaping, pitch black hole that seemed to continue for an eternity. "Kibaou and the ALA have two hours head start on us. We can't afford to waste any time."

"Idiots." Aranal hissed as he fell in beside Jae. "What possessed them to think they should go looking for the new Labyrinth without the rest of the Assault Team? We don't even have proper knowledge of this Floor and anyone can tell right from the start that this place is different than the others."

"They've got more than that in mind." Avari said, hefting her two handed greatsword onto her shoulder as she motioned for everyone to start following Lind. "Kibaou plans on taking out the Floor Twenty Five Boss today, with his guild alone."

Jae glanced at Vivienne, who looked unsure if they should continue. Jae knew he felt the same way.

Aranal frowned at Avari. "How do you know that?"

"I'm Senior Officer. I know everything Lind knows."

Jae turned to her, but allowed his voice to carry past so Lind could hear as well. "And how does our Commander know?"

Pausing reluctantly, Lind turned to them.

"One of the info brokers told me this morning, just before I called for the rally. He was at Kibaou's HQ when he heard them hold their guild meeting and set out." He paused to take in the raid group before continuing. "They mean to steal the Boss kill from us and get the rewards, as well as the glory. Kibaou knows that if his guild can singlehandedly coordinate a Floor clearing, the player base will look to him to lead. Now, come on. We're wasting time talking when we could be gaining on them."

Two of the four squads picked up the pace and began falling back into marching order, but Jae saw the looks of concern on his men. He walked over to Vivienne even as she began urging her men to fall in.

Tapping her shoulder as he leaned in confidentially, Jae gestured at Lind. "I don't know about this. Three of our own are already dead."

"I know…" She pushed some of her long hair back behind her ear and shook her head. "But we have our orders. We need to catch up to Kibaou."

He frowned at her. "We don't need to do anything if it endangers player lives."

She crossed her arms. "And what exactly have we been doing this entire time? The whole point of the Assault Team is in putting our lives on the line to clear the game. Every Labyrinth raid, every Boss battle is us endangering player lives. Ours included."

She made to walk past him, but he gently seized her arm. He saw her face flash in heated anger at being forced into a halt, but Jae wasn't ready to shrug off the argument.

"I know that, but there's a difference between endangering our lives and throwing them away. We've cleared enough Labyrinths to know by now that we need information before an advance. We need to have clear knowledge of what we're up against, and where-"

She brushed his hand off, though not unkindly. "Jae, I share your concern, but we can't always do everything by the book. When you're on the frontlines, things are bound to happen that will force our hand, force us to act. Sometimes, not always, but sometimes, being cautious isn't the way to go. I trust Lind, and I trust this guild. Do you?"

Unsure of what to say, Jae instead kept silent and nodded slowly. She offered a small, understanding smile.

"Alright. Now let's go before we get split from the rest of the group. We need to find Kibaou."

Motioning for her squad to follow, Vivienne took off at a brisk pace to close the gap between them and the remainder of the raid group just ahead. Jae and Meifan shared a look of worry as the latter followed behind his squad leader.

Turning to face his own squad, Jae motioned for them to follow.

In the week since proving himself with Vivienne's squad on their quest line, and thanks in no small part to her recommendation, Jae was given command of a squad of his own; eleven men, four of whom were his previous party members, the remnants of Group H. After proving himself a capable squad leader during the Floor Twenty Four Labyrinth raids, Jae and his men were ordered to be included in the fifty man raid group specially selected for the Floor Boss battles, alongside Vivienne's and two other of the strongest squads. The four squad leaders together were commanded by Lind's most Senior Officer, Avari, but it was Lind who held final say and ultimate command.

It had been the Holy Dragon Alliance that scored the kill on the Floor Twenty Four Boss, and upon defeating it, the Assault Team turned to their usual celebration of the milestone. All except for the Aincrad Liberation Army. Kibaou and his men, enraged that they had not received the majority of the EXP or the last attack bonus, had very nearly started a brawl right there in the Boss room. Jae, his eyes on Kibaou, had noted the guild leader's enraged glare upon him almost as often as it was upon Lind in those tense moments of waiting. In the end, Kibaou and his guild mates had stalked off to the now open teleport gate leading to Floor Twenty Five.

The next day, Lind had asked for the Assault Team to gather at nine in the morning to discuss plans for the next Floor's clearing. It had been only eight when he heard the news of what Kibaou was up to and called a guild rally. Jae understood the need to stay in power over the ALA, but he couldn't help but hesitate in this, as he had when Lind had replicated Kibaou's new rule of designated guild farming grounds before knowing the real reason. In attempting to overtake the ALA, were the Holy Dragon Alliance not proving themselves the same? He knew that it wasn't true, but to others, it would look like it.

When the top of the Labyrinth tower finally appeared on the horizon, it's menacing black stone wall rising up as if to defy the very sun, another hour had passed. The HDA raid group was tired, demoralized, and constantly on edge amidst the endless traps, but Lind encouraged them forward, never once slowing down or taking pause.

 _At least no one else has died yet._ Jae thought.

After walking for around twenty minutes more and cresting some hilly terrain that, while difficult and tiresome to climb, at least held no traps, Jae could see the massive double doors. Made of black iron and layered with steel, the imposing entrance to the Floor Labyrinth looked like nothing so much as the gateway to hell itself. Yet, for all it's menace, the doors were very similar to those of the Labyrinths on the Floors below them. Unperturbed by what they had seen so many times before, the players marched ever closer until they stood in the shadow of the Labyrinth.

Jae glanced over his right shoulder to Vivienne, who marched with a hand on the handle of her saber, her eyes wary of any surprises that might jump out at them from the flanks. When she saw his gaze, she gave him a questioning look.

"What is it?"

He shook his head. "Nothing, just stay alert."

She offered a grim smile. "Vigilance is my defining trait. Don't worry. Just keep an eye on your men."

Nodding, he looked back at the faces all staring at him, waiting for a command or quick word. Instead he motioned for David and Aranal to come forward. He respected the two players greatly; both had proven themselves brave, loyal, and skilled in combat on multiple occasions. David, being younger than Jae and Aranal, was sometimes less thoughtful and more straightforward, but he was by no means a fool. Jae well remembered the time David had saved his very life and helped coordinate them out of danger on Floor Two.

In contrast to David, Aranal stood out as a wizened and calculating player, one that had obvious experience with many RPGs in the past. Being older than Jae, Aranal often had advice or counsel that Jae himself hadn't thought of depending on the situation. The big man was also kind and cared for the players beside him, though he possessed little will to lead. And when his shrewd mind failed him, Aranal was more than happy to utilize his real world size and strength to get the job done.

"What are you thinking?" David asked in a hopeful tone. It struck Jae just how much the younger man looked up to him. From the first, David had only ever tried to please him or stay within his good graces, but, to his credit, not at the cost of his life or what he believed to be right. The teenager looked up to him, something Jae had never expected of anyone.

"I was about to ask you guys the same question."

David raked his fingers through his hair as he considered how to proceed, so Aranal spoke first.

"I think we're getting a little too confident in ourselves. This Floor is no joke. Three Holy Dragon members have already died here, and we don't know how many of Kibaou's men might also be dead."

David nodded. "I agree with you on that much of it. We ran through this Floor way too quickly, at the cost of lives. But that's in the past now. We're here at the Labyrinth. I'm no fan of Kibaou or his guild, but we need those players. We need to at least make sure they're alright."

Aranal sighed. "This might sound awful, but in my opinion, if they want to go on solo runs, let them. I don't much care who gets the Floor Boss kill as long as it gets done."

Jae shook his head as he watched Lind and the rest of the column conduct quick checks on the flanks and rear of the formation. It was protocol to have the area outside the Labyrinth doors secure before going in, even for someone in as big a hurry as Lind. Having a safe exit to retreat to if things went bad was imperative, and often made the difference between life and death. "You're not looking at the bigger picture. We can't let Kibaou's leadership overtake Lind's. If he leads the Assault Team, and by extension the entire player base, we're looking at a mass Aincrad Liberation Army. I for one don't want that."

Aranal arched an eyebrow at him. "Sounds to me like you're trying to convince yourself more than anyone else. What's bothering you?"

Jae waved away the notion. "Nothing."

David was about to speak when Lex and Jon Bright, the other Group H members that had joined the Holy Dragon Alliance at Jae's request, stepped past the other squad members and rounded on them.

"What's going on here?" Jon asked. "Leaving us out of your new plots, squad leader?"

Lex shook his head in mock disappointment as he folded his arms. "After all we've been through, this guy just dumps us with the HDA players. We're group H to, squad leader." He smiled. "We stick together."

Jae grinned. "My bad guys, I won't mess up again." He arched his eyebrow at Lex. "But remember, you're HDA now too. We all are."

Lex clapped Jae on the shoulder. "I know, man. But I joined because of you, not Lind."

Jon frowned at them. "What were you guys talking about? I hope I'm not the only one a little worried about what's on the other side of that door."

Aranal nodded. "We've all got our doubts about this."

Jae turned to face his comrades, but didn't forget to exclude the other players in his squad, HDA players who were beginning to look a little left out. After all, they didn't know Jae very well, and didn't have the bonds the members of Group H did.

"I guess I just want to know what everyone's thoughts are about this. I know Lind is in command, but if anyone doesn't want to keep going, I want you to tell me. I completely understand why a lot of us have doubts. This Floor is exponentially more dangerous than any others we've faced so far, which can only bode badly for the Labyrinth here. If any of you feel like we're too few to go in there, or that we're not ready, tell me now."

The HDA members shook their heads firmly. One of them, a DPS player with a heavy mace and buckler named Renark, took a step forward.

"We follow Lind. He's going to need all of us to help him in there, and I intend to be there when he does."

The others nodded their heads firmly.

Lex rolled his eyes at them before leaning in close to Jae. "These guys are like glue on Lind's ass, but at least you can count on them to hold."

Jae suppressed a laugh and looked to the man. "How about you, Lex? You up for this?"

Lex laughed. "Jae, if you take this the wrong way, I'm going to kill you. But I think I'd walk into hell if you told me that's where we needed to go." His eyes took on a determined look. "You've never steered me, or anyone else, into danger or harm you weren't willing to go into yourself, and you've always looked out for us. Hell, you've saved my life more times than I care to count. You're my leader, even if Lind is my commander now. I'm with you, man. To the end."

Aranal, David, and Jon Bright all smiled and nodded in the affirmative.

"Took the words right out of my mouth." Aranal chuckled. "I think I'm starting to like you, Lex."

Lex glanced distastefully at the big man, but couldn't hide his smile. "God, I hope not. You scare the girls away with that creepy, old guy smile of yours."

Aranal rolled his eyes. "Dude, I'm thirty-four."

"Exactly."

Jae help up a hand for quiet when Lind approached the column. The half dozen players that had accompanied him in securing the perimeter quickly fell back into their respective squads.

"Squad leaders, is everyone ready?"

Jae and Vivienne both nodded in the affirmative while the other two squad leaders shouted a loud yes.

"Good. At the rate we've managed to achieve, we're only twenty or so minutes behind the ALA at this point, so let's get in there."

Nodding to Avari, Lind stepped back as the short haired woman put her hands on the doors and, grunting with the effort, heaved them open. There was a rasping sound as the bottom of the doors scraped against the earth, and then the system took over, heaving both doors out to the side and exposing the dark chamber within. Jae could dimly see lamps further back, and stairs that would no doubt lead them towards the Boss Room.

Lind motioned the column forward.

"Let's go."

Marching beside Vivienne's squad, Jae kept his men close behind as they passed through the double doors and into the inky depths. His eyes had only just begun adjusting to the dark when he heard the sound of rushing water above him.

And then he heard screams from behind.

His heart raced as he turned, twirling his spear defensively about him. Then he saw a thick, dark, bubbly fluid pouring down from above the outside of the doors, falling directly onto the rear of the column of players. It wasn't water.

It was boiling oil.

"Get inside!" Jae screamed, pushing his men further into the safety of the Labyrinth as he forced himself through the crowd of players, trying to reach the doorway as more screams lit the air. A brief panic gripped the mass of people as they either struggled to get away from the threat or fought to get through to the rear. Jae was surprised to find Vivienne right beside him, but could see on her face that she barely noticed him. Her eyes were firmly fixed on the oil falling down on the back of their squads.

Finally reaching the doorway, Jae avoided the puddles of frothing oil splashed all along the floor, his eyes fixed on three bodies, each one writhing and screaming as more oil spilled onto them. Two of the bodies were entangled, but it was obvious by their movement that both were still very much alive as they tried to separate.

Jae was closer to the player lying alone, so he dove for him while gesturing at Vivienne.

"Help them!"

Nodding once, she made for the two downed players.

"Lind!" He heard Avari's desperate, high pitched voice scream out from somewhere within the Labyrinth. "Where's Lind!?"

Reaching for the downed player in front of him, Jae jumped back as the oil poured down directly in front of him, some of the liquid splashing onto his armor and his exposed hands. Ignoring the smell of melting steel and the burning sensation racing up his arms as the skin on his hands started to swell from the heat, Jae took a firm hold of the player's leg, the only part of him that wasn't covered in the sticky, molten death, and yanked him out.

The player was almost completely unrecognizable. The burning pitch had completely melted away the flesh on his face, neck, and arms, leaving only red muscle and bone attached to deteriorating flaps of skin. One of his eyes was melted away, and in it's place, the socket had filled with oil. The ghastly sight was more terrifying than anything he had ever seen. His fingers shook as he released the man's leg. And then the man's one remaining eye glanced at him, the torturous pain reflected in that one window to his soul.

The fact that the man was still alive, still feeling the effects of the oil on what remained of his body, was even more horrifying than Jae had previously thought. Scrambling to open his menu as his swollen, burned fingers trembled, Jae took out nearly a dozen health potions on accident. Unable to hold them all, he ignored the majority of them rolling away on the stone floor as he held one of the crystals out to the man.

"He-heal!"

He saw the player's health go up slightly, but was quickly taken down as the oil continued to burn him. _The damage must be per second_ , Jae realized. What he didn't know was how long it would continue for.

"Heal!"

Again, the health gained was quickly overtaken by the damage. The man's health was in the beeping red.

"Hea-"

"Jae…"

The voice came out as a slow, wheezing, tortured whisper, revealing with it the extent of the damage in the man's mouth; his teeth had been reduced to ash. His tongue, half gone and the other half covered in black oil, clung to the roof of his mouth. But it was the voice that caused Jae to nearly vomit. It was Lex's voice.

"Jae…"

"Lex!" Tears dripped from Jae's face onto the ruined body lying before him. He had no idea what to do, so he simply kept trying and raised another health crystal.

"Hea-"

A skeletal hand, with nothing covering it but a loose flap of skin, reached out to stop him.

"Lex!" Jae whispered fiercely. "Let me heal you!"

Lex opened what was left of his mouth again, but instead of saying Jae's name, he hissed. The sound was so quiet, so far away, that Jae at first wasn't sure what it was. And then he realized. Lex was trying to scream.

Holding out his shaking hand, Jae again held up the health crystal, knowing full well that it wouldn't save the player who had been with him in Group H for so long. He was about to utter the activation word when Lex's health hit zero, and the ruined, decayed body shattered into a thousand pixelated pieces.


	50. Chapter 50

50

February 28th, 2023

Floor 25, Labyrinth

For a moment, Jae could only stare, eyes wide, at the spot where Lex's tortured body had been not a moment before. It felt surreal, like a nightmare he was only just waking from. He hadn't known Lex as well as some of the others of Group H, but even if the man had been a complete stranger, Jae was sure he would have felt the same way. To watch as life vanished from the world -both Aincrad and the real one- never to be seen or felt or heard again, was an experience that left Jae questioning everything he believed in, everything he had done since entering the game that fateful day on November sixth.

Jae had seen many deaths since that day, far more than he cared to think about, and he was sure that he would see many more before the end, but the familiarity never lessened the blow, never jarred the sobering experience. To make it worse, it had been one of his own. Jae, as often as he had voiced objection to the idea, had felt a responsibility to Group H, a duty to keep them safe, to help them survive, to prove himself worthy of their confidence in him, their loyalty in the face of odds that would have made other men blanch.

Now, he felt pangs of guilt rack his heart as he thought about how he had failed in his task. It had been Jae who had insisted, pleaded even, that his men join him in aligning themselves with the Holy Dragon Alliance. He had thought the act would ensure the continued safety and wellbeing of his men. He had been so sure that it was not only the right thing to do, but the right thing as a _leader_ to do. And now, because of him, because of his insistence that Lex follow him into the unforeseeable future, the man was dead.

"Jae." Came Aranal's face as a hand clasped his shoulder solemnly, encouragingly. "Don't beat yourself up about this. I know you. It wasn't your fault."

Swallowing back his rebuttal, Jae instead stood and turned, the tears still clearly etched onto his face. He was surprised to see all three remaining Group H members standing there right behind him, their own faces filled with sorrow. Their eyes, however, now held a determined, enraged fire that seemed ready to douse the world in ruin.

"We'll avenge him." David said through gritted teeth. "We'll beat this fucking world and avenge Lex with the destruction of this shit game."

Jon Bright nodded firmly. "Lex would've wanted us to continue, to honor his memory with blood. We'll see to it. All of us."

Aranal removed his hand on Jae's shoulder, but held his gaze. "Lex believed in you, Jae. Just as we do. He wouldn't want you to cry for him."

Jae wiped his face angrily. "Lex died because of me. He would never have joined this guild, never have ended up here, if it wasn't for me. This is what I get for letting everyone's talk of me being a leader get to my head."

Aranal's gaze turned to iron as he shook his head firmly. "No. He followed you of his own free will, joined this guild because he believed in you, and died here, a hero, because he tried to clear the game and help us all get home at the cost of his own life. He knew the risks as well as any of us."

Jae shook his head and stared down into the inky blackness of the Labyrinth, away from everyone else. "That's easy for you to say. You don't have people counting on you, depending on you, to keep them safe."

David stepped forward and grabbed hold of Jae's shoulders, wrenching him around to face the young man's determined stare.

"Fine then, feel guilty. Will that bring Lex back? Answer me that, Jae. Is Lex going to be any less dead because you want to feel bad about what happened?"

Jae blinked, unsure of how to reply. "That's not the point-"

"No, that is the point!" David shook him. Jae was sure they both knew that if he wanted, he could easily force the teenager to release him, but he didn't. He doubted he could ever bring himself to use force against his friend.

"That is exactly the point." David continued irritably. "Crying about Lex's death won't reverse the sun, won't move the universe to feel badly and take us back a few moments in time to save him. He's dead, Jae. That's what happened, and nothing is going to change that. Lex followed you because, like Aranal just said, he believed in you. And you know what? So do we. Don't fail us now. Lex is gone, but we're still here. Me, Aranal, and Jon are all still here, ready to follow you. We don't blame you for Lex, but we do expect you to continue doing your best, being the leader we have come to know you are. There are hundreds of players in the Assault Team who respect you, believe in your name, believe you have it in you to be just as much as a commander as Lind and Kibaou. Don't fail them now. Don't fail us."

Jae was taken aback by David's impassioned words. More than that though, he realized the truth in them. In blaming himself for Lex's death, he had almost done exactly what he had feared: proven himself unworthy of his men's trust.

He smiled at David, then gently removed the man's arms from him. "Thank you, my friend. You told me what I needed to hear, even when I didn't want to hear it. Thank you."

David returned the smile and cleared his throat before shrugging. "Sometimes we have to be hard on our friends to truly help them."

Jae nodded. "Truer words were never spoken." He glanced at the three men standing before him. "I would like to apologize for nearly failing you. Know that as long as I live, I will not make the same mistake again. I will prove myself worthy of your loyalty."

Jon Bright shook his head. "You already have, squad leader. And I know that you will continue to do so."

Aranal laid a brotherly hand on Jae's shoulder. "Now then, how about we begin honoring Lex's death today?"

Before Jae could answer, he heard Avari begin bellowing for people to stay back. Turning, he saw the crowd of HDA players all gathered in a circle around something, or someone, on the ground in their midst. When Avari drew her sword and began shouting louder, the players finally began to disperse.

Walking forward, Jae sidestepped the silver and blue warriors all around him as he approached. As he drew closer, he saw a small pixelated shard float past his face before dissolving into the air. His gut tightened. Someone had just died.

Pushing past the last player in front of him, Jae saw Avari, Vivienne, and three other players all huddled around Lind, who lay groaning as he writhed in pain. While the man looked fine, Jae could see that his legs were slightly red and swollen, as if they had just recovered from a serious beating.

Jae dropped to a knee as he observed their downed leader. "What happened?"

Avari snapped her head around at him, a thin strand of hair trailing down her forehead and almost reaching her eyes. "What do you think happened? The oil got him."

Jae frowned. "If the oil had gotten him, he would be dead right now." he gestured at Lind's health, which was fluctuating but still firmly in the green. "He looks fine to me."

"The oil didn't hit my face or any of the vital points," Lind managed with a gasp before Avari could round on Jae. "Only my hands and legs got hit with the stuff."

Vivienne looked up at Jae. "The oil was damage per second, similar to poison effects. It didn't get on him enough to kill him, but it was still close. We've used seven health crystals to get him back to this point and heal the wounds. The last of the damage should wear off in a minute."

Jae nodded without taking his eyes off Lind. "I know how the oil works. It killed one of my men from Group H."

There was a pause as the assembled players glanced at him. Lind offered a solemn look in between his own gasps of pain. It struck Jae that for the guild leader to still be in pain from so little oil so quickly healed, Lex must have suffered an agony beyond words.

"I'm sorry about your friend, Jae."

Jae leaned in. "That oil would've killed you as quickly as it did him. How are you alive? How did it not get your upper body?"

Avari put a hand on Jae's silver chestplate to push him away a little, but he shrugged her hand away. "How?"

Vivienne rested a hand on his shoulder, both in sadness for his loss, and to keep him at bay in case he got too close to her commander. "Lind was entangled with another player who had fallen on him when the oil hit. It was he who took the brunt of the damage. We tried to heal him too, but like you said, there was nothing we could do. The oil killed him...rather horribly."

Jae met her green eyes. "I know." He glanced back to Lind. "Who was he?"

Lind swallowed in order to better take a breath. "A tank named Genarin. My heart aches to know he died, unknowingly saving me."

"Regardless," Avari said. "Our leader is still among us, and with him, hope that we can still beat Kibaou."

She was about to use another healing crystal when Lind shrugged her off and began to stand. Vivienne and Avari quickly went to either side of him, ready to catch him should he fall.

"You can't be serious." Came Meifan's voice behind them. Jae turned to see the tank striding forward angrily. "Two more of us just died here, almost three, and you want to keep going?"

Lind licked his lips uncertainly. Avari, not seeming to notice, angrily jabbed a finger at the tank. "Yes we need to keep going. We can't let Kibaou get to the Boss Room."

Vivienne glanced briefly at her squad member. "Fall back in with the rest of the squad, Meifan."

Meifan, his face red with rage, ignored her and instead stopped beside Jae. He stared at Avari as if she was insane. "Who gives a fuck if they get the Boss kill? That will mean we unlock a new Floor, and with it, a step closer to getting out of this nightmare. Killing a Floor Boss is a good thing, remember?" He looked at Lind. "How can you willingly throw lives away just to keep yourself looking cooler and more important than Kibaou?"

Lind seemed unsure how to reply, but Avari and Vivienne, along with several other players, quickly rounded on the man.

"How dare you question Lind's motives?" Avari shouted angrily. "Are you really so foolish as to think that's why we're doing this?"

"Meifan." Vivienne said in an icy tone. "Get back in formation before you embarrass yourself further."

Meifan again ignored her, his gaze riveted on Lind. "You're leading us all to our deaths just so you can prove to the world of SAO that you're the better man. What kind of fucking madman are you!"

"He's not leading this raid to further his own power!" Avari screamed. "He's doing this so that we can save Kibaou from himself, along with his men!"

That seemed to give Meifan pause as he shook his head in confusion. "What?"

"The whole reason the guild rally was called up was to go save the ALA!" Vivienne shouted at her tank, taking up the narrative. "Kibaou has been consumed with lust for power over everyone else, and he will do anything, including sacrifice the players who follow him, just to satiate that need. We aren't going to let him. Moral reasons aside, there's practicality in it to; we need those players. The ALA makes up almost a third of the fighting strength of the Assault Team. If they fall here because of Kibaou's absurd goals, we'll find ourselves severely lacking in the numbers we need to keep up our Floor clearing abilities."

"Something even a dumbass like you should be able to see." Avari muttered through gritted teeth. "Now unless there's anything else, you had better do as your squad leader commands before you find yourself exiled from the Holy Dragon Alliance."

Meifan, his features fixed in bewilderment, glanced from one face to the next. Finally, he looked to Jae for support.

"Jae, surely you don't believe...I mean it can't be...I'm just not sure…"

Jae knew the man respected him. Meifan had been one of the first among Vivienne's squad to embrace his plan during the questline on Floor Twenty Three. He was a smart, courageous man with exceptional skill as a tank. Yet now he wanted Jae to back him in a lost argument. It was true, up until now Jae had expressed doubt in the plan as well the motivation for it, but now that Avari and Vivienne had put it in layman's terms, he again found himself feeling slightly guilty for questioning Lind's plans.

He shook his head at Meifan. "It's alright to be wrong every now and then, man. Don't feel bad." He glanced at Avari. "Exiling a tank as valued as Meifan would be a grave mistake. He spoke his mind, something any leader should relish from their subordinates."

Avari smirked at him. "Because you know so much about leading forces into battle. Remind me again, you got promoted to the lesser rank of squad leader how long ago?"

"That's enough." Lind said sharply. He appeared to have regained his composure after hearing Avari and Vivienne stand up for him. "Jae is right. It's important that we know everyone's true thoughts and feelings." He held out a slightly burnt looking hand to Meifan. "Thank you for speaking your mind. I appreciate it."

Meifan looked downcast at being abandoned in his attempt to turn back, but he apologized sheepishly and shook Lind's hand before falling back to rejoin the rest of Vivienne's squad.

After quickly regrouping, the raid party set off again, albeit with a slightly shaken Lind leading their way. It didn't escape Jae's notice though that Lind began wringing his hands and would glance up above them in worry every few minutes, as if he expected more oil, or worse, to come falling down onto his head. The Labyrinth was far more maze like than the other Floor dungeons had been, and the group frequently found themselves treading ground already covered before taking the right paths. Traps were laid out in many places as well, but the HDA members were on full alert now and didn't spare any precautions. With such careful advancing and constant checking of the surroundings, miraculously no one else died, though everyone ended up wounded at some point or another.

Small hordes of snakes, giant rats, and water drakes came out of the dark over and over again, attacking with near religious fervor in an attempt to grind the raid party into dust. Each time, the experienced and skilled players closed ranks and hacked the mobs to pieces. The further the Holy Dragon Alliance advanced into the Labyrinth, however, the more difficult the monsters became. Several times during the intense melees, Jae was only saved thanks to the vigilance of his fellow players standing shoulder to shoulder with him. Being part of a large guild, Jae fully realized the extent of the improved safety margins, at least as far as combat went. Always in the thick of the fighting, he did his best to watch over all ten of the men in his squad. Several of them he saved with a twirl of his spear before sending the blade end deep into the enemy with a vengeance. By the time they turned the final corner into the chamber just before the Boss room, the raid group was exhausted and many of them had begun running low on health potions and crystals. Checking his time, Jae wasn't surprised to learn that it was nearly midnight.

Wary of the surrounding darkness as they walked down a richly decorated carpet that muted their footfalls, the group didn't halt until the looming gateway to the boss room stood just before them. Instead of a pair of double doors, as was the pattern in SAO dungeons, the entrance to the Boss room was instead barred by a single, ornate door that looked to have been made of hand carved hickory. A golden latch secured the door firmly into the wall.

Lind stepped forward to face his men.

"We've all been tested today. Tested to our very limits." He paused, his confident tone faltering as he wrung his hands and glanced up towards the single, lonely chandelier that swung lightly far above them. The guild leader's face had appeared slightly more pale ever since the ordeal with the boiling oil. Jae wondered if he still felt the pain of the sticky, burning substance even now.

"I know we've all sacrificed much to get to this point. I know I said that nothing would stop us from overtaking Kibaou this morning, but I know the extent of the toll this Floor has reaped upon us. We're low on health crystals, our gear is in bad shape and needs repair, and five of us are dead. Aside from the sorrow of their passing, that also means five gaps in our defenses." He paused, glancing at Avari. The Senior Officer looked worried by what he might say next, but held her tongue.

"I've come to the conclusion that it might be better if we-"

Before he could finish, there was a howl as the wind behind them picked up, gathering into a gale as it swept past them, as if it had sensed something terrifying and was trying desperately to get away from it. Jae felt a strange heat carried with the onrush of air.

Turning in alarm, he was just in time to see the corner of the chamber where they had first walked in fill with a towering pillar of liquid flame, churning upon itself as small splashes of the fire fell onto the ends of the carpet, lighting the elaborate rug into a conflagration of billowing flames. In the next instant, the inferno swept forward towards them as if it had a mind of it's own, a mind that thought of doing nothing more than swallowing them all up in it's fiery embrace.

The flames slowed just a little as the pillar of fire fanned outward upon entering the massive chamber, engulfing the end of the room from wall to wall in it's hellish vortex. Then, with renewed vigor, the flames swept forward, a wall of liquid fire that couldn't be slowed, sidestepped, blocked, or avoided.

Jae turned to Lind to see what he would say. Instead, the guild leader's jaw hung open, eyes wide with surprise and disbelief as he beheld the thing coming for them. Even if he had wanted to say something, Jae doubted he could past the sheer shock.

"Commander!" Avari shouted. "Lind! What do we do?"

Lind's jaw worked, but no noise came out.

"Who has the best fire resistance?" Vivienne shouted in a commanding but businesslike tone, suddenly striding up to the forefront of the troops. "Tanks! I'm talking to you. We need a line of fire resistance to protect the other players!"

One of the tanks in her squad shook his head. "Fire hasn't even been introduced as a hostile force up to this point. From what I heard, the only creature with fire before this Floor was a hidden Field Boss called Abidox the Infernal, and that monster was killed by normal players."

Vivienne blinked in disbelief.

Jae stepped forward alongside her, turning to face the crowd of stunned players. "Are you saying that not one of the tanks here has worked on their fire resistance up to this point?"

It was Meifan who answered. "There was no need. Our builds, our gear, is all statted with resists to earth or water or air, things that every mob up to this point has been using."

"That leaves us with only one option!" Lind shouted urgently as he opened his menu. "Everyone, teleport out. Now!"

The echoes of digital buttons being pressed filled the chamber but were just as quickly suppressed by the roaring inferno that seemed to only pick up speed. It was now halfway across the chamber and with each passing second continued to close the distance.

With a teleport crystal in hand, Jae held the shimmering stone above him. "Teleport, Gilstein!"

Nothing happened.

In confusion, Jae held up the crystal again and tried a different location. "Teleport, Sunlit Forest!"

The stone sat there contentedly.

Dread surged through him as Jae remembered the last time this had happened. Images of he and Israel trapped in the secret room somewhere within the Floor One Labyrinth flashed in his mind.

"It's not working!" Someone cried out in the back. "The crystals aren't working!"

"We can't teleport out!" Someone else shouted out. "We're trapped here!"

Jae lowered his crystal. There, not thirty feet away from them, the wave of fire billowed forward, the blaze now so bright that the entire chamber, at least what was left of it that had not yet been consumed, could now be seen clear as day. The inky blackness had been swallowed up as easily as they were about to be.

Jae glanced to Vivienne, who seemed to be out of ideas.

"We can't run, so we need to fight!" Avari cried out firmly, yanking some players forward in an effort to drag them into position. "Tanks, up front! With shields interlocked, we may be able to avoid the worst of the flames!" She glared around her like an angry predator when nobody moved. "I said, move! Tanks, let's-"

"There's no fighting that!" Jae roared at her.

Startled, the short haired woman glanced at him. "You don't know what your-"

"Stop talking!" He shouted. "The fire will melt the shields just like the oil at the gate melted our armor! There's only one thing to do now if we want to live!"

Avari glanced back at the surging fire, then at Lind, before finally settling her glare at Jae with a mixture of anger, confusion, and hope. "And that would be?"

With a twirl of his hands, Jae's spear came spinning out of it's latched sheath, a picture of elegance amidst the imminent chaos.

"The only thing we can do."


	51. Chapter 51

51

February 28th, 2023

Floor 25, Labyrinth

"Everyone," Jae shouted as he made for the Boss Room door. "Get inside! Now!"

Pushing people out ahead of him as he pressed forward, Jae continued shouting, ordering everyone inside. Many of the players hesitated, whether in fear or in anger at him attempting to subvert command, he didn't know nor care. All he cared about was getting everyone to safety, even if that meant going from one danger to the next.

"Going inside that door is the only way we live through this!" He screamed. "Move or die!"

Vivienne was suddenly beside him, forcing players forward. "You heard the man, let's go! Get inside!"

Without anymore hesitation, the players broke into an urgent run, desperately trying to get to the door that held the key to their lives. When Jae saw that several players were having a difficult time lifting the heavy golden latch, he darted forward and, with all his might, struck down with the stout spear, grunting with the effort as the sharp edge cleaved through the thick latch.

Right behind him, Vivienne kicked the door open with all her might, forcing it off the ground and nearly ripping it from it's hinges.

"Inside!" She screamed, brandishing her saber towards the open door as players streamed past her. "Let's go!"

Jae saw Avari and Lind go through reluctantly, followed by the squads. He glanced back as he wiped sweat off his brow. It was beginning to feel like an oven in the massive chamber. Behind him, he saw the wall of fire belch forward, frothing and churning in on itself, angrily spurting and sputtering as splashes of liquid fire hit the blackened walls or what remained of the charred carpet leading to the Boss Room. It was only seconds behind them now.

Meifan, shield at the ready, jumped in to protect Jae and Vivienne as they forced more players through. Several flares of white hot fire shot forth well in advance of the main body of flame, looking like nothing so much as long, slithery arms of bubbling heat searching for someone to seize and devour. Just as one of the random flares burst towards Jae and Vivienne standing together, Meifan brought his massive tower shield down in front of them. The shield shook from the vibration and the metal layering began to drip as the steel melted, but it held and the flare burnt out.

"Thank you, Meifan." Jae said loudly in order to be heard above the din, "But now you need to get inside. Hurry!"

Meifan looked reluctant to leave, but a look from Vivienne brought him out of his hesitation and he ran past them alongside the others. Jae glanced to Vivienne who stood near his right shoulder. Fearless as usual, the woman kept an eye on the flames as she helped urge the last of the players through. It struck him how happy he was to have someone supporting him, helping him lead where no one else could.

The last of the players to make it through were Aranal, David, and Jon Bright. Together, the three of them seized hold of Jae and Vivienne.

"No more heroism!" Aranal shouted at Jae. "If you die, I'll be pissed at you!"

"I'm with you there," Jae yelled in kind as he saw the ocean of scorching flames nearly upon them. The heat was now so intense that he was surprised there was no fire already igniting along his skin. Even his health had begun to drain.

The five of them ran forward, the flames clinging to the ground just behind them as more armlike gouts of fire shot past, and in the next instant everyone was through.

"Close the door!" Jae screamed, already clinging to the edge of the ornate hickory frame and heaving it along the stone floor.

Vivienne and the others quickly seized the door alongside him and pulled with everything they had. He could feel their hot breath even as he saw the flames leaping up to burst through the entrance.

With a loud whoosh, the door flung around as all five players yanked it forward before slamming into place, blocking out the fire in all it's fury.

Before they could so much as breathe, Jae felt the wind get knocked out of his body as the inferno collided into the door on the opposite side, very nearly knocking it off it's hinges. Pushing all of his body weight into it, Jae saw the others were all doing the same thing, sweating and grunting as they forced the door closed.

Glancing around for anything to help, Jae saw another golden latch, in perfect condition, attached to the inside of the door. Sure enough, it's connector stood fixed on the wall just beside it.

"Don't let go!" He shouted at the players all standing beside him.

Releasing the door, Jae gripped the heavy golden bar and rammed it forward into it's connecting hole carved into the rock beside it.

Vivienne and the Group H members continued holding firmly for a moment, but then stopped when they realized the weight had been lifted. The door shuddered for a moment against the strain, and then was still.

Panting, Jae smiled at Aranal and Vivienne, both of whom stood closest to him. "Thanks for the help guys." He saw David and Jon Bright take a step back before wiping the sweat from their foreheads. "All of you. I couldn't have done it without you."

Jon Bright shrugged it off as if it had been as easy a task as fetching a bucket of water. "Don't mention it, man. Hey, do I look more tan at all?"

David looked him up and down. The man was covered in black soot, as were the rest of them. "If by tan you mean charred, yeah definitely."

Vivienne looked at Jae. "Against my better nature, I keep finding myself going along with your crazy schemes. How did you know the door would hold?"

Jae ran his fingers through his hair as he shrugged apologetically. "I didn't."

Before Vivienne could shout at him, they heard the clash of steel followed by a scream of agony.

Spinning around, Jae saw several players in grey armor and cloaks thrown into the air. Before they could hit the ground, each of the ALA members dissipated into pixelated shards.

His gut twisted at the sight of multiple players dying instantly.

Close in front of him and at the back of the room stood the Holy Dragon Alliance raid group. He could see Lind and Avari in the center of them all, for once not giving commands. Instead, the attention of the guild was riveted on the sight before them. In the center of the room, Jae saw what was left of the Aincrad Liberation Army: less than twenty exhausted and terrified players, their armor dented and battered, many with notched swords or frayed shields, stood in what appeared to once have been a formation around the Floor Boss.

It was then that Jae's gaze fell on the creature.

Two legs, the size of tree trunks and knotted with muscle, held up the frame of a massive, hulking upper body. The monster's chest and stomach were covered in layered muscles that looked stronger than any armor. Small bits of chainmail and overlapping metal discs covered it's midsection and some of it's chest. Four arms, two on each side, stood holding either long, thick chains or brutal looking clubs. Two identical heads rested awkwardly atop the creature's burly neck, both smiling viciously as it raised one of it's club wielding arms for another blow at the ALA players.

"Tanks!" Kibaou's voice rang out, tinged with exhaustion, pain, and desperation. "Brace for impact!"

Stumbling forward, the shield users attempted to quickly interlock their shields in an effort to repel the impending attack. Before they could finish their formation, however, the two headed giant suddenly switched tactics. One of it's arms, this one carrying a length of chain, swung the thick metal links around in a wide arc. Kibaou seized a shield and dove to stop the rapid attack, but he was too slow. The whiplike chain smashed violently into the guild leader immediately destroying his shield and chestplate, and sending him spinning outwards, away from his men. Without stopping, the chain collided violently into the now exposed flank of the line of tanks before they could adjust and sent them careening into each other even as three of them died, their on death explosions mingling with the groaning, downed survivors.

The Boss roared with glee.

"Battle formations!" Lind ordered, brandishing his sword at the giant. "Advance!"

The dozen or so ALA members that were still on their feet glanced in surprise at the silver and blue clad warriors marching towards the battle. The Boss didn't give them any time to react, however, and pressed its attack, swinging it's war clubs as it began pummeling them without restraint.

The HDA, now advancing quickly in organized double lines, picked up the pace as Lind shouted for the ALA players to fall back if they could. With his squad stationed on the right wing of the line, Jae kept his eyes on the monster's attacks as they closed the distance, trying to gauge any patterns in the way it fought. It seemed random in its combat moves, only switching tactics when it could see the players reacting to the one first planned.

Another scream echoed through the chamber as a DPS ALA member was crushed by one of the clubs. His body already destroyed, there weren't many pixelated shards that erupted in his wake. The HDA was still too far to engage, their tight formation slowing them down.

"Lind!" Jae called out over to his left. "We need to get it off them now! They're all going to die!"

Lind, his face grave, nodded to Jae. "We can't break formation or we'd be finished. Take you squad and draw it's attention to us, but then fall back immediately behind the front line!"

Without hesitation, Jae shot forward as he urged his squad to break away and charge forward.

"Group H, with me! Tanks, stay on our heels but don't close ranks in case we need to get behind you before we can fall back! The rest of you, take the flanks!"

Quickly shooting out past the main formation as his squad fell in around him in the positions he had instructed, Jae glanced to his left and right. Aranal, David, and Jon Bright were right beside him.

"What are we going to do?" Aranal asked as they ran, brandishing his two handed warhammer in his hands.

Jae sped them into a sprint. The giant was right in front of them, it's back turned to the side as it remained focused on grinding the ALA players into the dust.

"We're going to get it's attention! Use two sword skills, then fall back behind the tanks. They'll close rank behind us." He glanced back over his shoulder at the DPS players on the flanks. "Once that happens, you lot unleash one sword skill on both sides and then run! Group H and I will cover you as we fall back to the main formation!"

With a nod, Renar and the other DPS players lengthened their strides in order to keep pace with him. He heard the clank of heavy armor and the thud of shields as his tanks remained close behind. He had no intention of engaging the Boss; he simply wanted to distract it from Kibaou and the others.

"Attack!" He roared, his spear turning white as he activated a sword skill. The men next to him all did the same, their various colored weapons shimmering with intent as they prepared to strike. Jae raised his spear, his eye on the unarmored lower back of the huge beast. He guessed the Boss had to be nearly nine feet tall.

Before he could complete his first attack, however, Jae saw the glimmer of metal in the corner of his left eye. One of the chain wielding arms had swung to the side, the momentum carrying the long chain around behind it.

Jae desperately dug in his feet, but he couldn't slow his attack. Once a sword skill was activated, the system all but took over. He was committed. They all were.

There was a terrible rasping sound as the chain slammed into the four of them, knocking the wind from Jae's lungs before sending him spinning into the air.

He hit the ground head first, the jarring impact sending waves of pain lancing through him as his skull shook. His vision flickered, but Jae forced himself to stay awake. He needed to help his men.

With his spear still gripped in hand, Jae used the butt of the weapon to prop himself up until he was back on his feet. The room swam in his vision. He could make out blurry shapes rushing away from the massive giant even as one of it's hazy clubs came crashing down. A pillar of dust billowed out around the impact site.

Sucking in much needed air as he shambled forward, Jae blinked continuously until his vision finally began to clear. He realized that his hearing must have temporarily been gone as well, for now it all came back in a rush. There was another rasping sound, the clash of steel, a thunderous thud as something hit interlocked shields, and then more screams.

"Jae!" He heard Lind call as the main formation drew close to him. He realized he must have been thrown back at least twenty feet. "Fall in with us! We're going to make for your men!"

"No!"

Charging forward, Jae watched as the splintered fragments of his squad began filtering back, some running for the safety of the double line while others engaged the Boss in desperate, unavoidable combat. Slowing only to help one or two of his downed men to their feet and ordering them back to the main line, Jae continued his advance. He could see David and the DPS player named Renar fighting shoulder to shoulder as they blocked one of the chains using their combined weaponry. Even so, the blow drained some of their health and their weapons shivered as if under a great strain.

Aranal and Jon Bright were nowhere to be found.

Forcing down his panic as he ran, Jae felt tears sting his eyes as the pain in his shoulder and side from where the chain struck him now coursed through him. He could see more downed players scattered around the position.

 _Aranal and Jon must be among them. The chain hit almost all of us all at once. The whole squad was scattered._

As soon as he reached David and Renar, Jae saw the club coming for them.

"Get back!" He screamed, his voice hoarse from the beating he had sustained. "Help the others up and get back!"

"What are you going to do?" Renar shouted through gritted teeth. Jae could tell the man was in pain.

"I'm going to hold it off while you fall back. Get everyone back to Lind and reform the squad!"

Renar looked reluctant to obey, but David flat out refused as he took another swing, his curved sword slashing open a long cut on the monster's thigh. "I'm not leaving you to fight this thing alone!"

The club was now in mid swing and heading straight for them. Jae wrapped an arm around David's neck and yanked back with all his might, sending the young man skidding back along the smooth stone. Renar turned, but Jae kicked him out of the way.

"Look to the others! Now!"

Without turning back to see if they had followed his orders, Jae dove forward, something he figured the monster wouldn't expect. The club crashed into the stone behind him where the three of them had stood seconds before.

Darting forward, Jae raised his spear in preparation for an attack. At that moment, one of the chain wielding arms again looped around, this time from the other side, as one of the beast's heads focused down on him.

This time, though, Jae was ready. Ducking his head and shoulders low, Jae drove onwards, bending his knees to gain extra space. The chain swooped threateningly overhead, and Jae felt his hair just brush against the metal links, but then it was gone, the momentum of the blow carrying it far past him. The first head paused in surprise and tried to get a grip on it's chain.

With his body already angled for what he wanted to do, Jae jumped high, allowing his bent knees to boost him yet further into the air. With the spear held tightly in both hands as he flew, he roared in fury, plunging it into the top of the monster's back.

Howling in pain, the Boss took a step back as both heads swiveled around, trying to get a clear view of him but unable to make the full turn past their blind spots. Pivoting on one massive foot, the beast turned in anger, trying to see or swipe at whatever was hurting him. Jae hung onto his spear for deal life, his feet flailing in the air as he was whipped around with the giant's movements. The entire blade end and almost a foot more of the spear was embedded between the monster's shoulder blades.

Grunting from the effort, Jae used his upper body strength to lift himself up past the spear as his hands clung to it. Then, with a fierce cry as he forced himself into a drop, Jae allowed his dead weight to yank the spear downwards. For a moment, he was worried the weapon might snap from the opposing forces, but after a tense few seconds, it did as he commanded. Forced down with his full weight, the spear began tearing the back of the Boss open as it picked up speed, creating a massive and ruinous gash down the length of the creature's spine.

Just before he reached the ground, Jae ripped the spear free and buckled his knees so that he could land without injuring his legs. Hitting the ground firmly, Jae twirled his spear in preparation for what the monster might now do to him. By the look on it's face, he knew he was in trouble.

Turning it's full and undivided attention to him, The two headed giant bellowed, the force of the roar sending gusts of foul smelling air straight into Jae's face, ruffling his short hair. Picking up speed as it charged him, The monster swung its arms, all four of them raised with weapons in hand. Jae knew that he wasn't fast enough to avoid a full attack. He was a dead man.

Preparing himself for the inevitable, Jae roared back at the monster in an attempt to mask his utter terror, and lifted his spear to block the mass of incoming blows. He knew it wouldn't so much as slow the attack.

Just as the chains and clubs swung down at him, however, Jae's spear was suddenly joined by a saber running alongside it. Turning to his right, he saw Vivienne standing resolutely beside him. In the next instant, a two handed warhammer joined the two weapons in the defense, alongside a curved scimitar. David and Aranal, on his left side, braced their bodies for impact. At the same time, dozens of shields, maces, swords, and spears all joined in the overlapping barrier, creating a veritable shell of steel and metal all around him and the players right beside him. Jae didn't have enough time to search all the faces behind him, but he knew the entire raid party had joined him.

The chains and war clubs slammed into the defensive shell simultaneously, creating a sound of such intensity that Jae was sure his ears would burst. Dust and air billowed out around them as the dozens of shields and weapons rattled from the force of the blow. Jae saw several shields bend inward from the force of the combined strike, and two shattered completely alongside three or four swords. He saw Vivienne and the others gritting their teeth as they put their all into keeping the barrier of steel up around them.

With an angry roar, the two headed giant was forced to break off the attack when it realized it had faltered, but not before stumbling back from the power of the backlashed momentum and weight it had put into the move. Having seized a precious moment to recover, the players quickly disassembled their defensive shell and took up positions beside Jae.

"Tanks!" Lind shouted above the din as the giant again made for them, though now it's weapons stood ready to attack multiple places at once rather than join in another combined assault. "We need tanks on the flanks! Any reserves, move to-"

Before he could finish, the monster bore down upon them with inhuman speed, it's chains and clubs striking multiple places along the line over and over again, each time hitting a different spot. For the first few blows, it looked like the line of tanks might hold, but soon players began getting tossed into the air like ragdolls. One burst apart into pixelated shards before even his screams could make themselves known.

Jae knew they were now in the same position as the ALA had been just before their formation had been completely torn apart.

"Jae!" Lind screamed over the crashing of blows against shields and bodies as their line began ripping apart. "Move your tanks to the center and try to fill the gaps-"

Before he could finish, the guild leader and five of the players around him were smashed in the side by one of the war clubs, sending them all crashing against the side wall that stood near the left flank. Jae blinked as he saw Lind's polished helmet shatter into pieces. The guild leader's eyes were closed as he lay strewn with his men along the wall. Avari lay unconscious right alongside him. Not even the ones still conscious seemed able to move.

Jae's attention was forced back towards the quickly faltering line as a chain narrowly missed his head. He needed to do something. Now.

 _Right._

"Vivienne!" He shouted past the screams and thuds as he searched the remnants of the line. "Viv-"

"I'm here!" She shouted back from off to the right. He saw her and some of the members of her squad as they barely repelled another hammer blow from the clubs.

"We need to split up!" He called to her as he staggered to the right from the press of men pushed against him in reaction to a blow somewhere else down the line. "Take the right half of the line and split them into two parts on either side of the Boss! I'll take the left side!"

"Where's Lind?" He heard one of the men shout.

Instead of answering, he kept his gaze riveted on Vivienne.

She hesitated as her men wavered beneath a heavy blow from one of the chains. "If the line breaks, we won't withstand any of the attacks-"

"The line is already broken!" He roared, twirling his spear as he helped bat aside another length of chain along with some tanks and DPS players. "Another minute of this and we're all dead! Split the line!"

She eyed him for but a second longer for breaking out of the battered formation.

"My squad, and anyone else close to us, follow me!"

Without watching to see how many would go with her, Jae began shouting the same orders to the remaining half of the line. He saw Meifan on the far left alongside Jon Bright. It didn't surprise him that the splintering of the line had been so destructive that Vivienne's squad member had ended up on the far opposite side of where he belonged. He suspected that at this point, all the squads were intermingled.

"My half," He roared, sidestepping one of the clubs as he motioned for everyone to go wide. "With me!"

Following him in a long, disjointed double file as they struggled to avoid the monster's rampage, the players continued to go wide until they were close to the wall. Jae glanced out past the Boss and saw Vivienne's half of the line following behind her, though in a much more dense, moblike state.

Somehow, Aranal strode in beside him.

"So you split the line," the big man said between gasps as sweat poured down his bruised face. "Now what do we do?"

"We can't outrun it for long," Meifan shouted from behind him. "The chamber is too small to keep much distance between us for more than a moment or two."

Jae's eyes darted around as he struggled to come up with something, anything, to say. He needed a plan, but it was so difficult to think with people counting on him and a giant monster trying to kill them all. Forcing himself to take a breath, Jae caught sight of Kibaou and the remainder of the ALA raid group. There couldn't have been more than a dozen of them left. Kibaou lay coughing painfully on the Floor beside one of his players while the rest of them sat or leaned against the wall, desperately trying to catch their breath and heal themselves.

"Follow me," Jae said as he made for the small group.

Quickly reaching the guild amidst the carnage of the monster chasing after them, it's attention divided between Vivienne's half and his own, Jae stopped in front of Kibaou's battered frame and turned to his Holy Dragon Alliance men.

"Split up into two groups. It doesn't matter if you're tanks or DPS anymore. Just split up and get ready for what happens next."

"And what exactly is that?" One of them shouted at him.

Jae ignored him and turned his attention to the players hovering near Kibaou. "I know how badly damaged you all are. Your armor is gone and your health is in the red."

"Yours will be too," Kibaou spat, trying to open one of his eyes. "Before long."

"I'm not asking you to fight with us," Jae went on as he glanced behind him to make sure the giant was still some distance off. For the moment, most of it's attention was now focused on catching up to Vivienne's men. "But I am telling you that if you don't do as I say, you'll all die here, today, along with the rest of us."

Kibaou coughed violently. "How dare you try to...take authority over-"

"Those of you who can still stand," Jae shouted above the downed guild leader. "You can't fight with us in your state, but you can still be useful and make sure we all get out of this alive. You're all going to take out your health potions and stay in the rear of us HDA players. As we fight, heal us. Don't hesitate. Use every health potion you have left if you have to, but you need to keep healing us. Keeping us alive will ensure that we will in turn keep you alive. If you stay here and hide, you will all die along with us. There's no escaping this. Understand?"

Several of the grey armored players got to their feet, hopeful expressions finally lighting up their otherwise petrified faces. Kibaou, however, writhed as he attempted to sit up.

"Don't any of you listen...to him…" He cracked his eyes open with great effort, giving Jae a death glare. "Regroup here while we have time to...rest-"

"Let's move!" Jae shouted as he gestured for the remaining ALA players to fall in behind them. "Leave those who can't walk here where they'll be safe. I intend to keep the fight contained in the center. Let's go! Now!"

Scrambling to their feet as they opened their menus and armed themselves with health crystals, the ALA players quickly fell in behind the silver and blue themed warriors standing by Jae's side.

"Right." He said loudly as he picked up the pace, leaving behind Kibaou's incessant cursing. "Let's meet up with Vivienne's men. Make sure the two split groups stay split! Do not conjoin! They'll be no more line fighting today."

Vivienne quickly caught sight of him and his men from the other side of the room as the back of her group dodged another chain attack. Without hesitation, she made for him.

"Now what?" she panted breathlessly when they met in the center back of the room.

"Divide your men into two groups. Mine are already split. Four groups for four sides."

"Do as he says!" She shouted at her men before leaning in close to him, her long hair cascading down around her. "And what good will that do?"

Jae clutched her arm to steady her as she wobbled. "You take charge of the left side group. I'll take charge of the front. Aranal!"

"Here." Came the booming voice as the big man stood straighter some yards away.

"You take charge of the back group. Lead them behind the Boss when Vivienne and I give you the signal."

"And what's the signal going to be?"

"Her's and my group are going to attack it to give you the distraction you need."

"We already tried sneaking up on it at the start, when we-"

"Just go!" Jae exploded.

With a curt nod, the man quickly gathered one of the groups and began running off down the side of the wall.

"Take your group to the left side." He told Vivienne, releasing her arm. "Quickly. And be ready to attack at the same time I do."

Darting away, Vivienne quickly split the crowd of men that had followed her into two and gave control of the other to Benic, one of her squad members. She then had him go for the right side of the monster while she made for the left. Jae quickly ordered the small group of ALA members to split up and join each group to keep everyone healed.

Everyone had barely enough time to reach their new positions when the Boss reached them.

"Now!" He cried as he surged forward. "My group! With me!"

Desperate, determined battle cries echoed off the walls as his men charged behind him, their weapons bared like vicious teeth as they closed with the monster that had killed so many.

"Don't use your sword skills!" Jae commanded.

And then he gave himself over to the violence.

Dodging one of the chains without missing a step, Jae heard someone in the back of his group scream, followed by an on death explosion. Without pausing, he sidestepped one of the clubs that came careening at him. Hobbling to retain his balance as the dust shot out past him, he spun around, stabbing the spear into the giant's thickly muscled kneecap.

Howling as it yanked it's leg back, the monster was about to decapitate him with another, faster chain when his men hacked and stabbed at the beast, draining its health slightly as they forced it back another step.

With a quick swing of it's back arm, the monster let loose another chain, this time forcing Jae's feet out from under him as it swept him and several other players aside. Rising angrily, Jae saw his health reach the red. At that moment, he heard health crystals shatter behind him. His health, along with that of the players that had been knocked down, returned to yellow. Glancing behind him, Jae nodded thankfully to the ALA players as they prepared yet more health crystals, watching the fight with careful concentration.

Rejoining his men, Jae let loose a barrage of rapid attacks, each more heavy than the last, as he slashed and spun with his spear. The giant continued to lose small segments of health, but didn't look in the least bit worried. Raising it's two clubs, the monster prepared to sweep the weapons before him on both sides. Jae knew they couldn't dodge such a joint attack.

Before it had time to execute it's assault, however, the beast staggered to the right as Vivienne and her men dove in, driving their blades into the monster with such fury that Jae found himself happy the woman was on his side. He caught a glimpse of Aranal and his men quickly taking advantage of the distraction and making their way around the back of the Floor Boss.

"Now!" Jae screamed at the group of players led by Benic on the far right, waving his arms wildly to be sure he had their attention.

With a nod, Benic ordered his men onward.

The monster quickly regained it's composure, swinging it's lightning fast chains out towards Jae's squad in order to force them back as it turned it's attention to retaliation against Vivienne's men.

Though they managed to dodge the first two blows, Vivienne and several others, including Davidt, flew backwards as one of the clubs smashed into them. Jae paused in the fighting to watch, terrified, as he waited for someone to shatter into shards. Instead, Vivienne's health was quickly replenished by the three ALA players standing behind her men. After she was returned to green, the healers quickly targeted the rest of the wounded players.

Before the monster could launch another attack, Benic and his group reached it, slashing and stabbing with a desperate rage only cornered men could muster. Again the giant lost it's health, falling back to recuperate and take into account this new threat. Before it could so much as lift an arm, Aranal's squad slammed into it's torn back, deepening the wound Jae had created while also inflicting their own. Staggering forward, the beast tried to wheel about, but Jae would have none of it and urged his own group to redouble their efforts. Again, howls of pain rang out around the chambers as the beast tried to keep it's balance against the new threat. Just as it attempted to swing it's chain, however, Vivienne launched a fresh assault, her men concentrating their blows at the Boss' elbow until, with one last swing from Renar's mace, the chain wielding arm was hacked off, exploding into shards before it hit the ground.

In this way, the battle raged. Each time the Boss tried to target one or two of the groups, the others would attack, disrupting its efforts and forcing its attention on them. When, in turn, it tried to redirect its focus, the previously targeted groups would strike, again wounding it and knocking it off balance. Every now and then, Jae had to shout orders over at the groups when to attack and when not to get too confident, but for the most part, they had grasped his plan and applied it to great effect. Vivienne in particular managed to time her group's assault flawlessly, constantly catching the Boss off guard.

As the fighting continued, the Boss would occasionally wound players in various groups due to it's wild and confused swinging. Jae himself reached the red two more times. Each time, however, the ALA men standing behind them would quickly use their health crystals, healing whoever needed it. Jae knew he had had to order them into action, but he was still grateful to them for willingly using their own supplies on him and his men.

Finally, after what seemed like days of non stop fighting, constant attacking, pulling back, charging in, and healing, all under Jae's direction, the two headed giant reached it's last one percent of health.

This had been the moment Jae had been waiting for.

"All groups!" He shouted, his voice hoarse from the constant orders. "Attack as one! Finish this fucking bastard!"

With a cry of fury, all of the groups stumbled forward in one last feverish attempt. Shrugging off his exhaustion one last time, Jae led his own group forward. The two headed giant looked unsure who to strike out at, so instead it prepared itself for one last wild attack in all directions, but Jae wasn't about to give it the chance. If it struck out now, when everyone was attacking at once, it could yet kill untold numbers. Jae had no intention of seeing anyone else fall.

Hurling his spear with all of his power and one last, unrestrained cry of effort, Jae watched as the weapon soared through the air, closing the gap between his group and the monster far sooner than their own legs could, and buried itself deep into the monster's throat.

Gurgling in panic as it's eyes began spinning about with fear, the two headed giant dropped its weapons and tried to clutch at the weapon embedded in its neck. Before it could grasp the spear, the four groups reached it.

Jae watched as their swords and spears, maces and axes, knives and flails, all crashed into the giant one last time.

The Boss of Floor Twenty five shuddered once, and then exploded into a dense mist of pixelated shards.

They had done it.

They had won.

Silence enveloped the chamber as the _Congratulations_ sign appeared and, after a time, slowly faded away. Unlike all the other times that message had flared across the screen, there was no cheering. No celebration. Far too many had died for that. Instead, the surviving players merely sat down where they stood, and allowed themselves a moment of rest. Jae was more than happy to follow suit, but first he wanted his spear.

Striding slowly out past the groups of players as they set their weapons down beside them, Jae scanned the ground for his weapon. As he walked, he saw their gazes upon him. Each person he passed nodded to him in deference, and many began thanking him for saving all of their lives. Jae expressed his appreciation, but soon the thanks began to ripple out among the players gathered there.

"You're the Hero of Floor Twenty Five." Said one man as Jae reluctantly shook his hand.

"No," Jae said kindly. "We all are."

"The Hero of Floor Twenty Five." Someone else said, repeating the phrase.

"The Hero of Floor Twenty Five."

Before long, almost everyone was murmuring the words. It wasn't a cheer or a proud declaration, but rather a somber, grim, and quiet recognition of what he had done for them in their eyes. Embarrassed by the sudden attention now that the battle was over and he had no further need to command, Jae felt his face go red.

"The Hero of Floor Twenty Five." Came David's exhausted but proud voice next to him.

Turning, Jae scowled.

"Don't you help turn this into something that won't go away."

Vivienne stepped in front of him, holding his spear in her hands. She arched an eyebrow as she glanced around. "I'd say it's a little late for that."

"Thanks." Taking the spear, Jae smiled around at everyone as they began quieting down, though many still whispered the words as they nodded their heads in deference towards him.

"ALA members!" Came Kibaou's angry voice as he limped towards the newly opened teleport gate not far from where everyone was now seated. "Stop chanting that bullshit and let's go."

The dozen or so grey armored warriors rose slowly and began drifting back towards their guild leader.

"But sir," one of them said, pointing back to Jae. "If it wasn't for him-"

"If it wasn't for him and the rest of his fucking guild taking so long to reach us," Kibaou retorted, "More of our men might still be alive."

Vivienne crossed her arms under her breasts in disbelief as she glared at the man. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You know what it means." Kibaou spat without taking his eyes off of Jae's face. "You assholes deliberately waited to enter the Boss room until we had lost nearly all of our men!" he turned to his guild. "They planned this. They let us weaken the Boss for them so they could finish it after we were no longer in their way."

Most of the ALA members looked unsure about his words, but they kept silent.

"Half of my entire guild is dead now!" Kiabou screamed, his fists trembling at his sides.

"Half?" Jae repeated in surprise. "I thought you only came to this Floor with a raid group of around forty or fifty."

Kibaou's gaze was etched with murderous intent. "We did. We lost more and more men along the way to traps and oil and mobs, so I had to call in reinforcements using Corridor Crystal links. By the time we got here, I had already lost forty men to traps- many of which were only set to spring once, which means you murdering cowards got off easy the whole time you followed us here!"

Vivienne looked ready to explode, but Jae held her back.

"There's no point in arguing with him. He believes whatever he wants to believe."

"That Boss killed at least as many again before you cowards came in to steal the kill." Kibaou continued. "You're all selfish, murdering fools following an asshole with a spear and Lind's psychotic desire for power. I'm not wasting my men's lives to help you fucks anymore! Do you hear me! No more!"

"Are you saying you're quitting the Assault Team?" Jae asked angrily.

Kibaou turned his back on him as he motioned for his men to head towards the newly unlocked teleport gate. "Yes, you idiot. That's exactly what I'm saying. My men and I are done helping fools and cowards. You're all no better than orange players!"

Jae was surprised to see Lind suddenly limp forward, supported by Avari as he gazed across the room at Kibaou.

"Kibaou...if you leave then we will have a severe shortage in numbers." Lind took a step forward. "We need your players or the Assault Team will be unable to work efficiently for quite sometime, to say nothing of the loss in morale among the-"

"Fuck you Lind." Kibaou sneered at the man. "You're a good liar though, I'll give you that. Pretending to be oh so noble to the very end. We both know how badly you wanted this. I'm giving it to you. Fucking coward."

The sound of shuffling footsteps echoed off the walls as the ALA players huddled around the teleport gate, waiting for the leader to join them.

"Where will you and your guild go if you're no longer part of the Assault Team?" Lind asked quietly.

Kibaou shrugged. "Wherever I decide. I did always like the Black Iron Palace in the Town of Beginnings, though."

With that, he and his men stepped into the portal and disappeared from sight.

There was silence for a moment as the Holy Dragon Alliance raid group stood around their leader, glad to find him alright and unharmed.

"Jae." Lind said, standing before him. "I'm guessing by Kibaou's words that you are the reason we're all still here?"

Jae shook his head, latching the spear onto his back. "I was just shouting orders to keep people from falling to panic. I had no idea what to do until everyone else-"

"For fuck's sake, Jae." Vivienne said angrily, shoving him with her hand before facing Lind. "Yes, it's Jae that got us through when you and Avari got knocked out."

Lind nodded, looking back at Jae before extending a hand. He waited for Jae to take it, then leaned close.

"Thanks, Hero of Floor Twenty Five."


	52. Chapter 52

52

March 14th, 2023

Floor 19, Highland Caves

Israel's tortured screams faded away slowly as Drefan took a step back and lowered the bloody thumb screw in his hand.

"Oh man," the orange player said cheerily as he wiped sweat from his brow. "What a workout. I'm already getting tired."

Israel couldn't answer even if he had wanted to. Hot tears poured down his sweaty face. Strands of his hair clung to the sides of his cheeks or his ears as he lay there on the rack, the pain coursing through him, threatening to destroy what was left of his sanity. He focused all the meager energy he could muster into trying not to move his ruined, broken hands. The pain would only increase if he so much as twitched one of his twisted, gnarled fingers.

The thumb screw was one of Drefan's favored tools. Working in much the same way as a nutcracker would, the thumb screw applied a twisting pressure on thumbs, fingers, and toes, as well as other extremities if one was so inclined. With every twist of the handle end, the pressure on the clamps would increase, forcing the fingers to twist on themselves until the bones and muscle connecting them to the rest of the hand were broken and severed. At the same time, the clamps would also squeeze, slowly but surely flattening the same fingers. The most pain was inflicted, however, when the instrument was applied to thumbs, giving it it's name.

From somewhere in the back of Israel's mind, in his past, he almost thought he remembered reading about the device back when he had been in high school and learned of the people who had first invented, or at least implemented, such a horrid creation. Yet now, he couldn't be sure, nor did he care. The pain had begun seeping into his mind, erasing bits of his memory. The life he had known in the real world, and even the brief, tortured one he had had within SAO, seemed more and more distant with each passing day he spent with the madman who owned his soul.

Drefan bent down to peer into Israel's distant, tortured gaze.

"Apologize for what you did to my friends."

Israel licked his cracked lips and, ignoring the pain, opened his mouth.

"I'm sorry...please. Forgive me for what I did. I beg you...kill me."

Drefan leaned back in sarcastic shock. "Kill you? How could you ask me to do such an awful thing?" He smiled warmly, baring his immaculate, white teeth. Israel was sure that such a grin could only belong to the devil himself. "Besides, killing you would be such a waste."

Setting the thumb screw down onto the rack where Israel lay, Drefan gestured around.

"This is the ultimate torture house. Tormentors the world over, since the beginning of time, have been trying to solve the problem of how to keep their victims alive long enough to _really_ get into it. Ever since human beings first applied the basics of torture, it's boundaries have been limited to how much our physical bodies can take before bleeding out, or dying of shock, or starving, or a host of other factors." He rubbed the stone wall beside them affectionately. "Who would have thought that the inside of a digital game would be the place to solve all of those problems? To really perfect the art of torture?"

He smiled down at Israel, patting his head in much the same way a parent would when indulging a child. "Here, you can't bleed out. You can't die of shock. You can't even starve. The hunger we feel here is artificial, and means nothing to our real, comatose bodies on the outside. No, you can't even slowly die of your wounds, succumbing to infection, because the system, in all it's appreciation for my art, bestows you with fresh organs, limbs, and whatever else you lose in the course of the game. The only thing is does not give back is life. And even that is easily kept going with a few health crystals!" He laughed in a merry, deep throated way that reminded Israel of how people had reenacted Santa Claus when he was a little boy. Somehow, the thought only deepened his terror.

Drefan took a moment to wipe more sweat from his brow and stretch out his back. He had been hunched over Israel's body on the makeshift rack for hours at least. After cracking out his back muscles and sighing in relief, Drefan walked happily over to the small table in the corner of the room where the lamp swung. The table had two small cabinets, but Israel suspected they were empty and Drefan was merely using the tabletop to hold his arsenal of torture devices.

Humming to himself as he searched through the dozens of instruments to find whatever it was he was looking for, Drefan paused and looked over his shoulder.

"Do you know where I got all these, my dear boy?"

Israel shook his head slowly, forcing down a whimper from the dull, throbbing pain that continued to burn through him. "No."

Drefan arched an eyebrow. "Guess."

Israel closed his eyes tight as he tried racking his weary, numb brain. Sometimes Drefan would ask him certain, random questions with that curious glint in his eye, and when he failed to answer correctly, the big man would smile gleefully and bear down on him with redoubled energy and sometimes multiple tools at once.

Stifling back tears of panic as he trembled where he lay, his hands, legs, and midsection chained to the flat surface of the rack to prevent much movement, Israel tried with all his might to come up with the right answer, or better yet, one that Drefan might like. He had just begun to start whimpering in earnest when the memory of when he had first been brought to the small, stone room with only a single door carved into the rock, came back to him. He remembered asking Drefan where they were, and the man's happy answer.

Israel's eyes popped open, his jaw working feverishly as he tried to say everything as quickly as possible without garbling his words. "You found them here, where the questline had sent you and your guild to save the NPC being tortured."

Israel's muscles locked as he watched Drefan chuckle. His head throbbed as he waited to see if he had answered appropriately.

"Some of them I did find here, yes," Drefan conceded with another snigger. "So you're not wrong."

Israel sagged in relief. His joy at avoiding at least some of the pain threatened to sweep out the supports of his consciousness. He struggled to stay awake. Drefan had done things to wake him up the first time his body had shut down to gain much needed sleep, things Israel never wanted to experience again. Expected torture was one thing. The shock and surprise of waking up to it was quite another.

Drefan gestured at the host of tools arrayed before him on the tabletop. "Most of them, however, were made by me."

Israel froze, unsure how to react. He couldn't help but frown in confusion for a moment. How was such a thing possible? Drefan wasn't a developer. He was a mere player, like everyone else. Inventing items and adding them to the game was impossible unless he were Kayaba himself.

Drefan laughed at Israel's obvious surprise. "I'll tell you a secret. There's a skill in this game called Crafting. It comes in various forms, some more prevalent than others. One form is the ability to mix and shape tools and primitive weapons from materials such as liquid iron, tin, or clay. Not many people know about Crafting in general, or maybe they just don't care. After all, it has no real value for combat or convenience." He smiled proudly. "But I'm already level four hundred in the skill. I can craft any number of tools I can dream up, shape them to be whatever I desire. It's everything I ever wanted.

"You see, most of these," He waved a hand over the table, "I had already conceived in my mind long ago, before SAO was even a thought. I made the blueprints for countless pieces. Some were variants of older, already used tools applied back in the Middle Ages or during the Inquisition, but many were of my own concoction, my own thought. I had pages upon pages of notes on the making, the application, and even the full descriptions of what each piece could be used for and how they were to be made. But I could never go public with my inventions, oh no." Drefan's eyes glinted with rage as he seemed to look out, beyond the stone walls, to a time long ago. "I spent years living a normal, boring, unproductive life in a bland, intolerant world that would not only frown upon my talents, but no doubt arrest me as well and throw me into a psych ward." He gritted his teeth, his hands forming into a fist as he explained. "No one in the world we live in now could have ever possibly understood the genius, the art, behind my talents and innovation. I had to keep my designs, my inventions, hidden from the public as if they were something to be ashamed of. I ask you, have not all the great governments in history, even the government we are run by now in this so called enlightened age, applied the art of torture to further their own ends? How many cases of prisoner abuse or illegal experiments have been reported and quickly swept under the societal rug? The FBI, to name just one branch in our federal overseers' vast body, has hundreds of leaked documents of the torture they have authorized to be inflicted on prisoners of war or terrorists captured by our forces overseas. You're telling me it's alright when they use such art for their own greed, their own corruption, without even appreciation of that art, but when I seek only to follow my life's calling, my destiny, I deserve to be locked away? My brilliant, special brain drugged until I can't even speak? Where's the sense in that? Where?"

Israel saw Drefan pause when he realized his hand was clutching the edge of the table so hard his knuckles had gone white. In an instant, he reverted back to his usual gleeful demeanor as his all encompassing smile again etched it's way across his jolly face.

"Anyway," he waved a hand as if to brush away the subject. "I hid my blueprints and whatever tools I had managed to create out of makeshift materials. I worked a normal, boring job as an accountant to some firm, and pretended to fit in and behave like all the other ignorant, simple fools of that grey, purposeless world. Believe me though when I say that it was hard. So hard. I could almost see my coworkers writhing in agony as I imagined plying my knowledge, my tools, into them.

Sometimes, I would sit on benches in public areas and daydream about capturing the people that walked by, fantasize over the pain I could cause them if I but had the courage to take them. But I never did. I was always worried, always wondering if there would be someone around to stop me, a police officer maybe, or simply a normal man or woman armed and ready to stomp out those with minds brighter and more creative than their own. I could never get over my fear of being discovered, of my mind being drugged and crippled, permanently damaged and unable to continue it's special thoughts. So I remained silent, remained 'normal.'"

Finally making up his mind, Drefan picked up a small, spoon like instrument. Turning, he began making his way back to the rack. Israel had no idea what this no device was used for, but his mind began swiftly imagining multiple uses. He cried helplessly as the thing came closer, wielded by the devil.

"But now," Drefan continued with a smile as he reached the rack and peered down at him. "In this wonderful world, I'm finally free to use everything I've ever wanted to. You don't know how many dozens of people I tortured back when my guild and I were still in service to Laughing Coffin." He cocked his head. "But then again, maybe you do know. Maybe that's why you hunted us down and murdered my friends in their beds." He shrugged. "No matter. The past is the past. Truth be told, I'm having far more fun now that I don't have quotas to meet or time to share with the others in torturing our captives. I get to do whatever I want, without taking orders from anyone now, including Laughing Coffin. I have you all to myself, forever. In a way, you've freed me to finally pursue my dreams full time. I thank you for that."

Israel sobbed at the smiling face, the terrible eyes. He wanted nothing more than to be a thousand miles away from that smile, from those eyes. But he knew there was no escape. He had doomed himself into being the plaything of a nightmare.

Drefan held the spoon like instrument in his hand above Israel's face so he could see it clearly.

"This is my optic tool. With it, I'm going to gouge out your eyes."

Israel broke into a violent fit of trembling as he shook his head.

"Please, please no. I'll do anything. Please."

Drefan seemed to consider it for a moment.

"Apologize to me again. I quite like hearing it. Who knows, if you do it well enough, I might just take pity on you for a few hours."

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. Please, please, forgive me. Forgive me for what I did. Please. I'm sorry…"

Drefan nodded. "That's really good, my boy. You've gotten quite talented at that. And to think, you told me not so long ago to go fuck myself." He grinned menacingly. "Now then, which eye do you favor most?"

Seizing hold of Israel's face with his left hand to prevent him from squirming, Drefan brought the optic tool closer until it cupped the outside of his right eye.

"The pain of having your eye, a living organ, severed from its moorings," Drefan explained in an envious voice, "Is supposed to be quite excruciating, from what I've been told. I designed to the optic tool to work slowly to increase the pain. Now, obviously you'll be blind for a few minutes after I do this. In the window of time we have before your eyes are returned to you, we get to experience torture without sight to accompany it. I can't wait to see how you react."

Israel tried to wriggle away from the device as it's spoon like curvature slid up underneath his eyelids, but he couldn't escape Drefan's grasp. When the spoon angled back behind his eyes, Israel's brain nearly imploded. His face went numb for a brief millisecond, as if trying to get its bearings and figure out what was happening, but in the next instant, the pain lit up every inch of his soul. He felt every nerve being severed as the sharp spoon cut away at what held his eyes in his head.

His screams had already reached pitches he never before thought himself capable of hitting in the two weeks since his capture, but he was once again surprised as his voice was brought to new octaves. He felt his vision flicker, as if the lights were faltering, and then everything went dark as he felt his eyes pop out of his skull.

"Amazing!" Drefan yelled, his voice almost drowned out by the screams. "I never imagined the back of an eye would be this color!"

The pain only doubled when Drefan moved to his other eye, but went even slower in an effort to prolong the pain until it too popped out. Israel found himself plunged into a universe of dark. There was no trace of light, nothing he could glance at to see anything around him. It was disorienting, knowing that he was blind, that he could no longer see anything. His brain almost couldn't comprehend it. He strained a muscle in an effort to narrow his gaze as he had so often done throughout his life, only to feel some strand of loose muscle hanging out of his eye socket flinch as the nerve responded. There was nothing but black.

"Now that you can't see." Came Drefan's voice from above him. "I'm not going to say anything anymore. Instead, I'm simply going to grab another tool and set to work. I want you to guess what part of your body I might work on next, but say nothing aloud. Just wallow in it a moment."

Israel heard footsteps, and then Drefan's familiar humming as the man shuffled towards the table to retrieve another tool. It was then that Israel realized he was still screaming, but he couldn't bring himself to stop. His throat burned with the intensity of them, but there was simply no way to keep them down. His head felt like it would burst from the information it was being forced to process, the pain it had no choice but to comprehend. It was unfathomable. Israel could say nothing, do nothing. Only scream.

A minute or so later, he felt Drefan force his mouth open before bringing what felt like a tweezer clamp onto his tongue. The metal had short, sharp prongs all along it that stabbed deeply into either side of his tongue, and then Israel felt the pressure tighten. There was a sharp yank as Drefan directed the pull, and Israel felt his tongue inching up from deep within his throat. By this point, the pain had paralyzed his body. He lay there, completely still, as his tongue was ripped up from within him, pulled outwards like a rope by the prong covered tweezers. This process, however, last far longer than his blinding, and after a time, even his screams failed him.

Several times he thought he might have blacked out, but there was now no way to tell. He was alone in a universe of inky blackness, and his only companion was terrible, agonizing pain.

By the time Drefan had finished removing Israel's entire tongue, his eyes reappeared. Israel blinked several times and had to look away from the dim lamp on the other side of the room. He felt like a newborn as he swiveled his eyes around, testing them, waiting to see if they'd fall out or flicker. They did neither. For a moment, he was overjoyed to be free of that terrifying darkness, that everlasting void, but as soon as he saw Drefan smiling at him, he regretted the feeling.

Drefan spent the next several hours using a similar, but even more refined, pair of tweezers to tear out each and every one of Israel's teeth. Until that day, Israel had never known just how big teeth were, how deep their roots extended within the gums. Several times as he cried and screamed, Israel tried to feel at the holes now present throughout his mouth, only to remember that his tongue was still gone.

Once he grew bored of waiting for the teeth to regrow, Drefan switched to a small hammer and energetically went about the task of shattering the bones throughout Israel's legs, groin, and chest. Each precise blow of the hammer brought with it another endless torrent of mind numbing pain that remained long after Drefan had moved on to other parts. From time to time throughout the day's endless ordeal, Drefan would ask Israel for another apology. Each time, Israel put his all into the begging, into the desperate, tortured pleas for death. Each time, Drefan would merely smile and reach for another tool. Every now and then Drefan would move Israel to a different form of chains; either the chair, the rack, or the metal bands hanging from the ceiling that held him above the ground by his wrists. Each location meant a particular type of tool would be used, but Israel found no comfort in the anticipation.

The day drew on, bringing with it dozens of new types of excruciating torment, each of which Drefan was more than eager to inflict. Though it was no different a day than the other fifteen had been- Israel had kept count, as it was one of the only ways in which he could keep his mind focused on something- It seemed to bring with it new and unimaginable heights of agony. But then again, Israel felt that way each time a new tool was used on his broken, battered body.

When the day finally ended and only small, dim shafts of moonlight managed to leak in through the small wooden door on the far wall, Drefan finally halted in his tireless work and moved to return the tools back to his table.

"What a great day this has been, wouldn't you say?"

Israel could only wheeze out a small, gasping croak. Forming words was usually beyond him by this point in the night.

"Yes," Drefan agreed as he made for the door. "Another productive day."

He was about to turn out the lamp and leave Israel in complete darkness when the big man paused and scratched his beard.

"What was I going to...oh yes!"

Excitedly moving over to one of the cabinets under the table, Drefan opened the left hand one and withdrew a thin, iron collar. Attached to it at the front was a metal rod, sharpened to a fine point on either end. Moving Israel's dead weight to the chair, Drefan had barely chained his hands behind the back of it before his enthusiasm overcame him and he slipped the collar around Israel's neck. The bar stood vertically, one end pressing painfully against Israel's upper chest, while the other dug in under his chin. If he allowed his chin to dip, both ends would quickly pierce into him.

"I fashioned this little piece just yesterday, when I had come in and caught you slightly dozing off in the chair. Remember that?"

Israel whimpered quietly.

"Yes, well, I thought it might be fun to try something of an endurance test. It won't hurt you much unless you start to fall asleep. The moment your head drops, it will impale both your jaw and your upper chest. But don't worry," Drefan said as he watched Israel's eyes. "It's far too small to kill you, even if you let it stab you and drain your health all night. It won't be more than a two inch stab in non vital areas, and your health bar is quite impressive. I predict you'll have only just entered red when I come back tomorrow morning. Even so, I will return in a few hours, and once more before dawn, just to make sure it doesn't do more damage than expected and take you from this world. We wouldn't want that."

That was all Israel craved.

"Have a good night now, my boy."

With that, Drefan exited the room as he hummed to himself, allowing the moonlight to shine in for only a moment before the door closed behind him.

Israel sat there in the darkness, unable to relax his jaw and neck muscles as he kept himself up straight. He had intended to allow the bar to stab him the moment Drefan left, but he knew the man wasn't bluffing. Drefan was very careful about what might kill him. If the pain wouldn't end his suffering, there was no reason to allow it to fill his nights as well as his days.

Still feeling the lingering pain from the day's exertions as well as that of the previous ones, Israel allowed himself to sob as best he could. At this point, though, most of his tears were spent. After weeping for quite some time, he finally felt a single tear roll down his cheek.

He thought hard of Naomi. Visions of her special smile, her laughter, the memories of her kisses, all were beginning to slowly slip away from him along with the rest of his mind. Israel forced himself to dig deeper into his shattered core, searching for the image of her so that he could keep it with him. The only thing he wanted more than death was to again see her, to hold her in his arms. To tell her what he never could.

"I...love...you...Naomi…" He whispered into the darkness between choked gasps and racks of throbbing pain. He ignored the effort it took and said the words again, determined not to forget how much he cared. Determined not to forget her. He felt so alone. "I love you."


	53. Chapter 53

53

March 15th, 2023

Floor 26, Runica Village

Brushing the thick, rich fabric of his new officer's cape back from where it had come to rest over his shoulder, Jae felt the soft, blue thread wool trail down behind him until it almost touched the top of his boots. He had never been one for capes, but even he had to admit that it gave him a more composed, commanding appearance. Besides, it was mandatory for all officers in the Holy Dragon Alliance to wear the cape as as a mark of their status. The stats of the item were also surprisingly good.

With his right arm now freed, Jae deliberately allowed his hand to rest on the map strewn table before him, leaning in to further declare his intention to speak. All around him, the talking continued unabated. There were nearly fifty players crowded into the small Town Hall building, all straining to be heard amidst the clamor of raised voices and heated debates. On his immediate left and right stood his fellow officers, men of HDA who wore their capes with pride, and Avari leading as acting commander in Lind's absence. Vivienne stood to his right. She too, had been awarded an officership on the same day as Jae, for it was largely through her iron resolve and bravery that his plan had succeeded against the two-headed giant.

Among those closest to the table he saw Klein, the red armored katana wielder who was leader of a newly formed, closed guild he had named Fuurinkazan. From what Jae had heard, Klein's men were friends from the real world who had partied up until they were strong enough to join the Assault Team and make their guild.

Beside Klein, there were at least two dozen other small guild or party leaders, all commanding players on the Assault Team. Behind the ring of leaders stood around twenty solo players, the black garbed Kirito among them. Jae didn't completely trust the teenager; he well remembered the events back on Floor One that had led to Diavel's death, and Kirito's part in it that the young man never denied. At the same time however, Jae had witnessed first hand Kirito's bravery during the Boss fights of other Floors. During the confusion of the Floor Two Boss fights, in particular, Kirito had helped save Jae, Israel, and dozens of other stunned players, along with the help of the powerful swordswoman, Asuna.

Kirito was silent, as ever, along with the majority of the other solo players gathered. They were outcasts, players without friends or the desire to have them. Jae knew that the only reason they had shown up was to discuss the next plan on how to beat the Field Boss guarding the entrance to the Labyrinth of the new Floor. Many among them looked agitated, even doubtful, but that came as no surprise.

Ever since the disaster that had been the Floor Twenty Five Boss raid, the staggering casualty list, coupled with the loss of the Aincrad Liberation Army from the Assault Team, had brought the frontline progress to a screeching halt. The news had spread like wildfire, and before the day was out, newspapers had been published by those info brokers that peddled in gossip. Over the course of the next week, dozens of players quit the Assault Team, unwilling to continue risking their lives when the two strongest guilds had been crippled and one of them had even withdrawn entirely from the war effort.

Jae didn't blame them their fears, but he did find it unfair to the rest of the player base. As the strongest, most capable players, it was their duty to continue beating the game for the sake of everyone still alive. If they didn't have the courage to see it through, who would? Abandoning the mission just because it suddenly got harder was both irresponsible and cowardly. Even the players that still fought on were dubious and hesitant, to say the least. In fact, Jae could almost see in their eyes that many were on the verge of giving up. He felt cold anger flush through him at their unwillingness to go through hard times. More than that, though, he felt worry. If the quickly fanned flame of fear spread any worse, the entire Assault Team might crumble into ash in it's wake.

The only player who seemed to notice his gesture was Vivienne.

Without a single word, the woman raised an arm and pounded a fist on the table. Hard.

The table shook with a loud bang as her fist slammed home. The cacophony of voices paused as the players looked over in surprise at the source of the noise.

Jae cleared his throat. "All this arguing isn't going to get us anywhere. We need to think of the solution, not the problem."

One of his fellow officers standing behind and to the right laughed derisively.

"You get that quote from a movie?"

"A book, actually."

Another player in green armor crossed his arms as he spoke up. Jae vaguely recognized him. The man had a thin mustache and wielded a short sword similar to a Roman Gladius alongside a javelin Roman soldiers often carried. The party he commanded all seemed to possess some kind of Roman admiration, for each of them bore some kind of Romanized weapon, and several even customized their armor to appear like that of a legionary.

"What solution would you propose then, Hero of Floor Twenty-Five? The Field Boss is in too narrow a valley to effectively be fought, and with the Labyrinth at it's back, we would never be able to surround it. On top of that, it's got powerful AoE skills made to fight off a potential Assault Team just our size. "

Jae pointed a gloved finger at the spot on the map where the battle would have to take place.

"It's only too narrow if we go in altogether, like we've done in the past. That valley can't hold the entire Assault Team, not by a longshot. Just as you said."

The man frowned. Other players also looked at each other in puzzlement before focusing back on Jae's determined gaze.

"What exactly are you suggesting?" A solo player asked loudly from further back among the ranks of players.

Jae tapped the spot on the map. "That we send only one small party in to fight it. Maybe two, if we can fit them. But no more."

Protests erupted throughout the room. Multiple players threw up their hands in disbelief at what they had just heard. Jae did see, though, that many remained silent and calm as they waited to see if he would clarify. He had gained something of a celebrity status among these players, and they didn't want to brush him aside so easily.

"Forgive us, Jae," Klein spoke up as he spread his hands. "But we're not all Heroes who can outwit Floor Bosses at every turn like you." He smiled, and Jae could tell he wasn't being sarcastic. On the contrary, he appeared quite sincere. "The Field Bosses aren't nearly as threatening as the Floor ones are, I'll grant you that. But in the past it's always taken at least a thirty to forty man group. Sometimes more. And after the difficulty increase from Floor Twenty-Five, it would be foolish of us to expect an easy fight."

Dozens of players nodded their heads in agreement.

"We can't be expected to isolate a party and send them to their deaths."

Jae pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger as he tried to be patient. These people were worried, and had every right to be.

"We won't sending anyone to their deaths." Jae said loudly so that all could hear. "And we won't be isolating anyone either. We just need to make it think we are."

There was a pause as several players blinked. Vivienne leaned forward, her polished silver and blue armor gleaming. "A trap?"

Jae smiled at her as he nodded. "A trap."

Avari shook her head, her massive two handed greatsword shifting slightly in the sheath at her back. The Senior Officer pointed at the map.

"The area is too narrow for such a thing. There's barely enough space for six or seven players to walk abreast. The monster would easily be able to see and target anyone we tried to send around it while the diversion party held it off."

"That's not what I had in mind." Jae glanced in her direction as he spoke, allowing his finger to guide her eyes to the spot he had already selected in his mind.

"We won't be trying to funnel men around it in order to position a trap. We'll be drawing it into an ambush already premade."

Some of the players leaned in curiously. He looked around once to be sure everyone was paying attention, then continued.

"The valley is wider near the mouth. The deeper we go to reach the Labyrinth, the more narrow it becomes. The party we send in, made up entirely of tanks-"

"Just tanks?" Someone asked in surprise. "No DPS? No reservists?"

"Just tanks." Jae affirmed as he continued, looking at the map. "A small party of tanks with overlapping defense can take whatever the Field Boss throws at them, at least for a while. As soon they have it's full attention, they will withdraw back to the mouth of the valley." He looked up purposefully at the faces watching him. "Where the rest of us will be waiting."

He gestured at the area.

"It's a relatively short distance back out, so it won't take them long. Once the Boss is beyond the protection of the encircling cliffs, The entire Assault Team attacks from the left, here-" He pointed. "On the right- here." He pointed again. "And finally from the front, where the hills and trees will block its vision of them until it's too late. Field Bosses don't have much armor or defense, and from what we've already learned from the info brokers, this one is no different in that regard. With all of our strongest players attacking at once, it will be dead before it realizes what happened. Just to ensure a quick victory, everyone should coat their swords with a potion of Brunen Dust."

"Brunen Dust?" Someone asked.

"Yes..." Vivienne muttered in comprehension as she nodded to the players around them. "Brunen Dust temporarily increases Elemental Earth Damage. The Field Boss is a Mountain Giant made of rocks-earth."

"Exactly." Jae said as he straightened.

"And where would we get so many bottles of Brunen Dust?" Avari exclaimed. "Elemental Damage potions are expensive and rare."

Jae shrugged. "Everyone will buy their own. In winning any battle, there is a price."

Klein chuckled. "Another book?"

Jae smiled sadly at the man. "Nope. Just something an old friend once told me."

It had been Israel who had told him that.

There was silence for a few moments as the players gathered around considered his plan. Jae watched as their faces registered their conclusions: some looked ready to go forward as they nodded his way, but many more looked troubled in their thoughts.

Vivienne straightened as she let a hand rest on the pommel of her saber.

"I think it'll work. I'm with Jae on this."

Several other Holy Dragon Alliance officers voiced their agreement. The rest, however, looked angered. Avari among them.

"You can't put lives at risk as carelessly as if they were merely puppets," the Senior Officer said from under her bangs. "Those tanks you want to use as bait will be real people, with real lives."

Jae looked at her. "I'll go with them. Someone will need to give me a shield though."

Avari scowled. "It doesn't matter if you have a shield or not. You're not a tank. You don't have the right stats for the job, or the gear."

"As I told Vivienne, you, and Lind when I first joined this guild, I've worked hard to keep my defensive and offensive capabilities balanced since the beginning. I may not be the shining example of the tank class, but I believe I can at least get the job done. If my volunteering will aid in this plan, I'm in."

"I'll volunteer as well." Vivienne said. "I know I'm not a tank, but if I switch gear with my best one, Meifan, and take some resistance potions-"

"This is foolishness." Avari snapped, waving away the notion. "The plan is too dangerous enough as is, and now you want to substitute the wrong builds for what would have to be the heaviest tanks we have? I'll not hear of it."

"I'm with your Senior Officer on this one," Klein said apologetically. "It's a good plan, but it's just too dangerous for the people we would need to use as bait. For all we know, the Boss could have an armor piercing skill we don't know about and cut you all to pieces for nothing."

Jae ran his fingers through his hair. "I understand your concerns, but if such a thing was true, the info brokers would have found out by now and told us. They would never allow an opportunity to make extra cash like that slip away. We would have heard about it and be standing here grumbling about the price."

Another player shrugged. "The info brokers have been unable to find things out on time before. They aren't perfect."

Jae couldn't argue with that, but he still felt like this was the best way.

"True enough, but-"

"The plan's no good, alright?" An angry looking man named Osman shouted at him. Jae knew that he commanded a small guild of players who had recently levelled up enough to join the Assault Team. Of course, that had been before the Floor Twenty-Five incident.

"Stop acting like you know so much more than the rest of us!" Osman continued. "You win a few fights by acting brazen and impulsive, risking the lives of the players under your command, and now you think you're some kind of Napoleon or something? You're just a player, and you would do well to remember that."

"Who are you to talk?" Another man said angrily at Osman. "Some upjumped guild leader who thinks he's the next Lind when all he's done is lag behind and desperately try to level up just to reach the point where the rest of the Assault Team is? Remind me again, how many battles have you taken part of here on the frontlines?"

Another player nodded in agreement when Osman fumbled for words. "You haven't proven yourself. Jae has saved lives. Jae has risked his own life many times. I know we've all seen it! He's the one who saved the Massacre of Floor Twenty-Five from completely crushing the Assault Team as we know it!"

"The Hero of Floor Twenty-Five!" Someone else shouted.

Several others took up the chant until nearly half the room was repeating the phrase and thereby throwing in their lot with Jae's plan, but they were just as quickly opposed by angry shouts from the other half of the room as players denounced either Jae or his plan, or both.

"Quiet! Quiet!" People began to shout, though the din only lessened by a small increment.

"Where is Lind?" The green armored player asked Avari. "Without him and Kibaou here, we'll never come up with a decision!"

"Where's Lind?" Someone next to him asked. Before long, others overheard the question.

"Where is Lind?"

"Has he abandoned us like Kibaou?"

"Is Lind afraid to keep fighting?"

Avari bellowed at them for silence.

"Lind is doing what he always has been: leading my guild and directing the Assault Team!"

"Then where is he?" Osman asked. "Why is he not here at the head of his officers?"

Jae glanced over at Avari, curious as to how she would respond.

"Lind now commands the largest guild, what with the ALA losing a third of their men on Floor Twenty-Five. With such responsibility to ensure the wellbeing and success of the Holy Dragon Alliance, he cannot always be here attending strategy meetings. He is back at HQ, attending to vital affairs on behalf of the guild I serve."

"What affairs?" Someone shouted.

Avari looked ready to explode, but kept herself in check.

"Nothing that would concern those who know nothing of Lind, the HDA, or leading." She said through gritted teeth.

"Sounds to me like he's turned coward!" Came a voice from among the solo players, but Jae couldn't identify the source.

The accusation nearly started a brawl as Jae's fellow officers, including Vivienne, took several aggressive steps forward in an effort to see who among the solo players had spoken, pushing people out of the way as they advanced. Though Jae didn't surge forward like the rest of them, it wasn't because he felt any less about Lind. It was because he knew they wouldn't find the culprit.

Before Avari could debate the words, another voice came from among the party leaders.

"And who can blame him? Without the ALA, and with so many dead on such a low Floor, how can we ever hope to beat this death game? We have no chance!"

The din quickly died down at the depressing words, and was met with sullen, withdrawn words of agreement or grim nods. An eery silence began to fill the room as players considered the truth of it.

Vivienne glanced to Jae, as if waiting for him to make some kind of inspiring speech to embolden the men gathered around them, but he had none. He wasn't an orator. That had always been Israel's talent. The irony of it struck him: that his brother, who had always possessed the true leadership qualities in the real world, was now off on his own doing god knew what while Jae, who had never once aspired to nor expected the role, had found himself completely and inescapably bound to it. Jae had no idea what to say to men pierced by worry and doubt. He knew though, that if the icy grip of fear took hold over these players now, there would be no more Assault Team. And that grip was about to tighten.

At that moment, the tall, well built double doors leading outside of the building opened forcefully. Sunlight poured into the artificially lit chamber but was quickly covered by the tall shadows of those who followed it in.

Turning, Jae saw five players march proudly across the hall, triumphantly closing the distance between them and the crowd gathered at the main table. The player in the center was tall, strong, and looked magnificently regal in his red plate armor that was framed with pure white, as if to identify the borders of each piece. A white cross stood emblazoned on his red chainmail skirt, fluttering lightly as he walked. His pure white cape billowed out around him as he strode forward proudly. His long grey hair was tied back in a single ponytail behind him, but a single, thick strand looked to have come undone and hung down over his face.

Two players walked on either side of the man, and each of them bore a color scheme that reversed the two colors the man in the center wore. Their armor shone white, a bright, pure hue that added to the lustre of the metal plates and discs. The borders of each piece of armor were red, as were the proud crosses on their own tunics. All the players, however, had the same white cloaks. Jae arched an eyebrow in surprise when he recognized Asuna, the beautiful chestnut haired girl with the deadly rapier, marching among them with the same white and red framed garb. All the players looked deadly serious, yet at the same time, happy and eager to announce their arrival.

"Good day, everyone." The tall man in the center spoke up in a voice that unmistakably marked him as the commander. "My name is Heathcliff."

Jae frowned. He had never heard of the man before.

"I recently created a new guild," He continued, his gaze watching them all as he smiled in businesslike manner, not unlike the kind of face Vivienne might make. "Created with the sole purpose of effectively aiding the Assault Team in the front lines. We are called the Knights of the Blood Oath. I am it's leader. Asuna, here, has accepted my request to become my second in command. These other men with me are our officers. At the moment, our guild is not very large. There only around thirty of us or so. This is because recruitment is closed to all but the most skilled members. If anyone here, in the Assault Team, wishes to join the new guild, you are free and more than welcome to do so. Consider the invitation open permanently." He glanced in Jae's direction. "Even to those already in a guild of their own, should they wish to leave it."

Clasping his hands behind his back, Heathcliff approached the table. The small crowd parted before him and the players standing by on either side who looked like bodyguards intent on protecting their leader with their very lives.

"Now then, would it be alright if I inquired as to our plan of action on this Field Boss blocking our way to the Labyrinth? I doubt it would make a very good first impression for my guild and I if we were ignorant of the course we shall all have to take."

"You're the leader of a new guild?" Avari asked after a moment of silence. "One that you just created to run the Assault Team?"

"It's called the Knights of the Blood Oath, yes. But have no fear, it was not created to run the Assault Team, nor to continue the rivalry that was so nearly disastrous for both the Holy Dragon Alliance and the Aincrad Liberation Army. We are merely here to help in whatever way we can."

Avari looked visibly concerned, even suspicious, but she said nothing more and instead opened her menu and began feverishly typing up a message. Jae had no doubt in his mind who it was for.

Heathcliff didn't seem to notice and instead kept moving until he stood beside Jae and Viviene, his red and white armor a stark contrast to their silver and blue. He smiled at Jae and extended a hand.

"It's an honor to meet the Hero of Floor Twenty-Five. Jae, right? You've accomplished some pretty amazing feats from what I heard."

Jae nodded self-consciously. "That's me. But that whole hero thing is really something of an exaggeration. At least half the credit should go to my friend Viv-"

He stopped when he saw her roll her eyes angrily.

"Anyway," He turned back to Heathcliff. "Thanks."

After shaking hands with one or two others, Heathcliff ended the niceties and went straight to business. He asked about the current plan of action, to which Jae and his supporters quickly explained his plan in detail. Throughout, Heathcliff remained relatively quiet, only pausing once to ask a question. When they had finished, he glanced around at players and must have felt the division in the room, for he then asked, "I'm guessing not everyone is on board with this?"

Avari, Klein, and many others quickly brought up their own points on how they thought the idea was too risky as far as the party of tanks used would be concerned. It was at this point that Asuna shook her head.

"Nonsense. We have tanks in our guild who could form a party for just such a purpose."

Heathcliffe nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, but the caution is not unwarranted. Such a task could potentially endanger lives, if past surprises as far as Bosses are concerned are anything to judge by. The mission is not a success unless everyone involved survives."

Klein scratched his jaw. "So you agree that Jae's plan must be abandoned in favor of a more promising one?"

Heathcliffe shook his head. "No. Jae's plan is the right one. At least, that's how it seems to me. I know which tanks would get the job done without breaking rank or panicking. I myself stand a tank and would be happy to lead the party through the valley. I propose a compromise."

Jae frowned at the tall, muscled man. "What do you mean?"

"Second in Command," Heathcliff said without turning away from the map. "Do you see what I see?"

Asuna nodded without hesitation as she pointed to the edge of the cliffs on either side of the valley about halfway between the Labyrinth entrance and the mouth leading back out into the plains. "The cliffs here are low hanging and could be easily scaled. Also, the valley is a little wider in this area. Not by much, but enough."

Jae strained his eyes as he looked at what she was talking about. She was right.

"By stationing small parties of high DPS players with the Brunen Dust Jae suggested coating their blades," She continued, "as well as hiding players in among the rocks where the valley opens up a little, we can stage the ambush nearly as effectively as we would have done in the open at the mouth of the valley. And cut the distance the party of tanks will need to withdraw in half."

Jae's eyes widened as he grasped the truth of the words. He was surprised that he hadn't thought to stage the ambush there. He hadn't given himself time to think it all through.

"It's a good plan." Jae said, turning to Asuna and Heathcliff. "And the perfect compromise."

The other players nodded in agreement. Even the sullen Kirito looked pleased.

"I'll relay the plan back to my men," Osman said without looking Jae in the eye. "Unless there's more we need to cover?"

Avari and some of the others shook their heads.

"I'd say that about wraps it up. We move at seven tonight. HDA officers," Avari turned on her heel and began heading for the door. "Let's head back to HQ."

...

"I told you Lind's absence would be noted poorly." Jae said to Avari's back as they walked through the dusty streets. "He should have listened to me. He should have come."

Avari rounded on him faster than he could breathe.

"Lind is busy with other matters, things far above your station." She jabbed a finger at his silver plate armor. "There are things a guild leader must do, tasks which will invariably occupy much of his time, to the point where he must choose what he can and can't see to in a single day. Such things are far beyond the mind of a simple member."

Vivienne stepped up closely. "Jae is no longer a simple member of our guild, nor is he seen as such. No matter what those with other opinions would have to say on the matter."

Avari scowled at her two officers once more before turning back around and continuing their line of march.

"Thanks." Jae whispered over as they walked together.

Vivienne offered a small smile before her expression turned more serious. "Don't take this badly. You should remember that it was because of Lind you've advanced this far this quickly. He saw the potential in you before I did."

He nodded, and Vivienne glided forward, taking up a space not far behind Avari.

Aranal suddenly appeared beside him.

"You two need to get a room already."

Jae pushed the big man away forcefully. "Shut up."

Chuckling as he regained his balance, Aranal gestured. "What? I know chemistry when I see it."

Chemistry, eh?" Jae chuckled. "Remember how she was when we met? We were ready to tear each other's heads off."

Aranal winked at him. "And now look how you two are. Teaming up on almost every issue. It's really quite cute."

Jae rolled his eyes. "Go throw yourself off a bridge."

Aranal laughed heartily. It was an infectious, warm laugh that couldn't be resisted for long. Soon, Jae found himself laughing right alongside his friend as they walked.

"Beautiful day, isn't it?" Aranal asked, closing his eyes as he basked purposefully in the sun's warmth. "Makes one ready to break into song."

Jae smirked at him. "And what songs did you have in mind?"

Aranal shrugged. "Times like these, only the best. I listen to bands that might be a little too old for you, though. Fall Out Boy, The Offspring, Linkin Park-"

"Love them all." Jae said defiantly. "In fact I bet I know their songs better than you do, old man."

Aranal frowned down at him. "Dude, I'm thirty-four."

"Come on then, which songs do you know?"

"Are you challenging me to a sing off?"

"You're damn right I am. Linkin Park. Let's go."

Aranal paused a moment, then began singing Numb, one of Jae's favorite songs from the band. Immediately, Jae took up the lyrics alongside Aranal, and before long, every officer in the HDA was staring at them. Jae didn't care, and just kept on singing.

After singing several songs, Aranal had to stop for breath. Jae laughed. The man was right, it was a beautiful day.

" _I tried so hard, and got so far!_ " Aranal suddenly started singing. Jae nearly tripped. " _But in the end, it doesn't even matter!"_

Jae's eyes shimmered with sudden, unexpected tears. This was the song he and Israel had always declared to be their favorite. This was the song they had always sung together, in the car, on the road, even in Aincrad. The day suddenly wasn't so bright anymore.

" _I had to fall, to lose it all!"_ Aranal continued, not noticing Jae's reaction. He felt guilty all of a sudden. Lonely. But more than either emotion, he missed his brother. He missed Israel.

 _I wish I knew where he was, how he is. I hope he's alright._

" _But in the end, it doesn't even matter!"_


	54. Chapter 54

54

March 28, 2023

Floor 19, Highland Caves

Israel's mouth watered as he watched Drefan eat. The smell of fried sausage filled the room, masking the stink of fear and sweat that clung to the walls. The massive platter on which the food rested looked to have been made of pure gold, but Israel barely noticed. He tried forcing himself to look away, to divert his eyes from the food as it was merely another of Drefan's tortures. But he could not. He hadn't eaten since first being brought to the room, and the pangs of hunger had long since given way to an unbearable throbbing, aching pain in his stomach that burned his insides and made him feel weak and nauseous.

Drefan had simply ignored Israel's starving at first, but one day he walked in to start the day's torture while still eating an apple. It hadn't taken long for him to notice Israel's desperate, wide eyes linger on the small fruit, and he had quickly taken a delight in the discovery. At least once each day the man would open the door and step inside with a full plate of foods, often arranged in detail with wide varieties of dishes. Then he would pull up a chair and small table in front of where Israel hung by his wrists and eat, slowly and with deliberate care. The sight was as tormenting as any thumb screw.

Israel felt the drool leak down his chin until a small puddle had formed on the ground below his dangling feet. Drefan seemed particularly amused at the sight as he ate and watched in silence. Though the drool was caused in part by Israel's still fractured jaw from Drefan's morning exertions, he doubted it would have looked any different had his body been whole. Every second he stared at the food before him, took in the wafting aromas, or heard the chomping, smacking sounds as Drefan chewed, it felt as though a knife was being turned and twisted inside of him. And he knew how that felt.

"You look hungry, my boy." Drefan said between mouthfuls of sausage. "Would you like some food?"

Israel tried to tell himself that it was yet another trick, yet another one of Drefan's gleeful torments, but he couldn't help himself. He nodded slowly.

"Yes...please…"

Drefan chuckled, sopping up egg yolk with what looked like cinnamon toast. "You do look like you could use some nourishment. Why haven't you been eating, man? It's not healthy, you know."

Israel hung silently, the layer of dried tears caked onto his face cracking as he closed his eyes tight.

"Please...anything…"

"Tell you what. You apologize to me for what you did, and I'll give you some food."

Israel tried to slow his galloping heart, tried to warn himself not to get hopeful. It was just another one of Drefan's cruel tricks. But hope was all he had.

"I'm so sorry...for what I did. So sorry. Please. Forgive me…"

Drefan clutched his stomach as he belched, then turned his attention to devouring the four over easy eggs bordering the left side of the large platter.

"That's very good, you pathetic little man. Very good indeed." He glanced up at Israel while gesturing at the food with his fork. "Which do you want? You have to pick one. The scrambled eggs? I have to warn you, I didn't make them as good as I usually do, I was in a hurry this morning. How about the pancakes? They look wonderful, don't they? The trick is to put some baking powder in the batter, it makes them thick and fluffy. Or is it the sausage that you're interested in? It's not bacon, but goddamn if it doesn't smell amazing."

Israel sucked in some air as he swallowed. "Anything...please...I'll take anything."

Drefan rolled his eyes. "You have to choose, you fucking idiot. What do you want?"

Israel's eyes darted between Drefan's glare and the mountain of breakfast foods stacked atop the platter. He had no idea what he should say, which he should choose, so he just said something.

"The eggs...please...may I please have...the scrambled eggs?"

Drefan beamed up at him. "Of course! Just give me one moment."

Scooting his chair back as he stood, Drefan lifted the platter and, fork in hand, began walking around the table. Israel's heart felt like it might burst. No dream, no joy, no passion he had ever had in his life matched how badly he ached for this to be true.

Walking casually past Israel, Drefan went to the door and opened it with his free hand. Using the fork, he scraped the steaming pile of scrambled eggs outside into the dirt. The muffled sound of the food shattering into pixelated shards was all that broke the silence as Drefan watched him. Israel dropped his head as the depression, the overwhelming sorrow of all hope being ripped from him, enveloped his mind once again.

After breakfast, the day's torture officially began. Drefan started by making a small incision in Israel's stomach and then seizing hold of a length of small intestine with one of the metal clamps. Once he was sure he had a firm grip, Drefan began pulling. The slimy, ropy organ was pulled through the incision, first by inches, and then by feet. After around four feet of intestines had been pulled out, Drefan had to fetch a metal rod to wrap the organ around like a spool of yarn.

By the time the entire small intestine had been removed, Israel had blacked out several times and his screams threatened to shake the walls. Drefan paused to use several health crystals on him before switching to the next tool. Next came the flaying knife. Using a razor sharp, single edged blade fitted with a curved end to peel away any loose flaps, Drefan began the arduous task of removing every square inch of skin on Israel's body. Though he first started in at the ankle due to it's angled skin and thus easier starting area, Drefan hadn't gotten far when he switched over to the hands. After flaying the skin up to Israel's shoulder, he switched again to the neck for a while before returning to the ankles. He was like a sick, demented artist, creating the borders of his piece before working his way to the center. Israel's face came last.

Several times, Israel's skin would begin to return before Drefan had finished removing it all, forcing him to go back and redo areas he had already flayed. After the third time, Drefan got angry. Less careful now, he cut deeper, ripping away chunks of flesh along with skin as he tried to pick up speed and finish the flaying in time. Though it took nearly all of the remaining day, Drefan finally completed it. Taking a step back when he realized he had at last cut all the skin away, the big man clapped his hands as if to congratulate himself.

After leaving to eat dinner, he returned awhile later to get in one last hour or two with another tool before allowing exhaustion to finally overcome his twisted energy and go to bed. Israel admitted that if nothing else, the man was at least dedicated to his work.

The next day offered the usual same; Drefan tortured and tormented Israel in both mind and body, pausing only to eat and sleep. It was like an endless cycle of misery, an eternity of pain that could never be stopped. Though Israel at first held fast to the belief that eventually Drefan would tire of his games and release him into the loving arms of death, he began to realize that it would never end. His captor was the embodiment of evil, the devil, one who had not only patience, but joy in his work.

The days continued to pass filled with nothing but unimaginable pain and Drefan's frequent, impassioned speeches on how torture was an artform. According to him, it was the greatest of jobs, one that had been responsible for every feat, every achievement, every civilization created by man throughout their history. Without torture, he maintained, and the men who possessed the steel, nerve, and uniqueness to perfect it, humanity would even now be in the clutches of another Dark Age.

Each day, Drefan seemed to have invented new and more creative ways to inflict pain. Each night Israel would hang silently above the floor, the sharp iron bands cutting painfully into his wrists, wondering how the man could possibly hurt him any worse, telling himself that at least he had already experienced it all. The next day would always prove him wrong.

Whenever Drefan was gone, Israel imagined himself in paradise. After all, not feeling any pain, even if was for just a short span of time, had to be a privilege that only those in the heavens could possibly possess. Yet as time went on, such bliss become less and less common. Drefan's habits changed as he grew more attached to the prospect of all day torment. He ate little and slept less. Soon he had begun skipping meals altogether in order to spend more time learning how to perfect his tools. Sometimes, when he believed he might have an idea for a new invention, he stayed all night, never tiring in his trial and error tortures. He set up a small bed in one of the corners of the room so that when he felt like staying the night he could still get an hour or two of sleep before dawn.

In the mornings, whenever Drefan began to stir from the bed or the door began to squeak open, Israel would find urine running down his leg.

"Who's Naomi?" Drefan said one afternoon as he paused in his work to wipe away the sweat and stretch out his back.

Israel's good eye opened wide and stared back at him. His right eye had just been drilled through in one of Drefan's efforts to reach some muscle in the front of his head. Israel was rarely able to pay attention to everything that was said, could hardly ever keep his shattered mind focused anymore. Yet now he stared at Drefan with a clarity of mind he hadn't known in weeks.

"What did...you say?"

Drefan scratched his jaw as he shrugged. "You call her name out a lot these days. You didn't use to back when you were more...present." He chuckled. "Lately you're more a pile of blubbering deadweight than a man. Still, you call the name out often. Usually when I'm delivering the peak of pain. Who is she?"

Israel said nothing. Images of the woman he loved flashed into his mind. He was surprised by what Drefan said. Lately, Israel's memory had gotten so bad that at times he couldn't remember his own name, let alone anyone else's. There were times when he was so mired in the sea of agony that forever dwelled within him that he forgot where he had come from, where he was, and how he had gotten into the room he now thought of as the full extent of the world. On the rare occasion Drefan left now, Israel imagined the man exiting into another universe, some otherworldly plane of existence beyond the bounds of reality. Yet, how could Drefan be lying? He had never known Naomi.

Drefan leaned closer, a mischievous grin lighting up his features.

"Come now, we're friends aren't we? I'd say we know each other better than most. I know you inside and out, and that's a fact. Is Naomi a girl you like in the real world? A wife, maybe?"

Israel felt like he had been immersed in ice cold water as thoughts, feelings, memories, all came rushing back into him. Comprehension had returned, bringing with it reason, even if momentarily. He thought of the rings Jae had shown him, the wedding rings designed for couples to share. He remembered asking Jae to be his best man. He missed his brother.

Then he remembered the joy in his heart, the hope, when he had finally realized the extent of his love for Naomi and wanted to marry her. He had envisioned a house for the two of them, a two story mansion with a mini-bar in the kitchen, like Naomi always wanted. The walls would be painted blue. Just like her old house. Neither of them had liked the color much before SAO began, but they had both come to think of blue as the only color they could ever again use, so fervently was it displayed throughout the house. Even the furniture and floors had been various shades of indigo or azure.

"She's everything…" Israel whispered as he looked up at the stone ceiling, beyond Drefan's demonic eyes. "Naomi is...the sun."

Drefan laughed heartily as he smiled. "Sounds like someone's in love. Not surprising, considering how often you call her name, even when you're in complete delirium from the pain. Still, I can't believe you never told me. Is she what keeps you going through all this? You want to live to see her again?"

Israel blinked at him.

Memories of the crushing emptiness, the heartbreaking agony, that had swept through him and very nearly destroyed his soul when he first found out she was dead returned. They swept back through him, like an uninvited guest that had come to stay indefinitely. Tears welled his eyes.

"She's gone…" He whispered, more to himself than Drefan. "She's gone...forever. Now all is dark and empty."

Drefan laughed again. "I disagree. I'm living in paradise. The sun shines on me with love and warmth. I can feel destiny flowing within my veins as I work. Each new invention drives me to new heights. Without you, without this game, I could never have soared so high. But I intend to fly higher still. Let's try something new shall we?"

Israel didn't care. What did it matter what Drefan did to him? The world was a pointless, purposeless place without Naomi. There was no torture his captor could ever inflict that would match the pain of knowing he would never see her again, that she had died never knowing he loved her.

When Drefan returned to the table with the next tool, Israel did something he had never done before. Instead of fearing the pain, recoiling from it, resisting it, he embraced it. Anything was better than feeling the nothingness in his heart, the despair, the loneliness. Pain was a mercy compared to the sorrow he had felt at her death. Before his capture, he had buried the sadness with cold rage, with death and blood. If he could no longer do that, he would use the only other means available to him to avoid the abyss of heartache.

Steeling himself, Israel forced himself not to flinch from the pain as Drefan again plied his tools inside his tortured body. He felt the waves of pain roll over him, and instead of tremble in anticipation of them or lock his muscles in fear of the torment, he pulled those layers into him, one after the other. Seizing hold of the agony, he refused to let it go and instead devoured it with his mind, allowing it to fill every inch of his being while at the same time reaching for more.

And then he realized that he wasn't feeling the torture. He could see Drefan's knife ripping him open, see the iron rod as it sloshed around his insides, but it didn't bother him at all. He felt the pain, to be sure, but it was no longer hurting him, ruining his mind, destroying his memories, his sanity. It was feeding him. He was immune to the agony.

As quickly as the realization dawned on him, his concentration broke.

A scream escaped his mouth as he lost his grip on the pain and it again lanced through his mind, shattering his world and plunging him in the black sea of despair and misery that he had come to know so well since his capture. He tried to focus his frail strength on again taking hold of the pain, embracing it, but he could not. He writhed there on the rack, screaming and crying until his voice gave out and his eyes became dry of tears.

By the end of the day, Israel had tried to embrace the pain four more times, but he couldn't seem to escape the torment that Drefan inflicted on him. When he finally stopped and put all the tools back in their neatly arranged places on the tabletop for the night, Israel was almost disappointed that he couldn't continue trying. For a moment, as brief as it had been, he had been immune to the pain.

…

The next day, Israel tried again. He grasped at the pain, tried to seize it with his mind, but always found himself unable to concentrate enough, unable to clear his mind of fear or anticipation of the coming torment. As the hours passed, he tried to analyze what he had done the day before, how he had gone about making the pain help him rather than hurt him. The day was nearly over when he last understood what he had to do. Blocking out all doubt, all fear, all resistance to the harm he suffered was the only to gain command of the pain, but in order to embrace and devour it, he needed to do more than just block out the weakness. He needed to truly hunger for the torture, to fully commit to wanting to be hurt.

Drefan closed in once more with another tool, and Israel gritted his teeth as he silently demanded the pain to once more flow through him. When it did come, the struggle truly began. He had captured the pain once, but it had been mostly on accident and without full knowledge of what he was doing. Now, he had to work doubly hard, taxing his mind to it's limit in order to hunger for pain while keeping his intent going.

He felt the familiar waves of pain as the torture lanced through his body and set his nerves on fire. Instead of shying away, Israel launched his mind forward, diving into the abyss of agony, the torrent of fiery despair. Clutching at the pain, Israel refused to let it go, refused to allow it to get the better of him anymore. Somehow, he knew that this was the key to his survival. This was his chance at freedom. And it had been Naomi who showed it to him.

Focusing on his need for the pain to fill the void of sadness left by his heart's eternal absence, Israel delved further, allowing every inch of his being to be consumed by madness, by agony beyond the understanding or comprehension of ordinary men. He thrived on the pain, hungered for more, drawing fresh waves deeper into his being as he wrestled for dominance. He flourished on torment, was fed by suffering so profound that it threatened to wipe out everything he was. Yet he refused to fear it. Deeper and deeper he swam out into the current of unending pain, subduing it and bending it to his will. He wasn't the victim of pain, he was its master. There was no suffering that could hurt him as long he used it to suit his own ends. Agony wasn't fixed. It was flexible.

The very idea was pure madness, and Israel felt that insanity very nearly pull him over the edge. He knew that he was walking a fine line between master and broken, mindless slave. Yet still he pressed on. He had nothing to lose. Drefan was going to keep him there forever, he had said so himself. If Israel did nothing, he was doomed to an existence of never ending oblivion, of pointless torture for the sake of a psychopath's pleasure.

He looked at what was happening to him, what Drefan was doing, and almost laughed. He was immune to pain. Immune to what was being done to him even at that very moment. Naomi had shown him the way. Yet he was still chained, still tied down on the rack without weapon, gear, or chance of surprise. If he revealed his ability now, tried to fight back against his captor here, he would lose, and it would all be for nothing. Furthermore, he needed to be sure he had a full grip on his mastery, not just now, but at all times. If his will wavered for even an instant, he would go back to being a helpless, tortured body. Israel knew that in doing this, in fully being able to not only withstand pain in all its misery, but also to crave it, would cost him a part of his sanity. But if that was what it took for vengeance on Drefan and all the other orange players, he was more than happy to make the exchange.

Yes, he had to wait. He would need to watch, listen, bide his time. He would need to continue feeding the idea that Drefan owned his life, his body, his very soul. If his captor were to ever begin to suspect, he would greatest advantage. If he lost the element of surprise, his freedom would be lost before it could be won. Worse than that, though, his vengeance would be gone with it. And he had every intention of having that vengeance. Every intention indeed.

Israel's lip curled into a small grin as Drefan cut open his kidneys.


	55. Chapter 55

55

April 18th, 2023

Floor 19, Highland Caves

Israel awoke to the sound of the door opening.

No sunlight bathed the walls of the room as usual. Instead, a gust of wind came tumbling through the entranceway, filling Israel's nostrils with much needed fresh air. He could smell pine, oak, and freshly crushed leaves. The sudden oxygen was a wonderful respite from the prevailing scent of sweat and fear that yet clung to the walls. Israel doubted the room would ever lose the smell. Yet now, things had changed. Fear and misery no longer mired his mind, crushing his hope and desire for vengeance. The pain Drefan inflicted no longer served him. It belonged to Israel.

In the days since he had first discovered how to make himself immune to the pain, Israel's clarity and cognitive thought had quickly returned to him, filling his mind with the inferno of rage that he had allowed to dominate his thoughts since Naomi's death. He wanted vengeance for what had befallen him, for what had befallen Naomi. Blood demanded blood.

Channeling each day's torture into his being without restraint or fear had been an arduous task that required complete concentration at first, but now, he had fully mastered the insanity of it. He had had to keep up appearances in order to avoid Drefan's suspicions, of course, so he acted in much the same way he had since his capture: defeated, terrified, weak, and half dead from the mind numbing torment. He well knew how he had been before mastering the pain, so it was easy to fall back into the motions.

Now though, he was finally ready.

He had spent the last few days sleeping as often as possible whenever Drefan wasn't around. He needed to gather his strength for what he was about to do. During the day, when he was being tortured, he drew the pain into him again and again, until he could make himself immune to it without even needing a second thought. At the same time, he used the torture, the agony, to fuel his rage and let it gather within him until it was nearly impossible to keep it in check. Sometimes, when he was alone in the darkness of the night, hanging from the ceiling and chained by the wrists with Drefan sleeping in the corner of the room, Israel would find himself laughing at the madness of it all. Laughing as he contemplated the deaths of every orange player in the game.

He eyed Drefan as the big man stepped inside the room, his cloak and hood rustling violently around him, as if desperately trying to escape the shoulders on which they were fastened. Israel had to remind himself not to smile as Drefan entered. Today was going to be his final test. If he could go through the entire day without feeling any pain, he knew he would be ready. He was fully confident that he already was, but it never hurt to be absolutely sure. Besides, the pain was no longer any threat to him, no longer anything to be feared. It only made him stronger, fuelled his fury. Tonight would be the night. Drefan would get what was coming to him.

Grunting from the effort as he forced his body weight against the door, Drefan heaved himself forward, slamming it closed. The howling wind beat against the door, furiously trying to get back inside.

Drefan took a step back and removed the black cloak and hood. It looked like something Laughing Coffin members might wear.

"Storm's coming." Drefan said to Israel as he headed over to the table top that held his arsenal of tools. "I had no idea the weather mechanics were so advanced in this game. I continue to find new reasons to love it."

Israel craned his head up a bit as he spoke up, taking care to slur his words as if his mind was still bogged down in the sludge of pain. "There's...storm?"

Drefan shrugged. "Rainstorm I guess. The sky is clouded over and it's going to get dark soon, and tonight it's going to be extra bad out there."

Israel was thankful for his luck. After he was done with Drefan, he could use the cover of the storm to figure out where he was and how to get some gear together without fear of orange players about. No one would be wandering around on a stormy night; the low visibility and treacherous terrain slick with mud and water would make it far too hazardous for the player base to be out farming or questing. That in turn would mean no orange players would be out hunting them. All he would have to worry about would be mobs, but Israel no longer held much concern for them. Players were the real threat.

"Unfortunately," Drefan continued as he picked up one of his hacksaws and ran his thumb along the edge to be sure it was still sharp. "I didn't have any luck bringing some breakfast in today. I know how much you love to watch me eat." He glanced up at Israel and grinned demonically.

Israel put on a bleak, hopeless face.

"Well then," Drefan picked up a thumb screw with his other hand and walked over to where Israel hung suspended just above the ground. It couldn't have been more than a few inches, but he still towered a head over Drefan. "Let's start the day off with the thumb screw attached to your hand while I use the hacksaw to determine which bones are the most difficult to saw through. Should be a good warm up, don't you think?"

Israel blinked and licked at his chapped lips. "Please….no more...I'll do anything...please…"

Drefan nodded knowingly. "I'm sure you would. Apologize to me for what you did and I might consider it. Go on then, apologize."

"I'm so sorry…" Israel whispered in a quivering voice. "Please...I'm so sorry for...for what I did…"

Drefan watched, his mouth curled in twisted pleasure as Israel pleaded with him.

"Beg my forgiveness, you miserable little shit. You worthless little slave. Beg."

"I beg of you…" Israel gasped for air, making his body tremble. He brought on some tears until they had made a wet trail down his face and began dribbling down his chin. He could taste the salt on his lips. "Please...I beg you to...to forgive me...for what I...please…"

Drefan raised a hand and patted israel affectionately on the shoulder. "There's a good little pet. You always know how to make me happy. Now then, let's get started."

He attached the thumb screw. It was his latest version of the device, one that he was most proud of. Instead of just twisting and crushing one finger, he had refashioned it to now have slots for all five at once. Furthermore, he had set a mechanism inside the instrument that automatically set it to it's task without the need of a twisting rod or lever. Instead, all it needed was Israel's hand to move or tremble slightly, and it would begin its work. In this way, Drefan could apply the thumb screw and still be free to work elsewhere. It was quite the convenience for him.

Drefan tapped the thumbscrew once he had it fastened to Israel's fingers, getting it started. Then he began sawing through his kneecap. Used on an ordinary man, the thumbscrew's first gout of pain would be more than enough to keep the hand trembling and the fingers twitching, thereby allowing the device to continue it's work indefinitely.

But against Israel, who now had total mastery over his pain, he could effortlessly make his hand still if he so wished it. That would simply arouse suspicion though, so he kept his fingers tapping and twitching, never once ceasing as the thumb screw destroyed and ripped out his fingers. Without even trying, he immersed himself in the pain, swimming deeper and deeper out into the sea of agony as he drew it within himself. He felt it all, and yet at the same time felt nothing. He was immune to suffering. He was the master of pain.

After about an hour had passed, Drefan felt a little ambitious and attached another thumb screw to Israel's other hand, tapping it lightly to set it to work. Israel now kept both hands moving as he watched the tools destroy his fingers and joints, all the while hungering for the pain. Craving it. Devouring it.

Around lunchtime Drefan switched to the head crusher, an iron cap fixed to the head attached to a long, vertical rod handle that, when twisted, slowly applied pressure until it began destroying the jaw, teeth, and eventually the skull. Drefan was careful with this though, keeping an eye on Israel's health and ensuring that his skull was never harmed. After all, he had to be sure his victim was kept alive.

The day passed slowly, as all the days had since Israel's capture, but now he relished whatever Drefan brought to bear on him, relished the chance to further test his control over agony. All day, he screamed and cried and begged in much the same way he always had. All day, Drefan went about his work in his usual excited and cheerful manner. Finally night came, and with it, the storm.

Israel heard the thunder boom out across the heavens, sometimes so loud that it might once have hurt his eardrums. Drefan didn't seem to notice, however, and kept at his work with all the energy he could muster. At around midnight, Israel knew the man wouldn't last much longer. He had grown accustomed to Drefan's body language, the way his eyes flagged when he was exhausted, the way his smile flickered into a more intense expression when he was trying to fight off sleep.

At last, at nearly two in the morning, Drefan set down the tools and, after ensuring Israel was secure where he hung, he went off into the corner and went to sleep in the makeshift bed. When Israel heard the man's slow, even breathing, he knew the time had come. This was it.

Lightning crackled outside as the storm picked up, the howling wind and heavy rain crashing against the door, causing an eery, haunting sound to emanate around the stone room. Thunder roiled out overhead, threatening to split the sky with it's fury. It was dark in the room, the dimly lit lamp above the tabletop struggling unsuccessfully to keep the darkness at bay. Israel didn't mind. He knew every inch of the room by heart. Had it been pitch black, he still would've known where everything was.

Israel glanced at the tools arrayed neatly on the tabletop. For a moment he played with the idea of somehow grabbing hold of the tools and waking Drefan up with some greatly owed pain, but he quickly abandoned the thought. There was only one way out, and it ruled out any use of the tools. At least at first. He looked up at the sharp, wiry iron bands that cut painfully into his wrists and kept his arms hanging above his head. He knew what he had to do.

With a tug, Israel rubbed his wrists along the sharp edges of the thin manacles. The metal slashed open small cuts along his skin, but barely diminished his health. Drefan always healed him completely before going to bed, and Israel intended to use that to his advantage. Again he tugged against the bands, forcefully sliding his wrists against the iron edges. The cuts opened wider. Israel smiled to himself as he embraced the pain like a lover, caressing it, drawing it within himself. He glanced at Drefan. The man was snoring lightly from underneath the blankets. There was a sword at his belt, but Israel had never even seen him draw it, and as long he was asleep, it would mean nothing.

Putting his mind completely into the task, Israel began sliding his hands against the metal bands in earnest, back and forth as if he were using a saw. Before long, the skin was completely torn and now the bands were carving through the red flesh and muscle. The whole time, Israel continued immersing himself in the pain, allowing it to flood through every fiber of his being as he continued cutting open his wrists on the metal that bound him. He cut faster, knowing that if he didn't work quickly enough, the system would heal his wounds and he would have to start all over again.

There was a loud rasping sound as the metal bands hit bone.

Israel stopped, surprised by the noise as he focused his gaze through the darkness at Drefan's sleeping form. The big man stopped snoring for a brief, tense moment, but then continued in earnest. Israel sighed, glancing back up at his partially severed hands. The flesh and muscle had all been cut through, and the white bone stood out in bright contrast to the dark room.

 _There's nothing for it. I have to keep going and get it done as quickly as possible, no matter how loud it is._

With renewed effort, Israel dragged his exposed wrist bones against the sharp metal edges. Again the rasping sound filled the room, but Israel knew he couldn't halt, and continued at a faster pace. Again and again he let the edge cut through his bone, sending more and more pain through him. Israel eagerly embraced the anguish, channeling it within him as sweat beaded his brow. He looked up and saw that the bone wasn't yet halfway carved through. He worked even faster.

He was down to about a third of the bone on both wrists when Drefan stopped snoring.

Not daring to slow down now, Israel blinked away more beads of sweat falling into his eyes. He had to get through the rest of the bone. He had to do it now.

"What the fuck are you doing over there?" Came Drefan's confused, dazed, voice as he lifted his head off the pillow.

Israel ignored him and kept pulling, kept dragging, kept forcing the bands that restrained him to cut deeper still into his bone. It wasn't working fast enough.

Drefan stumbled to his feet as he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. When he saw what Israel was doing, a dark, menacing look lit across his features. He stepped out of the blanket around his feet.

"What do you think you're doing?"

Panting from the exertion, Israel sawed with all his might. The bone was almost entirely cut through, but still it held on, keeping his body connected to his hands as he hung helplessly in the air.

"You're going to suffer for-"

With a snarl, Israel used his upper body to heave himself up until his chin met the chains. Then, he forced himself to drop down with all his strength.

Bone splintered apart as his hands broke away, then dissipated into pixelated shards before they could follow him to the ground.

Israel landed on his feet with some difficulty. It had been weeks, months even, since he had used his legs. He dropped his handless arms to his sides as a bewildered Drefan stopped in his tracks.

Israel's face lit up into a demonic grin as he strode forward. He was unarmed, half naked, and without hands, but he already knew how this would end. He let the rage loose inside him. It felt like a volcanic eruption as fury boiled through his veins.

Taking a hesitant step back, Drefan's hand dropped to his sword. He blinked as his fingers curled confidently around the weapon. Steel flashed as he began drawing it.

"How the hell did you-"

Closing the distance between them, Israel lifted his leg and kicked Drefan square in the chest, his bare foot thudding painfully against the chainmail tunic. Drefan toppled back several feet, his back hitting the table and sending one or two tools plummeting to the ground.

Israel continued to advance on him as Drefan stumbled forward into a standing position, using his arms on the tabletop to steady himself.

"I want you to apologize." Israel said with a dark, twisted grin as he again closed the distance. "Apologize to me for what you did."

With a shout, Drefan's right arm grabbed a small hammer resting on the table and swung it out with all his might. He had realized he couldn't draw the sword at his hip in time, so he had instead opted for blunt weapon crashed into the side of Israel's face, shattering the left side of his jaw and knocking his head to the right. Several teeth flew out across the room.

Devouring the pain without a second thought, Israel immediately twisted his head back around until he was again facing Drefan. He felt the left side of his jaw hanging slightly.

He smiled.

Drefan paled at the sight. It was obvious he had expected the blow to knock Israel from his feet, stunned and senseless. If it had been anyone else, he would've been right.

Bringing his elbow up sharply, Israel rammed it into Drefan's face, breaking his nose and causing him to cry out in pain as he again stumbled back into the table. More tools toppled to the ground. Israel laughed as he stepped forward.

"You call that an attack? You're weaker than I expected, Drefan. Now, I'd like to hear that apology."

In a rage, Drefan again swung the hammer, but this time Israel knew it was coming and ducked before pivoting smoothly on his left foot and twisting around until he was up beside Drefan. Completing the motion, Israel slammed his left elbow into the man's gut.

Drefan doubled over in surprise and pain as the wind was knocked from his lungs. The hammer fell from his fingers. Straightening, Israel brought his knee up hard into Drefan's lowered face.

Toppling backwards as his arms flew outward in a desperate attempt to catch himself, Drefan fell onto the table, knocking it down sideways along with him as he slid off and fell to the floor. Dozens of tools fell all over the floor as the table hit the ground beside Drefan's groaning body.

Standing above him, Israel sneered as he brought one of his bare feet up.

"Apologize to me for what you did."

He kicked Drefan in the face with the heel of his foot, then brought his knee back and kicked him again. He smirked at the face of his captor as the blows began splitting his jaw. He could see Drefan trying to scream, but he kept kicking, forcing the man's teeth to begin shattering inside his mouth.

"I said, apologize to-"

Just before he could bring his foot down for another kick, Drefan seized hold of one of the knives scattered along the floor and drove it deep into the back of Israel's kneecap.

Israel was immune to the pain, but his body still reacted to wounds and his leg buckled, throwing him off balance as he skidded past Drefan, who panted desperately through splintered teeth as he struggled to his feet.

Israel forced himself up on his good leg, knowing that whoever rose first would have the advantage. Turning back to face the threat as he limped forward, Israel was just in time to see Drefan free his sword and lunge it at Israel's heart. Unable to sidestep or retreat in time, Israel instead brought his forearm down over the blade, lowering it as it sped onward. Drefan shoved the steel into Israel's gut with a cry, stabbing deeper until it became lodged between some organs.

Israel let the pain wash over him, drawing it deeper within himself as he embraced it with his mind. He saw his health dropping dangerously close to the yellow and red border. If he hadn't managed to redirect the aim of Drefan's lunge in time, it would have pierced his heart and he would have died instantly.

Without so much as a flinch as Drefan tugged on the sword in an effort to pull it out, Israel took a step forward, forcing the blade in deeper as he closed the distance between them. Panic stretched onto Drefan's features as he again tried to tug the blade out, but Israel took another step forward. He felt the sword jut out of his back as he eagerly craved for the pain, channeling it within him. Before Drefan could tug a third time, Israel had forced his body up to the hilt. Snapping his neck forward, he headbutted Drefan hard enough to knock him back several steps.

Ignoring both the sword impaled through his abdomen and his flagging health, Israel continued his advance. He knew he would have to end the battle quickly.

Tears of pain and fear shimmered in Drefan's eyes as he crawled to the table that had been knocked over onto it's side. Israel was nearly upon him when the man pulled out Silverthorne and swung it wide in an effort to keep Israel back.

Darting back on his good leg, Israel felt his fury rise to new heights as he saw the sword Naomi had gifted him in the hands of such a man.

"That doesn't belong to you." Israel said menacingly as he strode forward without fear. "You don't deserve to touch that sword."

Again Drefan swung the weapon, but Israel dodged it effortlessly. The blow had been choppy and delivered too wide, making it easy to react to. Drefan slashed at him, and Israel merely sidestepped as he kept advancing.

"Fucking die!" Drefan screamed through his fractured jaw, swinging the sword in wild, weaving patterns all around as he desperately tried to cut Israel down.

It was obvious that the man was no swordsman. His blows were clunky and forced. There was no elegance, no skill involved. He wielded the steel as if it were a simple cudgel or bat, hacking and slashing in crude, basic manoeuvres that Israel found repulsive. It was a mockery of the art of swordsmanship, a subject Israel had a wealth of knowledge and experience in.

Relaxing his muscles and keeping his legs bent, Israel used his skill in combat and his knowledge of Silverthorne's weight and length to easily dodge, duck, and sidestep the flurry of blows Drefan threw at him, all the while advancing closer in small steps. Several times, Israel felt the steel slice past, scant inches from where he had been standing a moment before.

As a last resort, Drefan put all his strength into a final blow, swinging Silverthorne around in an effort to behead him. Israel lowered his head and watched as the blade glided through the air above him. Without slowing down, he flung himself around, whipping behind Drefan before the man could slow the momentum of his swing and attack once more. Now at Drefan's back, Israel wrapped one of his powerful arms around the man's neck and used his other arm to lock the chokehold in place. His hands were still missing, but he hadn't needed them. With a tight squeeze, Israel grinned as he felt Drefan opening his mouth in a desperate attempt to get some air. His eyes popped with panic. His forehead was covered in sweat. Israel kept squeezing.

Thunder boomed above them, rattling the stone walls. Wind and rain beat with maddening fury against the door, and Israel heard more lightning crackle out not far away. Writhing like a freshly caught fish, Drefan struggled with everything he had to break free, to pry his fingers underneath Israel's muscled arms, but he couldn't get out. After a long moment, he dropped Silverthorne and began to go limp. His eyelids began to close.

"Oh, no." Israel whispered into his ear as he let up some of the pressure. "Don't think I'm letting you go that easily. I want to hear your apology."

Drefan wheezed against Israel's forearm, sucking in a small trickle of air, but he no longer had the strength to resist. He was completely limp in Israel's arms.

At that moment, Israel's hands returned to him. He flexed his fingers as he smiled.

"Just in time. My health was beginning to worry me."

Opening Drefan's menu with his fingers, Israel quickly filtered through the screens until he found the health potions. Quickly, he held one above himself. "Heal!"

After going through a few more while still keeping Drefan at the cusp of death, Israel quickly emptied out everything in the inventory, allowing dozens of items, gear, and pouches of Col to fall to the floor all around them. When he had gotten everything out, he seized hold of the back of Drefan's hair and bashed his head against the floor to keep him stunned.

Rising, Israel quickly retrieved Silverthorne and removed the blade buried in his gut, eagerly embracing the pain.

"How can you…do that?" Drefan asked shakily from the ground as he watched Israel drop the sword, the steel clattering to the ground.

Israel smiled at him as he held Silverthorne.

"You taught me how to endure pain. Well, not you so much, but I would never have learned if it weren't for you. I'm now immune to suffering. You've made me stronger than ever. I thank you for that."

Hoisting Drefan up over his shoulder, Israel carried the big man over to the sharp iron manacles that hung from the ceiling. It took him a few moments to get Drefan's dead weight hanging by his wrists, but when he was finished, he stepped back for a moment to grin.

"Apologize for what you did to me, Drefan."

Terrified tears rolled down Drefan's face, but he shook his head.

"I'll never apologize to the likes of you." He sobbed. "Don't think I've forgotten how weak...how pathetic...you really are. I remember you pissing yourself each day, whenever you heard that door open. I'll never...never...apologize to you."

Israel shrugged, beaming up at him, as Drefan's words came back to him.

"I see you're going to make this hard. I respect that, Drefan. It would've been no fun otherwise." He paused when he saw Drefan's face twist in panic as the big man tugged at the chains that bound him. It was obvious he thought he might be able to do the same thing Israel had in order to get free.

"It's really quite simple, Drefan. I'll give you a hint on how to get free. You just have to take control of the pain. You can't fear it." He laughed heartlessly when he saw Drefan cry out in agony after rubbing his hands once against the sharp iron bands. "Come now, Drefan. I thought you were a connoisseur when it came to torment. An artist, dedicated to creating the masterpiece of torture, right?" He shook his head. "Looks like you were never as special as you thought."

Drefan shook his head as he cried, his broken teeth reforming in his mouth. "No...no...I'm special...the world needs me…"

"The world will never know you existed." Israel leaned forward meaningfully as he chuckled. "Once I'm done with you, I'm going to burn every single one of your tools. I'm going to destroy everything you've devoted yourself to. And you? You'll shatter into pieces, taken from the universe before you could even get back to the real world." Israel paused. "But don't think I'm going to be killing you quickly.

"We have a few hours until dawn, and I want to be gone before then. Now, I doubt I can extract even a fraction of the pain you've inflicted on me these past two months, let alone in a few hours time span, but rest assured, I will try my very best. I also want you to know that I'm going to use what I've learned during my time with you to help me murder every last orange player in SAO. Now then." He looked around, then picked up several tools lying on the floor.

Drefan began to shake with terror. Snot bubbled out around one of his nostrils.

Israel walked up to him with a tongue clamp in one hand and a thumb screw in the other. "Drefan, I'm going to spend at least twenty minutes per tool until I've used every device you used on me. Sounds like fun, doesn't it?"

Drefan vomited. Dark green liquid oozed out into his beard and down his chest. Israel laughed and closed the distance between them.

"No, wait!" Drefan screamed in horror, writhing against the chains that kept him suspended in the air. "Wait! Please! Don't! Please don't hurt me!"

Israel cocked his head. "Apologize to me, and I might consider it."

Drefan was silent for a moment as he watched the sneer on Israel's face. After he grew tired of the silence, Israel shrugged.

"Alright, let's get to it."

"I'm sorry!" Drefan sobbed. "Please...I apologize. I'm sorry for what I did to you. I'm so sorry...please."

Israel nodded in approval. "Well done, Drefan. That was good. Really sounded like you meant it." He paused. "Beg my forgiveness."

"I beg of you…please...forgive me for what I've done. I'm so sorry for capturing you and bringing...bringing you here. Please forgive me."

Israel frowned up at him.

"You know, Drefan, I'm disappointed in you. I haven't brought a single tool to your flesh, and already you break. I expected at least a little more spine." He waved the notion off and smiled. "No matter. Let's continue, shall we?"

Drefan screamed. "But you said...you said-"

"I know what I said, Drefan. The thing is, I don't accept your apology.."

The storm raged on, growing in strength as the wind howled and the rain fell, but nothing could drown out Drefan's screams.


	56. Chapter 56

56

May 1st, 2023

Floor 27, Ronbaru Outskirts

Israel watched the guards as they changed posts for the evening. Some of the low hanging branches impaired his vision, so he pushed them aside as he made mental notes on the number and position of the guards, their fields of view, and their state of mind. The replacements for this new shift were tired. That wasn't surprising; it was early morning. The sun hadn't yet come up, but the small glimmer of hazy orange light that protruded from the edge of the horizon betrayed the encroachment of day. He would need to act fast.

Israel had spent the entire night tracking a vassal guild after receiving their general area location from two Laughing Coffin scouts he had ambushed. They were part of a larger detachment that usually spied on the vassal guilds throughout the Floors. In this way, Laughing Coffin could always be sure what their underlings were up to. After paralyzing both players and brutally murdering one, the second had been easy to talk to, though he only knew of five or six vassal guilds; a tiny fraction of the number of orange players out there.

Since the night of Drefan's death, Israel had quickly come to find out that the orange players, and Laughing Coffin in particular, had grown exponentially stronger during the two months of his capture. Of course, there was nothing he could've done to prevent that, but he still found it irksome how the red players could make such effective use of time. They were truly becoming a complex organization, a businesslike empire that had outposts, map knowledge, and players on every Floor. The murder rate among the green player base had continued unabated. Though he hadn't expected the Assault Team to do much, Israel had at least thought that by now they would be concerned enough to try and learn more about the threat posed by Laughing Coffin and it's subservients.

No, he reminded himself, they were concerned only with maintaining their strength by continuing their Floor clearing. They gave little heed to the lives of the innocents, since their loss wouldn't interrupt a Labyrinth raid or lower the chance of a successful dungeon clearing.

One of the new guards rubbed the sleep out of his eyes as he drew his ragged, midnight black Laughing Coffin cloak around himself to stay warm. Israel studied the other Laughing Coffin guards for another moment before glancing beyond them at the armory. It was a small, ramshackle hut that looked to have been made by hand, but it was solid enough. Made with a mixture of brick and wood, the place was simple but effective. With only one door and no windows, it was easy to protect and difficult to get into. Israel knew that inside, hundreds of weapons and suits of armor were probably compiled, either in chests or simply stacked against the walls.

It hadn't been Israel's intention to raid one of Laughing Coffin's storage facilities. He had been tracking the vassal guild through the thick, dense woods when his Detection picked up movement off to the left of the trail he was following. Alarmed that it might be an ambush being set, he had double backed and then gone wide by about a mile before looping around from another angle. It was then that he found the storage area.

The place was smaller than an outpost, and less defended, but that was the point. The storage areas weren't meant to draw attention. After all, there was no defense as impervious as the one no one knew existed. Though Israel's long term plan wasn't to attack the storage facilities until after eliminating the vassal guilds, he had begun to worry about even finding them. The players he captured always knew some bit of information regarding the vassal guilds, Laughing Coffin's HQ or leadership, even the occasional outpost, but none had known anything about the armories. It had quickly become apparent to Israel that PoH, the leader of Laughing Coffin and therefore the mastermind behind the rapidly expanding network of red players, had taken precautions in keeping such valuable information out of the hands of all but his most trusted inner circle. Yet now, Israel had found one.

After studying the small encampment for some time, Israel knew that there were seven Laughing Coffin members assigned to the protection of the armory. Three were awake and on guard, probably at all hours of the day, judging by how routine and smooth the shift change had been among them. One member, probably the leader assigned to the site, never did guard work. Instead, he checked on the men, conducted inspections on the perimeter, and once went inside for some time with a logbook in hand. And that had only been in the past four hours.

Though a small force, Israel had no doubt they were skilled fighters and dedicated men. The way the guards marched sharply along the perimeters, their erect posture as they stood in one place, and even the way their eyes glanced warily this way and that as they scanned the area, all revealed the intense pride they must have felt at being chosen to guard such an important area, as well as their motivation to see it through. Even though this new group of three were obviously tired and had just been woken up from sleep, they quickly shrugged off their exhaustion and went about their tasks with the same eagerness as had their predecessors. The three men now off duty fell in together as they headed past the small tents set up neatly on either side of the hut, no doubt to report the shift change to their commander, who was still inside the primitive armory.

Deciding to wait for another hour until the relieved group was sound asleep, Israel released his hold on the brush and allowed the branches to envelop the opening in front of him as he turned and moved to lean back against a moss covered tree trunk. Opening his menu, he made a quick check on his remaining paralysis potions.

He was down to one.

Sighing, Israel checked Silverthorne's durability, as well as his armor's. After conducting some quick repairs using tool kits he had picked up off the two men he had killed earlier, he waited. Ordinarily he might have simply taken note of the location and then continued on his pursuit of the vassal guild, but his supplies were running low. As an orange player, he was unable to enter any of the towns throughout Aincrad. Instead, he had to rely on scavenging or making whatever he needed. The large number of health potions he had taken from Drefan were nearly gone, and the tool kits hadn't repaired his gear to the height of their durability. These facts, along with his lack of paralysis potions, forced him to action.

Glancing behind him back toward the camp, Israel quickly judged the size of the hut, trying to determine the chances of there being crystals and potions. He figured there had to be, as such supplies were just as vital as weapons and gear, however uncommon or rare they might be. He stopped breathing for a moment when he realized one of the guards was staring at him.

For a fraction of a second, the two players looked at each other, both surprised, both unsure what the other would do now. And then the guard opened his mouth to call out.

 _Looks like I'll be attacking now._

Bolting upright and drawing Silverthorne in one motion, Israel threw himself out of the brush and darted for the man, rapidly closing the distance as he sprinted through the darkness.

"To arms!" The Laughing Coffin player cried out as he drew his sword and ran forward to face Israel. "To arms!"

Their black cloaks billowed out around both players as they reached each other, like pure darkness trying to drag them away from each other and down into the depths. The guard had a scar running down one side of his face, and strands of long, black hair clung to his forehead and cheeks. He raised his one handed longsword for an upward diagonal blow.

Deflecting the strike with Silverthorne as he continued advancing, Israel's leather armored fist slammed into the man's gut, knocking the wind out of him and forcing him back a step. Before the player could adjust his position, Israel brought his fist up, uppercutting the man under his chin and destroying part of his jaw. Thrown upright from the impact, the man opened his mouth to scream in pain. Before he could, Israel swung Silverthorne, the silver steel glinting in the moonlight as it pierced the air with deadly purpose. An instant later, the man's head toppled to the ground before shattering into pixelated shards. His body quickly followed.

Committed now, Israel strode purposefully forward through the path between the two small rows of tents as the other two guards bounded towards him, one closer and from the front, the other from further off to the right. He could hear shouts as men who had only just lain down underneath their blankets now struggled out of their tents with swords in hand. The commander of the unit emerged from within the hut, bellowing for men to defend the armory.

All the while, Israel continued forward.

He knew that as long as the men were scattered, he could fight them separately, individually. So long as that remained the case, he could win fairly easily. If he slowed in his advance, however, or one of them proved to be his match, the rest would quickly join in the fight and through sheer numbers bring him down.

Urged on by his commander's orders, the guard running forward met Israel in the center of the clearing, lunging at him with a long spear that looked to be made of tempered oak.

The attack was meant to make him hesitate, make him step back so the spear could be brought to effective advantage over a sword, but Israel had no intention of retreating. Sidestepping the thrust as he advanced another step, Israel held Silverthorne parallel to him and with one quick, powerful motion, drove the blade into the man's throat and out the back of his skull. Coughing in surprise, the man gurgled once as he tried to breathe before his health bar hit zero. Then he too dissipated into the familiar on death explosion.

Advancing through the shards as they floated through the air around him, Israel saw two of the three off duty guards block his view of the hut as they charged him, one with a sword and shield, the other with a two handed battle axe. At the same moment, he heard the guard on the right scream with fury as he drew closer.

Quickly taking out the last tiny bottle of paralysis, Israel dunked it over one of the steel darts kept at his belt before throwing the bottle at the two players charging at him from the front. The man with the large kiteshield raised it against the now empty bottle, shattering the thin glass.

With his other hand, Israel shot the dart at the man to his right.

The player shuddered for a moment as the paralysis touched him, then crumpled to the ground, unable to move.

With the threat to the right now clear, Israel was just in time to face the two men in front as they reached him. The man with the battle axe swung his heavy weapon in a downward arc aimed for Israel's shoulder at the same moment his comrade lunged with his short sword.

Raising his right hand, Israel caught hold of the long handled haft of the axe just underneath the crescent shaped blade and gritted his teeth as he pushed against the momentum of the swing, forcing the axe to stop halfway through it's swing. At the same time, he twisted his other wrist, parrying the other man's stab with Silverthorne. Still clutching the axe, Israel swung Silverthorne with his sword arm in an overhead attack in an effort to cut down the shield user.

Throwing up his kiteshield, the man blocked the attack. The dull thud of steel crashing against steel echoed out around the camp as the man's shield shook violently from the attack.

Raising his forward leg, the axe wielder kicked Israel hard in the gut, forcing him to release his hold on the axe as he fell back a step. Seeing his opportunity, the sword and shield user swung, slashing open a large cut along Israel's side.

The players no doubt expected him to be momentarily slowed or stunned from the pain of the attacks as his health dipped, for they again charged, eager to put an end to the threat.

But Israel was immune to pain.

Without hesitation, he sidestepped around the shield user as he spun Silverthorne. Now past the man's guard and instead standing beside him, Israel brought his sword down on the man's sword arm, cleaving through it at the elbow.

The man's short sword clattered to the ground as he screamed in pain, but Israel didn't slow. Wrenching the injured man in front of him with all his strength, Israel threw him in the way of the massive axe as the man wielding it swung with all his effort. The crescent bladed axe head buried itself deep into the shield user's chest, completely caving in his sternum.

The shield user exploded into pixelated shards. The man with the axe cried out in surprise at what he had just done while stumbling back to keep some space between them. Israel lunged with unerring accuracy, driving Silverthorne straight into the player's heart.

Now finished with those two, Israel again advanced on the armory just ahead. In front of it now stood the last of the guards with his sword raised. Behind him, the commander ducked inside the hut. What he was going for, Israel had no idea.

Advancing on the last black garbed player, Israel saw the moonlight reflecting off the small tattoo on the man's naked left arm; a face smiling from within an open coffin.

Swinging Silverthorne with lightning speed, Israel's blade met the enemy player's with a sharp clang that pierced the air. The player seemed surprised by the strength of Israel's blow, but didn't back down. Disengaging, he lashed out with a combination attack that utilized speed and technique in order to bring the sword down on multiple locations with rapidity and ease. Israel could see immediately that the man knew his weapon and was skillful in it's use.

Unwilling to be bogged down in a duel while the commander was inside the armory gathering who knew what, Israel wasted no time and used both his sword and his leather bound fist to ward off the assault, both his arms twisting, bending, and flexing as he staved off the multitude of blows. As soon as he saw the man's attack beginning to fold, Israel launched a fierce counter offensive, slashing with his sword while also getting in punches and blocks with his fist at every opportunity.

Unfamiliar with Israel's combat style, the player began taking wounds; first a small leg cut, then a punch to the upper arm that looked to have almost dislocated his shoulder, then a light stab just below the sternum. Retreating from the ferocity of Israel's attacks, the man's face wrinkled in pain as his wounds further hampered his fighting ability.

Israel moved in for the killing blow, his eye already on the door of the hut. With a desperate cry, the enemy player altered the path of his blade at the last minute and swung it around, aiming for Israel's neck. Blinking in surprise, Israel knew he couldn't move Silverthorne to deflect the blow in time, so instead he raised his leather bound hand. Grabbing hold of the blade in much the same way he had seized the axe, Israel saw the sharp edge cleave through the leather protecting the area between his thumb and forefinger. Slicing down, the blade nearly cut his hand in two, but got caught up in the mass of broken leather and flesh and halted in the center of his hand.

Effortlessly embracing the pain, Israel stepped forward and ran the player through before he could let go of his weapon.

Examining his torn open hand as the Laughing Coffin swordsman shattered into pieces, Israel sighed. He had liked that glove.

Making for the door, he stopped short when the commander of the unit charged out towards him, brandishing a polished looking hand and a half longsword that the player hadn't had before. The blade was thin and elegant, but also thick enough to withstand the hardest of blows and the endless clashing of swords against its edge. The steel was bloodred except for a thin bar of black that ran down the center. The razor sharp double edges shone threateningly in the moonlight, as if eager for the of taste blood to match their own color. Israel could tell immediately that the weapon was expertly crafted and designed with such lethal intent that it's profound beauty was marred only with it's terrifying potential.

Raising the weapon in both hands for an overhead blow, the commander bellowed angrily through gritted teeth, determined to kill the man who had just slaughtered his entire unit.

Raising Silverthorne horizontally above him to block the attack, Israel already had his next move planned out when he heard a resounding crash, like the shattering of a thousand pounds of glass. Looking up, his eyes widened in disbelief as he saw the outer layer of silver steel around the impact point, right where the red sword had crashed into it, crumble inward like melting iron before flying out in heated, pressurized shards. A crack appeared on the silver wire wrapped steel.

Kicking the man away as icy terror surged through his being, Israel laid Silverthorne down on the grass gently, watching the crack lengthen around the notched section of blade. His breath caught in his throat as he waited to see if it would break.

That sword was the only thing he had left of Naomi. If it broke, his last connection to her would disappear from the world forever.

Waiting for it to shatter apart was like waiting for the last vestige of her soul to depart from the living and be lost to him once and for all.

Images of her special smile flashed in his mind.

The crack along the edge lengthened, traveling down the blade for a fraction of a second. Then it was still. The blade was damaged, but not broken.

Relief flooded through him as a tear of profound emotion rolled down his cheek.

He heard the man charge at him again.

Rising to his feet in one deadly, swift flourish as his black cape snapped around behind him, Israel saw the commander raise the red sword for another overhead attack. Israel didn't even care. This man had almost destroyed the last bit of Naomi on this earth.

The world went red in his vision.

Screaming in a rage of such wild, unrestrained, barbaric fury coupled with pure bloodlust and searing hatred, Israel shot his left arm forward faster than the man could even think to swing his sword, and with his good hand he ripped the commander's throat out.

Getting a grip on his anger as the man disintegrated into glasslike shards, Israel knelt beside Silverthorne again and gingerly picked up the cracked blade. Returning the weapon to it's sheath, Israel opened his inventory and removed Silverthorne safely into his storage. He paused for a moment, feeling naked without the familiar weight of it at his hip.

Walking forward, Israel retrieved the bloodred longsword. Holding it up as he examined it's item profile screen, he gasped.

A Rare Legendary, the sword's stats were easily far above any weapon he had seen before in the entirety of the time he had been playing SAO. After doing a quick calculation of the strength and damage numbers, he realized that it was well over ten times as powerful as Silverthorne, even having a higher speed value in spite of it's slightly heavier weight and frame. It's bloodred edges seemed to glow with empowered menace. The inky black center looked like an opening into the underworld, an abyss trying to claw it's way out. The two colors contrasted each other, yet at the same time seemed to fit perfectly side by side.

The name of the sword was Apocalypse.

Holding the blade at the ready, Israel quickly went back to kill the paralyzed guard before returning to step inside the hut. He marveled as his eyes took in the sight before him; stacks of Uncommon, Rare, and Legendary swords, axes, maces, shields, and suits of plate and chainmail armor, all lay or stood neatly packed along the walls, allowing a thin walking area down the center for someone to easily grab something from any of the piles. Towards the back, he saw a mound of potions and crystals that was about four feet high. Most were red, and therefore health, and many more were paralysis, but a few of the glass containers were filled with colors Israel had never seen before, nor could he guess their use.

Grinning at his find as he swept a hand along the treasure trove of loot and gear, Israel's eyes quickly caught on a richly made and ornate red and black sheath that could only have belonged to Apocalypse. Reaching for the scabbard, Israel saw an immensely beautiful, shining steel arm guard just behind it. Made of finely wrought, overlapping steel plates bound together with an inside soft steel mesh frame, the armor piece began at the forearm just below the elbow. From there, the steel wound it's way to the hand, fashioned specifically with full mobility in mind, and even had steel rings and small plates made to protect each individual finger.

Sliding his now healed right arm into the armor piece, Israel was amazed at the quality. His hand and fingers fit perfectly into the steel slots, and as he formed his hand into a fist and flexed his forearm, he marvelled at the retained mobility and ease with which he could move and grab. Checking the profile of the item, Israel surprised to find that it wasn't considered an armor piece. Instead, it was a Legendary fist weapon made for those with the Martial Arts skill.

The name of the weapon was the Fist of Fariel.

A small, engraved image of a dark warrior angel, his blood covered wings outstretched while he held a two handed sword before him, stood out menacingly on the vambrace. Israel guessed by the armor on the engraving that the angel was Fariel.

After spending the next hour or so examining the remaining contents of the armory and equipping a red suit of Rare brigandine and plate armor that seemed to match Apocalypse, Israel also put on a larger, inky black cloak that could fully cover his body if he needed it to. Attached to the cloak was a hood and a face mask that covered the lower half of his face up to his eyes.

Packing as much of the potions and crystals into his inventory as he could, Israel also managed to fit half a dozen Rare and Legendary items into his private storage as well. These he had no intention of using since they were either not his style or were not as effective as the weapons and armor he now wore, but he could still sell them for quite a price to shop keeper players or blacksmiths. Of course, finding a green player willing to bargain with a player killer would be next to impossible, but it seemed a shame to let such gear go to waste.

When he could no longer fit anything more into his inventory, Israel set fire to the armory, completely destroying its remaining contents. He smiled as he imagined Laughing Coffin's anger when their leadership, namely PoH, checked on the storage facility and found the place no more than a pile of rubble.

As the fire shot out high into the night sky, Israel slipped silently back into the darkness of the night. Dawn was coming.


	57. Chapter 57

57

May 3rd, 2023

Floor 23, Town of Velloshi

"Sir," One of the officers insisted. "With respect, I believe you need to rejoin the Assault Team. Your place is at the head of us all, leading us in-"

"You're absolutely right, Officer Ritarin." Lind said without looking up from the paper he was writing on. "My place is at the head of everyone. At least, head of everyone in this guild. Wouldn't you say?"

Ritarin looked hesitant. "Yes, sir. But-"

"And as such, don't you think I might know a little more than you do about what I should and shouldn't be doing with my time?"

"Lind, I didn't mean any disres-"

"Or did you simply mean to imply that you would do a better job leading this guild than me?"

Ritarin shook his head fervently. "Of course not, that's not at all what-"

Lind slammed a hand down on the table, hard enough to knock over the ink bottle at the corner of his desk. The black liquid travelled quickly down the legs of the marble table, like arms clawing their way to freedom. Before they could reach the crumbling stone floor, the lanky arms of ink shattered into pixelated shards, along with the broken bottle. Silence enveloped the hall as the other officers, standing in a loose semi-circle a few feet behind Ritarin, straightened and glanced with surprise at their guild leader, but kept quiet.

Lind looked up sharply, the quill still in his hand.

"I've had just about enough of everyone acting like they know better than me, acting like they should be in command. Do you have any idea how many matters I need to attend to each and every day, Ritarin?" He glared at the officers behind the man, his gaze resting for a moment on Jae. "Do any of you?"

Jae crossed his arms but said nothing. The rest of them also remained silent. Avari, standing in the center of the dozen of them, looked pleased by Lind's outburst.

"My first duty," Lind continued, returning his attention to a pale Ritarin. "Is to this guild. Not the Assault Team. Not the Labyrinths. This guild. The Holy Dragon Alliance. It was I who founded us. As such, it is my duty to ensure the safety, well-being, and stability I have promised everyone who wears our colors. Every week, a few more players join us. They do this because they believe in the idea of this guild. They do it because of the achievements the Holy Dragon Alliance has accomplished. But most of all, they do it because they believe me to be a man of my word, a man who will do everything in his power to make their lives not only safer, but better. And you know what? I don't intend to disappoint them."

Ritarin nodded respectfully, obviously trying not to incite Lind to wrath again. Another officer, a man Jae recognized as Miller from one of the Labyrinth Raids on Floor Twenty-Eight, stepped up beside the taller officer.

"I understand the demands of being guild leader, sir. Know that you have my utmost loyalty. I joined back on Floor Eight because I believed in you, in your promises, as you have mentioned. That belief has never wavered. In fact, it is because I wish to see you succeed that I am of one mind with Ritarin. It is because of my loyalty that I must speak. The other players throughout the Assault Team are beginning to talk. They say that the reason you haven't participated in any Labyrinth or Boss raids since the Massacre of Floor Twenty-Five is because you have grown afraid. They say that you would rather hide in the safety of our guild HQ then come out and lead when it could mean an agonizing death at the hands of a simple trap."

Lind waved the notion off heatedly. "Such talk means nothing. Everyone knows how many times I've imperiled my life during Boss Fights, how many times I've put myself in danger in order to save players in this very room."

"False as the rumors are," Ritarin spoke up before Miller could reply, "They continue to spread. I believe the Aincrad Liberation Army, and Kibaou, are partly to blame. They hold us responsible for what happened on Floor Twenty-Five, and hope to enflame these lies in order to weaken us."

"Kibaou and his guild are no longer a threat to our efforts." Lind argued. "From what we've learned, they've taken up a permanent residence back on Floor One, in the Town of Beginnings no less. Claiming the Black Iron Palace as their HQ affirms that they don't have the strength or the bravery to attempt a takeover of the Assault Team ever again. They are insignificant, as are Kibaou's whisperings."

Avari suddenly spoke up. "I'm afraid that it isn't the ALA we should be concerning ourselves with anymore."

Jae frowned at her. He hadn't said anything up to this point, but he knew exactly what she was trying to get at and didn't intend to let it slide.

"The Knights of the Blood-Oath have no interest in petty guild rivalries. Heathcliff and his sub-commander, Asuna, are only interested in clearing the game. I am sure of this."

Avari scowled at him. "They want to replace us as the top clearing guild, the leaders of the Assault Team. Heathcliff deliberately waited to make his move until after the competition- us and the ALA- were weakened. Joining the ranks of the Assault Team while chaos and fear ran rampant was far too well timed to be a coincidence. You saw how they walked in on the first Floor Twenty-Six meeting. They wanted all attention on them. They marched in like victors from a war and immediately tried inserting themselves as the leaders among our ranks. Heathcliff deliberately invited only the strongest players yet untethered by guild ties in order to give his guild even more influence. After all, players respect strength and look up to those they perceive as…" She paused as her glare narrowed on him, her nose wrinkling in distaste. "Heroes…. Since then, they have been at every single meeting and have tried to direct our plans. It is abundantly obvious what they want. If you can't see it, you're blind to the ways of politics and authority."

Jae stared at her. "And if you cannot tell the difference between friend and foe, you're completely paranoid."

Avari's face flushed with rage, but before she could start shouting, Vivienne stepped between them.

"Either way, it doesn't matter. The Knights of the Blood Oath are still a relatively new guild, and they only accept the highest leveled players, which limits recruitment. Their total strength is only forty-three players strong as of two days ago. All of them together couldn't form a proper fifty man raid group, while we can form three if we need to. Their numbers are simply not high enough at this point to make them a significant threat to our place as the leading guild if Avari is correct, and if Jae is right, then this argument is pointless."

Avari rounded on her. "Why do you always defend him?"

"I defend what I believe. Nothing more."

Lind interlaced his fingers as he studied Vivienne. "And what is it you _believe_ exactly, Officer Vivienne? I'd appreciate your opinion. Is Avari correct as to the intentions of this Heathcliff, or is Jae right in his belief that their only interest is in clearing?"

Vivienne hooked some of her long brown hair back behind her ear as she considered. "Obviously, there is no way of knowing the truth of the matter one way or another."

"Of course."

She gestured at Jae. "I believe Jae is right. Heathcliff is no Kibaou, nor is Asuna. Their interests are on beating this game, nothing more."

"This is foolishness!" Avari exclaimed as she looked to Lind to stress her point. "We cannot give way to wishful thinking now, when we are on the brink of collapse-"

"Collapse?" Jae repeated in a flat tone. "We're the strongest guild in the entire game, both in numbers and in skill. You can't exaggerate the truth simply to fit it around the frame of your own opinions."

"I'm afraid our Senior Officer is right in her choice of words." Lind said authoritatively.

Jae and Vivienne exchanged looks.

"With respect," Jae said slowly, trying not to sound flippant. "Can I ask the reasons behind the word?"

Lind shrugged, gesturing at the piles of paper scattered all over the marble table before him. "They're the same reasons as to my absence from the Assault Team meetings, I'm afraid." He peered at the faces of his officers before continuing. "While it's true we have the strength of numbers, it's becoming more and more clear that that strength is becoming our downfall. As with any organization or country in the real world, military capability is far from the only factor that determines their worth. After all, an army that starves without food is just as dead as one that is destroyed in battle."

Jae scratched his jaw, unsure how to reply.

Vivienne's features lit up in confusion. "Starves?"

"That's right. Though, starvation in this sense can mean a few things; lack of morale, lack of payment, and ineffective equipment, to name a few. All these things are upheld by money. Something which I have tried desperately to procure without success."

"Did the thought never cross your minds as to why our base is a crumbling, badly overcrowded stone farmhouse in the middle of nowhere?" Avari snapped.

Lind nodded. "Money is the lifeline that keeps us afloat. Without it, we lose first our conveniences that keep morale high among the members. Next we lose our ability to feed and bed those that live here instead of somewhere else alone, of which there are quite a few. Then we lose the means to repair gear and standardize equipment to keep everyone battle ready. Then we lose the base itself, shabby as it is. Without a roof over our heads, we would be forced to hold private guild meetings inside a tavern in some village like a common party of casual RPG gamers. Without these things, recruitment would stop. Very soon after that, our own members would quickly quit the guild and move on to better prospects; guilds that can sustain them so they can focus on clearing the game."

Jae blinked at the dull, grey picture Lind painted. He had been given a glimpse into the economy aspect of running guilds back when he had first joined and Avari mentioned the vast sums required for as simple an operation as purchasing silver and blue dye packs for everyone. He had guessed money problems were among the reasons for Lind's strange absence from Assault Team meetings since Floor Twenty-Five, but he had never been given such an in depth look before.

"Is that what you've been working on all this time?" Ritarin asked, dumbfounded. "Sustaining our finances?"

Lind nodded. "I'm afraid so. After the disaster that was the Floor Twenty-Five boss raid, the last of the money I had tried to preserve went to badly needed repairs and restocking of health potions. Since then, it's been everything I can do to keep us above water, as it were."

Jae frowned. "It's been more than two months since that battle. How can you still be trying to solve the same financial problems we had back then?"

Lind shot him a glare. "Our imminent bankruptcy has been a problem long before that, and would've continued growing even without the event. This is not as easy as you might think."

"I never said it was."

"I propose," Avari said as she curled her upper lip into a hint of a smile, "That we give Jae the job of Finance Officer."

Vivienne looked at the other woman questioningly. "We have one of those?"

"No, Jae can be the first." She gestured at the other officers. "Since it seems so many have come to regard Officer Jae here as our hero, and everyone is voicing doubts about our guild leader's actions, it's only right that we let him take on the challenge and see for himself as well as everyone else just what it takes to run a guild."

Jae crossed his arms. "I'm a fighter, not an accountant."

"If that's the case, why did you voice doubt as to Lind's reasoning behind his actions? Don't pretend now like you haven't been pestering me for months about telling Lind he should return to the front lines. Not a minute ago, you questioned how it could take so long to fix our money problems."

Vivienne took on an angry expression. "That isn't fair. Your grudge against Jae is the reason for this suggestion, not through any belief that he can do what Lind cannot."

Ritarin nodded. "You know that Jae will fail, and that's all you're really interested in."

Another officer Jae didn't know the name of also began voicing objections, but Lind quieted everyone with a hand.

"Avari is right. You all are beginning to doubt me. I can see it in your faces." All the officers, including Vivienne, immediately protested the accusation, but Lind shouted for quiet and continued. "I understand your doubts. It's possible Avari's proposal might have been conjured out of anger, but even if that were the case, it can still serve us well. Jae has come to be widely regarded in a short span of time. What you all see in him, I already saw back when I invited him to join our guild. As such, it is only right that he be the one to show you all that I am not a coward, nor am I incompetent. The financial problems in this guild are very real, and once that is realized and Jae sees for himself the nigh impossibility of the task, the doubts and rumors circulating among not only us, but throughout the Assault Team, can be put to rest. At least that way, some good can come from this. Better that we prepare ourselves for the worst as a united group rather than splintered fragments."

He looked at Jae in a way that made him feel as if he were at trial and about to hear his sentence.

"Officer Jae, you will be appointed as our first official Finance Officer. I will show you everything regarding our guild's monetary expenditures and profits, everything that I have been struggling to keep in check so that the Holy Dragon Alliance may continue to grow strong. It will be your task to try and come up with a solution that will save us from ruin. When you realize the magnitude of such a task, I will accept the responsibility back from you, since, in my opinion, it the guild leader who should have to worry about such things. I only ask that in return, you explain what you discover to the rest of the guild. At worst, we can quell this doubt and growing division once and for all. Who knows, Jae might come up with something that can help that I haven't seen."

Jae tried to pretend like he didn't see Avari's smirk. She had manoeuvred him into looking like a fool. She knew he would fail. Lind knew he would fail. He was no money counter. He belonged on the frontlines, not sitting at a chair doing mathematical equations.

"I don't suppose I can refuse this honor?"

Lind shook his head. "My decision stands. I'm not trying to embarrass you, only to come up with some solutions and make the most of this dilemma. I want you to give me your word that you will try your hardest to solve the problem of our impending bankruptcy. After you see what I have been trying to deal with for months, after you fully grasp the magnitude of this problem and understand why I can't be on the frontlines while I try to keep this guild from falling apart, then you may resign from the post and return to normal Officer status. "

Jae sighed. "Alright, but I would like to request that I still be allowed to fight in the Labyrinths when a raid comes up, and I need to still attend the meetings as well."

Lind shrugged. "I see no problem with that. The Floors have been growing only more difficult since Floor Twenty Five, so clearing them will be nowhere near as quick as it was on the earlier Floors. There's more than enough time in between meetings and raids to attend your new job."

…

"Lind was right," Jae said as he thumbed through the official ledger of the Holy Dragon Alliance. "I totally understand why he's taken two months on this."

Vivienne leaned in beside where he sat, her long hair brushing against him as she pointed at one of the profit margins. He felt his heartbeat quicken at the contact, but ignored it. Her hair smelled like sweet pine. "That's not so bad. You should look into why profit was higher that week, and maybe that will get us somewhere. Come on, you can do this. Don't let Avari make a fool of you."

"Too late for that." Jae grumbled, the leather book cover making a small thud as he closed it over the pages. "She got me pretty good. Why does everyone hate me, Vivienne?"

The woman offhandedly slapped his shoulder without turning. "I was reading that."

"For it's riveting narrative value?"

Taking the book from the table with both hands, Vivienne rolled her eyes as she opened it again.

"Don't act so down. It's not the end of the world. Maybe Lind really does want your help with this. Maybe he thinks you can solve the problem."

Jae glanced up at her. "You really believe that?"

She thought about it for a moment. "No."

He chuckled. "Yeah, that's what I thought. Seriously though, this is ridiculous. As soon as I go back and break the news that I don't in fact shit gold, We'll be right back where we started. I get Lind's frustration at being doubted, but this is childish."

Vivienne shrugged. "Yes, but it was you who openly questioned him taking months trying to fix our bankruptcy problem."

Jae didn't cede the point, but he didn't argue either.

He trusted Lind, but he had noticed the man's slight shift in behavior since Floor Twenty-Five. The guild leader had been visibly shaken to the core as a result of the grisly death he only narrowly avoided on multiple occasions that day. Jae didn't think it entirely a coincidence that since that time, Lind had remained at the HDA HQ practically every day.

At the same time, however, it was clear that Lind had made no exaggerations as far as the HDA's financial situation. From what he had already read, Jae could already grasp just how close they were to not only losing their base, but also their ability to remain a clearing guild. The way things were looking, they would need a miracle to make up the money needed and keep the Holy Dragon Alliance alive.

"What's this here?" Vivienne asked, tapping one of the papers sprawled onto the small desk.

Jae lifted it up for her to see as he spoke. "Rent paid on the base every week. If it isn't paid, we lose this HQ. Old and downtrodden as it is, I'd prefer this place over a drafty little room in an inn."

Vivienne frowned. "But if this is rent, shouldn't it stay the same? Why does the cost of staying here cost more each week?"

"From what I can gather, it's because of recruitment. The more players there are living here, the higher the cost of rent."

After a moment of studying the numbers down the page, Vivienne set down the paper and tapped Jae's shoulder. "Well, I'm sure we'll figure something out. Get some sleep, and approach it with a fresh mind tomorrow morning. Wasn't it you who said to think of the solution, not the problem?"

Jae smiled. "I really did get that from a book, but it is good advice. Can you help me with this tomorrow?"

Vivienne shook her head as she made for the door. "I've got to lead a mission on a quest line. We've been officers for some time now, but it's still odd having two squads to take care of instead of just one, along with two squad leaders constantly being so deferential. It'll be a long day. I will help when I can, though."

Jae nodded, looking back down at the pages scattered on the desk before him. His heart raced again as he tried gathering his courage. Aranal's words rang in his mind.

"Alright then."

"Goodnight."

Vivienne was about to close the door behind her when Jae cleared his throat and forced himself to speak.

"Hey, Vivienne?"

She paused. "What's up?"

Suddenly fumbling for words, Jae's jaw worked as he tried to speak. He had wanted to be smooth and simply ask right before she left. That way, he figured, there wouldn't be time for awkwardness to fill the room. He didn't know how to avoid awkward moments like Israel always did.

"Do you eat?"

She blinked in confusion. "What-"

"Because I do. Do you want to do that in the same room sometime? With me?"

Immediately berating his choice of words, Jae kept silent as he watched the comprehension dawn across her face.

"Was that you asking me out on a date?"

Jae forced a smile. He could feel the blush coming over him, but desperately pretended it wasn't happening. "Yes. Sorry. I think it may have come out wrong."

She smiled, but kept it small.

"Nonsense, it was original."

He raked his fingers through his hair as he waited. "So...that's a yes?"

Vivienne seemed to consider it a moment, then raised a finger. "Only on condition that you choose the place. I'm terrible at deciding."

So was he, but Jae figured it was best if she didn't know that.

"You got it. Day after tomorrow?"

She smiled again, looking a little flush herself. "Day after tomorrow. Goodnight, Jae."

"Goodnight, Vivienne."

She closed the door behind her, and Jae sucked in much needed air as he leaned back in exhaustion. Sweat beaded his brow.

 _I feel like I just fought a Floor Boss._


	58. Chapter 58

58

May 5th, 2023

Floor 23, Town of Velloshi

"I don't understand." Aranal said in frustration as he tapped the paper he was holding. "If one of the problems here is that we're getting too many people, why not simply stop recruitment?"

Jae shook his head. "That's our only supply of reinforcements. Without recruitment, how do we replace the guild members consistently lost in combat, or to traps? What about those who quit the guild of their own volition? We need to keep our numbers up at all times."

When Aranal ceded the point with a grunt and went back to studying the paper, Jae leaned forward and planted his elbows on top of the small desk, cupping his jaw in his hands as he looked over the numbers for the hundredth time.

Almost two days had passed since Lind, through Avari's maneuvering, had assigned Jae his role as Finance Officer. He was no closer now to finding any solutions than he was when he had first begun poring over the endless ledgers and written receipts. Aside from a short meeting the day before, called for by the Knights of the Blood Oath on the matter of sharing popular farming areas while preparing for the next Labyrinth, Jae had spent nearly every minute concentrating on the mountain of paperwork before him. He had worked himself into a head ache that hadn't gone away since last night, and that served to only further hamper his efforts to think of a way to save the guild from bankruptcy. Not like it made any difference.

Jae had studied the numbers so much that even when he closed his eyes he saw profits and deductions. He knew the factors involved, the variables that couldn't be shifted or changed. Short of a miracle, there was nothing he could do that would make things better. Of course, Avari had known that. As had Lind.

After completing a mission that morning under their new squad leader, the veterans of Group H had come to Jae's room in the corner of the farmhouse to help him out with his new job. Jae was grateful for the help, but he had had to bat down their ideas one after the other, each time explaining why it wouldn't work or why they couldn't stop spending so much on so many different things. Now nearly five hours later, the four of them were growing frustrated.

After realizing an idea he had been championing for some time wouldn't work when Jae showed him the figures, Aranal had stood up and begun to pace. He was back at the table now, but he didn't sit down. The others adjusted their weight in the chairs as they sat next to each other, reading papers and examining the receipts and other expenditures. It was a boring, disheartening, grueling task, and that made Jae all the more thankful that they stayed on to help in whatever way they could. Even if he had to irritate them by breaking apart their ideas.

Jon Bright leaned back in his chair beside Jae. "The Knights of the Blood-Oath are the new power in town, regardless of whether or not they mean to usurp authority over the Assault Team."

Jae looked at him. "Which guild is in power isn't the problem we're discussing, nor is it relevant."

"That's not what I'm getting at. You're saying we need to keep our numbers up. The Knights have the strictest recruitment standards in SAO. They've only got forty some players, and yet they've managed to become our rivals on prowess alone. They go into Labyrinth Raids with a professionalism and effectiveness that puts everyone else in the Assault Team to shame."

Jae arched an eyebrow. "That's a bit of an exaggeration. I've seen them in action just as often as you have and while they're definitely skilled, we've got the same discipline and determination they have, and the numbers to back it up."

Aranal nodded, but Jon didn't look ready to back down.

"Whether it's an exaggeration or not, the fact remains that they've very quickly distinguished themselves as our equals on the frontlines. And they've done that without numbers."

Jae wasn't sure what he was driving at. "And your point?"

Jon jabbed the top of the desk, as if irrefutably driving home his argument. "My point is that if Heathcliff's guild can match us as clearers with a third of our strength, why do we need numbers? The Knights prove that it isn't necessary."

David and Aranal glanced at Jae, waiting to see how he would respond.

"The Knights of the Blood Oath are still a newer guild." Jae explained as patiently as he could. "They haven't been around long enough yet for problems like this-" He gestured at the paper covered desk, "-to pile up to the breaking point yet. On top of that, they've only lost one or two members to Floor Bosses since they were formed, and they've gained around four people each month to more than make up for that. Casualty rates haven't hit them yet either. If that guild had been created half a year ago, like ours or Kibaou's, they wouldn't look so shiny. Age takes it's toll, they just haven't felt the sting of maturity yet. Until such time, using them as a reference or comparison simply isn't valid."

Jon sighed, then went back to the ledger he had opened before him.

There was silence as Aranal took to pacing again, holding several papers in front of him as he read. Jon thumbed through a few more pages in the ledger, but Jae could tell he was tired and frustrated.

David squinted at a piece of paper he was holding, then glanced at Jae.

"There's a rent for us having a guild treasury?"

Jae nodded haphazardly, his mind in the middle of an equation as he studied two particularly large sums. "It's for the maintenance of that small vault underneath the cellar."

"Why the hell does there need to be rent for that?"

"I told you, it's for maintenance-"

"Nothing rusts in this game."

"Swords do." Jon pointed out.

David scoffed at him. "Yeah, when their durability reaches zero. Weapons and armor are mortal objects with set usage ability. A fucking vault has about as much chance of falling apart from overuse as this wall." He tapped the stone bricks to prove his point.

All of the talking had messed up Jae's concentration, and the answer to the equation dissolved in his head. Annoyed, he glared at David.

"If it bothers you so much, message Kayaba. Until we get an answer, stop arguing about shit that we can't change. There's a tax on guild treasuries, all right? That's just how it is."

David looked away from Jae's gaze, nodding slowly. The younger man had always looked up to him, and always seemed to feel uncomfortable, even worried, when Jae was angry with him.

Pushing aside the papers in front of him, Jae sighed.

"Sorry, David. It's not your fault this shit is unsolvable." He glanced at Jon and Aranal. "Thanks for coming to help, guys. I really appreciate it."

David raked his fingers through his hair. "It's cool man. I'm sure we all get your frustration. How does Lind manage this stuff?"

"He doesn't." Aranal muttered. "Hence the predicament we're in.

Jon looked at Jae. "Did he really think you could do this? That anyone could?"

Jae shook his head. "He doubts anyone can, including himself. Like a good leader, though, he wanted to try and find some good in the problem. By having me try my hand at digging up Col from nothing, I'd be the proof he needs that he's not been hiding here while we fight, but rather trying to fix...well, this." He waved a hand over the papers. "In his words, it's better that we face bankruptcy and possible guild destruction united rather than fragmented."

Jon looked suspicious. "Or maybe he just wants to find a way to save his skin. Getting rid of the rumors by making the Hero of Floor Twenty-Five look bad is sure to refocus blame and allow him to keep his spot as guild leader. If you ask me, he's getting a little too attached to the job."

Jae fixed Jon with a firm look. "I respect your right to say and think what you want, but Lind is a good man and leader. He doesn't have ulterior motives in this."

"Getting back to the topic at hand." David said as he skimmed through more lists. "Is the guild treasury used by everyone?"

Jae frowned at the strange question. "Yeah. At least, as far as I know. I personally keep a lot of stuff there. Not just Col either. It's got private storage for each member, so I move a lot of stuff in and out when my inventory gets cramped."

Aranal stopped his pacing. "I didn't know there was private storage. I only keep my Col in there because of the interest rate I get over time. I tell you, dividends are far more beautiful than any girl."

Jae coughed. "Alright, grandpa."

"Dude, how many times do I have to tell people that I'm only thirty-four?"

"Wait," David said, keeping his eye on the paper in front of him. "So you're saying that everyone uses the treasury, that it's a public feature?"

Jae nodded. "Yes. Do you not use it?"

David waved his arms, his mind obviously focused on something else. "If that's true, then why is it only paid for by the guild leader?"

Jon Bright looked at him as if he were insane. "David, I think you're letting the numbers get to you. The guild leader is supposed to pay. The only reason Jae is even looking at these papers is because Lind signed over the post to him for a few days."

David's mouth twitched. He was obviously unsure how to respond. "I guess, but-"

"And what great timing too." Aranal said with displeasure. "If there was ever a time for Jae to be sitting here playing banker, this was it. Our new squad leader is a puff. I'm bored of basic missions. I want us to go on some adventures, like the goold old days when Group H roamed the Labyrinth halls."

"No monster was safe from us." Jon Bright agreed with a grin. "Nor any girl for that matter, what with me being in your ranks. Your welcome by the way, guys."

"Girls?" Aranal scoffed. "Like you could ever get anyone to go on a date with you. Girls want men with beards and muscles, not clean shaven, altar boy looking fools."

Jon pointed at the big grinning man who looked every bit the Viking at that moment. "I've been an altar boy, and let me tell you firsthand, catholic girls go crazy over-"

"Oh my god." Jae said in horror, knocking back his chair as he jumped to his feet. "I have a date today. Tonight. What time is it?"

All three men froze, their jaws agape for a fraction of a second before grins broke out all around.

"You've finally taken advantage of your illustrious title and hooked a date?" Aranal said, suddenly beside him and clapping him confidentially on the shoulder. "Who is it? Anyone we know?"

Jon scowled. "If it was someone we knew, I'd be going on a date with her, not Jae. Have you guys seen me?"

"What time is it?" Jae demanded frantically even as he began quickly putting the papers back in an orderly pile.

"Almost six." David said, still holding the paper on the guild treasury he had been talking about. "But Jae, I wasn't done explaining-"

"The date was scheduled for six!" Jae screamed, instantly abandoning the papers and making for the door. He tripped on the upturned chair instead, crashing to the ground. He hit the cobbled floor at an angle, his elbow taking the brunt of the impact.

"For fuck's sake," he said through gritted teeth as he writhed on the ground clutching his elbow. "It got my funny bone!"

Jon Bright burst out laughing, but Aranal folded his arms.

"Who is it with? Come on, man, you have to tell us."

Cursing under his breath as the pain from his elbow shot through him, Jae got to his feet.

"Vivienne. I'm going to be late. I'm probably late already. I'm-"

Aranal had him by the shoulders in an instant.

"Vivienne? You've finally got a date with Vivienne?"

Jae pushed the grinning man off him. "Is there a fucking echo in here? Yes, Vivienne. I have to go."

"Where's the date at?" Jon asked curiously.

Jae nearly fell down again as panic seized him. "Shit, I have no idea. She told me to choose. I'm not good at picking romantic nightspots out."

Jon scowled. "Jae, you've got to pull yourself together before you blow this. Vivienne is the hottest girl in this guild. A solid eight out of ten. Don't screw this up."

David scratched his jaw. "Hey now, I wouldn't say she's the hottest."

Jon and Aranal exchanged knowing looks before grinning David's way.

"Of course, I forget." Jon said, elbowing David playfully. "Our youngest brother here has eyes only for Avari."

"Fuck off," David said as a blush overcame his features. "That's not even-"

"Guys," Jae said desperately. "Can we worry about the more immediate problem? I need some help here. Where should I tell Vivienne to meet me?"

"You know," David said, eager to turn the discussion back towards Jae, "I didn't even know you liked her."

Jon and Aranal both looked at the teenager as if he were crazy.

"Of course he likes her!" Aranal boomed. "Have you even seen how many times he's looked at her ass since-"

Jae wrenched the big man toward him. "Focus. Where do we go? Where's romantic but not over the top?"

Aranal looked up at the ceiling for a moment as he seemed to consider. It was Jon who stood up and rolled his eyes.

"It's simple, party leader. Take her to Olarin's Private House."

Jae glanced suspiciously at the curly haired man. "Dude, that sounds like a strip club or something."

Jon nodded, knowingly. "How do you think I found out about the place? I should've known Kayaba wasn't that-"

David looked at him. "Isn't that the log cabin place with the fireplace and the tables with dark red cloth draped over them?"

Jon nodded. "That's the one."

Aranal drew his fingers through his beard as he thought it over. "Sounds like a good enough place. Not too crowded is it?"

"Nope, there's hardly anyone ever there." He winked at Jae. "All the privacy you could want."

Jae shot the man a scowl. "If this is a prank, you're dead. That place better look magnificent."

"I thought you didn't want something over the top?"

Rolling his eyes, Jae ignored him and made for the door. "Right, then. Wish me luck."

He opened the door and was about to step out when Aranal grabbed his arm.

"You're not going out like that are you?"

Jae paused, glancing down at himself. His silver and blue armor glinted regally in the sunlight streaming in through the window over the bed. He shrugged.

"I think I look fine."

Aranal brought a hand up over his face in exasperation.

"Jae," Jon said as he tried not to laugh at the situation. "You can't go to a date in armor and covered in weapons. This isn't a Boss raid. Vivienne will think you've come to slaughter her if you go rolling in like that. Don't you have any fashion gear?"

Jae blinked. "Fashion gear? I didn't even know that was a thing."

The three men around him groaned in frustration.

Aranal moved forward and pulled Jae back inside, closing the door. "Alright, I'll let you have some of mine. The fashion gear auto fits to characters just like normal armor. I think I've got just the thing."

Jae was in a hurry, but he didn't want to look the fool when he got there. He nodded.

"Just be quick about it please."

…

By the time Jae came bursting through the door of Olarin's Private House, it was twelve minutes past six. Not the worst timing at all, he thought to himself, considering the circumstances. Inside, he was hit immediately by the smell of warm cinnamon and sugar fragrances that filled his nostrils and gave him a feeling of comfort and safety. It was an unusual smell, but definitely a good one. Other smells filtered through from the kitchens; roast beef, brown gravy, glazed ham, coffee, hand-brewed beer, and chocolate all seemed to coalesce into a delightful series of scents that gnawed at his stomach and immediately made him crave food.

Looking around, he saw that most of the clean, polished tables covered with dark red cloth and already set with silver plates, eating utensils, mugs, and wine glasses were empty. Here and there, couples sat together in back tables or corner areas, laughing and talking quietly to each other. Above the quiet chatting, fire crackled and wood popped in the large, brick bordered fireplace located in an empty area in the center of all the tables. All were dressed fashionably, as if the place was an exclusive five star restaurant that demanded etiquette and formality. At that moment, Jae was very happy Aranal hadn't let him go in his normal gear.

And then he saw her.

Vivienne seemed to glow as she caught his eye and made for him from the other end of the building. Wearing a gorgeous blue dress that gave off an air of nobility and hugged her form as it travelled down to her ankles, complete with elegant silver gloves that carried up to her elbows and high heeled shoes that seemed to sparkle against the lamplight as she walked, Vivienne was the picture of grace and the definition of beauty. Jae had to blink several times as his heart went careening against his chest. He had always found Vivienne attractive, and that attraction had only grown as the two of them had warmed to each other and she had proven herself a steadfast friend and valiant ally in battle, but nothing could have prepared him for what he saw walking calmly, purposefully towards him, a small, nervous smile on her face.

Her long, straight brown hair cascaded around her shoulders and ran partway down her back in such a way that it only added to her bewitching beauty and stunning figure. Jae had always liked her hair, right from the first moment he had met her, but it had usually been tied back in a ponytail or kept tucked away under her helmet. Her body, too, had been hidden underneath the thick plate and chain armor she always wore. The dress was modest and simple; cut square at the neckline and without any slits or other alluring features women often paraded on their gowns, but it clung to her, complementing every curve in such a way that Jae's breath caught in his throat. He silently prayed that his face hadn't gone red.

"You're late." She said as she closed the distance between them and stood in front of him with a hand on her hip.

Jae ran a hand through his hair self consciously. "I know, I'm sorry. I guess I was so caught up in trying to figure out how to fix our financial situation that I lost track of time."

Her expression turned a bit more serious. "I had almost forgotten about that. Any luck?"

He shook his head. "Nothing so far. But I intend to keep trying until I figure something out."

Vivienne nodded encouragingly as her smile returned. "I know you will."

There was silence between them for a moment. Jae felt panic rising within him, knowing that he needed to say something. He wasn't very good at this sort of thing. Racking his brain, he tried to think of what Israel would say.

He gestured at her with a smile. "You look amazing."

Vivienne blushed, then waved a hand down the length of her dress before gesturing out at the couples sitting and eating at their own tables. "I feel like I may have overdressed."

Jae frowned. "Nonsense. It's not your fault you're prettier than every other woman here."

She smiled up at him. "Thanks." She gestured at his own outfit. "You look pretty handsome yourself. I couldn't really imagine you without armor on and that spear at your back."

Jae looked down at himself. He had thought that the black, medieval themed tuxedo Aranal had given him looked pretty suave when he first put it on. With an open blazer jacket that looked like something a wealthy villain in a Bond film might wear, complete with it's golden buttons running down both sides and crisp lapels that gave him a stylish, aristocratic air as well as complementing his broad chest, coupled with matching black pants and a more lightly shaded undershirt that served to hold the necktie in place, he had been pretty impressed with himself. Now though, after seeing Vivienne standing before him, he felt positively inadequate.

"Thanks," he managed, trying not to run his hands over the blazer buttons. He gestured to an empty table near the back, against a window. "Shall we sit?"

She nodded approvingly at his choice of seating. "I was thinking the same thing. Good vantage point in case someone comes in."

"And our backs won't be turned to any possible threat inside." He finished with a grin. "Looks like we're both paranoid."

"I guess that's to be expected," She replied as they threaded their way towards the chosen table. "Considering all the fighting we've been doing since this game started."

"Actually, that's how we've always been," Jae said offhandedly as they took their seats. He blinked as he realized what he'd said.

Vivienne looked confused. "We?"

Jae hesitated. "My brother and I, I mean. We always kept our guard up in the real world, always chose seats where we wouldn't be at a disadvantage if something happened."

Vivienne's eyes widened. "You have a brother?"

Jae berated himself for letting the fact slip. Israel had long since abandoned their brotherhood, running off into the wild and unfriending him so he couldn't be found. Not to mention the fact that Israel was a murderer. Jae felt his fist tighten at his side at the thought.

In spite of that, though, Jae knew he still loved his brother, wherever he was. He hadn't wanted anyone on Group H to discuss what Israel had done, or even that he existed at all. The order hadn't been out of fear for himself, for his reputation, but because he knew that Israel would be hated and hunted otherwise. He hadn't wanted Israel in any more danger than he no doubt already had been heading for.

"Jae?"

He looked up, forcing down his conflicted emotions. "Yes, his name's Israel."

"I had no idea." She paused, her features reflecting concern. "He must be so worried about you."

Jae resisted the urge to laugh bitterly, and instead merely shook his head. "He and I started the game together."

Vivienne appraised him silently for a moment, then quietly asked, "May I ask if he's still among the players left alive?"

Jae glanced at her. "No. My brother is dead."


	59. Chapter 59

59

May 5th, 2023

Floor 22, Gallion

Vivienne reached out unexpectedly and touched his arm. He saw the worry in her eyes, the sorrow.

"I'm so sorry, Jae. I can't begin to imagine how you feel, but I'm truly sorry."

He could see in her eyes that she was.

Jae forced a smile. "Thank you, but it's fine. It was a while ago, now. Back before I joined the guild."

"That was only two months ago."

He blinked in surprise. "You're right. I guess time really does move slower in Aincrad. It feels like a lifetime ago already since I was just another guy in the Assault Team."

The NPC waiter suddenly appeared before them and fluidly handed both of them a menu.

"May I interest you both in some drinks?"

Jae smiled at the artificial mustachioed man. "Could I have a red wine please?"

He wanted beer, but he was pretty sure that wasn't what people selected at fine dining establishments.

"Of course. And you, my lady?"

Vivienne's bright eyes sparkled. "May I have a beer, please? Lager."

"Right away."

Jae cursed silently under his breath.

After the waiter had left, Vivienne opened the menu and began skimming.

"This place is really nice. Do you come here a lot?"

Jae chuckled. "No, I do not. One of my old Group H members suggested it."

She lowered her menu just enough to peer over it at him curiously. "Was it Aranal?"

Jae frowned at her. "You know Aranal?"

"Well of course I know him. I make a point of not being strangers with anyone in the same guild as me. It's important to know the people watching your back, even if you're not friends with them all."

Jae nodded at her words. "Good point. I should probably try to get better acquainted with everyone as well."

She looked amused at the thought. "Wouldn't take much work. I'm pretty sure everyone in the Assault Team knows who you are. Half of the Holy Dragon Alliance thinks you should be the next in charge."

"And the other half?"

She flipped a page on her menu. "Not so much."

Jae sighed. "Good to know."

"So was it Aranal who told you about this place?"

He shook his head. "It was one of my other men, Jon Bright. Just Jon, for short." Jae frowned. "What made you think it was Aranal?"

Vivienne's lip curled into a grin as she looked up at him. "He's been telling me I should go out on a date with you for weeks."

Jae dropped his menu and tightened his jaw in indignation. "That son of a bitch. I'm going to kill him. I didn't know he was doing that."

"I know you didn't. He told me that if I snitched on him he would never forgive me." She chuckled. "He's a pretty nice guy, for all his size. When I first met him, I thought he was a Viking or something."

Jae eased up after hearing her gentle laugh. He couldn't help but smile. "Yeah, he's saved my ass quite a few times. I wouldn't be here if him and David and Jon hadn't stuck with me all this time. They're all good men, and I trust them with my life...even if they can be a bit nosey."

She nodded knowingly. "That's how I feel about my squad. Even though they have a different squad leader now that I'm an officer, I still feel like they're my men. More than that, though, they're friends I'd trust with my life."

Jae smiled, looking through his own menu. "So, is Aranal's nagging the reason you agreed to go out on this date? I know for a fact it wasn't my smooth charm."

She waved away the notion with a flick of her hand. "Nah, I agreed because I wanted to. Actually, I was contemplating asking you myself, but it just…" she shrugged. "I don't know, it didn't seem like you were interested."

"Me?" Jae grinned at her. "I thought I was embarrassingly obvious. I like you, Vivienne. To be honest, I was somewhat expecting a rejection."

She frowned. "How come?"

"Well I mean, you know how we were when we first met. Back when I was temporarily assigned to your squad. You didn't exactly like me much."

She arched an eyebrow. "Well you can't blame me for being hesitant to accept your crazy last minute plans. Even now I still find myself a bit worried when you start yelling at people. You're constantly one upping yourself as far as insane ideas go."

"And yet, you're always the first to support me." His expression turned serious. "Thank you for that. If it wasn't for you, my reputation would probably be quite a bit different than it is."

She scoffed. "You give me too much credit. Your Group H friends would follow you to hell and back without complaint. Aside from them, there have been players on the Assault Team rooting for you since before you joined the guild. You'd have plenty of support without me."

"Not the support I need. You're a born leader, and all the players in this guild respect you. Your squad would willingly put themselves in harm's way for you. I know that Group H would always have my back, but having another leader, someone who knows more about the ways of the guild than I do, that's been a huge help. Sometimes, during strategy meetings, knowing that you stand by me is the one thing that convinces me to say things the others wouldn't agree with. I'm really grateful I have your trust, Vivienne."

She smiled at him. "Not just my trust. I didn't understand why people thought you should be the leader of the Assault Team back when we didn't know each other. I didn't understand why people believed in you just because you could fight well. But you showed me that you have qualities far beyond that. People believe in you for good reason, and I discovered that I believe in you too."

Jae didn't know what to say. He was honored not just to have veneration, to have someone believe in him. In his wildest dreams, he never would've seen himself as a leader, let alone a symbol of hope or confidence. He hoped he wouldn't let her down.

"Thanks, Viv."

She scowled. "Viv?"

Jae almost laughed at her expression. "You're name is too long for me to say it all the time. Come on, nicknames are fun."

"That's easy for you to say. Your name is a nickname."

Jae rolled his eyes, but before he could say anything, the waiter returned.

"Are you ready to order?"

After they had both ordered their dishes, Jae and Vivienne didn't have any time to wait. In SAO, the food was readied in an instant, as if it had been made specifically for them the minute they showed up. The steaming plates of food gave off an aroma that made Jae's mouth water as the waiter laid them on their respective sides of the table.

"Be careful, my lady," the mustachioed man cautioned Vivienne, "It's hot."

"Thank you," she said with a smile.

The conversation dropped for a few moments as the two players tried their food. Jae had ordered a medium rare steak with mashed potatoes coated in brown gravy on the side, and some warm, fresh baked sweetbread on it's own plate, the melted butter dripping off it's side. When he bit into the steak to find it cooked well done instead of exactly how he had ordered it, Jae found himself remembering Israel. His brother had always loved to cook, making new dishes at every opportunity and always trying to hone his skill at making good food. Israel was so dedicated that often he would spend extra time making food he had cooked badly, trying to figure out what he had done wrong and correct the mistake.

Just such a mistake had occurred when Jae had one day purchased steak and was planning on cooking it himself for dinner. Israel discovered the raw meat within the hour and asked Jae if he could make it, since he considered himself quite good at cooking steak. Jae had acquiesced to the request on condition that Israel make it medium rare. That evening, Israel handed him a steak that had been browned through and through. Lathered in herbs, spices, olive oils, and without a touch of burn, it had still been delicious, just not perfect.

When he told as much to Israel, his brother nearly lost his mind. He first insisted that he had kept it from browning completely in the center, then fell to complaining that with such thick steak, it was impossible to make medium rare without risk of the whole thing being raw and bloody. Finally, he had apologized and demanded to try again. To that day, Israel had never once managed to achieve the perfect medium rare. From then on, whenever Jae brought up medium rare steak, Israel would scowl.

The memory was a fond one, so Jae ate his overcooked steak without complaint. He missed his brother.

"How's yours?" Jae asked between bites of mashed potatoes.

Vivienne swallowed a mouthful of her soup before shrugging.

"It's good, just not what I'm used to."

Jae glanced over at the bowl before her. It smelled amazing, but the contents looked a bit strange to him. There appeared to be strips of cabbage throughout the soup, a vegetable he was not fond of.

"What is it?"

Vivienne pawed at the soup with her spoon, bringing a piece of sausage onto it as she answered. "It's a Polish soup called kapusniak. My mother is a native Pole, and she knows all the classic dishes. Her kapusniak is to die for. I remember begging her on my knees when I was little, pleading with her to make me a bowl." She brought the spoon to her mouth and chewed the sausage before continuing, gesturing at the steaming bowl before her. "Unfortunately, her version of the dish seems to have made me unappreciative of AI efforts."

Jae squinted as he examined her soup. "Is that...sauerkraut?"

Vivienne nodded, pleased by his examination. "Yep. the sauerkraut and cabbage come together to give the broth it's hearty, fresh flavor, as well as needed crunch. Then there's bits of bacon and usually a kielbasa, or sausage, to add the meat element and round off the dish." She ladled out a large spoonful, handing it to Jae. "Want to taste?"

Jae hesitated. "I never much like sauerkraut, or cabbage. Thanks though."

Vivienne withdrew the spoon and shrugged. "That's probably for the best. In my opinion, the only way to eat proper kapusniak is when my mother is the one stirring the pot."

She brought the spoon back to her lips and took another bite.

Jae leaned forward.

"So you're mother is Polish. Is that where you live? You don't have an accent as far as I can tell."

Vivienne shook her head. "My dad was an army officer. He was stationed in Poland for a while and that's where they met. When it came time for him to leave, she went with him and they got married back in the States. I was born a year later."

Jae was intrigued. He wanted to know everything about the beautiful girl sitting opposite him. Until just then, the two of them had never spoken about anything outside of Aincrad. It felt strange, knowing that each and every player had a life outside of where he had met them, dreams beyond the next Floor Boss raid, ambitions that had nothing to do with desperate survival. It felt as though everyone in SAO lived in a parallel universe or alternate reality far away, including him. It was disconcerting.

"Is that how you're so good a leading people?" He asked. "Learned from your dad?"

Vivienne laughed at the prospect. "No. Until I turned eighteen, my dad was always away on deployments. I never saw him much until he retired, and by then I had moved out and started college."

Jae frowned. "Weird. I expected you to have some crazy, intense background. No one has that commanding presence about them for no reason."

Vivienne thought for a moment, then shrugged. "I was hostess for awhile at the pizza place I worked at in high school. It's not exactly a management position, but it was up to me to tell the phone boys and waitresses where to go during the dinner rush. So that, I guess."

Jae laughed. "The mighty Officer Vivienne, saving lives and planning battles, thanks to her rigorous hostess training."

Vivienne laughed with him, then pointed at him with her spoon. "How about you then? Where did you pick up the commander trait?"

Jae frowned. "I don't have a commander trait. I'm just a normal guy."

She rolled her eyes. "Sure you are. A normal guy who randomly decides to start barking orders and telling higher ups what to do, coming up with insane schemes in the chaos of battle with people dying all around him, schemes that have saved my life who knows how many times by now. Doesn't sound at all like a leadership personality."

Jae scratched his jaw. "It's not like that. It's just that sometimes, I have a good idea of what we should be doing, how we should be fighting, and then I do it. Everyone gets ideas."

"If by ideas you mean everyone decides at one point or another that they don't feel like getting out of bed on a particular morning, then yes, I agree. But most people don't exactly have the spine to take command over others, to willfully accept responsibility for their lives. You have talent as a leader, and that's why people follow you."

Jae still didn't quite like the idea, but he let it slide. Waving off the topic, he propped his elbows on the table and leaned in like an expectant audience.

"I want to hear more about you, Viv. What do you like to do for fun? What do you believe in? What's your favorite animal?"

She smirked as if it were obvious. "Well, my favorite animal would be a dog, of course."

"Look at that, so much in common already."

That brought a laugh, even if it was accompanied by another eye roll.

A thought took him. "Where did you learn to fight?"

She peered at him in surprise. "How did you know I trained?"

"It's obvious. Whenever you fight, you keep your body balanced, with your legs bent and arms rolled back. You mind your footing, and keep an eye on the terrain as well as the environment around you. If there's sunlight, you face away from it and try to bring your opponents towards it, to blind them. That kind of skill isn't something taught in video games. The only logical conclusion is that you learned somewhere in the real world."

She appraised him for a moment. "I never thought my fighting style stood out so much."

"It takes one to know one."

She nodded expectantly. "I guessed that much. You handle your spear with elegance, but at the same time a kind of careful ferocity, a controlled aggression. Your movements look wild and random, but they're never off target and are actually part of your combat style. It makes sense that you learned to fight in the real world. I studied fencing at the All-American Fencing Academy in North Carolina for three years. I loved it, but I wanted to use a slightly heavier sword, something that could go toe to toe with weighted longswords and the like."

"Why not a rapier, then?" Jae asked. "Or an estoc?"

"Those are too similar to fencing swords, in my opinion. Too light and breakable. I prefer more substance. Just not something that will slow me down. Plus, the fencing swords I trained with at the academy were single edged. I've grown accustomed to the style that requires, and sabers are the only swords to match that. Also, the hand guard is far more reliable than that of other swords."

Jae nodded. "I grant you that. I've been hurt so many times practising with cross guard handled swords that it's a wonder my fingers still work."

"Where did you train?" Vivienne asked curiously.

Jae smiled. "With my brother, mostly. Israel and I grew up with swords in hand, it seems. We wanted to learn how to fight, but not just fight like little kids playing with sticks. We respected the art of combat, and we wanted to perfect it. We wanted to be masters. So we read books on the art of swordsmanship. Over and over again we applied the methods of the Book of the Five Rings. It's a Japanese book written by-"

"The famous Samurai Miyamoto Musashi." Vivienne finished for him. "I learned a little about him at the academy."

"We pretty much memorized his entire book." Jae said. "Along with dozens of other western sword training books from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. And almost every day, we would spar, sometimes for hours on end. Even when one of us got hurt, which happened frequently, we kept training."

"But then why do you not use a sword?" Vivienne inquired.

"I discovered that my forte was with the staff when I found an oak rod that had probably been used as a walking stick. It felt...right somehow, just having it in my hands. I sparred Israel with it and, after adjusting what I knew about swordsmanship to fit with a longer reaching two handed weapon, I pretty much destroyed him. Ever since then, staffs and quarter-staves have been the weapons with which I excel above all others. Unfortunately, there are no staffs in Aincrad, so I had to adopt the next best thing and use a spear. It's served me quite well so far, but I can't quite reach my full potential with it like I could with a staff. It's irksome sometimes, but I suppose I should be happy to have found something of a loophole at least."

Vivienne hooked some of her thick hair back behind an ear, caught up in his narrative. "So you were the better fighter between the two of you?"

Jae thought about it a moment before grinning. "I'd like to say yes, but in reality I'd say we were more or less even. Not long after I adopted staff fighting, Israel discovered that his specialty was in dual wielding. With two swords in his hand, he was like a whirlwind. He was able to match my spear, and whenever we fought with our favored weapons, it was anyone's guess who would win in the end. Our battles were always brutal and lasted for hours before one of us made a mistake and lost. Before SAO, we were equal in skill."

"Before?"

Jae shrugged with a smile. "He'll roll over in his grave when I say this, but after everything I've been through since joining this guild, I doubt he'd have much of a chance against me."

Vivienne looked at him for a moment. "You loved him very much didn't you?"

With a lump in his throat, Jae waved a hand. "Let's not get caught up in talking about it, please. I don't want this date to be sad and somber. Tonight is for you and me. I want to know more about you."

They spent the next hour trading stories about their childhood and general life outside of Aincrad, things they had done, dreams they had had. Vivienne told him that she had considered pursuing her love of fencing, but she also had a passion for playing several instruments, particularly the piano, and had been intent on studying further. Jae was amazed at her intelligence, her mastery and knowledge of the subjects she enjoyed.

Beyond her own hobbies, Vivienne had also been fascinated with the sciences, notably botany and oceanology. She loved learning about the world and the creatures within it. In that regard, Jae shared her passion. In high school, he had always wanted to know more in his science classes, to the point of being seen as strange by the other students due to how often he would talk privately with his science teachers, always wanting to find out more about topics too briefly touched upon.

They talked the night away, going through two separate dessert courses long after dinner was finished up. Jae was so focused on the things the woman opposite him had to say, so intrigued by her joys and passions, and so enthralled by the wide ranging conversations they had, that he scarcely noticed they were the only couple left in the restaurant. In fact, it wasn't until the waiter approached them that Jae even turned around.

"Pardon me, but the Private House will be closing in ten minutes. Is there anything else I can get you until then? Another drink perhaps?"

Vivienne looked around in surprise. "Wow, it must be late. No thank you, I'm fine."

Jae checked the time in his menu. "It's almost eleven. We've been here for five hours."

She blinked, her eyes sparkling as she looked over at him. "I've heard losing track of time is a good sign on a date."

Jae couldn't help but smile as he handed the waiter the plate that had once contained a fried ice cream. "May I have some coffee please?"

"Right away, sir." The waiter took the plate and disappeared into the kitchen.

Vivienne arched a curious eyebrow. "Staying up late?"

Jae sighed. "I have to. I need to go over the sums again, see if I can't figure something out."

Vivienne nodded. "I understand. Once I start something, I can't put it aside until it's complete."

"The only problem with this task, though, is that it can't be completed."

"Your coffee, sir."

Jae dipped his head gratefully at the waiter as he gingerly took the glass mug and brought it to his lips. The coffee was hot and tasted like vanilla and cinnamon. He guessed it was the creamer.

"There has to be a way," Vivienne argued. "Maybe I can help you for a few hours. Together we might be able to crack this thing."

Jae blew into the mug to cool the steaming beverage. "I appreciate it, and I'd love the chance to hang out some more, but I have to be honest with you and say I think it's a waste of time. I spent all day with my friends, the Group H guys, on this, and we didn't come up with-"

He froze as an icy flash of realization dawned on him. He suddenly remembered what David had been saying, or more to the point, what he had been trying to say.

"It's a public feature." he whispered to himself.

Vivienne leaned in. "What?"

He looked up at her. "The vault, the guild treasury. It's a public feature."

She shrugged. "So?"

"That's what David was trying to tell me."

Vivienne was looking more confused by the moment. "Jae, you're not making much sense. What did David say?"

Putting down the coffee, Jae abruptly jumped to his feet. "Come on, we need to get back to HQ."

Rising with him, Vivienne offhandedly opened her menu and paid the Col they owed. "Ok, but why?"

Ordinarily, Jae would have been angry that she had paid for him. He would have insisted that he pay, or at the very least that they split it. Now though, he barely noticed. His thoughts were swirling around him wildly, and he was afraid that if he took too long, he might forget something. He started walking for the door, urging her up beside him.

"How long do you think it would take to assemble everyone in the main hall, excluding the officers and Lind?"

Vivienne looked taken aback. "Jae, that's hundreds of people. I doubt they could all even fit in that tiny main hall. Most of the players will be asleep by now."

"We'll wake them up."

She stared at him. "There's a good fifty or so players not even living at the base."

He nodded as they reached the door. "And why do you think that is?"

"I don't know, they probably don't like the state of the place, or how crowded it is in there; the lack of space."

He held the door open for her, ushering her outside into the brisk night air. "Exactly."

Vivienne threw up her arms in exasperation. "What are you talking about?"

"I'll explain when we have everyone gathered. All the normal players in the guild. Squad leaders too. Just not the officers, we don't need them for this."

She looked at the end of her patience. "For what!"

He smiled at her. "I think I have it figured out."


	60. Chapter 60

60

May 5th, 2023

Floor 30, Hommes Marsh

Israel hacked through the horde of giant frog monsters effortlessly, carving a bloody swathe through their ranks. The air was thick with pixelated shards as Apocalypse flashed in the night with gleaming menace, the bloodred steel moving so fast that the night appeared to take on a crimson hue. Israel danced around the mobs with ease, sidestepping attacks and darting underneath blows and bites with a quiet, calm fury. Whenever one of them came too close, or Apocalypse was already in the midst of another arc through the air, Israel would simply pummel the enemy with his right hand. Coated in legendary steel, his fist was now equally as dangerous as his sword, and with it, he bashed in heads and caved in the soft, firm exoskeletons of the mutated frogs.

As quickly as the battle had started, it was over. Though it was nearly pitch black in the dense swampland forests of Floor Thirty, the area around Israel seemed to shimmer and glow brightly as the thick mist of on-death shards floated through the air. He had wiped out the nest of mobs so quickly that their remains hadn't yet had time to vanish forever.

Taking a breath, Israel checked his health. It wasn't because he was worried, or even out of curiosity. It was simply habit. To his surprise; he saw that it had dipped slightly. He didn't remember being hit a single time throughout the brief, violent ordeal. He had moved so quickly, with such ease, through their predictable attacks that he had expected a full health gauge. As it was, the gap in his health was slight. It could only have been one attack that got through.

He sighed as he realized that he shouldn't be so surprised; he no longer felt pain. The blow must have come from behind, or at range with their one of their long, reptilian tongues. If he couldn't see the attack, there was no chance he would know it had hit him. The pain from typical mobs was so slight compared to what Drefan had done to him that there wasn't even enough agony to grab hold of. Instead, it simply went beyond his notice.

At this point, such things were expected. After spending nearly every waking hour since his escape from Drefan hunting and fighting orange players, Israel's skill had continued to sharpen. With each new encounter against real enemies, he became quicker, more experienced, more adaptable to rapidly changing situations. He had been a skilled fighter before his capture, and even before taking his first life, but now he stood far above his former self. He had accepted his fate, and in so doing, had mastered the art of killing. And now, to accompany his formidable skill and experience, he had two legendary weapons to further his cause and drive his vengeance home.

Normal mobs were no longer something to be feared, or even a threat to be acknowledged in his eyes. Now they were merely an annoyance, something that delayed him in his hunting. The frogs had been just such a foe. After catching the trail of another vassal guild and following it for some time with his further upgraded tracking skill, Israel had stumbled upon a spawn point of the monsters. There had been at least a dozen of the massive beasts, and they had targeted him immediately. He noted the fact that the trail had led directly into their path, not around. Such a thing meant one of two answers: either the orange vassal guild was farming frog mobs, perhaps for a quest since they didn't give much EXP, or- and far more likely- they suspected someone was on their trail and had set up a quick trap for him.

Advancing through the still darkness, Israel kept his body lithe and relaxed, ready at any moment for another encounter. He kept his ears strained and his eyes never stayed focused on one thing for too long. He was the hunter, but against the prey he chased, he could at any moment become the hunted. All it took was one mistake, like it had with Drefan. That had been a hard lesson, and one that Israel vowed to never forget.

He strode swiftly and with purpose, the gleaming steel of Apocalypse sharply contrasting the eery greys and blacks of the dark swamp. The sword was exceptional; perfectly balanced, the cross guard never outweighed the blade during any given strike, or vice versa. Such a trivial detail meant nothing to common swordsman, but in the hands of an expert, it gave an immense advantage. Israel knew that he could rely on his strikes to never fall too heavy or too light so long as he didn't make a mistake.

He could swing with fury while also maintaining enough momentum to fall back if things went poorly. Slightly heavier than Silverthorne, Apocalypse could also dish out more punishment in the form of powerful overhead blows. At first, that had created a small drawback; Israel had been so used to Silverthorne's weight and length that he had made minor miscalculations in the first few battles he had fought since acquiring the red sword. Such things were inevitable when in the transition of changing blades, but Israel knew he couldn't afford any weakness, and always paid close attention to how he handled the sword from then on, making sure not to forget that he was no longer wielding the lighter, thinner Silverthorne.

After adjusting himself to Apocalypse, Israel had quickly found it to be perfect for him. Hand and a half swords had always been his preference; heavy and long enough to withstand attacks from two handed weapons, while still being fully functional as a one handed longsword. Furthermore, if the situation called for it, he could apply both hands to the blade. With it's extended handle and wider pommel, such a thing was not only possible, but easy to fall back to.

Yet, with his strength parameters in the game, coupled with his experience wielding hand a half blades in the real world, Israel never needed to fall back to using two hands. Besides, such a thing would only hamper his full offensive power. The Fist of Fariel had made his right hand just as deadly at close range as any sword, while at the same time, he could use it for defense. Many times, he had lifted his forearm and simply allowed blows to rain down on the fist weapon. Safely armored in several layers of steel plate along with the inside mesh to absorb impact, he was never damaged. After that, he could immediately switch to an attacking role and punch or pommel anyone within reach. His fist attacks had already been powerful, and now the steel gauntlet added to the weight and force, making each attack capable of breaking bone and armor.

Stalking through the trees, Israel's armored right hand clanked as he brushed aside some branches. And then he saw them.

Marching quickly through the overhang, the orange players moved in single file, watching their flanks as they advanced but focusing most of their attention out ahead. They seemed to be chasing something, or perhaps moving to intercept it.

 _No doubt rumors of a green player trapped or alone up here for them to kill, knowing them._

By a quick count, all five of the members were there. Their leader was at the front, his back turned as he led them through the low hanging trees and muddy bogs. The group made some efforts to stay off the mud and water, but seemed mostly content to cover ground rather than skirt it.

Israel wasted no time and broke into a silent run as he glided through the wooded marsh. When he was within fifteen feet of them, he stopped and reached down into the small leather pouch attached to his belt. Inside lay a half dozen steel darts, already coated with paralysis potion.

Retrieving the first, Israel took aim, coiling his arm. Breathing out, he snapped his arm forward, hurling the thin dart at the man in the back of the line. The player convulsed, crying out as he went limp and crumpled to the ground. Immediately, his friends split the line and turned to see what was wrong.

Taking several steps to the right so as to make his exact location more difficult to pinpoint, Israel took aim with another dart and hurled it through the trees, propelling the strength of his arm and the momentum of the throw into the dart's trajectory. The dart hit the second man square in his armored chest, dropping him instantly. With two of their men paralyzed, the remaining players ducked behind some of the trees. Israel was about to throw a third dart at one of them who had exposed his shoulder when he saw the leader of the group, a tall man who rolled through the brush on his way to the nearest tree. The man had on a black face mask.

Blinking in surprise and recognition, Israel's right foot went wide by a few inches, and he stepped on a dry branch. A loud snap resounded through the trees. He knew he had just given away his position.

Turning to the source of the noise, the players spotted him. Or rather, they spotted Apocalypse. With the black cloak, hood, and mask that travelled up to his eyes, Israel was near invisible at night, in spite of his armor underneath being crimson red. When he had the sword drawn, however, he may as well have been a flaming beacon.

"There!" The masked man shouted, his pale sword already drawn as he advanced from tree to tree. "Stay behind cover and advance!"

Israel knew his voice. Images of the man standing in front of him in the Forest of Wavering Mists, demanding Silverthorne and all of his money and gear, flashed in his mind. Their duel felt like it had happened a lifetime ago, but Israel still remembered the desperation, the panic he had felt during that fight. The masked man was an expert swordsman who had shown not only superior skill, but faster reflexes as well. He would have killed Israel that night if not for a mob spawning nearby and targeting him.

Israel grinned. This night, he had been blessed with an opportunity to settle the score.

One of the players charged for him, scimitar raised high overhead, while another took out a dart. Israel had no doubts as to what it was coated with. He waited until the man threw, then darted to the side. The iron dart whizzed past him, embedding itself in one of the trees further back.

The man charging him drew close and bellowed as he swung, but Israel saw another dart being aimed at him from the side. Ducking the scimitar even as it swung for his neck, Israel pivoted hard on his left foot, spinning around the man before yanking him back with his armored fist.

Another paralysis dart pierced the still night air, aimed directly at Israel's gut. Still pulling the player who had attacked him back with all his strength, Israel held the man in front of him like a shield. As soon as the dart hit the big fellow, Israel let him drop.

With a roar, the masked man leaped into the fray, swinging a pale white sword that seemed to cut away at the inky darkness around them. Raising his right arm, Israel blocked the attack on the steel gauntlet. At the same moment, he swung Apocalypse in a diagonal slash aimed for the masked man's neck.

Disengaging, the masked man lifted his sword to defend against the blow. The clash of steel rang out into the night as sparks exploded outward around the two conjoined blades. Apocalypse seemed to shiver with rage as a tremor from the impact ran down the steel.

Before Israel could follow up his attack, the man who had thrown the darts at him charged into the fight with a lunge from his two handed sword. Jumping back, Israel missed the attack by inches.

In front of him now stood two opponents. The masked man, on his right, held his pale sword at the ready. On his left, the man with the greatsword flexed his muscles, silently preparing for another attack. There was complete silence for a moment as the three players waited to see who would strike first. Often, the one who attacked first would be at disadvantage against a counter attack. Like lightning, and without a word, Israel attacked. With a yell, the two men opposite him met the onslaught.

The sound of steel reverberated through the night air as Israel duelled the two men. He knew from experience that the masked man was a skilled swordsman, so he kept his guard up as he attacked, never exposing himself as he struck first with Apocalypse, than with his armored fist, then with the red blade again. Clods of mud and dust flew through the air as the three players fought with everything they had, their swords a blur as they hacked and slashed at each other with careful calculation and controlled blows.

The two vassal guild players no doubt expected that their number advantage alone would be enough to bring him to task, but Israel was now more than accustomed to fighting multiple opponents at once. Dividing his concentration between the two of them, he would block one with his sword, punch the other with his fist, then pivot or advance before swinging Apocalypse to drive them back while defending with his gauntlet.

The battle was fierce and the two players held nothing back, so Israel returned the favor. Constantly moving, ducking, dodging, and sidestepping while at the same time driving back their blows with rapid blocks and counter attacks with either his sword or fist, Israel moved almost faster than his brain could keep up with him. But it was necessary. Outnumbered as he was and facing two players, one of them highly skilled, any hesitation would mean death.

Quickly analyzing his opponents as he fought, Israel observed that while the masked man fought with deliberately renewed and altered tactics every few minutes in order to be unpredictable in his attacks, the man fighting with him maintained a more rigid posture. Furthermore, each time he swung his heavy two hander in a diagonal cleave or slash, the movement would temporarily expose his side.

Quickly taking these observations into account as he fought, Israel began focusing a little more of his energy towards the masked man, who had pressed forward on his right, making it appear as though the worry for his flank had just opened his left side. Just as he had hoped, the other enemy player took the bait and lifted his two handed sword at a diagonal angle in preparation for a blow.

With all his strength and speed, Israel blocked the masked man's pale sword at an unexpected angle and at the same time swung Apocalypse past his guard, slashing open his leg. Drawing back in surprise, the masked man brought his sword back around to counter attack, but Israel was already moving. With his right leg, Israel kicked the masked man square in the chest, knocking him flat on his back. Without bothering to follow up, Israel dodged the second man's two handed sword and, before he could adjust, ran him through with Apocalypse.

Gasping in fright and pain, the man stared at Israel in horror.

Ripping out Apocalypse, Israel ignored the on death explosion and turned to see the masked man back on his feet, guard at the ready.

"Who the hell are you?" He called out in nervous anger.

Israel understood his surprise; A man as skilled as he was had probably known few people who could stand up to one of his assaults, let alone a combined attack with one of his men.

Lowering the black steel backed leather mask that covered his lower face, Israel grinned at the masked man.

"Remember me? Because I for one am having some serious deja vu."

The man's eyes blinked in surprise behind the eye holes of his own black wooden mask.

"You're that bastard from Floor Three, aren't you? The one that wouldn't give me the sword. I knew I should've killed you back in that forest." His exposed lips curled into a sneer. "But you ran away too quickly for me to catch up after that fucking mob saved you."

Israel's smile widened with menace. "Now's your chance to finish me off. Too bad it won't end up that way."

The masked man spat as he laughed, then pointed at Israel with his pale sword. "Bold words, for a man who cheated a fair duel and teleported back to safety."

With a cry of hatred, the orange player charged forward, brandishing his shining sword. With one quick flick of his wrist, Israel met the masked man's blade. Hot red sparks flew past them, lighting up the man's dark eyes behind the frightening mask. Knowing that he would now be fighting alone, the masked man fought with redoubled ferocity, his sword humming as it slashed in complex, weaving patterns. Putting everything he had into the onslaught, the masked man pressed harder as he slashed, hacked, stabbed, and swung his sword over and over again in rapid, elegant attacks that focused primarily on speed and power. The masked man had concentrated all his skill, experience, and desperation into an assault that would annihilate his enemy.

But he never came close.

Not so cocky as to underestimate the strength of the fierce attack, Israel took a single step back and held his ground, slowly breaking down the momentum and power of the onslaught as he fended it off. Meeting each swing of the pale sword either with Apocalypse or the Fist of Fariel, Israel blocked every blow. As soon as the masked man's attack began to falter for a moment, Israel counter attacked with a brief but vicious series of rapid strikes, interchanging his sword and fist between defence and attack constantly so as to throw the man off balance.

Blinking in surprise, the masked man gasped from the effort as he desperately fought to ward off the unexpected attack. Though he lost his footing and stumbled several times from the fierceness of the attempt, the masked man just managed to ward off the majority of the attack. With one last jab, however, Israel breached his opponent's defenses and laid open his shoulder.

Jumping back a step, the masked man glanced up at his health bar as it dipped down into the yellow. Without bothering to advance, Israel merely grinned and lifted his armored hand towards the player, beckoning him forward with his forefinger.

Cursing under his breath, the masked man leapt forward a he panted, this time attacking with a new selection of combos aimed primarily at drawing Israel's attention to the left side of his body before switching right. Quickly grasping the diversionary tactic, Israel kept his armored forearm up to guard his right flank while he pressed with Apocalypse, deflecting and blocking every attack. Before long, openings in the masked man's ever widening guard began to appear as he grew more and more tired, wearing himself out with each desperate strike.

Glancing aside an overhead attack with his steel covered right arm, Israel took the offensive. Dropping to a knee before the masked man could reposition his over extended right leg, Israel closed his armored fist and slammed down onto the player's kneecap. A sickening pop filled the air, quickly followed by its accompanying cry of pain.

Thrown off balance as his leg buckled underneath him, the masked man struggled to swing his sword in a wide arc to make some space. But he didn't have a chance.

Rising smoothly and launching a fresh attack in one fluid motion, Israel swept past the man's guard and slashed open his chest, first with a right to left downward cut, then left to right, creating an X shaped wound across the warrior's front. Finally, taking another step forward, Israel's armored fist rammed into the center of the wound, driving a high pitched scream from the man's throat.

Toppling backward, the masked man struggled to hold onto his sword as he hit the ground, mud splashing onto his mask and armor. His health was in the red.

Sighing, Israel gestured out at the masked man's party, all three remaining players immobilized and forced to watch as they lay helpless.

"I've already killed one of your friends, the others are soon to follow, and this is the best you can do? I'm disappointed."

Thunder rumbled out above them as rain began to come down in a fine mist, further muddying the marshy ground as Israel strode over to the masked man's pitiful form.

Struggling with all his might to get to his knees, the masked man sucked in gasp after desperate gasp, the veins in his white knuckled hand bulging as he kept a tight fist around his pale sword.

Just as Israel reached him, the man leaped up in one last, final attack, swinging his blade with all the speed he could muster.

"Die!" He screamed out into the night as his sword zipped through the mist.

Taking a step forward to close the distance between them, Israel lazily flicked his blade upward, knocking the masked man's pale sword out into the mud.

Another flick, and Israel's sword came down hard on the orange player's face.

A loud crack filled the air as the black mask exploded apart, fragments of it still clinging to the man's face even as his forehead, nose, and left eye were torn apart from the blow.

Ignoring the man's beeping health meter as it reached it's final five percent, Israel seized the man's throat, bringing his ruined face mere inches from his own.

"You know," Israel said darkly as his smile reemerged, "I was practically dying to find out why you wore that mask of yours, what was behind it. Ever since we first crossed blades that night back on Floor Three. Now though-and please don't take offense at this- but I have to admit, I'm unimpressed. Honestly, I almost feel cheated. You really shouldn't play on people's imaginations like that, make them think that you're this cool, evil looking guy behind the scary mask, only to then not deliver."

Glaring hatefully at Israel through his one good eye, the man did his best to look spiteful through the pain etched onto his half destroyed face. He didn't do a very good job of it.

"I hope...you die...slow." He managed slowly, his body shaking in agony.

With one last quick, violent thrust, Israel felt Apocalypse impale the man before jutting out his back. The masked man shuddered.

Placing his mouth by the orange player's ear as the man's health hit zero, Israel whispered, "I'm already dead."

Withdrawing his face a few inches to watch the masked man's good eye roll back into his skull just as his body shattered into a thousand pixelated shards, Israel then straightened and stood.

Scattered on the ground before him, the three remaining players began either cursing him, crying, or begging for mercy. One, the younger man he had used as a shield to take one of the darts, began saying that he had a family back home in the real world, that his mother and father wouldn't know what to do without him. Already walking towards them indifferently, Israel barely heard their pleas, and cared less.


	61. Chapter 61

61

May 6th, 2023

Floor 22, Coral Lake Valley

Sara pulled her silver hair back out of her face. The wind was picking up and seemed determined to blind her with her hair as she worked. The small tent she was in didn't help. Though the entrance was covered with a closeable flap that trailed down to the ground, it was light and the wind effortlessly batted it aside. On top of that, updrafts constantly buffeted up past the ringed crack running along the bottom of the tent where it was nailed into the ground.

"I could make a better tent than this in the real world," she muttered angrily to herself.

A drop of sweat trailed slowly down her forehead, but she ignored it as she worked, her brow fixed in concentration. The newly unlocked potions she had been allowed to craft were exceptionally difficult to make, to say nothing of the arduous task of finding the proper ingredients. That had taken days. Braklin had offered to help, but she knew it was merely a ploy of his so that he could get close to her. It never escaped her how, whenever he thought she wasn't looking, he would gaze at her with lust in his eyes. He never dared make a move, though, and for that she was thankful.

Peering down into the small cauldron, Sara examined the brew. It was still a dark brown. She had expected it to be ready for the final stage by now. Then again, this was the first time she was making it. The first time anyone in SAO was making it. It was possible she had made a mistake. No, she told herself, she had followed every instruction to the letter. She simply needed to be more patient.

Stirring more forcefully as the brown substance bubbled and steamed, Sara waited. If she had made a mistake, it would be impossible to determine what it had been. The complexity of the newest level of potions she could brew was beyond anything she had seen before. She remembered how easy it had been, back when the game had started, to make the starting tier health potions. Later, the tiers had grown a bit more laborious, such as for the cooldown reduction of sword skills and increased resistance potions, but they were nothing like this. Upon reaching level seven hundred in the skill, the newest quarterstone, the wide range of brewing options had nearly tripled. At the same time, the ingredients and preparations required to make such advanced potions had risen exponentially, making it ever more difficult to successfully make them and thus continue rising in the skill.

She supposed it made sense; the game had been designed to prevent a rapid, unbalanced jump in any particular skill tree at one time. Without the sudden climb in difficulty and complexity past a certain point, certain players could rush through the levels and reach the max out point in their skill- level one thousand- before anyone else and thereby gain a massive edge over the rest of the players who kept themselves balanced and worked on multiple skills at once. It was a precaution, a failsafe against people like her. But she had no intention of slowing. The game was nothing more than a trap, a prison set up to kill them all. Why should she care about playing it fair?

Finally, the strange smelling substance before her changed color. First a dark, seaweed green, than a slightly lighter, forest tone before finally stopping at a light lime color. Without hesitation, Sara stopped stirring and added the already crushed calcitran leaves. She could have simply waited to crush and grind them until that moment, but she liked to have everything ready and in place before starting her brews. It may not help insure success, but it made her feel more in control in case something unexpected occurred. After all, at this stage in the potion making skill, anything could happen. Being so far advanced, she had no info broker material to help guide her. In this, she was completely on her own.

After adding the leaves, Sara turned and picked up the small bowl of Mantis Ichor, a vile smelling black mush that could only be obtained by killing the Black Mantis, a rare monster found on Floor Thirty-Two. Tipping the bowl over into the cauldron, she watched as the dark substance intermingled with the boiling green brew, quickly turning the whole thing into a honey gold color. Now was the time.

Taking hold of the wooden handles attached to each side of the cauldron, Sara lifted the heavy pot off the fire and immediately set it into a large vat filled with icy water that rose almost to the top, but didn't leak in over the edges. The drastic change in temperature immediately caused an angry sizzling to emit from the red hot cauldron as steam rose up out of the water. Sara's gaze remained fixed on the inside of the cauldron as the boiling hot amber liquid visibly cooled, it's color altering into a softer, gentler amber that seemed to swirl and coalesce within the pot.

After counting down from eighty, Sara again seized hold of the handles and pulled the now drenched pot out of the water. Droplets and small streams trickled down the ends of the black cauldron and trailed along the dirt as she carried it over to her small mound of empty glass bottles. Setting the pot down, she quickly dipped a finger into the swirling amber substance, silently appraising its temperature. Satisfied, she withdrew one of the glass vials and ran it threw the thick, warm liquid until it was full. Then, closing the vial with a cork, she stared at the honey colored bottle. Holding her breath in anticipation, she waited.

After a long moment, words suddenly appeared above the top:

 _Paralysis Immunity Potion_

Grinning to herself as she pulled some loose strands of her long, silver hair back behind her ear, Sara stood and exited the tent.

As she emerged from the small, makeshift enclosure, Sara squinted involuntarily against the brightness of the sun. She hadn't even known it was daytime. After blinking away the blindness and adjusting her eyes to the light, she started off towards the main pavilion. Over a hundred tents encircled her in a rough but organized fashion. Care had been taken not to pitch them too closely or without pattern. If such a thing happened, a quick escape or move would be all but impossible. Their leader had understand the danger and ordered the tents to be erected in rows so that walking spaces could be used to filter traffic and ease movement. The man was nothing if not smart.

Walking down one of the muddied trails between two rows of tents as she made her way towards the center of the camp, Sara could see players walking in and out of tents, sitting around cook fires, laughing and talking among themselves, or tending to their gear. In the corner of her eye, she saw a wolf pack trudging purposefully out of the camp on their way to another raid, their black cloaks and hoods covering their armor and faces. Silently, she prayed for their safe return.

After several minutes of walking, Sara entered the part of camp that was shadowed by one side of the steep cliff, blotting out the sun and keeping the area somewhat cool. Grateful for the shade, she walked a little faster, clutching the vial of immunity potion tighter in her hands as she drew close to the pavilion.

"Sara," came Braklin's voice from somewhere behind her. "Sara, wait."

Biting her teeth in annoyance, Sara looked over her shoulder and saw the short, gaunt man making his way around one of the cook fires towards her. With a shadow of a beard and a spiked mohawk hairstyle, he was difficult to miss.

"Sara," He said again as he caught up with her, a grin on his face. "I haven't seen you in days."

"I've been busy."

He nodded, the smile still on his face. She could see him straining his eyes as he tried to keep from gazing at her body. It was a poor attempt. "You know, I could've helped you gather the ingredients. It wouldn't have taken so long."

She shook her head. "I appreciate it, but only I know how to get everything I need. At my stage in potion mixing, there's items required that most people don't even know exist."

She started walking again, so he fell in beside her. Now that her eyes were fixed on the pavilion ahead, she knew what he was staring at her as they walking. With her free hand, she tightened the laces on her bodice to better conceal her chest. It didn't seem to bother him.

"Any luck?"

She waved the amber colored bottle in front of her as she walked. "I wouldn't have left my tent otherwise."

"Can you slow down for a second, please?"

Though on the surface, his words were pleasant and sincere, she could hear the undertone of irritation.

"Why?"

"Because I want to talk to you for a minute, if that's alright." He caught her arm gently.

Surprised by his unusual boldness, Sara stopped and glanced down at his fingers wrapped around her wrist. He let go, the smile still on his face. His teeth were slightly yellow and stained, making his grin appear less kind than he made it.

"Braklin," She said firmly, "Is this important? I have to report to PoH on my success-"

"He's busy talking about the ambush routes to be set up along the newest Floor," Braklin interjected. "I'm sure he won't miss you for another moment or two."

She looked at him, a serious expression on her face. "What is it, Braklin?"

He shrugged as he looked at her. "Well, I've been doing some thinking."

Sara was tempted to ask if he was sure that was healthy for him, but she remained quiet.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking," he repeated, "Ever since the other day when I was called on to participate in the escort of that last supply train."

"The one that was sent to our storage facility at Ronbaru?"

He nodded, surprised that she knew. "I suppose you also know then that that storage facility was attacked?"

She nodded again. PoH had spoken in worried tones to her about the massacre for some time the other night when men had been sent to investigate why no reports were coming in from that station. Quickly returning in fear of a trap, the scouts came back immediately to tell PoH what they had seen; that nothing remained of the facility. Everything from the men guarding it to the armory itself had disappeared without a trace.

A flash of anger showed for an instant on Braklin's face as he seemed to put together how exactly she knew about the massacre, but then he blinked and it was gone.

"Well," he continued, "It occurred to me that that night, I had only just left the facility with the rest of the escort team and the now empty supply train when the reports from Commander Kurat, the officer in charge of the place, stopped coming in. He was supposed to message PoH when his inventory log was updated after taking in the new gear we brought in, but he never did. He was already halfway done by the time we left. That means that whatever guild or party attacked the place only just missed me." He glanced up at her with a somber expression. "Had we not left right when we did, I would be dead."

She frowned at him. "What leads you to believe it was a guild that wiped out the station?"

He looked visibly annoyed by the fact that she hadn't shown worry about his near death experience, but maintained his composure.

"Who else would it have been?"

Sara shrugged. "The armory was gone when our scouts got there. That means that it was destroyed. What player would destroy a building filled with rare items?"

"They could have simply removed the items and then set fire to the place."

She shook her head. "That's not how people think. If players stumbled across that kind of treasure trove, their minds would be filled with taking the gear and items, not destroying the place housing them. Such a thing takes work and could very easily destroy anything that might have been left in harder to find spots or kept behind the walls. Players would ransack the place, not concern themselves with destroying it…" A thought took her. "Unless they wanted to leave a message."

He nodded. "Precisely. A message. Whoever did it probably wanted us to find the place empty and deserted. Wanted us to be afraid."

She considered it for a moment, then cast a brief smile at him. "Either way, at least you weren't harmed. You should be grateful for your luck."

She turned to start walking again as if that settled the issue, but this time Braklin took her hand in his.

"Yes, I am grateful. That kind of near death experience gets a man thinking, and I realized that if I had died back there with those other men guarding the station, I would never be able to tell you how I feel."

She blinked. "Braklin…"

He stepped closer. "I know, I'm not powerful or rich or in charge of anything in this world, but I need to tell you what you mean to me. You're all I think about, morning and night. Every time I'm out in one of the wolf packs hunting, I carry an image of you with me in my mind to spur me on, to fight harder. You're smart, and brave, and the most beautiful woman I've ever met. I love you, Sara."

She paused, looking at him for a moment. It was obvious he thought that sweet words and flattery were all he needed. "Look, Braklin, I appreciate the compliment, but I don't have any feelings for you, and you know that. I don't know what you were expecting."

Drawing closer, Braklin's eyes again flashed in anger. "Why not just give me a chance? I can make it worth your while."

He pressed up against her, circling an arm around her waist. Without hesitation, Sara raised her arm and rammed her elbow hard against his face. Crying out as his nose made a cracking sound, Braklin released her and drew back, looking like a coiled viper ready to strike.

"You fucking bitch." He said as his hands clamped over his oddly contorted nose. "What the hell's the matter with you!"

She held her ground as she glared at him. "Me? What's wrong with _you_? Have you lost your fucking mind?"

He looked ready to spit fire. "I didn't do anything to you! You know PoH's rule: No harming anyone within the guild. You'll be punished for this."

She glowered at him. "PoH would strangle you alive if he knew what just happened here."

"If you were not his bitch, I'd break your nose and call us even."

She took a menacing step forward. "PoH is the least of your worries. If you ever touch me again, or any of the other women here without consent, I'll cut your throat in your sleep. Do you understand me?"

He remained silent, his eyes filled with hatred. She took another step closer, her hand on her knife.

"Do you understand me?"

"Yes."

"Now go. I don't want to see you again."

Still cursing under his breath, Braklin backed up a few paces before turning and disappearing into the maze of tents and people walking past.

Gathering herself, Sara forced her beating heart to slow. Had it come down to a fight, she had no doubt Braklin would have easily overpowered her. While he wasn't their most skilled player, he was strong and quick, not to mention experienced in combat. Sara knew a little about fighting, but not enough to win a fight, least of all with swords and knives. All she could really depend on was her ability to hide that fact from others. With her threatening presence and fearless demeanor, she had grown quite skilled at causing others to blanch in worry when she wanted to. That, coupled with her advanced knowledge of potions, granted her a somewhat mysterious air. After all, who knew what kind of potions she could be fortifying herself with?

Potion mixing was a rare and largely unknown skill, and only a few dabbled in it. All Laughing Coffin volunteers were required to be at least level fifty in it so that everyone could fashion their own health and paralysis potions, but that was the extent of their knowledge and a level most other other players could easily get to within a few days. As far as Sara knew, she was the only player in the red guild, or in all of Aincrad for that matter, who had advanced her potion mixing to such heights. No one else, not even the half dozen other potion mixers in Laughing Coffin's ranks, could come close to her in terms of knowledge, skill, and ability in the art.

After regaining her composure, Sara again made for the pavilion. She knew that Braklin would no doubt be terrified she would tell PoH, but she had no intention of doing so. Laughing Coffin needed every one of it's fighters if they were to cleanse Aincrad of the evil players scattered throughout it. The man was a simple, arrogant brute, but he fought well and made a valuable asset to their cause. Besides, after what just happened, she doubted he would have the courage to make another attempt on her affections.

Reaching the proud, menacing pavilion towering above the other tents, it's inky black entrance flap furling out against the wind, Sara stepped inside.

A small group of men, their black cloaks billowing out around them, stood in a semicircle in front of the stout oak table planted in the center of the huge tent. Maps, info broker newspapers, ambush routes, ledgers filled with item inventories, and papers hastily scrawled with names of players in preparation for the next wolf pack, all lay side by side in neat, compartmentalized stacks along the width of the table. PoH always insisted that organization was the key to success.

The man himself, though he sat while all around him the officers stood, easily dominated the room. With his rugged, handsome looks and long, wavy black hair that cascaded down to touch his shoulders, complete with steely grey eyes that seemed to possess a raptor like quality and a composure that betrayed his permanently cool, ever calculating mind, PoH was easily the most fascinating man Sara had ever met.

A thin, black snake tattoo that added to his intimidating presence and seemed to match his iron grey eyes was etched vertically across the right side of his face, starting at his chin and weaving its way up, breaking off at the bottom of his eyelid before starting again at his eyebrow and ending near the top of his forehead. The way it shifted when he made facial expressions or moved his face sharply made the snake look almost alive and moving across his skin.

"There's been no word from the Fatherless Sons." One of the officers said in distress. "Nothing."

"Same with Heroes of Hell and the Stewards of Fire," another officer said, "I sent a wolf pack to their bases and they found no trace of them."

"That makes five vassal guilds in the last two weeks," A third one said in a deep, gravelly voice. "All vanished without a trace. To say nothing of our own storage facility at Ronbaru."

"Our other vassals are demanding that something be done," another one spoke up, his voice filled with worry, "They're saying-"

"Who's saying?" Came a sharp voice that, while not as deep as most men's, seemed to possess a keener, deadlier, more threatening edge to it. Sara recognized it immediately as Xaxa's.

Standing at the right of the other officers and leaning with his back against the table so that he could face the other officers alongside PoH, Xaxa smiled threateningly from within the mouthpiece of his white skeleton mask. Known as Red Eyed Xaxa by most of the players within Laughing Coffin due to the red colored lenses around the eye holes of his skeleton mask, he was easily their best and most dangerous fighter with his estoc. And that included PoH.

Not that that mattered. Xaxa was the better fighter, but he was no leader. It was PoH who had the knowledge, the intelligence, to see them to success. Xaxa had been promoted to second in command of the guild in spite of Sara's objections, it was true, but he was merely a tool. A soldier. PoH was the leader.

"Who's saying?" Xaxa asked again in a curious, threatening tone.

"The leader of the Black Knights mostly, the player named Gefrin." The third officer said slowly as he turned his gaze from PoH to Xaxa. "He is the speaker for his guild and two others serving us as vassals."

"And what exactly is he saying?"

The officer glanced to PoH, who merely dipped his head in approval.

"He is saying that if we don't fulfill our part of the bargain and keep them safe, he and those with him will have no choice but to stop sending us tribute and end our agreements."

PoH remained silent, his grey eyes deep in thought as he arched an eyebrow. The snake tattoo seemed to twist and crawl in response to the movement, trying without success to escape it's prison inside his skin.

Xaxa chuckled. "If he is the spokesman, then it is simple; we tie him to a pole and light a small fire beneath his feet. As he burns, we make his guild and those other two watch. By the time the screams die down and he departs this life, we'll have no more problems from them. I guarantee it."

"The cause of Laughing Coffin is not senseless torture and killing," Sara said clearly from the back of the pavilion. The officers all turned in surprise as she strode forward. PoH sat up straighter when his eyes caught on her, a joyful grin spreading across his features.

"Our purpose," She continued as the eyes of everyone in the room were trained on her. "Is to deal out justice to those who have done evil. Not to kill allies who are with us in this struggle."

Xaxa's red eyes seemed to smirk all on their own as he cocked his head. "And what would you know of-"

"Xaxa." PoH said in a stern, deadly voice. "If you have something to say to her, consider your words carefully before I interpret them as anything less than kind."

Xaxa blinked, then shrugged as he leaned back in a more relaxed state on the table. "Apologies." He looked at Sara. "You're right, of course."

PoH nodded as he rose to his feet. "Yes, she is. And we would all do well to remember her words. There will be no harm done to Gefrin, his supporters, or anyone else who stands a friend to Laughing Coffin. To justice." He looked at the officer. "Bring word to the Black Knights, and to all the vassal guilds serving us, that we will be redoubling our efforts to find and punish whatever guild or party of players is responsible for these attacks. We will also establish guard posts nearby each of our allied guild's locations in order to further assure their safety."

The officer dipped his head in reverence. "Yes, sir."

"See it done, immediately."

"Right away, sir." Turning on his heel, the officer hurried out of the room.

PoH, his steely gaze again falling on her as he smiled, gestured to the door.

"Everyone out, please."

Sara knew he wasn't talking to her.

As one, the small group of officers exited the pavilion, Xaxa bringing up the rear.

"If you need anything," the red eyed man said from behind his skull mask as he looked at PoH, "I'll be outside."

"Thank you, Xaxa."

Then it was just the two of them.

For a moment, PoH stood there, smiling. Then, as if remembering where he was, the man circled around his table and practically ran to close the distance between them before taking her in his arms. He was strong and muscular, his big hands reverently running through her hair as he held her close and kissed her. Sara liked knowing that she inspired such passion in him, and kissed him back.

After a long moment, he pulled away. "I thought you'd never leave that tent of yours."

She smiled at him. "I was busy."

He nodded as he continued running a hand through her long, silver hair. "I know, that's why I didn't disturb you." He eyed her. "You have no idea how hard that was."

She smirked. "I think I can hazard a guess."

He kissed her again. "So, any success?"

She arched an eyebrow as she held up the amber colored vial. "Did you expect anything less?"

He waved a hand to dismiss the notion. "Of course not. You're the smartest girl I've ever met. The day you meet with failure in whatever you're attempting is the day we're freed from Aincrad."

"You make it sound like that will never happen."

He took the amber potion from her curiously, examining it as he spoke. "I doubt it. This world was created by Kayaba. In all his insanity, why would he want to free us? The hundred Floor business is probably just a hoax, a cruel trick to make us hopeful. No, it's up to us to make a new world for ourselves here. Starting with bringing justice to the evildoers who live safely in the towns and villages, pretending to be just like the rest of the green players. And it is thanks to you that we have had such great success up to this point. Without your knowledge, we never would have adopted the paralysis potions into combat like we did. It would probably be a secret kept by the few potion mixers out there who would be eager to hoard such information for themselves. Thanks to your insight, we were able to tap into the vast potential of potion mixing."

Sara scoffed. "You give me too much credit. Everyone in Laughing Coffin can make paralysis potions now."

He looked away from the amber vial a moment to smile at her, his raptorlike gaze drinking her in. It felt like he could see into her soul. "Because of you. It was you who suggested I make it a requirement so that we could mass produce the stuff. You're everything this guild needed, Sara."

She rolled her eyes. "You just want to charm me so that I'll end up in your bed tonight."

The corner of his lip curled into a lopsided grin. The snake tattoo crawled along his face. "Is it working?"

She kissed him. "Maybe. But business first."

He nodded, waving the vial. "Quite right. What is this?"

"Read it."

He strained his eyes to examine the potion properly.

"Paralysis Immunity?"

She nodded. "Paralysis immunity."

He looked at her in puzzlement. "But we already have Paralysis Antidotes. You discovered those just last week. Once the other potion mixers can get up to that level, we can begin mass production of those as well, now that other players throughout Aincrad are catching on as to what paralysis is and how to use it. I read in the info broker newspaper that some Assault Team players are beginning to make the stuff. With your discovery of the antidote potion, we can counter any future organized attempt to use paralysis against us."

Sara shook her head. "The antidote potion is only applicable after the victim has already been affected by paralysis. It cannot stop the person from being temporarily paralyzed, it can only be brought to bear by another person, or if the affected player had it in hand and could say the activation words, or drink it."

He contemplated her words. "Yes, I see your point."

"That's not enough to be sure of safety," Sara continued. "Even if an entire wolf pack was equipped with the antidote potion- and we don't yet have enough made to even do that- but even if we did, what's to stop a well timed attack from succeeding? What's to stop a group of players from shooting at all of them at once, paralyzing the whole group before any of them has a chance to use the antidote?"

PoH's eyes widened as he seemed to take in the full implications of what she was saying.

"You're right. The antidote is useful after a battle, after a raid, but not before or during. So long as someone is able to maintain the element of surprise, they could paralyze an army equipped with the antidotes as easily as they could paralyze one without."

Sara nodded in confirmation. "Exactly. It would be unwise to consider the antidote reliable. That's what this is for." She tapped the amber colored vial in his hand with a finger. "Immunity beforehand."

He studied the contents. "Immunity beforehand...how long does it last once activated or consumed?"

"One hour."

"That's awfully generous."

She sighed. "You won't say that when you see how hard it is to make, how long it takes. I'll get to making more immediately, but we need to conserve them until the other potion mixers can catch up to me...however long that may take. I can't get sidetracked for too long either. In a few days, I need to continue levelling up by potion mixing so that I can find more tools with which to aid our cause."

PoH beamed at her with pride. "I'm telling you, Sara, if it wasn't for you, this guild would never have succeeded."

…

That night, as she lay in PoH's bed, Sara was awoken by the faint sound of whispers. Still half asleep and groggy, she partially opened her eyes. She saw PoH, the snake tattoo on his face writhing along his skin as he talked, saying something to Xaxa. The man's red eyes were fixed intently on PoH as he grinned gleefully from behind his skeleton mask. Though she could almost hear what they said, the words were lost within her mind as sleep again took hold, drawing her into it's comforting warmth.


	62. Chapter 62

62

May 7th, 2023

Floor 23, Town of Velloshi

"Out of the question!" Lind shouted indignantly. "We don't have the resources for such a thing."

Jae had expected the heated outburst and took it in stride as he shook his head.

"I understand your surprise, and the solution seemed unfathomable to me as well when it first began coming together in my mind, but I've run the numbers over and over again, and I know for a fact that this is the only way to save the guild from bankruptcy. We have to buy a new HQ."

Avari laughed bitterly. "I knew you were unfit for this job, 'hero,' but this is madness beyond even you."

Vivienne rounded on her. "You haven't even heard his reasons. Why not save the insults until after he's explained himself?" She arched an eyebrow at Avari. "It was you, after all, who proposed Jae for the position in the first place, was it not?"

Avari looked ready to tackle Vivienne to the ground, but instead crossed her arms and remained silent. The dozen other officers stayed back several paces behind them, no doubt eager to stay out of the line of fire.

Vivienne leaned close to Jae so that no one else would hear, and whispered, "I hope you have a good explanation for this."

He glanced at her and tried his best to give her a confident smile before stepping forward. He had the numbers all figured out. He had checked and double checked them. He knew this was the way forward. He just hoped he could explain it all in such a way that made sense. He had never been much of an orator.

"Yesterday, Vivienne and I gathered all the guild members of the Holy Dragon Alliance, with the exception of the officers."

"Because you didn't us to overhear the ill will you're trying to spread about Lind?" Avari asked scornfully.

Jae eyed her. "Because the officers were not required for what I was trying to do. Officers are already willing to donate Col or supplies should Lind ask it, not only out of dedication, but also to keep their positions secured. Loss of the guild would mean loss of rank. Officers have no interest in losing their authority. Isn't that right, Avari?"

Her face went bloodred as she opened her mouth to retaliate, but Jae glanced back in front of him to where Lind was sitting at his marble table.

"Commander, with respect, it'll be a lot easier explaining myself to you if I'm not interrupted. I would like to request that everyone listen to what I have to say before voicing their objections."

Lind pinched the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. He looked not only angry and frustrated, but exhausted. After a moment, he nodded.

"Go on, then, Jae."

Dipping his head in gratitude, Jae clasped his hands behind his back as he started again.

"As I was saying, Vivienne and I called a meeting of all our common members, including squad leaders, so that I could speak with them. I wanted this meeting because I realized, thanks to my friend David pointing it out first, that though many aspects of the guild and many of the costs we have to pay are centered around public features, such as the guild treasury, room and board, the cost of food and such, the public is not helping with those costs. The only one who comes up with money to pay for all of that is the guild leader, and that's not enough. If we are to fend off bankruptcy and certain collapse within the guild, we need to have public contribution from every member of the HDA; a tax system, if you will."

"A tax?" Lind asked incredulously. "You really think I'm so ignorant that I never thought of that? Trust me Jae, I've asked many players among our ranks for donations to help us out. The chance of them paying their own Col is about the same as the chance for it to rain gold down on us right now."

"And what does this have to do with buying a new base?" Avari asked.

Jae ignored her and instead shook his head at Lind. "I know you've asked them for contributions before, but you've never asked them why they refused to pay."

Lind blinked. "And you did?"

"That was the whole point of the meeting."

When he was sure no one would interrupt him, Jae raked back his hair with a hand as he considered how to proceed. He had Lind's attention now, but he needed to hold it.

"Once I had all the common members gathered, I asked them how they felt about paying monthly contributions to keep the guild alive. After all, I explained, they were members of the Holy Dragon Alliance too, and if the guild fell, they would be forced to spend their time trying to re-accommodate themselves and finding new guilds and parties to join. That would be time not spent fighting to do what each and every one of them joined to do; clearing the game. My aim was to strike a chord, and it worked. Our members joined this guild to keep the Assault Team going, to get us out of this game. Once I showed them how that goal would be threatened, or at least delayed, should the HDA fall, they grew more concerned. Of course, that was not enough to get approval for being taxed, as I'm sure you know, Lind.

"They refused to pay a tax to keep up a rundown, overcrowded farmhouse. Almost every single one of them viewed it as a waste of money to contribute to this place, and I can't say I disagreed with their argument. The rooms here are in disrepair and are too small, too uncomfortable, to be worth paying for. Most of those who live here have to share rooms with one, sometimes two, other players. The ones that don't live here for those reasons, well, why should they have to pay for a place they aren't staying at? They're already paying rent for rooms back in the towns. Another factor that played into their rejection of the idea was our base placement. This farmhouse is located at the outskirts of Velloshi, probably the most underdeveloped and useless village in SAO to date. No blacksmith, one inn, no player run item shops. This place is a disaster. There isn't even a teleport gate inside the town itself. We have to walk through the whole place and make our way to the strawberry fields outside of the village before we get to one.

"This village's lack of needed stores and supplies, to say nothing of it's ridiculous teleport gate location, forces our guild members to spend quite a good deal of money on teleport crystals that they wouldn't otherwise need in order to travel to other towns just to repair their gear or visit a proper item shop."

"All of this is very well known to all of us." Lind said angrily. "I am just as inconvenienced by this town as our newest recruit would be. The fact of the matter is, those inconveniences are what set the price on this base so low. As I told you before, we must find the good in every situation. That's what I did when I chose this place for our HQ."

Jae nodded, hands still clasped behind his back as he began pacing. He had hoped Lind would say that.

"In the short term, you're right. The price of purchasing this location for use as our base was practically a steal in compensation for the village's failings. But in the long term, those failings more than make up the difference, as we have unfortunately discovered. However much money you believed you had saved back then is now gone. Even worse, we're on the verge of economic collapse. The short term is not what we should be setting our sights for. Organizations, business, companies, they always think in the long term. That is the key to success. That is how we thrive.

"After hearing the complaints raised by our members concerning the tax idea, they informed me that if the circumstances were different, if we lived in a base that was not only convenient and could house our entire guild, but was a place we could be proud of, they would be more than happy to pay a tax, to contribute."

Avari waved her hand dismissively. "People will say anything to make themselves feel better or look more noble. In reality, we could be living in the Ruby Palace on Floor One Hundred and I doubt they would feel inclined to part with a single Col."

Vivienne took a step forward beside Jae as he halted in his pacing.

"We figured you'd say that, so the men decided to write a petition of sorts."

Lind frowned. "A petition?"

Jae shrugged. "It's more of a business deal really. Either way, it gets the job done."

Opening her menu, Vivienne took out a long scroll of parchment and allowed it to unravel until it reached her silver steel boots.

"This," She said, running a hand down the top half of the ink covered page, "holds the names of every single common member of the Holy Dragon Alliance. With each name comes the assurance that if we move, they would be amenable to paying Jae's proposed tax."

Lind leaned forward curiously, but Avari merely scoffed.

"Names mean nothing. What risk does it hold for them? Even if we were to move and they never paid, we could never exile them. If we did, we'd have no guild!"

Jae shot her an iron glare that stopped her from speaking again.

"You should hold more faith in your men. They are not liars."

One of the officers in the back spoke up suddenly. "I mean no offense, Jae, but how do you know? Avari's right, they would know that we can't exactly punish them if they ended up not paying the tax. Putting their names on that paper isn't a guarantee."

Jae clasped his hand behind his back again. "They've already paid me the first contribution."

The officers behind him and Vivienne gasped. Avari made a face as though she hadn't heard him correctly. Lind's expression darkened.

"How much?"

Jae looked at him. "Five hundred Col each. There were about a hundred and fifty guild members at the meeting. Some didn't pay, of course. A few were opposed to the tax no matter what. That was to be expected. But most everyone did pay."

Avari creased the wrinkles of her forehead as she spoke, as if she were doing a difficult math equation. "So that would be around...that's…"

"Sixty-eight thousand Col, all told." Jae finished for her.

She appraised him in silence.

Lind stood up, planting his fists on the top of the marble table as he lifted an eyebrow at Jae.

"And why would they willingly pay you five hundred Col each?"

"In return for my promise that I would only use their money to help get us a new base. And also to show those who doubt them-" He looked at Avari "-That their signatures on that petition aren't false promises. In exchange for paying now to both help gather money and to assuage any fears that they would renege on their promise given in the petition, I agreed to exempt them from the first tax collection after we have our new base. Everyone wins."

Avari looked speechless. Jae had to force himself not to smile at her shock. Even if the whole endeavor failed, it was worth it to see the look on her face.

Lind didn't appear so unsure.

"Jae, I admit I'm impressed by your resourcefulness, and I hate to be the bearer of bad news here, but sixty eight thousand Col isn't anywhere near enough. I purchased this farmhouse for nearly three hundred thousand, and that was an incredible deal. You've proven to us that our regular guild members will hold their word and pay your tax plan, but that won't matter. Buying a brand new, proud HQ that can house everyone in the guild and is located in a well off town or city would cost something in the millions. Purchasing such a place would not only drain us of every last reserve of money left, but it would force us to make loans on an unprecedented scale. Interest rates I can only shudder to think about. Doing this would be the final nail in the coffin. We'd be destroyed long before the first round of whatever tax plan you have prepared."

Jae smiled a small smile. "I have no intention of using our feeble reserves, or making loans."

Lind looked ready to explode. Instead, he sighed and sat back down. "Then how would we get the money for this new base?"

Jae could hear the lack of conviction, the doubt, in his voice. He could see it in the eyes of every single officer standing behind them as well. Suddenly unsure, he looked to Vivienne. She caught his gaze in her sparkling eyes and smiled encouragingly at him. It occurred to him then that Vivienne was easily the most beautiful woman he had ever met in his life. Everything, from her riveting, gorgeous eyes to her perfect, proud face, reflected an air of nobility, a sense of purpose, that made Jae's heart stop and his breath catch in his throat. He was sure that she had to be royalty.

The whole world seemed to dissolve around him for a moment as Jae looked at her. He could see her faith in him, her unwavering belief that what was he was doing was right. She was confident in herself, but she was also confident in him. In her eyes there was no doubt. In her smile there was no hesitation. In spite of what everyone else thought, she stood by him. She supported him. She believed in him. That knowledge gave him strength.

He would not let her down.

Facing forward again, Jae took a breath.

"Loans are a shortcut to economic defeat. They must be avoided like the plague. Likewise, using up our vital reserves, small though they may be, would be financial suicide. Our reserves stand like a foundation to a house; remove one cornerstone of that foundation, and the entire building collapses. Reserves, savings, those are our shields against unforeseen events that may occur in the future. It is for these reasons that, when I made my calculations, I left both loans and money reserves out of the equation."

Lind gestured with a hand. "Then where do you propose to raise the money? You said yourself our guild members won't pay you anymore until after this supposed new base."

Jae nodded excitedly as he began pacing again. "That's right. There will be no donation. No taxes. Instead, I propose a number of solutions. Together, these solutions will get us the Col we need. First, we use our strength: manpower. We must organize the majority of our squads and, rather than having them complete quests or clear sections of Labyrinth, we send them on Col farming runs. There are several areas throughout the Floors unlocked so far that contain mobs with particularly high Col drop rates. These are the areas we need to focus on. Each squad will spend several hours farming, gathering Col, under the supervision of officers and squad leaders to ensure they don't keep any of it. After a set time, another squad will take their place to keep everyone fresh while also keeping the farming going. To further produce results, every squad will be equipped with a ring, found in Grenville on Floor Thirty, that increases Col finding chance by a slight amount. The ring is relatively cheap and therefore well worth the investment. Between me, Vivienne, and my Group H men, we have enough money to buy the ring for every member of the guild who will be involved with the mob farming."

"Diverting our attention from completing quests and Labyrinth raids will weaken us." Avari exclaimed. "Do you want the Knights of the Blood-Oath to get ahead of us?"

Jae sighed. "They have less than fifty men. Their lack of numbers means they complete far fewer quests in a week than we do."

"Yet Avari has a point," Lind said slowly. "Even if they are slower due to insufficient numbers, they will still complete a number of quests and obtain much higher EXP within the Labyrinth sections we would otherwise secure."

Jae nodded. "Yes, you're right. But as I said before, you're thinking in the short term. In view of our present circumstances, some sacrifices must be made for the sake of long term success. We have to see it through, and then, once we are wealthy and stable again, we can more than make up for what was lost."

Lind seemed to think it over for a moment, then dipped his head for Jae to continue. Without hesitation, he resumed pacing.

"Next, we will dedicate three of our lowest level squads to the opening and operation of an item shop, a potion shop, and a companion shop, respectively. A blacksmith shop will also need to be opened in time, but at the moment we have no guild members with the skills for that profession."

Lind held his head in his hands in exasperation. "Jae, we are a frontline Assault Team guild, not civilians making a living on Floor One safe zones. Everything else aside, where would we get the vast number of various items, crystals, potions, food, and gear needed to fill these shops?"

"By buying from already existing shops, purchased by me with the sixty-eight thousand Col. I've already explained the plan to the men who contributed, and they understand that it is for the new base in the long run."

"And why, Jae, would the common players buy from _us_ over shopkeepers who have been running their own stores successfully for the past half year?"

Jae smiled at him. "For two reasons. First and foremost being that we will sell the goods and supplies in our new shops at a cheaper price than all the other stores do. Second, to get the news of our cheaper prices out to the player base, we simply use our considerable influence and fame as the leading guild of SAO. We're already in every info broker news pamphlet. We've already got the market and the word of mouth a real world business would die for. Using that considerable advantage to drive home word of our lower prices will guarantee us enough customers to not only pay off the cost of the endeavor, but will, in the long term, provide us with a massive source of revenue no other front line guild will have."

Lind pondered Jae's words, but still looked uncertain.

"I don't know, Jae-"

"Lind," Jae said firmly. "You asked me to find a solution. I've found one. You gave me the job of Finance Officer in the hopes that maybe, just maybe, I could come up with something. I have. Against the odds, I have. This guild is on the road to destruction. What have we got to lose? If my plan fails, the Holy Dragon Alliance is as good as dead. If we don't try my plan, the Holy Dragon Alliance is as good as dead. There is no alternative. There is no option number two. You have to trust me on this."

There was silence for a long moment as Lind studied him. In his gaze, Jae could see fear, worry, doubt, but he could also see hope. Finally, Lind gestured at him.

"Just answer me this Jae. Do you truly believe that your plan will work?"

"I know it will work."

Lind nodded. "Then we will move forward with it immediately. We have less than a month before the last of our money is gone and the guild is bankrupt. That's your deadline. I want you to draw up and divide tasks among the officers and squad leaders. You will supervise everything. You will be responsible for this undertaking." He looked out at all the officers gathered, including Avari. "Everyone will follow Jae's instructions. He is in command of this operation."

"But…" Avari blurted out.

Lind looked at her. "He is in command."

Jae bowed his head. "Thank you, Commander. I will not let you down. You have my word on that."

Lind nodded. "You are all dismissed. Begin the execution of Jae's plan immediately."

The chamber was suddenly filled with movement as the officers broke rank and began either heading for Jae or for the door at the back of the room in order to gather their squad leaders. Before the officers closed the distance to him, though, Jae stepped in front of Vivienne.

She smiled at him. "Well done, Finance Off-"

Leaning in, Jae kissed her.

Blinking in surprise, Vivienne pushed him away.

"What the fuck are you doing?"

He couldn't help but smile at her surprise and obvious embarrassment. "I thought it was obvious, I was kissing you."

She stepped forward and pushed him again, her face going red as she looked at Lind, Avari, and the half dozen officers approaching them. "Yeah, I know what that was, but what the hell made you think you should do that here? This is not the place or the time for that kind of-"

Jae scoffed. "It's the perfect time and place for me, thanks. You have no idea what I just went through. I hate public speaking. I about pissed myself up there with everyone looking at me like I was batshit crazy."

"You are batshit crazy." With her steel backed hand, she pulled back a strand of hair that had gotten loose when he had kissed her. "You have to at least give me warning before doing something like that...and in front of all these people-"

Jae frowned. "I don't think me giving you warning of when I'm about to kiss you would be very romantic. Besides, I thought this was a good time to celebrate our success."

She rolled her eyes, but he could see the smile inching it's way up her blushing features. "I'm going to get you back for that. Just you wait."


	63. Chapter 63

63

May 20th, 2023

Floor 40, Ornu Wood

Israel frowned over the marked map of Floor Thirty-Nine in his hands. Lifting the page, he examined the map directly underneath it, this one depicting Floor Thirty-Six. Ignoring most of the map, he glanced only at the marked areas he had ordered his captive to draw for him. His expression darkened.

"Tell me," he said without looking up, his voice slightly muffled by the black molded steel that clung to the lower half of his face, "Do you think I'm an idiot?"

He heard the young man shift fearfully in the chair Israel had tied him to. "No, I don't."

Israel lifted up more papers, careful not to let the stack fall as he scanned further and further down the pile. Each map was a depiction of one of the Floors so far unlocked, and each was marked with the locations of orange vassal guilds in service to Laughing Coffin.

"That's good to hear. Are you then saying that you're a complete idiot?"

The man paused a moment, and Israel could hear him suppress a groan, no doubt in pain from his fractured ribs where Israel's fist had hit him.

"I'm not saying that…"

Israel threw the papers out all around him as he whirled towards the bound orange player.

"Then why have you marked the wrong areas on these maps? Do you expect me to believe that you're a month behind the times? Or are you hoping to throw me off the scent of your fellow Laughing Coffin slaves with this bullshit?"

The young man swallowed in terror as Israel drew his face up inches from his. The man's wild eyes betrayed fear and expectant pain, but it was to his credit that he didn't cry out.

"I don't understand what you're saying. I did as you asked. You wanted the locations of every orange vassal guild I knew of. I marked them for-"

"You also marked the locations of orange guilds that no longer exist, or did you think I wouldn't notice that? Tell me, you fucking idiot, who do you think is responsible for the deaths of those players? Who do you think hunted them, tracked them, wiped them from existence?" Israel cocked his head, his black hood inching back a little to expose some of his long blond hair. "It was me. I killed them. I killed them all. At night, I can still hear their screams."

The man paled a little, but kept silent.

Israel studied him for a moment. "Do you not understand what I'm getting at? God, you're slow. Listen carefully now, and when I'm done talking, I expect a good answer. If I don't get that, I'll be breaking a lot more than your ribs before the night is out. Now, I know the location of every single vassal guild I've taken down. I know them all. You've marked on these maps some areas I haven't been to yet, I'll give you that, but you've also marked quite a few spots that are no longer inhabited by orange players. So, explain to me why you decided to waste my time by marking areas that are no longer of any importance."

The man blinked.

"You don't under-"

Quick as lightning, Israel snapped his armored right arm forward and seized the young man by the throat with vicious strength.

"No, it's you who doesn't understand. I don't like being lied to. To think, I had actually considered killing you quickly-"

"No!" the man shouted. "Please! Listen. I get what you're saying now. You're right, those areas were empty and useless after you killed everyone at those spots, but since then, new vassal guilds have been formed."

Israel paused. "New vassal guilds?" He thought it over a moment as he studied the man's frightened green eyes. "You mean to say that Laughing Coffin has finally dominated the remaining independent orange guilds? That they've forced them into being vassals to fill the ranks of those I've destroyed?"

The man shook his head. "There were a few more independent orange guilds that have been annexed by Laughing Coffin, it's true, but most of the new vassal guilds have been created from among the volunteers."

Israel frowned. "Volunteers?"

The man nodded. "From my dealings with Laughing Coffin, I know that they divide up each week's worth of new volunteers from among the player base. Usually they would take time to train these newcomers, teach them how to be true red players before adopting them officially into Laughing Coffin. Lately though, PoH has changed his tactics in response to your attacks on vassal guilds serving him, like mine. Instead of taking in all the recruits to be a part of Laughing Coffin proper, he has been dividing them and ordering some of them to create new vassal guilds. Why he wants more vassal guilds so badly, I don't know."

"It's because he knows he needs buffers." Israel said, almost to himself. "The man is clever. He knows that Laughing Coffin risks exposure and will grow vulnerable if the surrounding vassal guilds serving him are wiped out. He knows that without his vassals sending him supplies and money, Laughing Coffin will soon weaken. He knows the importance of his vassals as well as I do, and this is his counter to my efforts. He's no fool."

Israel paused a moment as he thought about the implications, than glared at the man. "Go on."

"They then find locations for bases. PoH gave orders, informing us all that he suspected that whatever party or guild was responsible for the attacks wouldn't check the areas they had already taken down, so he ordered some of the new vassal guilds to take up the same locations as their predecessors. There was some protest at first. People feared that they would suffer the same fate, but PoH's word is law."

Israel nodded. "He was right. I hadn't considered backtracking and probably wouldn't have checked old areas for some time."

 _PoH is proving himself smarter than I gave him credit for._

The young man looked relieved that Israel had caught on, and he continued.

"That's why I marked areas that you've already covered. Places you've already fought. Those zones are now reoccupied by fresh vassal guilds."

Israel straightened and stared up at the large hole in the ground just above him. Moonlight streamed in, illuminating the grass and mud rimmed exposure in the earth.

They were in a forest, but Israel had discovered the little subterranean cave some time ago. It was hard to spot and the hole was the only entrance, so he had used it to sleep in safety during the night. Tree roots burrowed out of the dirt walls and travelled down to the ground before tunneling deeper yet. The way the ropey wooden limbs clung to the compacted dirt walls made it appear as though it was the roots keeping the spacious little room from caving in, but Israel knew better. This was simply a part of Aincrad, a designed area made by Kayaba.

Bending down to retrieve the maps scattered all over the ground, Israel paused to examine them again. Thumbing through the pages, he made a quick count of the number of areas he had already been to, adding to that the number of new areas he hadn't yet known of. The last time he had received the locations of orange guilds was over a week ago, so it was important to make note of the new guilds. The concluding number he arrived at surprised him.

"You're saying that, with the areas I've already cleared of orange players again filled, plus the new spots I wasn't aware of, there are now ten new vassal guilds in the span of a month?"

He had spent all of May thus far hunting the orange vassal guilds, and he had only wiped out nine.

The player nodded with some reluctance, worried that his answer might send Israel into another rage.

"How?" Israel asked.

"Recruitment from among the player base is fairly stable. In fact, I believe it's rising at a slow but steady rate. With enough new volunteers coming in to replace those killed in action, PoH can make up for his losses."

Israel stared in frustration. If this was true, and he believed it was, than that meant more players were joining Laughing Coffin's organization in a month than he could kill. He wasn't making any progress. Instead, he was losing ground. After all the work he had already done, all the tracking, hunting, fighting, and killing, PoH and his network guild were only growing stronger.

Irritably knocking back his hood to free his thick, shoulder length hair, Israel didn't bother removing the black lower face mask and instead began pacing in front of where the young man sat. He was beside himself with anger, frustration, and plain annoyance. No matter how many he killed, more would simply join. To think that he had believed he could eliminate such a vast conglomerate of players all by himself. Images of Naomi flashed in his eyes.

No, he reminded himself, he could do it. He would do it. He would not stop until every orange and red player in SAO was dead. He simply needed to adjust his plans. That was what tacticians did; they adjusted to the situation as it unfolded. Now he needed to do the same. He remembered one of his and Jae's favorite quotes from a book series both of them had always loved: think of the solution, not the problem.

He needed to stop focusing on the problem of PoH's countermeasures, on the problem of the flow of volunteers undoing his work, and instead focus on the solution of eliminating the problem. Eliminating the volunteers.

And then it hit him.

He could go on a killing spree for months, years even, but as long as there were players in SAO, they would continue joining Laughing Coffin. But only so long as the prospects for joining, the potential rewards, remained high. Though he could no longer enter towns or safe zones, he had kept an eye on player newspapers and pamphlets. Through the news, he had learned of the widespread fear Laughing Coffin was now beginning to spread, the notoriety. He also knew that it was a widely known rumor that orange players seldom died in spite of their dangerous profession. Their guerilla tactics, leadership, organization, and seemingly endless supply of paralysis potions had given them something of an immortal status among the green players. This was doubly true for Laughing Coffin.

Hardly any one of the orange or red players were known to have died. True, Israel had killed dozens upon dozens at this point, but no one knew that but the orange players, and he suspected PoH was doing his best to keep even that amount of whispering down. With such highly rewarding aspects behind joining the player killers, and little to no fear of being caught or killed, the player base continued to supply the volunteers PoH needed to replenish his ranks.

Israel was going to have to change that.

He would need to spread fear just as much as he spread death. He needed to terrify not only the orange players, but also those who might be interested in joining. As soon as it was known that there was a vengeful, murdering killer wiping out the orange players and committing unspeakable horrors, the players that would otherwise have volunteered to be a part of PoH's army would instead be too afraid to follow through with it. He would make the risk far greater than the reward. In so doing, he would cut off PoH's reinforcements.

Quickly developing his plans to sow terror through the ranks of Aincrad as quickly as possible, Israel turned with a grin back towards the bound man.

"What's your name?"

The man licked his lips. "Liam."

Israel approached him. "Alright, Liam. I have a job for you. If you do not accomplish this job, I will hunt you down and rip out your intestines with my bare hands. And believe me, it's more painful that you can imagine."

The pale man nodded slowly. "Alright. I'll do the job. I swear."

Israel shook his head as he laughed pleasantly.

"No, I don't think you're taking this seriously enough. I want to be very clear with you. If you don't do this job, I _will_ find you. I've hunted guilds who were supposed to be perfectly hidden and never found out. I've tracked Laughing Coffin armories and storage facilities that were hidden so perfectly in the forests you'd probably walk right through them without seeing them. I could track you through a rainstorm, believe me. And that was before I knew your face. I know your name, what you look like, which guild you were in. You could run to the farthest reaches of Aincrad and I would still catch up to you. So trust me, I'm not just saying it when I tell you I'll hunt you down if you fail to complete this task. Do you understand?"

The man looked too terrified to speak, but after a minute he managed to nod his head.

Israel smiled through the black face mask. "Good. Now pay attention, because I'm not going to repeat myself. I'm going to let you go. It goes without saying, of course, that you won't be getting back any of your Col or gear. I'll trail you as you make your way out of the woods, to protect you from mobs, but after that, it's up to you not to get torn to shreds. Your task is to go to every orange guild you know the location of, and judging by the maps you've marked for me, I know you know quite a few. At each of these guild bases, you will let every orange and red player know that the Shadow of Death is always watching them. The Shadow of Death is always hunting them. And the Shadow of Death will never rest until every single one of them is dead. There is nothing they can do to stop it. There is no way for them to prepare. In fact, in reality, each of them is already dead and living on borrowed time. Tell them to live each day in fear knowing that their time is running out."

Israel paused for a moment. "Do you think you can remember all that?"

Tears of anger, fear, and humiliation welled up in the orange player's eyes, but he didn't cry. "I can."

"Good."

He moved to undo the rope binding the player to his chair, but paused as another thought struck him.

"Go to Laughing Coffin last. Let the fear build up on your way there. But make sure you don't forget to visit them as well. The final part of your task is to go back to your overlord, PoH, and tell him that he is next."

Nodding, the man held back his panicked breathing as best as he could while Israel cut off the ropes binding him. Then, Israel gave him a shove.

"Get going. You've got a big day ahead of you."


	64. Chapter 64

64

May 21st, 2023

Floor Six, Barren Plains

Sara gasped as PoH's fingers worked their way inside her. Clutching the pillows strewn out around her, she watched him. His steely grey eyes looked wild and hungry, like an animal, as he trailed tender kisses down her throat and between her breasts.

"I love you Sara," He whispered in a deep, husky voice between kisses. "I need you. Only you."

The snake tattoo etched onto the left side of his face writhed violently along his skin as he peered up at her, eager to gauge her reaction as his mouth enveloped one of her nipples. His tongue felt warm, wet, and rough against her sensitive flesh, causing a thousand sensations to pulse through her and threaten to drown out her awareness. In his look, she could see the depths of his unrestrained passion for her, his obsession. His hard, muscular body shook with longing, with intent, as his fingers set to work more actively.

Holding the pillows beside her in a death grip as she forced herself to lean back, Sara blinked as she stared up at the black tent ceiling. A small voice inside her began whispering, as it always did, that maybe she should stop him. Forcing it aside, as she always did, Sara reprimanded her mind for such a thought. Why would she want to stop him? Not even the doubts in her head could deny that it felt good when PoH was with her. Well, as good as it could feel.

That must have been the reason. She had felt nothing for so long, after what had happened, that maybe there was still something wrong with her, something that she couldn't fathom, something that she hadn't even known she'd lost. The persistent feeling, the doubt that managed to worm it's way into her thoughts each time PoH needed her comfort, must simply be a fragment of that time when she'd been empty, hollow, more dead than living.

Besides, even if it wasn't, even if it was something else, how could she even consider refusing PoH what he needed most? He craved her, hungered for her, she could see it in his intimidating grey eyes every time he looked at her. But it was more than that for him. PoH was obsessed with her. She was everything to him. He loved her. Was it not her duty to love him back? After all, he had saved her from that emptiness. He had rescued her from the abyss of hopelessness and a life without purpose or concern. If not for him, she would never have remembered what it was to live.

Another gasp escaped her lips as PoH relinquished his mouth's hold on her nipple and travelled downward until he had reached the location his fingers had been working on. His tongue enthusiastically set to work, causing tremors of exquisite pleasure to arc through her body. Involuntarily, she arched her back.

The faint whispers of caution came back to her, but they were easily blown away by the force of the sensations now running through her, almost blinding her with satisfaction. Moans escaped her lips before she could stop them. As if motivated by the sounds she was making, PoH applied his tongue even more forcefully. She could feel the inferno of his lust for her in the quivering of his lips as he worked. He wanted her so badly he could barely control himself.

Unable to keep himself in check any longer, PoH rose up before her, his penetrating iron gaze drinking in the sight of her naked body before stopping at her eyes.

"You don't know what you do to me, Sara." He said in a deep, wild, gravelly voice. "The feelings that you stir in me...I can't control myself. I need you so badly."

Using his powerful arms to spread her long legs as he inched forward on his knees between them, PoH didn't break eye contact with her. His shuddering body on either side of her caused vibrations to carry up her thighs.

"I love you, Sara. You're all that matters to me. I love you so much. I need you so much. I love you."

The doubt again emerged, stronger this time, as she listened to him, as he prepared to make love to her. Maybe it was because she didn't love him back. But then, how was she to know if that was true? Maybe she did love him. She was certainly attracted to him. She liked knowing how much he desired her, liked seeing the wild, uncontrollable frenzies she stirred in him. What girl would not be attracted to a man such as him? He was handsome, strong, intelligent, intimidating, but also gentle and kind. He seemed to care more for her pleasure than his. It was only when he could simply no longer control his feelings, his passion, that he insisted on ravaging her. Yet even then, he was gentle. It was obvious that he truly did love her. How could she deny him his happiness?

What woman wouldn't be eager to be in her place right now? Here, she had a man- and not just any man, but a leader- so filled with his love for her that he forgot all else in his efforts to please her. To have a man such as that desire her, need her, love her, was something that very few woman would ever have.

Perhaps more important than any of that, though, he was the one that had saved her. He showed her meaning and purpose to a life she had thought already over. He had rescued her from not only herself, but had shared his vision of justice with her, filled her with it, given her hope for the future and a promise that no one would ever have to suffer as she had again. She owed it to him to be here for him now, to comfort him, to share his love.

Now on top of her, his body pressed against hers, PoH's devilish snake tattoo shifted again across his features as he kissed her.

"I need you so badly, Sara."

And then he entered her.

…

Dropping down beside her in a heap, PoH could only lay there for a moment as he panted, his face etched in bliss and satisfaction. A thin sheen of sweat covered his tan, muscular body as he caught his breath. Sara's own breathing was better, but whether that was because of the fact that she did less work, or because of the doubts that had prevented her from fully immersing herself in the act as they always did, she didn't know.

After a moment, she felt his fingers tenderly running down her long silver hair. Turning her head to the side, Sara smiled at him.

"You look pleased."

He grinned at her. "I am more than pleased."

"Good."

"You're the most beautiful woman in the world, Sara. You know that?"

"Which one?"

"Both."

Sara rolled her eyes. "You're delusional."

He propped himself up on an elbow, a serious expression on his face. "I don't know what I would do without you, Sara. You're everything to me."

Hooking some of her silver hair behind her ear, Sara kissed him before planting an elbow underneath herself in turn. "You're the one that saved me. I would probably have ended up killing myself if it wasn't for you finding me when you did. You gave me reason to keep living. You gave me the means to bring justice to the evil players in this world. You made your cause mine." She gazed at him. "I would die for that cause. I would die for you."

He shook his head adamantly. "And I would never let you."

He kissed her again, his hand running up the pale, smooth skin of her arm before reaching her shoulder and then travelling down the length of her. She could see the animalistic lust, the passion, already beginning to fill his penetrating eyes again. Instead of following up on his wild, hungry thoughts, PoH studied her face. She could see her bright blue eyes reflected in his raptor gaze.

"Why didn't you tell me about what Braklin did?" He asked calmly without taking his eyes off her.

Sara searched his gaze. "How did you find out?"

"He came to me and confessed out of fear that you would tell me first, albeit with some omitted details I'm sure, to ensure I wouldn't break his neck where he stood."

Sara smiled. "Not a complete idiot then, at least."

That brought a grin. "I'd still call him an idiot. I wanted to break his neck all the same."

She arched an eyebrow. "You didn't hurt him, did you? We need our fighters, PoH. If you go around killing people they won't-"

"I didn't hurt him." PoH assured her. "I would have, but I knew you'd be angry with me. I just scared him a bit, enough to make him piss himself. You'll get no more trouble from him, that I can promise you. You care too much for everyone in this guild, in my opinion."

"We need them. They are soldiers in our fight for justice. The cause cannot march on without proper numbers."

He beamed proudly at her. "You are constantly inspiring me, you know that? Your dedication to the cause is like a fire that cannot be put out."

She set her jaw firmly. "And I am forever in your debt for leading me to it."

He looked at her for a moment, then held her tenderly to him. "You will have justice for what they did to your son. I promise you."

Before she could swallow past the lump in her throat, Sara heard movement outside the tent, followed by Xaxa's sharp, threatening voice.

"PoH, you there?"

PoH didn't look like he wanted to release his hold of her. "What is it, Xaxa?"

"Some little shit ran up to the sentries and started telling them stories about a shadow or some such thing. They tell me he said he had a message for you."

PoH frowned at the tent wall. "A message? Who is he?"

"One of our vassals."

In a blink PoH was on his feet, his naked body still gleaming with sweat as he offered a hand to help Sara up.

"Order the guards to send him in."

They heard Xaxa march off.

"Is this about the attacks?" Sara asked. "Do you think the party of players responsible wants to negotiate?"

PoH scoffed at the idea as he buckled on his pants and put on a sleeveless black shirt. "If they do, the only negotiation I'll consider is a knife in their hearts. Those murderers have caused untold damage, to say nothing of the lives lost. Still, I'm curious to hear what they have to say."

After putting on her black dress that PoH had practically ripped off of her earlier, Sara followed him out of the bedroom area of the tent and into his main office where the wooden table stood, strewn with maps and documents. Standing behind it, they waited.

After a moment, Xaxa stepped in past the entrance flap, his red eyes piercing out menacingly past the white skeleton mask that permanently covered his face. Behind him came an almost naked young man who looked half dead from exhaustion. Fear, anger, and humiliation burned brightly in his green eyes.

Xaxa gestured at him. "This fucking boy tried his hardest to get past the guards leading him here so he could get into the rest of the camp."

PoH frowned at the young man. "Why?"

The man licked his chapped lips. Though he looked only seventeen or eighteen, his posture and balance betrayed a cunning, fighting man experienced in combat from what Sara could read. She could also tell by his determined stare that he was no coward. That a brave man would betray fear in his eyes did not bode well for what he had been through.

"My guild was attacked and killed. I was captured and ordered to give my message to the regular Laughing Coffin members before going to see you."

PoH looked at him curiously. "Ordered by the group of players responsible for the murders of nearly fifty orange players in the service of my guild? How many of them are there? Is it the Assault Team? The Holy Dragon Alliance, maybe?"

The man shook his head. "It's one man, an orange player like us."

Sara blinked, unsure if she had heard correctly. By the way she saw PoH staring, she knew he felt the same.

"One man?" PoH repeated in disbelief. "There was only one man? What's your name?"

"Liam." Came the reply.

"Liam." PoH folded his arms underneath his chest. "Think about what you're telling me. You're saying that it was one man who wiped out your entire guild?"

Liam nodded, his mouth twisting in hatred. "That fucking animal came in alone, you have my word on it. I saw him with my own eyes. I spoke to him. He captured me after..."

Xaxa laughed in a brutally mocking tone. "You mean to tell us that your guild of eight players was defeated by one? How?"

Liam glared at the red eyes bitterly. "It wasn't like that. He snuck up on us while we were resting at our base. He took out the sentries first, before they could call out. Once he was inside, he murdered two more of us in cold blood before we finally figured out we were even under attack."

"That still leaves four against one." Xaxa hissed. "Either you have your facts wrong or you and your guild mates proved to be the worst fighters in Aincrad."

"You weren't there." Liam insisted through gritted teeth. "You didn't see him. You didn't fight him. He's like no one else I've ever seen. The way he moved. The way he fought. He wasn't human. He couldn't have been." He looked at PoH, eyes wide. "He's the greatest fighter I've ever seen. He was like death itself."

PoH's lip curled into a smile small. "Clearly, you haven't seen Xaxa here in combat. I for one would rather face Death itself than Xaxa with his estoc in hand."

Liam's eyes showed how seriously he believed what he said. "Please. You weren't there. I'm pretty good with an estoc too, and my friend Declan was a master mace user. We couldn't get a scratch on him. One of us, Rob, threw a dagger at his back while we were keeping him busy. He didn't even seem to care. He didn't even cry out or try to get the knife out of him. He just kept fighting like nothing happened. I'm telling you, please, don't underestimate this player. He was like nothing I've ever seen."

Xaxa chuckled again, but this time PoH remained silent as he listened, his iron gaze examining every telltale emotion in Liam's face as he spoke. Sara found it difficult to believe one man could defeat so many players at once, let alone cause such damage and destruction among the vassal guilds, but the fear and uncertainty in Liam's voice as he described the the man who he thought was death itself sent shivers up her spine.

"I'm not in the habit of underestimating anyone," PoH spoke up finally, "And while I still think that the man is working with accomplices, rest assured that I take your story seriously, and your warning. Did you happen to catch his name during your captivity?"

Liam nodded. "He told me it was the Shadow of Death."

Silence hung heavy in the air at the utterance of the name. Sara wasn't sure why, but she found it oddly fitting of the murderous, nightmarish killer who seemed somehow able to take down entire guilds alone.

"The Shadow of Death." PoH murmured, as if trying it on for size. "Interesting."

"You said he had a message he wanted you to deliver to PoH." Sara said. "What was it?"

Liam hesitated.

Xaxa stepped forward. "Don't get shy now after trying to talk to the entire camp. Tell PoH what this Shadow of Death wanted him to know."

Liam glanced from him to PoH. "The thing is...I was ordered to deliver my message to you last. I was supposed to tell the rest of the camp their message first."

PoH shrugged. "Doesn't really matter now does it? He's not here. What did this lone killer want to tell me?"

Liam glanced over his shoulder, as if worried the man might step inside the tent.

"He wanted me to tell you that you're next."

PoH eyebrows lifted the slightest bit. "I see. And the message you were to deliver to the others?"

"That every orange player was already dead and living on borrowed time. That he would find us all and hunt each one of us until we are all wiped from Aincrad. He wants us to live in fear knowing that any minute could be our last, that he decides when our lives end."

Sara had no idea what to say. Xaxa, though he didn't look at all worried, was for once silent. PoH sighed.

"Well, good thing we got you in here before you could spread that around. It could've caused unprecedented fear among our people."

Xaxa looked up in sudden understanding. "He already told all the sentries, and the guards who led him here." He looked up at PoH. "They'll spread the word around by morning."

"Gather them all as quickly as possible and order them to keep silent, then-"

"I did tell someone else." Liam blurted out apologetically. "When I was being led here, I saw Midnight, one of the women Laughing Coffin members, about to head out with a wolf pack. I know her and...I didn't want her to get hurt by that sadistic animal."

PoH's expression darkened. "What did you say to her?"

"I begged her not to go out there and relayed the message to her. I imagine the other members of the wolf pack heard it too."

PoH cursed under his breath.

In a flash, Xaxa was behind Liam, his estoc drawn and pressed against the young man's neck.

"You stupid piece of shit!"

Sara took a step forward as she angrily rounded on Xaxa. "Release him! Can't you see he's terrified! He only did what he had to do to survive, and clearly he has some affection for this girl, Midnight. What kind of fucking savage are you to want to kill him for that!"

"Shut up, Sara, you have no idea what you're-"

"Release him, Xaxa." PoH said in a quiet but foreboding voice.

Xaxa looked at him. "But this idiot played right into the man's hands! He told guards on the way in that he had already been to most of the other orange guilds with the same message he's just managed to spread among us! The Shadow of Death obviously hopes to spread fear among us and-"

"What this 'Shadow' hopes for is obvious, Xaxa." PoH said, locking the man's red eyes in his iron gaze. "But you can't hold Liam accountable for the actions of our enemy. He was worried for Midnight when he told her. Any of us would probably have done the same for the ones we care for. This Shadow probably followed him a good portion of the way, to ensure Liam delivered the message. He had no choice but to do as commanded. Now, release him."

Glaring at Sara, Xaxa removed his estoc from Liam's throat and shoved the man away from him before stepping back. He looked to be fuming beneath his skeleton mask, but kept quiet.

PoH sighed again as he nodded towards Liam. "Thank you for delivering the message. You are free to go, but you may shelter in our camp for as long as you wish. We do move every night though, so take care to watch the time and don't get left behind. You're dismissed."

Liam paused. "Thank you, but I'd like to make a request, PoH."

"What request?"

Flames danced in Liam's angry eyes. "I want vengeance on this man. More than I want anything else in life. Please, let me join Laughing Coffin and help you kill the Shadow of Death. I know what he looks like, what gear he uses, how he strikes. I may not be a match for him in combat, but I'll do whatever I can."

PoH examined him for a moment before dipping his head in a single nod. "Granted."


	65. Chapter 65

65

May 29th, 2023

Floor 41, Winterwood

"You're going to tell every orange player what happened here." Israel said as he paced in front of the two orange players tied to the chairs in front of him, his molded steel mask slightly muffling his voice. "You're going to tell them that the Shadow of Death is coming for them all. There is no escape. There is no way to prepare. In reality, they are all already dead." He faced them, his black hood falling down just over his eyes. "You think you can remember all that?"

Both players nodded in fear, their faces pale.

Israel smiled. "Good. Because if you don't deliver my message, I'll know. No matter where you go, I'll find you. As much as I enjoy hunting my fellow orange players, I have other matters to attend to. My schedule is usually quite tight." He leaned forward menacingly. "So I would not appreciate being forced to track you both down for failing to deliver my message to everyone. Am I clear?"

"Yes," the first man said, his long greasy hair clinging to the sweat on his face as he spoke. "We won't fail in this. We'll deliver your message to every orange player."

"I swear," the other man said through his tears, "We won't let you down. Please, you can depend on us."

Israel laughed mockingly. "I can depend on no one, least of all murdering cowards like you. Believe me, I'd much rather kill you and be done with it, but if you fail to complete this task, I'll at least have a reason to finish the job."

Studying the two faces, Israel decided to use the one who held back his tears. While the other man had begged, this one had kept quiet. Fear was a useful factor, up to a point, but too much would cause the orange players to doubt the reality of the terror, make them wonder if, perhaps, a cowardly man was simply embellishing the story. No, it was better to have a man made of sterner stuff complete the task, spread the word. That way, there could be no doubt in anyone's mind.

After relieving them of all their Col and gear, Israel cut through the bindings on both men. Stepping back, he watched for a moment as the relief spread across their faces. In their minds, the worst was now over. They would be allowed to leave with their lives. Their frightened gazes guaranteed that they would carry his message forward to the other vassal guilds, a humiliating and dangerous task without weapons or armor, but they had at least been delivered from certain death.

Or so they thought.

Calmly sheathing Apocalypse, Israel stepped in front of the teary eyed man and, in one easy motion, seized him by the throat. A choked gasp was all the man had time for before Israel lifted him off his feet and threw him to the ground.

"Stop!" The long haired man shouted in horror. "Please! Willem did nothing!"

Ignoring him, Israel continued holding Willem down on the dirt floor. Though the man tried to struggle, the impact from being thrown to the ground had left him temporarily stunned. Raising his armored fist, Israel slammed his knuckles down into Willem's face, shattering his nose. The player opened his mouth to scream, but again Israel brought his steel backed fist down, this time destroying his jaw and knocking out most of the terrified man's teeth.

Frothy, foamy spit trailed out of the corner of Willem's broken mouth as he desperately tried to get a breath, scream, and struggle all at once. His efforts were pathetic, and Israel's powerful grip on his neck kept him pinned. At the same time, he brought his fist down again and again, breaking cheekbones, dislocating the man's eyes within their sockets, pummeling his face inwards until it started to collapse. In the corner of his eye he could see Willem's health plummeting to zero. At the same time, he saw the long haired man diving at him in an effort to both save his friend and take advantage of what he thought to be Israel's distraction.

Without stopping his punches, Israel removed his left hand from Willem's throat. At this point, the man had gone limp so it was no longer even necessary to hold him. In an instant, he had his fingers around Apocalypse's hilt. A ringing sound filled the air as the bloodred steel came out of its sheath, it's crimson hues gleaming as if eager to taste blood. Before his attacker could reach him, Israel swung, aiming carefully so as not to kill him.

The steel sliced through the man's outstretched right hand, lopping it off at the wrist.

Unable to slow his momentum but no longer able to control it as screams of pain tore from his mouth, the man tumbled past Israel and fell to the ground beside him. Writhing in agony as he clutched his stump with his other hand, the man's screams intensified. Turning his attention back to Willem, Israel kept punching, ramming his armored fist into what was left of his face until he partially resembled a smashed watermelon. His health hit zero, and Willem lay still as his body shimmered, then shattered into a thousand pixelated shards.

Rising to his feet, Israel turned and kicked the screaming man on the ground.

"Shut the fuck up."

His eyes bulged as he tried to obey, but it was obvious that the man couldn't stop himself as he kept screaming.

Israel kicked him again. "I said shut up. Be a fucking man and close your mouth."

"You don't...understand…" the man gasped as he cried. "I can't...it hurts...so...it hurts...you can't imagine…"

Israel cocked his head, unimpressed. "Can't I? You have no idea what real pain is. You wouldn't last a minute with Drefan. Get up, and stop screaming or I'll take off your other hand."

Though he continued sobbing and groaning loudly, the player managed to squeeze his mouth shut and contain his high pitched cries.

Israel took out a health crystal. "Heal!"

Once the man's hand had returned and his health was back to full, Israel gestured out into the woods. "Get going, you have a lot of ground to cover, and I'll be watching you from time to time to see if you've slowed down."

The man stared at him. "Why did you kill Willem? Why? He did nothing wrong. He would've delivered your message with me."

Israel shrugged. "It only takes one to deliver a message. Besides, Willem's sword cut my cloak during the fighting. I wasn't pleased with him."

The man blinked, and in his eyes Israel could see terror, hatred, and disgust. "You're not human. What...what are you?"

Israel leaned closer and grinned even though the player couldn't see it underneath his lower face mask. "I'm a monster."

…

After sending the man off to continue spreading word of the Shadow of Death, Israel left the area. Though he told all of the players he captured that he would follow them, he never did. The threat was all it required, and he knew by the fear in their eyes that they wouldn't rest until they had visited every vassal guild, as he instructed. Theatrics such as killing Willem were necessary to instil the proper motivation in the captives he released, and it helped generate additional terror. He knew the man would have nightmares of Willem's face being bashed in for the rest of his life, and he would tell others about it.

Israel sighed. He wasn't the biggest fan of drama. Though it was necessary for his purpose, he still wished he could simply kill them all and be done with it. Each orange player he let live was another he would have to bring down later. Yet this way, volunteers would stop replenishing the orange player ranks. In the long term, the dramatics and the threatening messages would help speed success.

After teleporting to Floor Eighteen, Israel made his way to the Kern River; a strong, deep stream that ran past the edge of the main forest there. He was out of paralysis potions again, and several ingredients could be found without much trouble along the river bank. The sun would be up soon, he knew, so he had to hurry. Though the forest provided cover on the north side of the river, the south side would be exposed; a wide, flat field of thin grass was all that stood between the southern bank and the villages a mile or two below. He had no desire to be without the cover of the trees for long, especially not in daylight.

Orange and red player scouts and wolf packs patrolled less at night, but that wasn't what bothered him. He had never met PoH, leader of Laughing Coffin, but he knew without a doubt that the man would be eagerly planning his capture or death. PoH had proven himself cunning and resourceful, both traits that made for a difficult opponent. Wiping out the vassal guilds, to say nothing of the three storage facilities he had found, would be sure to draw PoH's attention. On top of that, Israel had made it personal when he told Liam to tell PoH that he was next. But that had been what Israel wanted.

PoH was a formidable leader and enemy, that much was obvious, but he was still just a man like any other. Israel's personal threat, even if taken out of hand, would still force the man to look over his shoulder from time to time. Knowing that a killer was after them tended to distract people at least, and gnaw at them over time. While Israel didn't know the depths of the man's personal bravery or cowardice, he knew that everyone could be made to feel anxious and apprehensive. Such emotions caused mistakes to be made, and mistakes could be capitalized on.

Stepping over a rotting tree stump that looked to have been uprooted by powerful winds or some other force of nature, Israel heard the rush of the current as the river neared. Almost at the same time, he heard muffled cries.

Stopping abruptly, Israel listened. The splashes of lapping water drowned out some of the cries, but a few still managed to reach him. By the direction the noise carried, he guessed the source was just beyond the river, on the exposed southern side.

Quickly scanning the trees around him for any sign of a potential trap, Israel checked to make sure Apocalypse was clear in its sheath and then moved forward through the treeline.

He was still partially hidden by the last of the trees standing proudly just before the river bank when he saw the source of the cries. Four orange players stood hovering around the crumpled body of a green player, a man with long black hair and light chain armor. As he lay there, they stabbed him with their swords. Over and over again they lunged at him, causing him to cry out against a rag that had been stuffed in his mouth and muffled his shouting. Israel could see that by the way they were injuring him, taking care not to hit vital areas, the orange players were intent on torturing the man for some time. They hadn't even stripped him of his gear yet, so it was obvious they were in no hurry.

Without paralysis, Israel would need to close with them. The problem with that was that if they had paralysis darts of their own- and judging by the crumpled, frozen form of the man they were torturing, it appeared they did- they would shoot him before he had a chance to reach them. Across the river as they were, he had no chance at simply charging them in a rush before they could react. Wading through the current would be slow going if he was to maintain the element of surprise, but their backs were turned to him and focused intently on their victim, so he knew it could be done.

Stepping down carefully into the water, Israel ignored the chill and planted a boot down on the river bed. The ground was soft and somewhat slippery, but he could feel rocks that could be used to help keep his purchase. Placing his other foot down, Israel watched as the water rose up to his chest. His black cloak floated on the surface of the water and was pushed against the current, slowing him further.

His armor and clothes were soaked, and he felt goosebumps spread throughout his body as the cold water enveloped him. Embracing the cold in much the same way as he did pain, Israel began wading through the river while keeping his eyes fixed on the four orange players on the other side of the bank. They laughed quietly among themselves as they continued stabbing the paralyzed green player on the ground before them.

Struggling against the current as he moved, Israel also had to be careful to maintain his balance with each step, otherwise the slimy, slippery river bed would send him careening into the water. He had no doubt that if he made such a mistake, he would be as good as dead.

Upon reaching the halfway point, Israel noticed that the ground beneath his boots became even more treacherous. The rocks that had littered the bottom behind him were growing sparser as well, but he couldn't slow down. The current was strongest in the center of the river, and if he took too long in getting past, it would sap his strength and quickly unbalance him.

Planting his boots heavily into the soft ground beneath the water in order to force the water suction to keep him balanced, Israel plodded on. The heavy footfalls made it difficult to remove his foot for another step, but it was the only way he could keep from falling. The weight of the current hit him without respite, tiring him and making him sweat from the effort of resisting.

Finally nearing the edge of the southern bank, Israel saw loose vines and roots jutting out from the ground above the surface of the water. Quickly grabbing hold, he used the vines to pull himself forward, though he knew he had to be careful not to put too much strain on the thin ropey cords. Pressing himself hard against the outcropping of dirt and grass that jutted a foot or so above the surface of the water, Israel panted. He was tired and felt as though he had just worked out every muscle in his body. The orange players were just a few feet beyond where he now rested, but he needed to be sure he wasn't exhausted before the fight. Against four, he could lose if he wasn't at his best.

The current lapped against his back as he clung to the bank, but Israel was thankful that the sound of the rushing water muted his heavy breathing. His boots felt heavier than normal, no doubt because of the wet sand and dirt that now stuck to them, but he could do nothing about it now.

Once he had gotten his bearings back and no longer felt as winded from the ordeal he had just gone through, Israel wasted no time. Heaving himself up and over the outcropping, he advanced and drew Apocalypse. The ring of steel pierced the air around him and seemed to carry out along the river now behind. The four players pivoted on their heels in surprise, lifting their swords to face the new threat. Already upon them, Israel swung the steel, it's bloodred edges cleaving through the darkness of the night. The player directly in front and to his left blinked in surprise as the blade arced past, and then his head toppled to the ground.

The player in front and to his right had enough time to raise her short sword, but Israel drove his armored hand forward palm up, striking her directly over her heart. Stumbling back a step, she dropped her sword and clutched her chest once before crumpling to the ground. Her body exploded into shards before it hit the dirt.

The remaining two players had been a bit further away and wouldn't be taken by surprise. Attacking him together, they swung their blades with relentless fury, the predawn glow glinting off their swords as they slashed at him. Fighting off their blows with Apocalypse and his steel coated arm, Israel struggled to carry the attack forward. His muscles were still sore from the river crossing and he was tired, to say nothing of his slowed movement thanks to the thick sand caked onto his boots.

Raising his sword to slowly, Israel was forced to yank his head back before his skull was cut in half. Barely escaping in time, his cheek was nonetheless laid open and part of his lower jaw was cut down to the bone. A few blows later, he parried a sword thrust from the same man only to have the other player bypass his armored fist and stab him in the side. Delivered with impressive force and power, the double bladed longsword made it through his brigandine armor and cut in between two ribs, continuing deeper until the tip erupted out of his side.

Gathering the pain into himself, Israel felt nothing and reacted immediately. Swinging out with his fist before the player could recover his sword, Israel watched as the armored gauntlet crashed into the man's face, shattering the entire left side of his jaw and causing his head to swivel sickeningly around.

Taking advantage of the distraction, the other player swung his sword in a powerful overhead attack, intending to cut Israel in two. Before he could connect the blow, Israel brought Apocalypse up in a lightning quick vertical stab. Burying itself up under the man's chin, the bloodred steel didn't slow down and continued, ripping up through the player's mouth and then the entire front of his head until the tip jutted out at the top of his hairline.

Ignoring the shards billowing out around him, Israel swung his now free sword at the injured final player, cutting him cleanly in half with a loud thwack and causing his upper body to tumble down past his legs.

Fighting the urge to collapse in exhaustion, Israel instead took a knee in front of the green player and took out an antidote potion. Paralysis Antidotes were still a relatively new discovery among the player base and were difficult to make, but he had one more to spare.

"Drink." He said quietly, holding the open glass vial to the man's mouth. His black hair was in disarray and covered his face, but Israel still thought he appeared vaguely familiar.

Taking a sip, the green player gasped in relief as the paralysis effect disappeared, allowing him to sit up.

"Thank you." He managed, trying to get his long hair out of his face.

Rising to his feet, Israel turned his back on the player to scan the trees on the other side of the river. He felt exposed and naked out beyond the treeline, and didn't want to remain there any longer than he had to. The orange players were four in number, but vassal guilds were typically five or more. For all he knew, there could a dozen more players hiding in the woods about to paralyze him.

Turning to face the green player once more and see him safely away, Israel's jaw dropped in surprise behind his mask.

"Tristan?"

Almost a head shorter, the item shop owner glanced up at him abruptly, skeins of long black hair still in his hands. Tristan looked terrified and unsure of what to say to the black and red garbed orange player standing before him.

"How...do you know my name?"

Lowering the mask that hid the lower half of his face, as well the hood covering his hair and the top of his forehead, Israel watched as Tristan's eyes lit up in recognition. "Israel?"

He nodded slowly. "What's left of him."

In the next instant, Tristan burst into tears.

"Israel, I thought you had been killed or, or taken captive long ago." Tristan halted his tears as best he could and wrapped his arms around Israel in a tight bear hug. "Where have you been? What's happened to you? How could you leave everyone without a word? How could you leave Jae?"

Surprised by the affection and the sudden bombardment of questions, Israel wasn't sure how to proceed. Kindness, care, and friendship had become almost alien notions after so much time alone and focused only on death and terror. It was difficult and strange receiving those emotions all of a sudden, and even stranger feeling them.

"Tristan, there's a lot that happened that you don't-"

Suddenly releasing his hold on Israel, Tristan pointed at the river behind them.

"There's another one over there!"

Spinning around, Israel was just in time to see the orange player, half hidden within the tree line, take out a teleport crystal and mutter something. A second later, he was gone.

Israel eyed the trees with redoubled intensity. "Tristan, we can't stay here. This side of the river is too open, and he'll bring others back here."

Tristan nodded, stepping up beside him as he opened his inventory. "Come on, we'll teleport back to town-"

"I can't go into towns."

Tristan's eyes darted to the orange cursor above Israel's head. "Oh yeah."

"You go. I need to get back into the cover of the woods-"

"No way!" Tristan exclaimed. He looked like he had just been slapped. "I only just found out you're alive. I'm not leaving you without a word!"

Israel took a step towards the river. "We already had words. I'm glad I could save you, but now I have to-"

Tristan gripped his shoulder. "I have a Corridor Crystal. We can use it and travel wherever it is you stay."

Israel didn't stay anywhere, but he wasn't sure how to explain that. It was obvious that Tristan wasn't about to teleport to safety, so he had to think of somewhere they could hide, somewhere Tristan would be safe. Besides, he didn't much relish the idea of crossing the Kern River again. A thought struck him.

"Set it to the Highland Caverns. Floor Nineteen."

…

"How did you know about this place?" Tristan asked as they entered a large alcove that ran about twenty feet back into the mountain. His words echoed off the stone walls. "There's hundreds of caves all along this mountain. You could hide an army here."

Israel nodded as he at down on a small boulder. "It's easy to find a place to shelter in here. Some time ago I was captured by an orange player who brought me here, to one of the caves down on the lower ledge. That one had a door and had been built to look like a small prison...but it was so much more than that."

Tristan looked at him in puzzlement, but didn't press for specifics. Israel guessed he could see some of the pain in his eyes, the memories. "I'm so sorry for everything that you've gone through, Israel. I have no idea what's happened, what you've been through, but I'm sorry. And I'm...I heard about...I'm sorry about Naomi-"

"Stop." Israel commanded, his clear voice ringing out against the stone. Tristan jumped back in fright, and Israel cleared his throat, taking on a softer tone. "Thank you, but please don't talk about it. I'd just...rather not think about it."

"I understand."

Tristan sat down on a smaller boulder ringed with moss opposite him. The man looked genuinely concerned, scared even, for Israel, but he kept quiet. In spite of how he tried to hide it, the shop owner was also scared _of_ him. Israel felt a pang of grief at the knowledge that an old friend, and one who he had just saved, was terrified of him. He quickly buried the feeling and smiled as best he could.

"I thought I'd never see you again, Tristan. I'm glad I was wrong."

Tristan beamed. "I'm glad to. To see you again, I mean." He paused. "How did you know I was in trouble? I mean, I know you didn't know it was me, but how did you-"

Israel shrugged. "I didn't. I was trying to get to the river bank to get ingredients for paralysis potion. While I was walking along I heard them stabbing you. I had to cross the river to get to them, which was a bitch, and it looks like I won't be getting my ingredients, but it was worth it to help."

Tristan nodded his thanks. "How were you able to fight them all like that? I would've said it was impossible for one to defeat four, but you proved me wrong. You're the greatest fighter I've ever seen."

Israel chuckled. "I appreciate the compliment. I doubt I'm the greatest, but I have had to learn a lot. My skills have definitely improved since last we saw each other."

"I'll say." Tristan's jaw worked for a moment, as if he was considering what he was about to say next. "Why are you dressed like an orange player? You look almost like someone from Laughing Coffin except...scarier."

Israel frowned at the man. "I'm dressed like an orange player because that's what I am, Tristan. I'm a player killer. I'm no better than they are."

Tristan studied him for a moment, then shook his head. "No."

Israel blinked. "What do you mean no?"

Tristan shrugged and smiled. "I mean no. If you were one of them, you wouldn't have saved me. You risked your life to help a green player who, at the time, was someone you'd never met. You're not one of them. You're better than they are. Don't forget that."

Israel didn't know what to say, so instead he kept quiet as Tristan fixed him in a serious expression.

"If there's ever anything I can do to repay you, I will. You have but to name it." He paused and scratched at his hair as his face took on a worried look. "As long it doesn't have to do with free items, that is. I mean, don't get me wrong, you can have some for free if you want, but I'm running a business after all and-"

Israel laughed softly. That was the Tristan he knew. "It's fine, Tristan. You don't have to repay me with any…" He trailed off as a sudden thought hit him. This could be an unparalleled opportunity. He glanced up. "Actually, there is something you could do for me. Something not having to do with free items."

Tristan straightened his back with pride and determination. "Already done. Name it."

Israel sat up as his idea took shape. His plan would be perfected.

"Do you think you could get into contact with the info brokers who publish the news on current events in Aincrad?"

Tristan looked at him in confusion. "Sure, it wouldn't be very hard. They have stations all over the big towns-"

"Excellent. Tell them that if they are willing to work with an orange player, I can pay them far more money than any green player in exchange for a publication that I would like them to spread on all their papers."

Tristan looked intrigued. "What did you have in mind?"

Israel grinned at him. "Let's just say it's a matter of spreading a rumor. They do that all the time. Technically, I'm working for them by giving them content and paying them at the same time. They won't be able to say no."

"A rumor. About what?"

"The Shadow of Death."

Tristan opened his mouth to ask a question, but then closed it again as Israel gave him a look that answered it immediately.

"You're the Shadow of Death?"

Israel nodded. "I am. To the orange players, anyway. Your help with this will make sure that the green players know it too. I want them to be too terrified by stories of the things I do to orange players that none of them thinks of joining Laughing Coffin or their vassal guilds."

Tristan nodded slowly. "Yes, there have been noticeable numbers of people disappearing into the night to go who knows where and never coming back, and there are more orange player attacks all the time."

Israel frowned. "If it's known among the player base that people are joining the orange players in large numbers, why is nobody doing anything about it?"

Tristan threw up his hands helplessly. "What can we do? Arrest all the green players because one day they might decide to become player killers? We can't fight that. Even if we could, the only players who would be capable of such a thing would be the Knights of the Blood Oath or the Holy Dragon Alliance, or the Aincrad Liberation Army now that they've begun revitalising their forces. But none of those guilds would ever do anything about it."

"Why not? Surely by now the orange players are a known threat?"

"Of course, but not more so than clearing the game. The Knights of the Blood Oath are the new power in the Assault Team, rivaling the Holy Dragon Alliance, and all their focus is on beating Floor Bosses. They don't even do quests on the side. The Holy Dragon Alliance is one the verge of bankruptcy last I heard, so they have internal problems to deal with."

Israel sighed. He didn't even know why it surprised him anymore. "Sounds like them, too caught up in their power struggles and cowardly abandonment of the common players-" He blinked as he realized that perhaps he had abandoned the common players too.

 _No, killing the orange players is simply another means of keeping them all safe, so that what happened to Naomi can never happen again._

"Anyway," he began again, resting a hand on Tristan's shoulder reassuringly. "Can you do it? Can you tell the info brokers to meet me at a designated spot if they want to consider my lucrative business offer? You'll never owe me again."

Tristan nodded. "I'll do what I can, and I'll personally vouch for your reliability and their safety. But...but how many do you think will really show up to do dealings with an orange player?"

Israel grinned at him. "People will do just about anything for the right amount of money."


	66. Chapter 66

66

June 1st, 2023

Floor 23, Town of Velloshi

"Jae." Aranal said in his gruff, deep voice.

Forcing himself out of his calculations, Jae looked up from the stack of papers in his hands and gave Aranal a questioning look.

The big man's beard looked thicker and more wild than usual, and his baggy eyes betrayed exhaustion. Jae reckoned that, with the exception of the beard, he didn't look much better, but sleep had become a luxury to them, and a rare one at that. In the weeks since being given leadership over his proposed operation to save the guild from bankruptcy and raise enough money to buy a new base, Jae had quickly found himself getting by on only a few hours sleep each night. Sometimes he would need to stay awake all night.

Constantly viewing the daily reports and summaries he had ordered the guild's officers and squad leaders to send him at the beginning and end of their shifts, as well as personally overseeing much of the process and helping them to bypass unexpected obstacles or random anomalies, to say nothing of the constant need to reevaluate and adjust his calculations in order to measure the rate of growth in Col intake as opposed to expenditure, all left him busy throughout the day. Having the Group H members, Vivienne and Meifan assisting him certainly helped keep him from being overwhelmed, but the scale and stress of the work took it's toll on them too. Still, they never complained. He was grateful to have friends such as them.

Aranal dipped his head in a gesture towards the double oak doors that led into the great hall they were standing in. Though far too small and shabby to be considered great, the hall remained the largest and most easily accessible chamber in the large stone farmhouse. Whenever he had a few moments to spare, Jae would make his way there to work instead of his room, for he knew people would go looking for him before long.

Following Aranal's gaze, Jae saw two officers enter the hall and begin approaching him. He recognized them immediately as Ritarin and Miller, the pair he had put in charge of managing the up and coming shops. Each of the three stores they had opened was run by a single squad of the HDA's lowest level players, and each squad had it's own squad leader who, as Jae had instructed, would act as supervisor.

Though having two officers in charge was usually only deemed necessary for a force of four squads or more, Jae knew that throwing all the new responsibility on one man would be too much, so he had picked the two of them. Both had proven to work well together in battle and during Boss raids, and they had been in agreement when prompting Lind to rejoin the Assault Team. That shared mindset and mutual respect was what Jae had hoped they would continue to utilize when he gave them joint managements of the stores.

By the way they approached, Jae hoped he hadn't made a mistake.

"They're not due back for a report until tonight," Aranal observed.

Jae tucked the stack of papers under his arm and set off across the hall, urging Aranal to follow as his steel boots clanked along the stone floor. "I told them to come and let me know if there was a problem." He sighed as he walked. "First the numbers start going awry, and now this."

Aranal didn't turn to face him as they closed the distance between them and the two officers. "The expenditure gap still there?"

"Worse," Jae said quietly, the numbers still swimming in his vision. "The gap is getting higher."

Aranal frowned in exasperation at the news. "I don't understand. You have every report, every document that marks our guild's receipts. How can money be disappearing like that?"

"I don't know," Jae admitted as he rubbed his tired eyes. "It's possible that I could be counting something wrong, or maybe I've omitted a payment somewhere. But I checked the numbers a hundred times…" He shook his head to clear his thoughts. "For now, let's focus on the task at hand."

Aranal's silver and blue armor gleamed as the huge man stepped into the light shining in from one of the windows. "If this expenditure gap gets any worse, there won't be a task at hand. We won't be able to afford the base and then all our members will believe you lied to them and stole their money; all of this effort will have been for nothing."

Jae didn't reply. He knew Aranal wasn't trying to upset him, he was simply stating facts. But Jae had already thought long and hard on what would happen if the mysterious source of Col disappearance wasn't solved, and soon. But thinking about the problem would not bring them any closer to the solution. Besides, there were other things needing his attention.

Jae offered a small smile in greeting as the two officers halted in front of him and Aranal.

"Officers Ritarin, Miller. What's wrong over at the shops? I know I haven't yet gotten back to you about your report on the shortage of AI companion taming gear, but I'm working on scraping together a few thousand Col to buy a shipment from an old friend of mine."

Ritarin shook his head as he removed his steel helmet and slicked back his hair. "No worries on that account, Jae. We've already come up with the funds from what Col the two of us already had ourselves. Thank you for the effort though."

Jae blinked in pleasant surprise. He hadn't expected the two men to spend their own money for the good of the shop. He was glad he had chosen them to be the managers. "I thank you for that, but if companion gear is no longer a problem, what is the reason for your visit?"

"Nothing too serious, if that's what you're worried about." Miller spoke up with a smile. "In fact, the shops are doing very well. After the advice you gave us the other day, we got marketing firmly under control. There are almost more customers now than we can keep up with. We've gotten some angry item shop owners too, raving about how we cheated them by buying their supplies and then selling at a cheaper price."

Jae waved a dismissive hand. "That kind of anger is to be expected, but our methods are completely fair. If they're having a problem, perhaps they should lower their prices as well."

Ritarin nodded. "We told them as much. It's not good to have people making scenes inside the shops, so we don't let them stay and complain long."

"Revenue has been going up at a steady rate too," Miller continued. "Each day we get an increase to customers as well as an increase to goods purchased once they see that we sell practically everything at decreased rates rather than just a few items."

Jae nodded knowingly. "I've been reading the reports. Our total shop profit has tripled since the grand openings, and if the climb continues, we'll be almost double that again in the next few months."

"That brings me to our problem," Miller said diplomatically. "With purchases increasing at alarming rates, it's growing more and more difficult to keep the aisles filled. It isn't even so much that we can't afford to buy the goods as it is that we don't have an effective way of keeping track of all our items."

"If we were better able to keep track of everything we had to sell," Ritarin said, picking up the thread of Miller's narrative, "we could see theft, small as it is, nonexistent within the shops. We could also see our revenue rise higher and in faster time. Knowing exactly what we have, and what we have coming in, would enable us to conduct themes and displays, marketing tactics that would draw in more customers, and if all our aisles were full, players would buy things they wouldn't otherwise remember needing or wanting just by passing by and seeing them on the shelf ready to go."

Aranal frowned at them. "I thought you had already created a ledger for keeping inventory. It sounds like that's all you need."

"We do have one," Miller answered. "But it's impossible to keep the damn thing up to date. Whenever we go around the shops to mark down everything, people are still coming in. By the time we're done, the items in the store are completely different in variety and number than what he had previously written down. Because of that, it's difficult for us to guess what we're running low on, what we need. It also makes it harder to determine exactly what we traded at the exchange area you suggested, Aranal."

Jae eyed the big bear of a man. "An exchange area? Where players can trade goods with the shop?"

Aranal shrugged. "Trade boosts economy just as much as the simple buying and selling of goods. I thought it would be a good way of making our shops different, more worthwhile, than normal player run stores. Having an exchange is a smaller, but still viable, source of income. Or so I thought. If it's not working-"

Jae shook his head. "No, it's a brilliant idea. I'm glad you thought of it." He looked back to the two officers before him as he contemplated. He thought about their words and how the ledger could be improved. After a long moment, an idea hit him.

"Take an hour before opening the stores in the morning. Just one hour. Use that time taking inventory of the items and updating the ledger. Have the squad leaders help with ledgers of their own to get the job done faster. Normal squad members can use that time to refill the aisles and set up any themes or displays you want prepared. At the end of the day, after closing, take another hour to do another update. Compare the two to keep tabs on what is sold throughout the day. In time, that will allow you to see patterns in what people buy, items that get emptied out first. With that knowledge, you can plan ahead and order more of that particular item in advance. With the morning and evening updates uninterrupted, you have your constant, reliable source of inventory."

Ritarin and Miller both thought it over a moment as they nodded their heads, than the two officers smiled gratefully.

"I feel like that'll work great." Miller said. "Thanks Jae. I knew you'd be able to help."

Ritarin nodded. "Thank you. We'll get back to the shop and start with an evening update tonight after closing since the store is already open."

"Thank you for coming to me so quickly," Jae said. "If there are any more problems, don't hesitate to-"

"Jae!"

Turning to the sound of Vivienne's voice, he saw her approaching at a brisk, measured pace. His breath caught at the sight of her, as it always did, and he felt an involuntary smile creep it's way onto his face as he looked at her. Covered from head to toe in dusty, battle worn silver steel plate and chainmail armor lined with light blue trim, and with a cape of royal blue- a mark of her rank as Officer, just like him- billowing out behind her, Vivienne looked like a fearsome and intimidating warrior. Her luxurious brown hair was down, something she didn't do often when in battle gear, and only served to heighten her aura of indomitable spirit and determination. Though she looked a far cry less feminine and princess-like than she had during their date, Jae still found her breathtakingly beautiful. It occurred to him how much he wanted to spend more time with her. Behind her came Meifan struggling to match her pace, weighed down as he was by the massive tower shield strapped to his back and thicker, heavier armor consisting solely of advanced plate. Particularly massive steel plates, resembling small shields, covered both his shoulders and carried up to his jaw line. The man was an exceptionally skilled tank and had been one of the first HDA members to support him and believe in him. Jae had quickly come to trust and consider Meifan a good friend along with his Group H men. Though he wore no cape of officership, Meifan had been promoted to squad leader by Vivienne once she herself was given the blue cloak alongside Jae.

By the state of Vivienne's armor, Jae guessed she had been fighting with the new squads on farming duty. Upon setting up the system of three squads fighting monsters with high Col drops for several hours before switching shifts with another three, Jae had asked Vivienne to take personal control and oversee the safety and continued effectiveness of the farming squads. He had known without a doubt that she would get the job done, but her leadership abilities and boundless determination continued to surprise him. Under Vivienne's oversight, the Col gained by the farming squads had reached heights beyond Jae's wildest expectation. Yet it was the care and safety of her men that took first priority for her, and under her watch, not a single player had died or been involved in a close call.

When the two of them saw him, they altered their course. Jae saw Vivienne return the smile, her velvet lips parting slightly to expose her perfect white teeth. He still had no idea how he had gotten her to like him.

Ritarin cleared his throat as he and Miller made to turn. "We should be getting back to the shops."

Aranal nodded somberly. "Might as well. Jae can't focus on anything when Vivienne is in the same room."

Jae rolled his eyes after the two officers left. "Remind me again, Aranal. How old are you?"

Before the big man could answer, Vivienne closed the distance between them, Meifan at her heels.

"We've been hearing some troubling rumors." Vivienne said in a businesslike tone, though her sparkling green eyes lingered on him.

Jae found it amusing how embarrassed Vivienne was about public displays of affection. She always went to great lengths to appear casual and formal whenever they were at work or around people, in spite of the quickly spiraling gossip about the two of them. It was nothing insulting or negative; on the contrary, most of the guild seemed excited and expectant of the new couple in their ranks, both with strong positions of authority and influence to add to the hype.

Jae had been partially responsible for letting slip the knowledge of their affection for each other when he kissed her in front of the officers and Lind, and he had no doubt Aranal and Jon Bright had taken it upon themselves to spread the news of their date, but he guessed such a thing would not have remained a secret for long anyway. In a guild, any form of drama spread like wildfire. Jae himself, even in spite of the burden of constant work, had fairly good knowledge of those who were together within the guild, and those who hated each other.

It was even becoming common knowledge to many that David harbored feelings towards Avari, being one of the few who, while still siding with Jae, defended her in spite of her declining popularity among the guild. He also complimented her on her hair or clothing choices whenever she went past, and tried to engage in conversation with her often. David had been horrified when the rumor became public, but Jae doubted Avari would ever get her head out of her web of plots and schemes long enough to take notice.

"Rumors?" Jae asked with a frown. "What kind of rumors?"

She rested a hand on the pommel of her saber. "Rumors about Lind and Avari being up to something. Everything we've heard has been vague, but from what I can gather, people think they're cooking something up to stop your operation."

Meifan nodded his affirmation as he stepped up beside her. "Apparently they intend to shut down everything we've been working so hard for in favor of keeping the farmhouse."

Jae shook his head. "That doesn't make sense. If we go back to how things were, we go bankrupt and the HDA falls. Lind knows that. So does Avari. And if they wanted to stop everything, why wait until now, weeks later when we're on the verge of reaching our goal, to do it?"

Vivienne shrugged. "I have no idea. I'm skeptical about what we heard, just like you are, but I wouldn't put it past them to try something like that."

Jae blinked at her, then smiled. "I remember a time when you refused to even consider Lind would be up to no good."

She held his gaze. "I remember a time when you felt the same way."

Jae knew the truth of that. He still believed in Lind, and he knew he always would. Lind had helped forge the Assault Team, founded the Holy Dragon Alliance, and risked his life countless times to get them through the Floors. Yet even Jae couldn't deny that Lind had changed somehow. Maybe it had happened on Floor Twenty-Five, as some had suspected. Maybe it had happened before then. Perhaps he was simply growing too fond of his throne. Jae didn't know.

There was even the possibility that it was Jae's fault; his growing popularity and power might have made Lind suspicious of him, unsure. All he really knew was that Lind was no longer joining in the Assault Team, even after Jae had taken over the matters of finance and begun his operation. Of course, the HDA had hardly gone to any Labyrinth raids at all recently; Jae had ordered all their effort be placed on the operation and saving the guild.

"Anyway," Jae said, returning to the subject. "Have you seen either of them around lately?"

Meifan shook his head, but Vivienne nodded. "Avari came by for a few minutes yesterday. She looked at how things were going, how the squads were doing, and helped keep some of the men from breaking formation when a lot of mobs spawned at once in an area we didn't expect. Then she just left. She never said a word to me."

"Maybe she was trying to find something to use against us," Aranal offered as he fingered the massive battle axe strapped to his back. "Looking for a way to make our efforts look bad and report back to Lind."

"We can't know that." Jae argued. "It's possible her intentions were harmless. She doesn't like me much, that much is obvious, but she cares for the guild and it's members. Maybe she was just acting in her role as Senior Officer to keep tabs on everything."

"Sounds like wishful thinking to me." Meifan said with a wry smile. "I learned a while back that Avari has her head too far up her own ass than is good for her."

"Maybe we should check up on her and Lind." Jae replied after a moment's pause. "See if they really are up to anything. Besides, I think Lind deserves a report on our progress so far. I haven't been to see him since last week."

Vivienne nodded. "Sounds like a plan. I'll be asking her about that rumor though. You coming Aranal? Meifan?"

"Of course." Meifan answered.

"Jae needs someone to keep his head above water," Aranal answered cheerily. "And to keep his eyes on your face."

Jae rolled his eyes, but before he could answer, Vivienne arched an eyebrow at the man who looked like nothing so much as a hulking Viking raider come to raid the land.

"You mean the way your eyes haven't been on my face?"

Jae pivoted on a heel smartly as he faced Aranal, an interested look on his face. "Is that so?" He asked, his hand on his spear as his eyes remained fixed on Aranal.

"What?" Aranal sounded genuinely shocked and concerned as he took a step back from Jae's aggressive stance. "Vivienne, I never…"

The sound of her laughter resounded suddenly through the room, brightening the very air.

"I know, I'm just messing with you, Aranal. I just wanted to see you at the end of a joke for once, that's all. Now I'm satisfied. Shall we go?"

She marched off, no doubt expecting the others to catch up to her. Jae shook his head in amusement as he turned away from Aranal and crossed his arms.

"That woman is a force of nature."

Aranal sidestepped to the right to create some distance between him and Jae. "You're telling me."


	67. Chapter 67

67

June 1st, 2023

Floor 23, Town of Velloshi

"Oh, Jae," David said in surprise as he and Jon Bright rounded the corner and nearly walked into them. "We were just about to go look for you."

Jae slowed his pace to allow the two men to fall in beside them. On his right, Aranal sidestepped to make some space and beckoned them in.

"Something wrong?" Jae asked. As they walked, other players in silver and blue stopped to watch them pass. Jae supposed the group was an intriguing sight; the 'Hero' of Floor Twenty-Five in the front, renowned Officer Vivienne on his left with Meifan, her squad leader, just behind, and on his right the four members of the disbanded but formidable Group H, all marching purposefully down the crumbling stone halls.

Jon Bright met his eyes as they turned another corner. "Can't be sure yet, but I wouldn't doubt it."

"Where have you two been?" Aranal asked.

"We had just gotten back from our shift at the farming grounds," answered David, "When we ran into Avari. She told us to go get you, that Lind summons you."

Vivienne glanced up at him. "Somehow, I don't think they want to say good morning."

Jae nodded but didn't slow down. "Yes, but we were already on our way to see them, and we're nearly there. If they sent David and Jon, they must have thought I wasn't at the base." He frowned, looking over at David. "If they wanted to see me, why not send a message? Why send you?"

David shrugged. "Maybe they didn't want you to get there so quickly."

"What makes you say that?" Meifan asked suspiciously from behind them as he shouldered his tower shield.

"We didn't get a very good look in at Lind's chamber," Jon explained, "But we saw a man dressed in stealth focused clothes and using lightweight gear. He didn't look like much of a fighter. He was talking to Lind."

Jae puzzled at his friend. "Did you recognize him?"

Jon and David both shook their heads.

"Sounds like an info broker." Vivienne said, her hand resting on the pommel of her saber.

Realization hit Jae with an icy flash.

He knew why there was Col missing, why the expenditure gap was increasing.

"Come on." Jae said in an icy tone as he picked up the pace. The others grew quiet at his tone and struggled to keep up.

When they reached the door leading into Lind's office chamber, Jae wasted no time and simply swung the door open as he strode in. If it had been locked, he would have kicked it down.

Lind sat at his tall, ornate chair in front of the marble table he used as his desk. His long blue-black hair was tied back into it's usual bun. Instead of armor, the guild leader wore richly decorated silver and blue robes that denoted his position and implied great wealth and power. Papers and quills lay scattered and stacked all over the smooth marble surface before him, making it appear as though he had been working feverishly and without end, as always. Standing beside Lind was Avari, arms crossed beneath her breasts, her two handed greatsword strapped to her back, and her polished plate armor gleaming. She had recently adopted a new hairstyle. Though still short, her hair now had bangs in the front that stretched down her forehead and almost covered her interminable glare of suspicion. Though Jae suspected she was a few years younger than him- probably closer to David's age- her hair and furrowed brow, not to mention her nearly constant scowl, made her look older and more authoritarian. Though he couldn't deny that the woman was attractive, her angry, menacing visage erased any appeal that she might have had in his opinion.

Standing alone in the center of the chamber was a man with short black hair. Wearing little armor, his unassuming, dark colored clothes made him look discreet and unimportant. Were they in a crowd, Jae doubted he would have been able to find him, let alone get a single glance.

Lind and Avari looked up in surprise as Jae and his friends filed into the chamber. The man facing them turned and focused his eyes on Jae. In that glance, Jae could see that the player was used to moving unseen and was uncomfortable being unable to evade all the eyes on him. All spies had that look.

"Brock." Lind said, returning his gaze to the man. "You may go now. Thank you for your services."

Dipping his head respectfully, Brock adjusted his dark, earthy colored cloak as he pivoted on a foot and made for the door. Jae let him pass; he was looking at Lind.

When the man had exited the chamber, Jae gestured at the closed door.

"Who was that?"

Lind smiled at him as he interlaced his fingers over the marble table. "Good morning to you as well, Jae. You look exhausted. Have you been sleeping alright?"

"Who was that?"

Lind waved away the question. "No one of consequence, just someone who believes in our guild and supports us from afar. It was the news he carried that is important."

Jae crossed his arms. "What news?"

Avari leaned forward over the table beside Lind, letting her armored gauntlets rest on the marble as she said, "How about the fact that the Aincrad Liberation Army has just merged with another guild located in the Town of Beginnings, renamed themselves the Army, and have taken control of the entire Town?"

Jae said nothing. Vivienne frowned in confusion.

"Another guild?" She asked.

Avari nodded. "According to our sources, they were called MMO Today. They weren't Clearers, but they had numbers on their side. Numbers that Kibaou now controls."

Lind nodded. "With this merge, Kibaou and his 'Army' now stand at over two hundred and fifty players. We have only one hundred and seventy two. We are outnumbered."

"And what of the guild leader of MMO Today?" Meifan asked. "Did he simply roll over and give command of his men to Kibaou?"

"The man's name is Thinker." Avari answered, her eyes still on Jae and Vivienne. "He agreed to Kibaou's terms and allowed for joint ownership of the new Army."

Jae shrugged. "If that's true, then why the worry? This merging has weakened Kibaou's authority by making him joint, rather than sole, commander of his men. Isn't that exactly what you would have wanted?"

Avari's lip curled into a condescending smile. "Are you so foolish as to believe Kibaou will allow that?"

Lind nodded in agreement. "Kibaou lusts for power. His ambition is boundless. This joint ownership business will prove to be nothing more than a facade while Kibaou brings his newfound numbers under his thumb. I have no doubt of this."

Jae had to struggle not to roll his eyes and keep his voice normal. "With respect, are you certain you aren't just letting your fears get the better of you? Kibaou is no longer on the frontlines. He is no longer a threat to the Assault Team's goal of clearing the game. He is no longer a threat to the HDA losing it's position as top clearing guild. Shouldn't that be enough?"

"Of course it's not enough!" Avari exclaimed irritably. "Kibaou doesn't forget his grudges. The purpose of this merging is to revitalize his forces and return to usurp our position from us. We have been lucky enough to discover this plot early, and we must use that advantage to thwart Kibaou's plans."

"To that end," Lind said. "I have decided, after much deliberation, that we must abandon your plans for our move and instead focus our efforts back into consolidating our hold on the Assault Team and resuming all Labyrinth raids."

Simultaneously, the five people behind him erupted into a storm of protests. Looking back, he saw Vivienne adding her voice to the throng, shouting at the foolhardiness of such a plan. He was surprised at her boldness in raising her voice at Lind.

Jae thrust his arm into the air. "Quiet! Quiet!"

They lowered their voices, and Jae could feel their eyes on his back as he looked to Lind.

"I'm going to be completely honest with you, Commander Lind. If you go through with this, you'll be making the biggest mistake of your life."

Lind shot up in his chair, his decadent robes billowing out behind him. "Is that a threat, Officer Jae? Do you forget who raised you up to the position you now find yourself in, and who can take it away?"

Jae shook his head. "I have not forgotten. And it is not a threat. It is the truth. If we abandon the operation now and return to the frontlines, this guild will die. That's the simple truth of it. We're seven days from our deadline. Seven days from bankruptcy."

Lind waggled a finger at him. "Bankruptcy? You think me a fool? Your operation has accumulated nearly three million Col in the month you've been given. That's more than enough to stave off economic trouble for months, and by that time, the problem will be solved."

Jae shook his head. "No, the problem will not be solved. The problem of expenditures beating out profits in the guild has been because of the lack of taxes, the lack of contribution, and the massive debt incurred keeping everyone going. That debt won't stop, Lind. It won't go away. You can stave it off for a while, but unless we see my operation through to it's conclusion, it will continue to drain the feeble resources you have."

"Ah, but thanks to you, our resources are no longer so feeble." Lind pointed out. "We have three grand shops raking in thousands of Col every single day, bringing in more than triple the revenue that was available each week before."

Jae smiled at him. "And who will run those shops if you cancel my plans? Who will bring in your revenue?"

Lind frowned at him. "The squads you assigned to the shops, of course. What are you getting at?"

"Those squads are among the players who were told why they were doing what they were doing. Those squads contributed to the investment of sixty-eight thousand Col given to me those weeks ago. Why do you think they made that investment, Lind? I'll tell you why. They made that investment to ensure that we honor the agreement; we give them a new base, we give them better living conditions and better prospects, and in return, they give us taxes and they don't leave the guild."

Avari scowled at him. "They made that investment to ensure _you_ honor that agreement. Lind never made any such proposal and never accepted that negotiation. That we must back out now due to unforeseen events is part of the responsibility of being a leader, one that you should have considered before making that deal. Our guild members will be angry at you, not Lind. You will be the one who failed them by making promises that couldn't be kept."

Vivienne stepped up beside him. "The promise he made _was_ kept. We are within sight of the success of Jae's plan. A new base and stability and wealth beyond our dreams are nearly in our grasp. Once the guild members hear that their leader has thrown them under the bus simply to feed his own fear of Kibaou, you may be sure they will not be garbed in silver and blue for much longer. And I for one will do everything in my power to make sure they all hear of it."

"As will I." Aranal said as he lumbered forward a step.

"As will I." Said David.

"And I." said Jon Bright.

"And I!" Shouted Meifan as he too stepped up, his thick armor clanking.

Lind blinked in surprise. Avari too appeared not to have expected their staunch threat of spreading the word.

Jae looked at his guild leader. "Lind, you are my Commander. I'm not trying to usurp authority over you, no matter what you have been told-" He glanced at Avari- "Or what you believe. All I want is what's best for this guild. For the Holy Dragon Alliance. I want that because I believe in us. I believe in you. Please don't make me regret that belief. You have to hear me. If this plan does not go through, the guild will fall. The members will disband regardless of whether or not the players standing with me spread word of what transpired here today. They will disband because they will feel cheated, because they know bankruptcy is imminent and all their work and Col has been for nothing. It doesn't matter if the blame falls on you or me. It doesn't matter who they choose to hate. All that matters is that they will leave. Without players, there is no guild. And even if, by some miracle, they didn't leave, you'd still have this failing shell of a guild. As things stand here, our economy is doomed. Yes, you would now have three million Col stolen from what I've been working towards, but you would not have the money to replace it. Eventually, it would be spent. Then what? We're right back to where we started. Only next time, it will be too late to follow my advice. The Holy Dragon Alliance will cease to exist. How will we stop Kibaou from ruining the Assault Team then, Lind? How we will prevent an Army takeover of the frontlines if we no longer have the unity and strength of a guild to oppose him? This news of the merging shouldn't be making you think we need to cancel our plans and go back to how things were. The news should make us want to speed our conclusion of my plan. Once we have the happiness of our guild members and the wealth provided in the long term, I promise you we will be the top guild in Aincrad. With stability and finances on our side, we can turn all our attention and all of our resources back to the Assault Team, back to beating the game. Our power and influence will be higher than it ever was. Kibaou, hell, even Heathcliff, won't be able to hold a candle to you. All you need to do is trust me."

He paused, watching Lind's face as the guild leader remained silent.

"Of course, that means you also need to stop stealing the Col we've been building up."

Avari's face twisted in outrage. "What are you talking about? Lind is your commander, not a thief. Do not blame him for whatever Col your friends are taking from you!"

Jae ignored her and kept his gaze on Lind as the man shifted in his seat.

"Tell me Avari, how do you think Lind has stayed on top of every new development concerning other guilds?"

She blinked at him. "Well, I…"

"Who do you think that man was, Avari? The one who was just in here with news of the Army merging?"

She glanced at Lind briefly before returning her focus on Jae. "An info broker, of course. He supported us and wanted to let us know of his own volition."

Jae shook his head. "That was no info broker. That was a spy."

Vivienne looked to him in shock. "A spy? I hope you have evidence of this. Are you sure?"

Jae nodded. "I had been wondering why so much money was disappearing right under my nose. I ran the numbers so many times they were all I could see when I closed my eyes. I had no idea how Col could be going missing and in ever larger amounts. Frankly, I'm embarrassed it took me this long to figure it out."

Lind remained silent and unblinking as he let Jae continue. Concern and disbelief lit up Avari's face.

"What are you talking about?" She asked.

Jae pointed at Lind. "What I'm talking about is the fact that our guild leader has been stealing the money belonging to and raised by the members of this guild in order to bribe people to spy on other guilds and players, and then bring the information back to him. Judging by the steady increase in Col loss, it's obvious that he's been purchasing the discreet help of more and more spies, having them stalk around the affairs of nearly all the guilds, and perhaps even sow discord and subterfuge within their ranks. Would I be so far fetched in the thought, Commander Lind?"

Chin raised defiantly as all the eyes in the room looked to him, Lind stood up.

"It's true. I'll not deny it."

Gasps came from the players standing by Jae. Avari looked heartbroken as she took a step back in surprise. "But...but...Lind. You can't steal the money of your own people. You can't use people not even in our guild to harm other guilds in secret if they aren't even part of the Army of the KoB. That's not right."

Lind glanced at her.

"What is right, Avari? That we allow Kibaou and those like him to get players killed? That we let lives be lost forever to some stupid game just because we feel a moral obligation to the idea of video game guild honor? That's absurd. Yes, I stole some of the money you've been raising, Jae, but it's not gone to myself. It's gone to this guild. To keeping us ahead and alive. Spies are necessary to know what our enemies are thinking and planning. Spies give us the time we need to thwart plots against us, like Kibaou's newest one just today! If not for my efforts, we would have no clue Kibaou just tripled his fighting strength and has seized control of the Town of Beginnings. Those are facts we needed to know."

Jae shook his head. "Those are not facts we needed to know. They're facts you wanted to know. This guild has not been made any stronger knowing what Kibaou has done. We're in the exact same position we were yesterday, except now, we have less money for it. By my estimates, nearly three hundred thousand Col has been taken from what we've made. That's three hundred thousand we're not getting back, and time is running out. You've made us weaker in employing these backhanded methods of maintaining power, Lind, not stronger. I believe in the importance of knowledge, as any thinking person would, but not in creating problems where there were none and making things worse than they are. Take the division between us. This argument would never have come to pass had you not employed these spies. You and Avari gave me your blessing on this operation, and just now you tried to withdraw it for no other reason than because you're worried about what Kibaou is up to. The fact of the matter is, until he and his guild rejoin the Assault Team and put to voice their intentions of usurping our authority as the lead guild, they are not a threat, and certainly not worth stealing your people's money over. I must insist that you stop paying your spies immediately."

"We stand behind Jae in this." Vivienne said coldly and with determination. "You cannot steal from your guild. You cannot spy on people for running their own affairs. If you don't stop, the guild will learn of this."

Aranal and the others nodded their confirmation of her words.

Avari offered no argument, and Jae could see her own look of disillusionment as she gazed at Lind, waiting for what he had to say. When he remained quiet, she spoke up quietly.

"Commander...Lind. You know they're in the right. This must end."

Lind looked at her somberly, than slumped back down into his chair. He dipped his head in a single, slow nod.

"Alright. If that's how everyone feels. I do not believe what I did was wrong, but I will respect the wishes of my Officers. The employment of spies ends now. The operation will proceed as planned. There is to be no return to the front until Jae's plan has been successfully concluded. These are my orders."

…

"We'll split up into groups of two." Jae said as he looked at the small group standing before him. "Aranal, David, you two check out the uninhabited mansions and town centers between Floors Thirty and Thirty-Four. Meifan and Jon Bright, you guys see if you can't find someplace in the main cities between Thirty-Five and Thirty-Seven. Vivienne and I will check out the palaces and city squares between Floors Thirty-Eight and Forty, since Forty-One isn't unlocked yet. Remember, price is not priority. We need the space to hold a private room for every single guild member, public areas, storage rooms, the works. It should be a place that has easy access to teleport areas and NPC as well as player run shops. Any questions?"

Everyone shook their heads.

"Just out of curiosity," David said as he scratched his jaw. "Is there a reason we're looking for something grandiose like a palace or city square building?"

Jae nodded. "The base we choose will be our headquarters,perhaps permanently. We could be living there for years. What we choose needs to not only be practical, but also be majestic and uplifting, something to raise morale. The men have worked hard and without end to get the money together for this base, so it needs to be something they can appreciate having put so much effort into."

David nodded. "Makes sense." He smiled. "We'll see what we can find, Hero of Floor Twenty-Five."

Jae rolled his eyes at him. "Don't call me that."

Vivienne shoved him playfully. "Poor Jae, it must be just awful having a grand title for your mighty deeds."

He tried to scowl at her, but she simply fixed him in an amused gaze as she smiled. Abandoning the attempt as a grin came to his lips, Jae motioned for the men to get started.

"Meet back here in two hours. If you find something that can't wait long or is on hold for rent, message me immediately. Let's do this quickly. I don't think I need to remind you our deadline is in two days. I want a base picked out by the end of today so that tomorrow we can move everything in and get it prepared. Good luck on your searches."

Meifan clapped him on the back. "Who would've thought a month ago we'd be here now, picking out bases like the richest people in SAO? This is a day of celebration in and of itself."

Aranal nodded as he grinned past his beard. "And Jae owes it all to us for keeping him from going insane all month."

Jae chuckled as the others broke out into excited grins. "For once, you're right, Aranal. Must be getting some wisdom in your old age."

Aranal's smile disappeared as he grimaced. "For fuck's sake, I'm only-"

"Thirty-Four." Everyone said as one.

Jae clapped the big man on the back as Aranal looked around in surprise. "It's alright, I'll let you punch me later. Get out there and start searching, my friend."

Aranal's easy grin returned as he started away with David. "I'll hold you to that."

Following behind them went Meifan and Jon Bright. Once the four of them reached the teleport gate, they would split up into their own sectors to search out an appropriate base. With three and a half million Col, money really wasn't an issue, and Jae intended to use it as he had promised. It needed to be a place the entire guild would be proud of, a place they would be grateful for and feel strongly towards.

In the days following Lind's decision to halt his employment of spies and allow Jae to conclude his operation, Jae had redoubled his efforts. He was so close now to getting the guild the help they needed, forever doing away with the problem of bankruptcy, that he simply couldn't rest. He was also a little fearful that Lind would change his mind again if things took too long, so he wasted no time.

After teleporting to their first Floor sector, Jae and Vivienne stepped out. They were standing on a wooden platform that floated gently underneath them. Jae looked down in surprise and took a small step forward to test the stability of the overlapping wooden frame. It held solid, but he could feel the water underneath.

"What's this about?" Jae asked as he looked out and beyond. The entire town- hundreds of shops, homes, towers, courtyards, smithies, markets, and the like- seemed to be upheld by massive frames of wooden planks and boards, all lashed together to keep parts of the city from floating away. Looking out beyond the buildings, Jae could distantly see the blue water out beyond the borders of the town. They were standing above a river.

Vivienne smiled at his surprise. "You've never been here before? I quite like it. It's really fascinating having a town on a river."

"More like terrifying." Jae grumbled as he gingerly took some more steps forward. "Nothing feels solid. I think I'll stick to dirt and rocks, thank you."

Vivienne rolled her eyes as she caught his sleeve and began helping him along. The player population wasn't that high from what Jae had heard, but there were still a good many people walking to and fro down the floating wooden streets as they went about their business. NPC's tended to shops and displays on either side of the streets, calling out to players to give their wares a look. A strong scent of sweet tree sap filled the air, coalescing with the equally strong smell of fresh sawdust. All in all, Jae had to admit the place was lively and refreshing in spite of its...instability.

Vivienne suddenly looked over her shoulder at him, her majestic brown hair tumbling down her back as she arched a suspicious eyebrow.

Jae sighed as he looked back down at another section of wood planks lashed to the previous one. "Tell me Vivienne, why do I feel like I'm in trouble right now?"

She shrugged. "You scare easy."

He rolled his eyes. "You're a troublesome woman, you know that?"

"And you're a scheming man." She leaned in, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Selecting me to be your partner in searching for a base was just your way of trying to get me alone for the day, wasn't it?"

Jae kept his eyes forward as he cleared his throat. "Finding a new base is what we should be focusing on right now." He turned and smiled at her. "But yes, that was my plan."

Clutching his arm, Vivienne leaned closer and kissed him. The world seemed to dissolve as his mouth met hers. Her lips felt smooth, like satin, and tasted sweet. Wrapping his arms around her as she held the kiss, Jae didn't bother trying to refrain his frantic heart as he returned it passionately. They had kissed once before, but it had been quick and simple. Jae had thought about that kiss almost without end, and now he could finally show her how he had really wanted to do it.

He vaguely felt her hand brush up the nape of his neck and through his hair, but that touch alone sent shivers down his spine. The kiss seemed to go on for an eternity, and Jae wished it would never end. Though she didn't say anything, he firmly believed she felt the same way. Though Jae had been fighting exhaustion for weeks and his head was almost always pounding from the strain of responsibility, it all seemed to fade away as the two of them expressed their emotions. It wasn't a lustful kiss, though there was certainly attraction and a sensual undertone to it. It was a kiss of feeling, of mutual respect and affection, of care and tenderness.

Finally pulling away to take a needed breath, Vivienne's eyes sparkled as she smiled at him. "I'm glad you're a schemer."

His heart still galloped inside his chest, but Jae was too overcome with heady emotions to care. He grinned down at her. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. "I'll be hatching plots for the rest of my life if it gives me the chance to get that kind of reward again."


	68. Chapter 68

68

June 6th, 2023

Floor 38, Waterrun

"It's nice being away from the guild." Vivienne observed as they wandered the streets of the floating town. "We've hardly gotten any time alone together to just relax since our first date."

Jae nodded knowingly. "Guild life certainly isn't very private. You should be proud of me; the sheer number of times I've felt the urge to grab you and kiss is probably uncountable. My self control is pretty good."

She turned her head to scowl at him as he walked beside her. "Oh really? Where was that self control when you decided to kiss me in front of Lind, Avari, and every Officer in the guild? Ever since that little stunt, I'm hearing no end to people gossiping about the two of us."

"Hey now, that's not my fault. News and drama spreads like plague in the Holy Dragon Alliance. We could've avoided so much as staring at each other and someone would still find something to say."

She sighed. "Either way, it's not exactly comforting hearing random guild members you've never met chatting about whether or not we're official yet."

Jae frowned. "Official?"

She kept her eyes forward on the wooden plank roads as she nodded. "Of course. They talk about other things as well, but that comes up quite often."

Jae hadn't heard that at all. And he had heard all the gossip. "They talk about us being official? As in, relationship status?"

She scratched at a scuff on her plate armor casually, still looking ahead. "You didn't hear about that?"

He suddenly felt very uncomfortable. "No…nothing about us being official..."

She shrugged. "Maybe it was just what I heard then."

Jae felt his face heat from anxiety as an awkward silence enveloped them, broken only by their steel boots on the overlapping wooden planks as they continued forward at a brisk pace. He knew exactly what had just happened. She hadn't heard any rumors about the two of them being official. She _wanted_ them to be...or didn't. Rather than voice her thoughts out loud, however, she had done it subtly, to gauge his thoughts on the subject. To test him.

Memories of Israel suddenly came to mind. Israel had always called them "shit tests," and had been a master at unveiling when he was being tested. He found it amusing any time a girl tried, and often told Jae stories about how he had turned the tests around on them. His brother had never cared for being maneuvered, in any way or form. As a result, whenever a girl had tried to test him, he would answer in a way totally unexpected and completely turn the tables. He would then shit test the poor girl right back, trapping her in her own game. It had always been a source of pride for Is to spot shit tests and come out on top- sometimes literally. Jae had envied him his skills at clever talking, at making himself seem above being tested by girls. He had always seemed to know just how to get out of them in the blink of an eye. Jae had no idea. Worse than that, he was terrified of them.

What could he possibly say? It was clear that Vivienne was interested in broaching the idea of the two of them taking a step forward in the relationship...or was it? After all, she hadn't asked him. She had instead put him under a shit test. That meant she was either angry with him already for not having asked, or waiting for him to give the right reason or justification for not it- otherwise she would definitely be angry with him. Neither scenario sounded particularly appealing. How was he to know if he had already missed his window? What if she was offended at him not asking her to take the next step forward with him? How could he know?

Quickly coming to the conclusion that it would be best to simply change the subject and pretend like he hadn't grasped the scope of her words, Jae pointed them down a side street with a post on the corner that read: _Stonton Street._

"That's where the first target on our sector should be." Jae said. "A wooden barracks designed to house troops. If it meets all our practical requirements, and possesses the look we want, we'll have found our base."

He could see Vivienne's eyes shift at the change of topic, but thankfully she didn't say anything more on the matter. Instead, she nodded. "Waterrun is a large, rich town. Seems a good place to have our new headquarters."

"I still don't know about this floating on a river business."

"Don't be such a baby, it's refreshing."

They walked on for another moment, and then they saw the building.

Designed to look similar to an old Roman style fort, the main barracks building was surrounded by a stout palisade wall of rough hewn logs and planks. Walkways and parapets supported the defense, but those were merely for show. Inside a town, there was no danger of attack, whether from mob or man. Walking inside the open gate of oak beams riveted together with iron rods, Jae and Vivienne stopped at the large double doors of the barracks proper.

Windows lined the entire front, running at even intervals between wooden columns that upheld a roofed walking area just beyond the brick wall. Though it was impossible to tell from only one side, Jae guessed the building was shaped like a rectangle. To be sure, he let Vivienne go on ahead past the entrance while he himself marched down the right hand walkway. It took a moment to reach the corner, and when he did, he popped his head out to see how far the building ran. As he had suspected, the barracks was fashioned into a massive rectangle with the right side of the building being easily three times as wide as the front. Satisfied, he returned to the entrance and stepped inside.

Military neatness pervaded the structure and detail of the barracks. Plain but perfectly measured halls ran for hundreds of yards down the length of the building, tapering off and turning at multiple intersections among the identical square rooms. On either side of each of the dozen halls stood rows of the simple, unassuming rooms. From what he could guess, the only public area was at the front of the building where he stood. It was small, perhaps even smaller than the main hall back at their base.

He had already made up his mind on the place when Vivienne emerged from down one of the halls. It never failed to amaze him how attractive she was to him. Her hair was tied back in a ponytail, a more usual look for her, making her appear more like a warrior ready for a fight, but her beautiful, pale face betrayed her femininity and grace. Even her armor, thick and plated as it was, couldn't completely hide the curves of her body. She eyed him watching her as she closed the distance between them, her right hand resting on the pommel of her saber.

"What's that look for?"

He frowned at her. "What look?"

"That look you had." She pointed at him. "I've seen you look at me like that before."

"This isn't a look, it's my face."

She arched an eyebrow as she halted before him. "You were leering at me."

He blinked. "What? Leering?"

"That's right. Leering. I catch you doing that a lot."

Jae scowled at her. "Oh come on, you make it sound bad."

She shrugged. "Isn't it?"

"Not at all. And I wasn't leering. I was...appreciating. And it's not like you haven't done the same." He added.

Her face went red. "What? You're just trying to change the subject."

"No, if I've leered at you, you've definitely done it back. I saw you checking me out the other day when you walked into my room and I had just taken my shirt off."

She thought about it a moment. "I...you didn't say anything at the time."

He smiled self-consciously. "Maybe I didn't mind."

She peered up at him. "In that case, maybe I don't mind either."

"Fair enough. Now, what do you think of the place?"

She shook her head. "There's enough rooms, that's for sure, but this is the only open area and there's no storage facilities or public rooms. On top of that, the place just seems too...I don't know...plain."

Jae nodded, beckoning her to join him as he turned and began walking out of the barracks. "My thoughts exactly. Let's go see if number two on our list is any better."

They spent the next few hours travelling to and examining over two dozen potential base areas. While each one had it's benefits, none of the places they visited seemed quite right, either practically or aesthetically. They checked out keeps, citadels, mansions, NPC government buildings, and other, more exotic locations, but nothing stood out to Jae. After a while, he began to grow frustrated. Vivienne suggested that they abandon the hope of finding a place with both the look and needs of a guild base, but Jae held onto his argument. It wasn't simply that he wanted to find a place that was pleasing to the eye. They needed a powerful looking place in order to send a powerful message, as well as to uplift morale and remind guild members why they joined. The shambling ruin of the stone farmhouse in Velloshi was part of the reason for their troubles, after all. Jae knew he wouldn't be forgiven by the guild for simply exchanging one shabby base for another. He had made a promise of glory to all the guild members, and he intended to fulfill that oath.

It wasn't until they had examined every name and town on their list that Jae grew suddenly doubtful.

"That's all the potential spots?" He asked in surprise when Vivienne said that that was it.

She nodded, handing him the paper. "We checked every area that was mentioned. I'm sorry nothing stood out to you, Jae, but maybe you're expectations were just too high."

He gave her back the paper as he stopped walking and turned. They were on the same cobbled road that they had used to get inside the massive city of Arhus behind them. The iron gates leading back inside were only about a mile back the way they had come. Jae looked around at the mountainous forest out beyond. The ground rose up steeply the further the forest went, making it appear as though an amphitheatre had been set up and the trees were the audience, uplifted higher and higher as they carried further away. A raven cawed bitterly at them as it flew by.

Jae sighed in disappointment and started walking again. "But we haven't found the right place yet. The guild is counting on this to be perfect. This is going to be the fruit of all their labor this past month. It has to be worthwhile."

She folded up the paper and tucked it under her belt, then picked up the pace to close the gap that had opened up between them. "Some of the areas mentioned on the list of potentials were given by our own guild members. I'm sure they won't be disappointed if we end up picking one of their ideas. How about we narrow down the list and choose something from there?"

Jae nodded as he took another step. "I suppose we could-"

Before he could finish his sentence, the ground gave out underneath him.

The cobblestones under his feet split apart as they tumbled downward, mixing with large clumps of dirt and mud that disappeared into the inky blackness that was suddenly below him. Crying out in surprise and fear as he fell, Jae swung his arms around, clutching at the edge of the abyss.

"Jae!" Vivienne yelled as she darted forward, dropping to her knees on the edge of the cobbled road as she gripped his shoulders. "Hold on!"

"Don't get too close!" Jae shouted up at her as she leaned in to get a better hold on him. "You'll fall too!"

She didn't seem to hear him. More likely, she just didn't care what he said. He remembered how quickly she had been willing to sacrifice herself for the others of her squad during that first day he had met her. Her beautiful green eyes were wide with fright and determination as she clutched madly at him, pushing his armor out of place as she heaved. "Push up against me, Jae! Push your weight up while I pull!"

Weighed down by his heavy armor, it was all Jae could do to keep his arms from losing their grip on the half buried stones and then plummeting down into the dark hole. Glancing down, he could see no end, no bottom to the black void that seemed only too eager to swallow him up. With each passing second, more debris gave way around the rim of the hole, sending gnarled roots, stones, and large clods of dirt down into the darkness until they vanished into the gaping maw. Jae's legs dangled precariously underneath him, and he felt his arms slowly beginning to give way.

A thick vein on Vivienne's forehead bulged as she pulled at him with all her strength, strands of her hair coming undone against the strain. She grunted from the exertion as she attempted to heave him up and over, but the position he was in offered no leverage. She wasn't strong enough to pull him up. And his arms were beginning to slip.

"Jae!" She screamed at him in a panicked, desperate voice. "Come on! Don't let go!"

It felt like his arms were being ripped from his sockets. "I'm...trying…"

In spite of his efforts to keep himself in place, in spite of her efforts to pull him up and over, Jae was beginning to sink. A moment before, his chest had been above the ever widening hole, but now his chin was beginning to scrape along the upturned stones as he slowly slid down, cutting his face and reducing his health in miniscule amounts. Everytime she dragged at him, it felt like his body was being ripped in half, but Jae struggled with everything he had to support her attempts. His arms gave up to his elbows before he could again seize a purchase among the roots and rocks, and now the edge of the hole was level with his nose.

Vivienne screamed with furious effort, using every last ounce of strength left to her to try and pull him up, but Jae felt his hands beginning to slip on the edge. There were no more handholds. He glanced down again at the unending pit that seemed to go on for an eternity. Fear propelled his heart against his chest. He had no idea what would happen next when he fell. He had no idea if there would be pain. He didn't even know if he would eventually hit some unseen end or simply explode once his body hit the limits of the system's world. All he knew was that he was about to die.

"Jae!" Vivienne called out to him as she was forced to give up her hold on his shoulders and instead grasped at his hands just before he fell. "Jae! Look at me!"

With great effort, he looked up at her. Tears filled her terrified eyes, dripping down her perfect cheekbones. She smiled past her sobs. "That's it. Look at me, Jae. Don't look down there. Just look at me."

He knew why she was smiling, why she was talking to him like that. She knew as well as he did that he was going to die, and there was nothing either of them could do about it. This was her last act of kindness to him, all she could now do; distract him from the horror of what was about to happen.

"Did you like my dress?" She asked between gasps as she clung to his hands with all her strength. "The one I wore at our first date?"

In spite of everything, the memory made Jae smile as he hung there. He nodded. "I loved your dress...we should've gone on more dates."

She laughed as she cried, her face red from the strain of holding his dead weight. He no longer had any purchase with which to help her. He was about to slip from her grasp into the pit.

"We will, Jae. We will."

She gasped suddenly as his left hand slipped out of her grip. Lurching to the side as he became unbalanced, Jae bit his teeth against the pain of having all of his weight caught on one arm.

"Vivienne…" He whispered.

She looked down at him, and for a single, slow moment, the world seemed to dissolve around them as his eyes drank in the sight of hers. The sparkle that he liked so much, though glazed over and glassy from her tears, was still there, still as beautiful as ever. He was glad that, at least, that was the last thing he would see. If he had been given a chance to lay his eyes on anything else in the world, he still would've chosen that moment of looking into her piercing green gaze.

And then his other hand slipped out of her grasp.

At the exact same time, another arm reached in and seized it.

Looking up in surprise, Jae saw a man with thick brown hair that just covered his ears and a goatee that lent him a roguish look. Garbed in scale mail and leather clothing, the man looked to be about the same age as Jae. His shoulders were broad and powerful, and his arms held his hand in a viselike grip that didn't waver. A green cursor shimmered above his head.

"Grab his other hand!" The man shouted at Vivienne. By the stunned look on her face, Jae could only imagine the man had appeared from out of thin air.

Quickly diving for Jae's other hand as he used all of his remaining energy to hurl it up to her, Vivienne pulled alongside the man. With their combined strength, the two managed to haul him up a few inches.

"Together!" Vivienne shouted at the stranger. "Pull together, at the same time! Ready?"

With a nod, the green player took a breath and pulled at the same moment Vivienne did. Jae's chin reemerged past the dirt and rocks as he was lifted about a half foot up.

"And...pull!" The stranger said with a grunt. Together, he and Vivienne heaved Jae further out of the hole. Now with some form of leverage to help, Jae hauled himself up as best he could each time they pulled at him. A pull later, the green player planted a hand on his shoulder to further help him along. The three of them used their strength together, over and over again. Finally, Jae swung his legs over the edge and rolled away from the hole. As if on queue, the terrifying pit in the earth began to shrink as the piled up edges began folding together. Jae and the two behind him could only watch in fascination as the dirt and rocks churned forward upon themselves, mingling and surging until at last, the hole disappeared beneath the surface.

Rolling over onto his back as he panted, Jae closed his eyes for a moment. The terror of hovering above an endless abyss had been far greater than he could have imagined; his heart still galloped within his chest at frightening speeds. His arms burned badly from where they had pulled on him. He was fairly sure something had been dislocated.

The feeling of soft, velvet lips brushing up against his brought his eyes open. Running a hand underneath his head and through his thick, short hair, Vivienne propped him up as she leaned in, kissing him with an urgency that could only have come from panic and fear. Returning the emotional, desperate kiss in kind and with a new sense of appreciation after his brush with death, Jae held her tightly to him. In that kiss, he could feel the full level of her fear, of her anger at being helpless to help him, her joy for his safety, and of her deep affection for him.

After a moment, he forced himself to pull away. By the look in her eyes as she opened them, he knew she didn't appreciate the abrupt end.

"Vivienne."

"Jae?" She asked questioningly, her eyes still on his lips.

Holding her at arm's length, he fixed her in a determined stare. "I just want you to know that we are officially together from here on out. I'm talking full blown relationship status."

A smile spread across her features, but she lifted an eyebrow at him. "What makes you so sure I'll agree to that?"

He shrugged. "Some people spreading rumors about us being official might have mentioned it on the side."

She chuckled as she sat back on her heels and helped him up beside her. "Not as dumb as you look, I guess."

"Almost, but not quite."

Rising to a knee, Jae caught sight of the man who had helped them. He looked awkward and uncomfortable, no doubt from having to witness two strangers be so intimate right in front of him.

Jae extended a hand as he smiled apologetically. "Sorry about that."

The man shook his head fervently. "No worries. If I had very nearly gotten swallowed by a black hole that led straight to hell, you can be sure I'd be kissing the first girl I saw as well. I'm Ryan."

Ending their handshake, Jae rose to his feet. "Jae. You have no idea how grateful I am to you."

Ryan blinked in surprise, then dropped his jaw as he jumped to his feet. He looked at Jae's armor, then the spear on his back.

"You're really Jae? You're the Hero of Floor Twenty-Five?"

Jae raked a hand back through his hair subconsciously. "Well...I mean, that's what people started calling me afterwards, but it definitely wasn't just-"

"Shut up, Jae." Vivienne said with a grin as she held his hand. "You're going to confuse people if you keep that up." She looked at Ryan. "Yes, this is Jae, Officer of the Holy Dragon Alliance and Hero of Floor Twenty-Five. I'm Officer Vivienne. Thank you. I'll never forget what you did, coming in to help like that."

Ryan beamed at them. "Thank you...I mean, you're welcome. I'm just glad I was in the right place at the right time. It's a pleasure meeting you both."

Jae brushed dirt off his silver steel armor and royal blue cape as he gestured at the spot where the hole had been. "Any idea what the hell that was?"

Ryan frowned at him in confusion. "I mean...it was a trap, of course. I thought they would've had those in Labyrinths?"

Jae nodded. "Well, yes. I know what it was, but why was it in the middle of the road like that? Roads are supposed to be safe."

Vivienne nodded. "Why did no one put a sign up, or a warning about this road if there's a trap there?"

Ryan shook his head at them. "Roads were never designated as safe zones. Mobs never spawn on them, but that doesn't mean other things can't. That hole is a trap that respawns at a different location within a fifty yard radius every time someone falls in. There's no real way to know where it'll be next. I heard that the last time it got someone, they were walking through the grass at least twenty feet off to the right of the road itself. The chances of it spawning underneath the road are very slim. That's why no one bothered to put up a warning."

"Still," Jae said as he looked around. "People should know what they're potentially walking into when nearing this area."

Vivienne opened her menu. "Already ahead of you. I'll post a warning to the info brokers about this area."

Jae took out a piece of paper and a quill. "I'll write a warning note and put in on the maple tree we passed leading up to this section of road."

Ryan scratched his jaw. "Well, I suppose I better be off. It was an honor meeting you both, and being of help." He began walking off down the road, but not in the direction of the city.

"Ryan," Jae called out in a puzzled tone. "It's going to be dark soon, and orange players dwell in the forests. Wouldn't it be better to get to a town for shelter?"

Ryan nodded casually. "Yes. That's where I'm going."

Jae paused. "There's a town down that road?"

Ryan smiled at him as if he had just told a joke. "Of course...well, not a town per say. It's a castle, and a big one at that."

Vivienne looked at him with newfound interest. "A castle?"

The man nodded again. "A castle. It's not labelled as a town and doesn't have any population because of its location, but it's basically a town all on it's own. It's got two teleport gates, NPC shops, smiths...pretty much everything you'd find in a regular town."

Jae was standing very straight. "Are we far?"

"No, only about fifteen minutes walk up through the forest and the mountain up there on the left. There's a trail that makes it a relatively easy hike."

"Would you mind leading us there?"

Following behind Ryan, Vivienne and Jae stayed close as he wound his way up through the cobblestone road until it joined with a small dirt track that would've been easily missed by most. The three of them marched down for about twenty minutes, with Ryan asking them for stories about their exploits on the frontlines nearly the entire way there. It was obvious he viewed the Clearers as heroes, a sentiment that made Jae feel important and proud. It also lifted his hopes for the future. He realized that people like Ryan were counting on them every step of the way, hoping that they wouldn't give up, that they would triumph. He suspected it had the same meaning to Vivienne as she enthusiastically shared some of her own adventures within the HDA.

Turning the final corner past some trees and rocky ground just as the sun was beginning to dip slightly behind the horizon, Jae and Vivienne both froze at the immense castle towering before them. Without a doubt, Jae knew that was it. That was exactly what he had been looking for.

"I believe we've just found our new base." He said with a smile, his voice carrying up to the massive spire towers looming high into the air.


	69. Chapter 69

69

June 18th, 2023

Floor 39, Atwold Forest

 _Just wanted to remind you as spokesperson for Aincrad Today that our contract: three weeks of the Shadow of Death on the front page, will be concluded on June 21st, in three days. If you wish to remain on the front page of our future publications, we are open to discussing new terms of payment. Message me at your convenience._

Rolling his eyes, Israel closed the message. The info broker company running the newspapers, Aincrad Today, were nothing more than a pack of greedy bastards. He had no respect for people who pretended to uphold morals and principles when, in reality, they would do anything for the right amount of Col.

Of course, he had expected such avarice back when he told Tristan to get into contact with them. The item shop owner had been skeptical about green players agreeing to meet a killer, and had even worried that the info brokers would spread word of his connection with a red player. Israel had known that such fears were unwarranted. If Tristan had truly been in danger of being reported as a red player affiliate, Israel never would have had him go. But he had known that money talked, and weighted Tristan down with a sample hundred thousand Col to show he meant business. As soon as the info brokers saw the vast amount, they forgot any morals or inhibitions they might otherwise have had.

Meeting with them had been strange at first- it felt like he was at a business conference- but they had quickly shown themselves to be professional and straightforward. Completely ignoring the implications of the meeting, his player status, and even the reasons behind why he wanted the Shadow of Death to become front page news, they had instead started negotiating prices. They spouted out half dozen offers within minutes, the strongest one being a week on the front page of each day's paper in exchange for three hundred thousand Col. It had been clear that they were intent on haggling, but Israel had no interest in wasting his time making deals.

Silencing them all, he made his offer- the only one he was going to make- and said that he would pay them one million Col for three weeks on the front page of each day's paper, and that he would provide them with information of his deeds and objectives around which to center their articles. The group of players had at first scoffed at his proposal, claiming that news was expected to change quickly and over time. If the crowd read the same thing over and over, they argued, they would grow bored and no longer purchase the papers. Knowing full well that they were merely trying to get a better deal out of him, Israel had simply fixed them with a glare beneath his black hood and mask and informed them that he was done talking. That brought a swift conclusion to the meeting, and agreements from all.

Paying them five hundred thousand Col in advance, Israel promised the rest after the job was done. He also told them that he would be checking every morning paper to be sure they kept their word. If they failed to honor the agreement, they would not receive the other five hundred thousand, and any future deals would be conducted with other, more reliable papers. There weren't many other newspaper companies in SAO, and the only one in competition with Aincrad Today was a smaller paper called Argo Weekly. Israel had never met Argo, but he had heard she was among the best of the info brokers.

Aincrad Today had proven themselves as good as their word, though, so he hadn't needed to seek her out. For three weeks, the Shadow of Death was on the front page, described by the papers as a red player bent on murdering every last one of his kind. Every now and then he would give the names of the orange guilds he was hunting and eliminating, and they would appear on the news as a little known menace that had been mysteriously eradicated by the Shadow.

The articles mentioned the fact that entire areas once known to be full of orange player activity were now eerily silent and empty. Israel had no interest in drama, or in embellishing his name to appear larger than life, but he was quite happy with the work. The effort would decrease the flow of volunteers in time, which would weaken PoH and his guild in the long run. Israel's goal would be achieved, no matter what it took.

The spokesperson for Aincrad Today, a short, squat man named Goliner, had been instructed by his company to friend Israel so that any updates could be more easily discussed during the course of their business. Israel had agreed to friend him, but not before threatening the man with a slow, agonizing death if he ever betrayed Israel's location, whether on purpose or accident. Furthermore, he promised Goliner a large personal sum so long as he kept it secret. The player, spurred by both fear and greed, had done as he was told and told no one of who he had in his friend list.

Stepping over a mossy log, Israel had just decided to message Goliner back with terms for another three weeks when a shaft of concentrated sunlight hit the side of his face and blinded his right eye. Spinning to the right and drawing Apocalypse in one fluid motion, Israel darted behind the nearest tree. He had no idea what kind of weapon would have been used against him, but he knew for a certainty that the sun was to his left side; there was no way a beam of it could be hitting him from the right.

Listening intently for any disturbance in the dense, tall trees all around, Israel waited. He had never heard of a light weapon being used in Aincrad, and a quick glance at his health told him he hadn't been harmed. It was possible there was no weapon trained on him, but that didn't mean he was in the clear. With the sun on his left, it could have been that the thin rays of light breaking through the pine and birch boughs above had reflected off of plate armor, or perhaps a shield.

Both he and Laughing Coffin always deliberately covered their gear with black cloaks and hoods to avoid just such a thing giving away their position, but their were many orange vassal guilds who simply wore their armor as they plodded through the woods on the way to ambush and kill green players. It was almost noon and the forests were stripped of their shadows, but the orange players had begun hunting in the day more and more frequently. He had no doubt it was because they now knew he usually struck at night.

He had done so deliberately; turning their closest ally, darkness, into their greatest fear hurt their morale and caused terror of the night to swell through the orange player ranks. Restless, fearful nights made for tired combatants, making it easier for him to fight and kill them. The night also had a way of embellishing his reputation in their eyes; humans generally had a natural inclination to be wary of darkness and prefer light. Add to that inclination the nightmare menace of a murderer who might be hunting them in the dark even as they lay in their beds, and the result was that he was fast becoming a legend, similar in their minds to such monsters as Jack the Ripper and the Hungarian Monster.

Fully visible in the daylight now though, Israel felt exposed in his black cloak and hood that stood out in stark contrast to the greenery around him. After several minutes of straining his ears for any sound of human disturbance, he quickly glided to another tree. From his new position, he looked around for any sign of an ambush, but found none. Cautiously moving now, he began circling the area when another beam of focused light hit him. Less worried, he held his hand up over his eyes and gazed towards the light to try to make out it's source. He was a dozen feet from the first beam of light, but this one was identical. Moving past the light and gazing up at where it came from, he thought he could see a glimpse of glass up high in the boughs of a particularly large oak tree that dominated the immediate patch of wood around him.

Frowning in puzzlement, Israel circled around the huge oak. Though not quite as tall as the neighboring trees, it was at least three times as thick. Here and there as he walked, he noted more and more beams of light until he had counted half a dozen coming from somewhere high in the massive tree standing before him. He was about to finish his circuit around the oak when he saw a moss covered window tucked perfectly into a nook along the bark. That's when it hit him.

There was definitely something in that tree.

Glancing down at the thick base of the tree stump, Israel sheathed Apocalypse and strode forward. Extending both hands, he gingerly felt for a doorframe or a knob. Moss and forest vines clung to the thick bark, and the stump itself felt completely natural. Pressing his ear to the tree, Israel tapped at it and listened for any telltale signs of a hollow interior. There were none.

Still feeling the tree for any exposure or door, Israel walked slowly around the entire base, eyes straining to make out anything out of the ordinary. When he had done a full circle, he scratched his head in puzzlement and went around again. After around twenty minutes, his curiosity was becoming replaced by annoyance. He knew that there were windows up among the boughs and branches, which meant there had to be something inside. If that was the case, then it stood to reason there would have to be an entrance to reach whatever room the windows had been built into. Prying at the bark more forcefully as he circled around, Israel still found nothing.

Stepping back a few feet until a beam of reflected light from one of the windows hovered just above him, Israel examined the branches among the windows. If they had been thicker and closer together, he might have been able to climb them, but they were not. On top of that, the branch closest to the ground was still some twelve feet up; nowhere near low enough to use a stepping stone and begin any kind of ascent.

Irritated with the mystery of the windows that he had no way of unravelling, Israel turned his back to the tree and leaned against it as he opened his menu to retrieve some food Tristan had traded him. The whole thing had been a waste of time.

At that moment, the bark he was leaning against made a clicking sound.

Spinning around, Israel was just in time to see a small, circular, gnarled knot of mossy bark dip inwards, like a button, as it clicked. Blinking in surprise and expectation, Israel watched as a three foot wide, six foot high portion of the tree bark sank inwards, and then shifted to the left behind the rest of the stump, leaving a dark hole in it's place.

With his fingers on Apocalypse and his armored hand formed into a tight fist, Israel stepped inside. Immediately, glass lamps all around him whirred to life, the small flames flickering inside their clear prisons as the darkness receded. At the same time, the door closed behind him.

Checking the spot where the door had been, Israel saw another gnarled knot, similar in shape and appearance as the one outside with the exception of the moss. Satisfied that he had a way back out, Israel looked around. He was standing in a living room of sorts; small green couches lined the back of the circular room to provide ample space in the center and front. Bookshelves filled with different colored volumes occupied the space between each couch. In the center of the circle was a thin but stoutly made spiral staircase that wound it's way up to the bark ceiling before disappearing beyond a hole cut into the center. Intrigued, and sensing no threats with the use of his Detection, Israel stepped onto the white birch wood stairs.

They emitted a tiny creak, but didn't wobble or shake. Gliding his hands along the smooth pine railing as he walked, Israel made his way up the stairs until he came up past the bark ceiling to examine the next room. The staircase broke into a fork as it hit the floor, each side splitting off to allow for easy access to either side of the circular room. In the center, as it was down in the living room, another segment of spiral staircase wound it's way up until it too disappeared past the bark room was obviously a kitchen; two tall, thin work tables sat at symmetrical ends of the two halves of the room separated by staircase. Lining the back wall all the way around the room was angled countertop. Above the counter ran a line of cabinets. Opening one of these, Israel saw that it was filled with glasses and plates. He opened another and saw bowls and cookware.

The only interruption to the long countertop and line of cabinets running along the back of the circular room stood behind the staircase leading up to the third floor. A large fireplace, framed and bordered with seamless white stone, crackled warmly as the small fire within sprang to life. Above the fire hung a large pot to be used for cooking. By the way the black smoke was suctioned upwards rather than spewing out into the kitchen, Israel guessed that either a filter or simple hole had been created above the fire to channel the smoke out somewhere above the tree top. On either side of the kitchen was a large double window, though each was covered in vines and undergrowth.

Making his way up the next segment of spiral stairs framed with solid railing, Israel came up onto the third floor; a single bedroom designed to give privacy and security at the top of the tree. Six windows, clear for the most part of any natural debris, ran at even intervals along the circle bark walls, catching the sunlight that filtered it's way past the branches and boughs and reflecting it downwards. That had been the refracted beams of light Israel had stumbled upon.

A small but comfortable looking bed filled the center of the room, and a dull green carpet covered the bark floor. Bookshelves similar to the ones down on the bottom floor stood along the walls, and an oval, mahogany table was positioned off the right of the bed near the windows, it's four matching chairs pushed in neatly.

Walking over to the windows, Israel blinked in delight as he leaned in. The view offered was exceptional; he could see every part of the forest for at least a mile in all directions before the distant branches and boughs finally blended in with the clearings and trees and made it impossible to see any further. Striding to the other windows, he soon realized he was offered the same visibility from all angles in a complete circle around the tree.

With such view range, he would be able to see an attack coming well before it had time to close with him. On top of that, it was practically impossible to see that the tree was anything more than just that. The glint from the windows- his only tip off as to the truth behind the tree- could be easily covered by vines and shrub. If an enemy were to somehow figure out that there was a house within, they would find it remarkably difficult to figure out how to get in: his struggle to find the door could attest to that.

His mind made up, Israel decided to begin unpacking his considerable inventory; he would make this his base of operations.

After unpacking the excess gear, potions, and items he didn't need to be carrying at all times, Israel set about exploring the place. He went down into the kitchen first and opened all the cabinets, finding all the dishes and cookware he could possibly need, but no food. Back down in the living room, he ran his fingers along the spines of the leather bound books as he read their covers. Nearly all of them appeared to contain lore pertaining to the fictional setting of Aincrad in order to properly immerse players.

 _I'd say real life or death consequences was immersion enough, Kayaba._

After spending some time laying on one of the couches and skimming through the books, Israel considered throwing them out, but discarded the notion when he read passages that seemed to contain insight into secrets within the game. Though it was impossible to tell for sure, he figured he should probably keep them just in case.

Making his way back to the bedroom, Israel took out his maps and documents scribbled full of information on the orange players, much of it written by his captives before killing them or sending them off to spread the news of the Shadow of Death. Setting the stack of papers and scrolls on the mahogany table, Israel was about to sit down when he saw a faint glimmer of movement far out near the edge of his view. Peering out the window, Israel strained his eyes. He made out a wagon, but that wasn't what he was interested in. After a moment of further inspection, he could just barely see black cloaks, but he knew at once what that meant. Laughing Coffin.

Rising quickly, Israel checked to make sure Apocalypse was clear in its sheath and then darted down the spiral staircase and out the door after pushing the button of gnarled bark. By the way the figures had been moving, in a thin line and with the wagon they were pulling in the center, he knew at once that they were another supply group bringing new goods either to the Laughing Coffin base itself or merely a storage facility. Either way, he would find out when he captured one before sending the man on as another messenger from the Shadow of Death.

Gliding quickly and fluidly through the trees as he remained quiet and unseen, Israel soon caught up to the group and made a quick count of their numbers and positions. Six figures walked quietly through the woods, two pulling the wagon in the center, two guarding the rear, and the remaining two up front. The pair in front were speaking in hushed tones to each other as the small column walked on, and by the way the one on the left seemed to maintain the his pace in front and never looked towards the man on the right as they spoke, Israel guessed he was the leader of the little unit.

Casually taking out his paralysis potion dipped darts, Israel shot one at the leader and then, knowing it would reach it's mark, turned slightly and fired two more at the men in the rear of the column.

The two man cried out in surprise as their bodies went limp and they dropped to the ground like two heavy sacks of grain. The two holding onto the wagon immediately relinquished their grip on it and drew their swords, their alert and frightened gazes sweeping up into the surrounding trees. Israel was about to throw another dart when he saw the leader of the group spin around and draw a long, deadly looking estoc.

"On the left!" He shouted in a lethal hiss as he ripped the small dart out of his chest and brandished his sword near to where Israel stood hidden.

Unable to understand how the paralysis dart had hit the man and yet failed to affect him, Israel stood momentarily stunned. That was all the time the red players needed to pinpoint his location.

With a roar, the two men who had been pulling the wagon charged him while the third man who had been walking with their leader made instead for the two paralyzed players at the back. Reprimanding himself for his lapse of focus, Israel tore Apocalypse from its sheath and met the two men head on. In his peripheral vision, he could see the leader walking towards him without fear. Underneath his black hood, Israel could see a skeleton mask lined with two glowing red lenses at the eye sockets, creating an intimidating visage as the men neared him.

Knowing that he would have no trouble defeating the red eyed player after killing the two men attacking him, Israel sped into a violent onslaught. One of the men swung his sword, but Israel darted under it and flicked his wrist, driving Apocalypse up with an underhanded swing that ripped the man open from chest to throat.

Ignoring the on death explosion, Israel spun around just in time to see the other player bring his own sword down in a well timed overhead attack. Raising his armored hand, Israel caught the sword in mid swing and held it tightly in his steel covered fingers. Trapping the man in a menacing glare as the player struggled to pull his sword away, Israel tightened his hold on it. Then he squeezed. The sound of breaking glass reverberated through the trees as the blade shattered in Israel's palm.

The player's jaw dropped as shards of his weapon flew past him before disintegrating into tiny pixels. The man's hand darted to a dagger tucked into the belt at his side, but it was too late. Israel ran him through with Apocalypse, the red edges of the blade gleaming with menace even as the inky black center fuller seemed to swallow up the glint.

With a shove, Israel ripped his sword from the man's chest and pushed him back just in time to watch him explode into a shower of pixelated shards that intermingled with the remains of his weapon.

Turning to face the red eyed player with the skeleton mask, Israel took a step back in surprise as the man darted at him with terrifying speed, his pale estoc zipping through the air faster than Israel would have thought possible. Raising Apocalypse, Israel felt the impact of the collision lance painfully up his arm. Grasping at the pain, he allowed it to fill his mind and strengthen his arm as he held it against the estoc. The red eyed player didn't disengage and instead bore down harder in an effort to force aside Israel's blade. It took every last reserve of strength Israel had to keep his gleaming red and black sword up against the estoc. He felt one of the veins in his forehead bulge as he panted. Their faces inches apart as they struggled against each other, the skeleton man's red eyes gleamed as he grinned.

"That was pretty impressive against those two amateurs. Let's see how you do against a real opponent."

Swinging his fist around to bash in the man's skeletal mask and the face beneath it, Israel blinked in surprise when the man disengaged and darted away. Recovering his stance, Israel had just enough time to take a step forward when the player again attacked, his estoc all but invisible as it sliced through the air. Raising his fist, Israel blocked the blow just in time, then counter attacked with rapid, controlled series of slashes from Apocalypse. Easily parrying and deflecting them all, the red eyed player lunged, the thin tip of his blade zipping past Israel's guard and stabbing into his shoulder.

Batting aside the estoc with his own sword before the stab could go any deeper, Israel allowed the pain of the wound to surge throughout his being as he opened his mind to the need for the pain, the hunger for the agony.

Silently stabbing forward to lunge himself, Israel turned Apocalypse at the last minute and instead aimed for the man's neck. Not falling for the diversion, the man raised his sword arm to defend his throat. At that moment, Israel wrapped his armored hand around the red player's wrist and held him in viselike grip. Unable to shake off the hand preventing his sword from moving, the red eyed man instead arched his spine and leaned back with incredible speed and flexibility. Apocalypse slashed just over him before Israel could stop its momentum, and in an instant the skeletal player broke his grip and sprang up to deliver a vengeful counter attack.

Barely blocking the barrage of strikes and blows, Israel quickly realized that he was facing an opponent for more deadly than any he had ever fought. Several times he attempted to go back onto the defensive, but the red eyed player seemed only to expect it and lunged with the enhanced speed only an estoc could grant him, slipping past Israel's guard and stabbing him lightly in the arm, the side, and then the thigh.

Sidestepping around to get a better angle, Israel saw the other player he had been unable to paralyze opening his inventory over the downed players. Israel knew without a doubt that the man was about to use an antidote on them. If he didn't defeat the red eyed player in the next minute, he would find himself facing three more alongside him. But he couldn't beat him.

Try as he might, it was all Israel could do to fend off the estoc whenever it went for a lethal blow. With each passing second, he was forced to give up more ground and choose between what type of wounds he wanted to receive.

Channeling the pain again as another stab pierced his ribs, Israel distracted the man with a flurry of swings from his sword, then punched him square in the chest with his other hand. With a surprised cough, the red eyed player jumped back, clutching at his sternum with his free hand. He looked up at Israel with a pained grin.

"Nicely done, Shadow of-"

Bounding forward, Israel attacked with everything he had, swinging his blade in highly complex, weaving patterns as he unleashed his assault. Ignoring his exhaustion and immune to his pain, Israel was sure that victory was at hand.

Raising his estoc, the man flew back into action, blocking the first four blows and then lunging for another stab. Twisting to the right, Israel escaped the lunged and continued fighting, but the damage to his assault was already done. Now in an overextended position, Israel found his attack halted by a well placed flurry of blocks and evasions, and then the red eyed man slashed forward before he could retreat and reposition.

He felt his sword arm weaken as cuts emerged all along the vital muscle of his biceps, and Israel knew he had lost any chance he had at winning. The player before him was a master, not only in skill, but also in reflexes, thought process, and pattern recognition. He had spotted almost all of Israel's moves and reacted before he could even complete them.

There was a collective yell, and Israel turned his head slightly as he fought. The two players were now on their feet alongside the man who had given them the antidote, and the three of them were charging him. He turned back to the red eyed player before him just in time to see the man's estoc once again pass his defenses and puncture his chest just inches from his heart.

The man was grinning at him again.

 _I have to get out of here. Now._

Thinking of anything he could do to escape, Israel's mind jumped to the beam of light back at the treehouse. Without anymore time to think of something else as another stab pierced his hip, Israel located the angle of the sun and jumped around towards it while still facing the red eyed player. With his back towards the light as the player darted around to face him, Israel panted as a thin beam caught the man square in the skeletal mask, blinding him for a fraction of a second. That fraction wasn't anywhere near enough time to kill the man, but it was all Israel needed to escape.

Darting back into the woods, Israel allowed the trees to envelop him as he sped up his pace, his fingers already on the teleport crystal in his hands.

"Teleport, Sunlit Forest."

Just as the world began to dissolve around him as the crystal activated, Israel heard the red eyed player roar, "I am Red Eyed Xaxa, and I _will_ kill you, 'Shadow of Death!'"


	70. Chapter 70

70

June 29th, 2023

Floor 35, Harmonium Grove

The four men trembled before him as the rain soaked their hair and shirts, but he knew it wasn't the wet cold that caused their shaking. Hands bound behind their backs, wearing nothing but their clothes, and with their inventories, friend lists, and guild membership stripped bare, the four stood silently where he had ordered them. Around them, their tents and player made huts burned. Walking down the line in front of them, Israel sheathed Apocalypse. He knew he would be using it again sooner rather than later, but his arm was tired from the fighting. He had already had to kill five of them, including their guild leader, who had, like Red Eyed Xaxa and two other guild leaders he had killed since then, been immune to his paralysis darts. The surprise had very nearly costed Israel his life once again, and he was tired of surprises.

"On your knees." He said darkly, his voice becoming deeper and slightly muffled through the black molded steel face mask that covered his mouth and nose. "All of you."

The men hesitated for only a second before complying, each one of them stooping down and dropping to their knees in the muddied ground. The rain picked up a bit, the little droplets pattering against his red brigandine plated armor wherever his black cloak didn't cover it. A thousand little sizzling sounds filled the air behind him as raindrops landed in the fire and sputtered out, only to be followed by more.

"I'm in a foul mood," Israel said vehemently as he came to a stop in the center of the pitiful line of men all staring at him, their wide eyed gazes betraying their fear. "So don't play dumb, and don't make me repeat myself. Which of you is the potions maker of your guild?"

The men blinked, but remained quiet. His anger flaring, Israel drummed his fingers along the pommel of Apocalypse as he took a menacing step forward. That got them moving. Almost simultaneously, the two men on the right and the one on the far left pointed at the one in the center left, who turned his head in horror at being betrayed before fixing his terrified gaze on Israel.

"Please, I...I…"

Israel silenced him with a look, then peered down at him, studying the face in the mud before him. The man was young, a boy really, with short red hair that had been slicked partially back in the front. Wisps of peach fuzz covered his sharp chin. His face was baby smooth and absent any wrinkles of age or experience. In spite of the youthful appearance, however, Israel could see the unique maturity and stony glaze in the young man's eyes that only death could bring. This man had killed, and more than once. No orange player was ever innocent.

"How did you make the potion you gave to your guild leader?" Israel asked.

The man licked his lips. "Please, I made many potions for him, and the rest of my guild. Which one are you-"

Israel twitched, but kept his ill temper in check. Right now he needed answers. Violence would come later, anyway. "The potion that rendered him immune to my paralysis darts. You're the potion maker, that means you made it for him. How did you do it?"

The orange player's brow creased as his mind raced. Skeins of wet orange hair came down his forehead and into his eyes, but he didn't seem to notice.

"I didn't make the paralysis immunity potion, sir."

Israel arched an eyebrow. "Do you know who I am?"

The young man nodded with a mixture of reverence and terror. "The Shadow of Death."

"So how advisable do you think it would be to lie to me?"

The player shook his head emphatically. "I'm not lying, I swear. I didn't make the potion. My skill is nowhere near high enough to make something like that. If you don't believe me, open my menu and check my potion making skill tree. It shows everything I'm currently able to create. I'm only level three hundred and twenty in the skill."

Israel nodded "I know you are. That's an exceptionally high skill level for something as secondary as potion making. Two other two guilds I've hunted had leaders with the same potion, and when I asked them where they had gotten them, they gave me your general location and told me what guild you were in. Told me that you were the highest level potion maker on several Floors, so it had to be you who made them."

Again the man shook his head. "I can see why they thought that; I am one of the higher tier potion makers among the orange player community, but I'm telling you, it wasn't me. I could practice at potion making from dawn until dusk every day for a year and still not be skilled enough or high enough in level to make something so advanced. Please, check my skill tree for yourself. You'll see it's not anywhere near my abilities to make a paralysis immunity potion."

Israel didn't move. He didn't need to check; he could see the truth in the man's eyes.

"If you're one of the most skilled potion makers and can't make it yourself, then who the hell did? Where did your guild leader, and the other guild leaders I've killed in the last two weeks, get them?"

The young man took a breath, looking relieved that Israel hadn't killed him for arguing.

"In all of Aincrad, there's only one person it could be. Only a potion master could make something so advanced, so complex, and I know of only one. She's with Laughing Coffin."

Israel blinked in curiosity. "Laughing Coffin?"

"Yes. They have nearly two hundred players in their guild, so they have an entire group of players designated as potion mixers from what I've seen the few times I've been to their camp. But there's one in particular that puts the rest of them to shame. Hell, she puts every potion mixer to shame."

"Give me a name."

"I'm sorry, I don't know her name, but I do know that she started unlocking a new tier of potion making abilities about a month or two ago, and since then, she's started producing the paralysis immunity potions. Since she's the only one who can make them, there aren't many yet. Her first batch went to her guild, and only when more had been made did PoH send some to his favored vassal guild leaders, the ones who send the most tribute and are his most loyal in spite of...well…"

Israel leaned in. "In spite of what?"

The man gestured at him. "In spite of your attacks. Many vassal guilds are becoming restless and unhappy at PoH for what they see as his lack of protection. Of course, most are too fearful to voice such dissent, but a few have banded together to demand he uphold his part of the bargain as their protector and keep them safe from the Shadow of Death."

Israel grinned from within the black molded steel the covered his mouth. "Go on."

"In spite of the dissent by some, there are a lot of vassal guild leaders who remained steadfast and loyal to PoH's authority, like my guild leader, Reklan. Our guild, The Cutthroats, was seen as one of the favored vassals because of his rebukes against the guilds causing problems. For that, he was on the list to receive a few of the immunity potions, sent from Laughing Coffin and made by their master potion mixer."

Israel thought about it for a moment. "What else has this master of theirs made? Are there other, newer potions being produced and sent around?"

Uncertainty flashed across the player's face. "I don't know. With her skill and level at making potions, coupled with the ever expanding skill tree, there's no telling what else she is able to make right now, let alone what she will manage to concoct in the future. From the rumors I've heard, people suspect there are potions far more powerful and game changing than paralysis immunity."

Israel nodded slowly as he contemplated. Paralysis immunity potions had nearly been the death of him multiple times already, and if this master potion mixer from Laughing Coffin wasn't dealt with, more and more orange players would begin to obtain them as production increased. On top of that, who knew what new potions could soon be discovered and used against him? He needed to eliminate this new threat, and quickly.

"Thank you for very much for your cooperation." Israel said. "Know that you have been a great help."

Drawing Apocalypse in one fluid movement, Israel barely saw the red steel as he swung with deadly precision. Before the young man could so much as cry out, his head toppled to the ground. A second later, it exploded into a shower of pixelated shards alongside his body. The other players cried out in shouts of fear or anger, but Israel was already upon them. Mercilessly swinging the gleaming red steel, he cut down two of them, one after another before they had a chance to rise. Upon reaching the last one, however, an idea struck him. His sword froze mid swing. The potential of what he had just realized hit him like a thunderclap. Almost at once, he formulated his plan.

Jumping to his feet in an effort to tackle Israel to the ground, the man gasped when Israel's leather boot came up and hit him in the chest. Knocked from his feet by the force of the kick, the player struggled to take a breath as his back hit the mud, splattering it all over his shirt and pants.

"On your feet," Israel growled. "You're coming with me."

"Please," The man gasped as he struggled back up onto his wobbly legs. "What are you going to do to me?"

Israel looked at him in amusement. "Me? I'm not going to do anything."

…

Israel took a breath and reminded himself to be patient as he leaned against the bark wall of the tree house living room. In front of him, Tristan wrang his hands uneasily as he paced before the lone survivor of the orange guild known as The Cutthroats. On his knees again with his hands still bound, and now with a blindfold over his eyes, the player's panicked breathing came in ragged pants.

The treehouse was warm and somewhat stuffy, so Israel removed his hood. His thick blonde hair tumbled down until it nearly brushed his shoulders, standing out in striking contrast to the black of his cloak and face mask. It seemed the longer he stood there, the hotter he became. The problem was, it didn't look like Tristan was going to speed things up.

Israel had messaged him almost as soon as he had returned to his new treehouse base with the orange player, blindfolding him as they walked to be sure the man would have no idea where they were and wouldn't be able to retrace his steps later. Tristan hadn't taken long in coming, but his usual cheerful demeanor had quickly evaporated when Israel explained his plan. That had been almost twenty minutes ago.

Tristan looked up at him, his face clouded with worry and anxiety. "I don't think I can do this."

Israel withheld a sigh and instead said, "You fight monsters all the time. It's pretty much the same thing."

Tristan didn't look like he agreed. "Mobs are one thing. Hurting people is...something else entirely."

Israel shrugged. "Violence is violence, no matter what form it takes or who it's used on."

"Still...I just can't kill someone. It's not who I am."

Israel rolled his eyes. "You don't have to kill him, Tristan. I told you this already. Just injure him. That way your cursor will turn orange, but only temporarily, only for a few hours. You'll be back to green by tomorrow morning. That's why it's important we do this now."

Tristan wrang his hands again and shifted his weight as he peered down at the captive orange player. As if sensing the look, the man took a breath and whispered, "Please. Help me. Just let me go."

"Waggle your tongue again," Israel threatened menacingly, "And I'll cut it out. You'd be surprised how much of it there really is."

That brought silence, but Tristan turned to him, an apologetic and somewhat shameful look on his face as he shook his head. "I just don't want to hurt anyone, Israel. I don't have it in me like you do."

Israel straightened angrily as he took a step forward and pointed at the man standing before them.

"You think he's innocent, Tristan? He's not. You think that just because you've never met him, just because he's never done anything to you personally, he's excused of his crimes?"

Tristan lowered his gaze at the reprimand. "No, but…"

"It was players like this who paralyzed you at the Kern River. Remember that? They stabbed you over and over again as you laid there, unable to scream because they had put a gag in your mouth! It was players like him who have tortured and killed who knows how many innocent people by now. You think you had it bad, Tristan? What they were doing to you was nothing compared to what men of his kind have done to hundreds of others, all of them forever unable to return to the real world because of this thing that kneels before you! It was players like him who ambushed and murdered Naomi, the kindest, bravest, most selfless person in this world..."

Israel's voice wavered, and he looked down at his boots for a moment as he tried to swallow the lump in his throat that had suddenly formed.

When he looked up, he saw Tristan staring at him with tears in his eyes. Israel cleared his throat again, but the lump still hadn't gone away.

Breaking his gaze, Tristan stepped forward, yelling desperately in uncertainty and anger as he closed his right hand into a fist and punched the orange player in the face. Hard.

His cursor turned orange as the player on his knees struggled to stay upright, but Tristan didn't stop there. Tears streamed down his feminine face as the kindly item shop owner punched the man again. The player wavered and looked like he was about to fall down, but Tristan grabbed him by the shoulder with his other arm as he swung again and again, reducing the player's health and filling the air with the sound of sickening crunches as his nose and cheekbones began to break.

Gliding forward in one smooth stride, Israel tore his friend away from the injured orange player and held him at arm's length. Tristan struggled to get past him and continue his rampage as more tears trailed down his cheeks, but Israel held firm. He realized then that he didn't want his friend to become like him. He didn't want anybody to be like him.

"Tristan," he urged softly, still resisting the man's writhing. "It's done. You're orange now. That's all we needed. It's done."

Visibly relaxing and returning to normal, Tristan slowly began nodding as he wiped an arm across his face. "Alright. If you're sure that's all it takes."

Israel offered his best smile. "I'm sure. Thank you for doing this for me. Now we can move on to the next step, but only if you want to."

Tristan nodded. "I'm ready, let's-"

Israel shook him gently. "I'm serious, Tristan. I don't want you to think you have to do this. You're my friend, and the last thing I want is to put you in harm's way. I'd do it myself, but the chance of some of them knowing my face is now too high ever since I began letting prisoners go. If there was any other-"

Tristan waved his words off with a dismissive gesture, then fixed Israel in a determined glare. "I can do this, Israel. I want to do this. I'm going to help."

…

Sara smoothed out a ruffle on her black dress as she stood close beside PoH behind his desk, waiting. She was exhausted from the near constant work she had been putting into making the newest potion, but she wasn't about to go to sleep. All of her attempts thus far had ended in failure, but she still had enough ingredients for one more try that night. PoH had requested her presence in his tent for dinner, and she had obliged, but only because she hadn't started on her newest attempt just yet. After eating, he had tried seducing her into his bed, but she had refused. She needed to focus on her work. She was determined to succeed.

Just before leaving to return to her own tent across the camp, Xaxa had arrived to inform them that one of their vassal guild leaders had approached the sentries and was requesting to speak with PoH. Neither he nor PoH had seemed very pleased by the news, but PoH had dipped his head in acquiescence, as he always did for his subjects. Still, Sara figured that she should be there to help ease any tensions. Xaxa was an impulsive and bloodthirsty brute when not kept in check, and Sara wanted to keep an eye on him.

With her thoughts on the red eyed warrior, Sara found herself again thinking about the story that had swept through Laughing Coffin in the past week. Xaxa and his men had not only survived an attack by the Shadow of Death, but had forced him to flee. Xaxa was arrogant and loved attention, so she had first thought he was embellishing the tale when he asserted that he had dueled the Shadow alone and had been responsible for his defeat. The man had even gone so far as to say that he would've killed the Shadow then and there had he not fallen victim to a petty trick that gave the Shadow of Death time to flee. The three surviving men who had gone with him, however, had assured the entire camp that every word Xaxa spoke was true, and that if not for him, the three of them would all have been killed.

PoH had been very pleased with Xaxa and ordered news of Laughing Coffin's victory to be spread to every orange player base in an effort to dispel the fear enshrouding the name of the Shadow of Death. That fright was what had created the dissent among many of the vassal guilds, and though Xaxa's victory had been trumpeted long and loud, many still feared for their lives. Sara knew PoH, perhaps better than anyone, and she could tell that his patience with those who had spoken out against him and demanded a renegotiation of terms was wearing thin. Several vassal guild leaders had already been to see him in the past few weeks, and all had wanted the same assurances and promises of better protection. This one was likely no different.

While hooking some of her long silver hair back behind her ear, Sara heard the sound of the tent flap open. Looking up, she saw Xaxa step inside, his skeletal mask and red eyes granting him his usual menacing visage. Behind him strode a shorter, kindly looking man with long, jet black hair that trailed down his back and a facial structure that made him look slightly more feminine than masculine. The man was wearing armor and had a scimitar that looked completely unfit for him sheathed at his side.

He saw PoH first, but then his gaze fell on Sara. A sincere, humble smile appeared on his lips. "I don't mean to offend, but you are absolutely beautiful in that dress, Miss."

She smiled at the compliment. "No offense taken, thank you very much."

PoH cleared his throat.

Refocusing his glance to the leader of Laughing Coffin, the young man dipped his head awkwardly in an attempted gesture of deference and respect.

"PoH, I'd like to start by apologizing for disturbing someone as busy as you. My name is Tristan. I'm the new leader of the vassal guild known as The Cutthroats."

PoH frowned at him. "New?"

Tristan nodded. "Chosen by popular election from among the guild. Those of us that are still alive, that is. My prior guild leader and half of our men were killed by, we believe, the Shadow of Death."

"You were attacked?"

Another nod. "Yes. Half of my guild and our leader at the time, Reklan, had gone out to ambush some green players and had just finished killing them when-"

"Were they part of Justice?" Sara asked in confusion.

Tristan blinked. "Sorry?"

"The green players your guild attacked." She didn't understand why he looked so confused. "They were from the beta tester hating guild known as Justice, right? Why else would you have ambushed them? They obviously weren't innocent green players...were they?"

Tristan looked a bit anxious as he puzzled at her, obviously unsure what to say.

"I'm sorry, but I don't-"

"Of course they were from Justice." PoH interceded with a flick of his hand, as if he had just remembered something.

Sara and Tristan both looked at him.

"I had almost forgotten," PoH explained to her with a wry smile, "I had ordered The Cutthroats under their guild leader at the time, Reklan, to ambush and eliminate a small detachment of green players who were known to work for Justice, in much the same way as our vassal guilds work for us. The group didn't have a party name, which is why young Tristan here was a bit confused, like I was at first."

Sara turned her gaze to Tristan, and the guild leader smiled apologetically as he looked from PoH to her. He nodded again. "Yes, that's right. Sorry, my thoughts are still a little frayed since the attack on my guild."

"If the Shadow of Death has attacked The Cutthroats so soon after their strike at Justice," PoH went on, the snake tattoo writhing along his skin as he spoke, "Then that must mean that he is in league with them, as I suspected. His attack was most likely a retaliation."

Tristan cleared his throat and went on. "Which brings me to the rest of my story, and the reason I'm here. After the fight, Reklan and the half of my guild that went with him on this attack were in turn ambushed by the Shadow soon after the attack. They were killed to a man. As the newly elected leader of my guild, I would first like to assure you that I have every intention of maintaining vassal status to you, as Reklan did. However, seeing as we are now down to half strength and have attracted the attention of the Shadow of Death himself, I would like to request, for the safety of my men, that we be allowed another, larger share of paralysis immunity potions made by your renowned potion master. I would also like to request that we be considered for a sample of new concoctions in the future."

Without hesitation, Xaxa stepped forward and backhanded Tristan with his leather backed glove, sending the man's hair billowing out behind him as Tristan's face snapped to the side from the force of the blow.

"Xaxa!" Sara shouted angrily.

"How dare you make demands of PoH." Xaxa hissed to Tristan as the man cupped his face with his hands. "You should be thankful your liege lord hasn't yet decided to place a new guild leader in charge of 'The Cutthroats,' someone with more intelligence and humility than a fool like you."

"That's enough, Xaxa." Sara said darkly. "Stand down."

Without waiting for him to comply, she looked at Tristan.

"I am the potion mixer of Laughing Coffin. I make the paralysis immunity potions. The problem is, I'm the only one right now who can. Try as I might, I can only make so many at a time. They cannot be mass produced. For that reason, we must limit who we share them with. It is difficult choosing who gets such added protection when others do not, but sometimes hard choices are inevitable."

He nodded, still cupping his face with his hands. Xaxa had backed off at Sara's command, but didn't look at all happy about it and had a hand on the thin hilt of his Legendary Estoc. "I understand, my lady."

"Do you have a potion mixer in your guild?"

He nodded. "We do."

Sara offered him a smile. "Perfect. I may not be able to give you the potions I know you need right now, but I can still help. I'm going to visit your guild base and instruct your potion mixer on several hidden recipes open to lower levels, as well as show him how he can level up faster and guide him away from any faults in his potion making style. With my help, he'll be boosting levels in no time and will be much better equipped and able to support you."

"Out of the question." PoH growled.

Sara looked at him. "It'll be far better for the cause if our other potion mixers know what I know. I can help them, and in doing that, I'll be helping us. It's unfair for us as the lead orange guild to expect results and supply quotas from our vassals without giving them proper protection and fair access to what we already have. By helping our vassals, I'll not only be making us all stronger, but I'll also be helping to reduce the dissent and division that has grown because of the Shadow of Death."

PoH looked ready to spit fire, but also concerned and worried. "We need you, Sara. Laughing Coffin needs you."

"The other guilds need me too, perhaps even more. They're the ones suffering from these attacks, not us."

He crossed his arms, the snake on his face crawling along the worry lines etched onto his glare. "It'll take days to bring the potion mixer they have to an advanced standard."

"I will take no longer than three days. I promise you that."

Closing the distance between them, PoH took her hand and held it in both of his. It was obvious he didn't care about anyone in the room at that moment but her. Tristan and PoH may as well not have existed.

"Sara, it isn't safe outside camp. Half of Tristan's guild is already dead, and it's possible the Shadow already knows the location of their base. He isn't known to leave jobs half done."

Sara nodded as she squeezed his big hands affectionately. "I know. And that's exactly why I have to help them. If I can do something to ensure their protection, I will. I have to do this."

PoH looked completely distraught. For the first time in her life, she saw panic gripping him. "I won't let you go."

She smiled at him. "A leader cannot allow his judgment to be ruled by his emotions. I'm going, and that's final."

Xaxa cocked his head at her. "You obey PoH. He is the leader of this guild, not you. You serve him."

She turned her head to glare at the red eyed skull mask. "It is the cause I follow. And it is PoH I'm serving by doing this."

He sneered at her. "You think you can-"

"Enough, Xaxa." PoH said with unmistakable authority, though it was tinged with anxiety. "Arguing with Sara is a defeat in the making."

She looked up into his raptor gaze. "So you're alright with me going?"

PoH scoffed. "Of course not, but your mind's made up." He paused. "I'm going with you."

Xaxa spun around. "PoH, putting you in danger would be unacceptable. You are the cornerstone of this guild. If anything were to happen to you, Laughing Coffin would surely fall."

PoH rounded on him. "I'm not leaving her unprotected!"

"In that case, send me as an escort. I've already fought the Shadow of Death once and drove him back. I'll keep her safe for you. I'm probably the only one who really can."

PoH thought it over for a long, quiet moment as he looked in Xaxa's red eyes. At last, he conceded with a nod.

"Alright. You will act as her escort, alongside five others of your choosing." His expression hardened, and Sara could see Xaxa flinch under that powerful iron gaze she knew so well. "I'm holding you fully responsible for her safety, Xaxa. I'll leave you to reflect on the gravity of that statement. This is the most important task I've ever given you. You will _not_ fail me."

PoH turned to Tristan. "Go back to your base and fortify it as best as you can in preparation for Sara's arrival. The Shadow typically attacks at night, so I will send her and her escort tomorrow morning. Xaxa will report to me on the level of security when he arrives. Use your night of preparation wisely."

Tristan practically bowed as he began backing up to exit the tent. "I will, PoH. You have my word on that."


	71. Chapter 71

71

June 30th, 2023

Floor 14, Truloc Mountain

The sound of clashing steel brought Sara out of her thoughts. Quickly dumping the last handful of Minoin Flower Caps into her pack, she slung the heavy bag onto her back and, after securing the shoulder straps, turned to the source of the noise. The tents lining the right side of the muddied track blocked her view, but she could hear that the sounds of battle were coming from just behind. Striding forward out past her tent, she ignored the mud soiling the ends of her black dress around her ankles and walked across the manmade street.

When she was about halfway, a wolf pack of around ten men and three women, all garbed in their uniform black cloaks and hoods to distinguish them as Laughing Coffin, turned a corner and halted abruptly when they realized who was in front of them.

Pausing, Sara motioned for them to pass first. "Sorry, I didn't mean to get in your way."

The man in the lead smiled apologetically and bowed his head in a gesture of respect. "No worries Miss Sara, please, go ahead."

Thanking the man, she quickened her pace across the rest of the track so they wouldn't have to wait. When she looked back to thank them again, they merely dipped their heads reverently and hurried on their way.

Sara didn't like being seen as someone better than the others, as if she were some kind of queen, but it seemed there was nothing she could do about it. She had always been viewed as mysterious and powerful by others thanks to her talents in potion mixing, but ever since it had become public knowledge that PoH loved her, the members of Laughing Coffin generally treated her as if she were an extension of the man himself. Braklin suddenly appeared as he made his way to another tent, and she reminded herself that not all were so courteous.

Without slowing her stride, Sara looked him in the eye as she walked. He met her gaze for a brief moment with a look of pure hatred intermingled with fear and humiliation, but then turned his eyes back in front and walked on as if he had never seen her. She watched his back until he was swallowed up by the churning camp. Somehow, she knew she hadn't seen the last of him.

Circling around a row of tents, Sara came upon a small rectangular clearing with wooden fence laid down around it to let players know that the area was there for a reason, and was not to be overlaid with tents as the rest of the camp was. Within the clearing stood three players in the midst of a vicious duel. Sara recognized Xaxa immediately by the skull mask and red eyes, but took a moment to identify who he was fighting. The newly recruited Laughing Coffin member, Liam, who had been the Shadow of Death's first messenger, stood opposite Xaxa alongside the girl named Midnight. With sickly, pale skin, black makeup, and long, straight hair the color of night, her name fit her well. Both her and Liam fought together, trying to use their advantage in numbers to overwhelm Xaxa, who smiled menacingly as he fended them off with ease. All three fought with estocs.

While it was clear within the first few seconds of watching that all three players fought with considerable skill, it was blatantly obvious that Xaxa was many times their superior. His pale, legendary sword zipped through the air with remarkable speed and precision, fending off the two estocs of his opponents without much effort. Liam advanced a step as his sword flew, and in the next instant, Xaxa darted in. Disarming Liam before he could retreat a step, the red eyed player lashed out and hit the young man square in the face with the pommel of his estoc. Crying out in surprised pain, Liam fell to the ground, stunned.

Alone now, Midnight didn't waver as Xaxa turned his full attention on her. Taking the initiative, she swung her own estoc with such speed and elegance that Sara had a difficult time keeping her eye on it. She had no idea how people could fight against weapons so thin and fast. Xaxa seemed to have no trouble though, and after somehow deflecting her incredible assault with an even faster series of blocks and glancing blows, he took control of the battle. With two lazy flicks of his wrist, he first cut her sword hand at the fingers, forcing her to drop her blade, and then rested the point of his estoc at the hollow of her throat before she could retreat.

It had been a truly deadly display of skill and talent, but Xaxa didn't look happy with his victory. Tapping Midnight's left shoulder with his blade, he said darkly, "Don't roll your shoulders so much when you strike. It gives away the location of your attack."

Then he rounded on Liam.

"What the hell was that?" Xaxa hissed at the young man as he rose to his feet. "You overexposed yourself, and for no good reason at all!"

Still looking dazed, Liam nonetheless stood his ground. "I thought you said there was always an acceptable time to extend your stance, that it was simply a matter of timing?"

The red eyes gleamed with malice as Xaxa sneered at him. "You can extend your stance while maintaining your guard. Have you not been fucking listening, boy? You went straight for an attack that required an adjustment to footing leaving you unable to recuperate in the event of it failing, and on top of that, the attack itself was flawed. You do not rush forward while your enemy maintains control over his own footing. You never let your opponent fight on his own terms. I could've split you in half without needing to adjust my stance or move at all. No wonder the Shadow defeated you so easily."

His face going red at the rebuke, Liam picked up his sword. "Let me go again. One on one."

Still sneering, Xaxa nonetheless motioned for Midnight to take a few steps back as he brought his estoc up. "Begin."

With a roar, Liam attacked, keeping his estoc close and controlled as he swung with impressive speed and near perfect accuracy. This time, Sara made sure to watch the young man's movements and saw that he kept himself lithe and nimble by bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet. He advanced and retreated often under the strain of the battle as his and Xaxa's swords clashed, but Sara observed that he now kept his feet spread and no longer moved with wide steps in either direction. Midnight watched silently, her black lips curled into a ghost of a smile as she focused her eyes on Liam.

Glancing to Xaxa, Sara had trouble keeping up with the rapid, fluid movements of his arm, to say nothing of his legendary sword. Again and again he struck at Liam, who in turn attempted to gain control of the fight and counter attacked viciously whenever he could, though he couldn't halt Xaxa's onslaught and quickly received dozens of cuts and stabs as he was forced to give ground. Finally, after a long, tense moment, Xaxa spun past Liam's swing and appeared again in front of him, the length of his sword pressed against the young man's throat.

"Pitiful." Sara heard Xaxa whisper darkly. "Next time I won't go so easy."

He released his hold on Liam and took a step back, again readying his blade.

Liam raked a hand through his hair. "I never asked you to go easy on me. I want to fight you at your best."

Xaxa chuckled humorlessly. "If I did that, you'd die. Again."

Their blades clashed again, and at that moment, a big hand rested on Sara's shoulder. Glancing behind, she saw PoH gesture at the fight as he strode up beside her, his steely grey eyes unblinking as he watched.

"I do not envy that boy."

Sara flinched as Liam suffered a particularly brutal kick to the knee.

"Why is Xaxa tormenting the poor man?"

"It was Liam who requested Xaxa teach him to master the estoc after word of his victory against the Shadow of Death spread." His lip curled into a small grin as he leaned in confidentially. "I also suspect his request had something to do with the fact that Midnight is already a pupil of Xaxa. Liam cares for her. Perhaps he was jealous."

Sara shrugged as she watched the frail girl leaning against the wooden fence close by. "Perhaps."

PoH turned to face her. "All packed?"

She nodded, then reached into the small brown pouch cinched to the dress belt at her waist. Retrieving the small glass vial, she held it up to PoH without taking her eyes off the fight in front of them.

Gently taking the vial from her hand, PoH was silent for a moment as he studied it. Then he gasped.

"Anti-Teleport Potion?"

Sara turned to him and nodded. "Throughout Aincrad, there are a few areas where Teleport Crystals do not activate. These areas are referred to as Anti-Teleport Zones. With this potion, you now have the ability to create your own."

PoH looked anew at the swirling strands of purple and blue liquid within the glass. "That's incredible. What are the limits?"

"It can be activated by words, as per usual, or it can be thrown. Wherever it lands, it will activate. Either way, the area around the location of its activation will turn into a thirty yard around anti teleport zone for half an hour." She paused. "That was the most difficult potion I've ever made. I failed four times before finally getting it right, and even the fifth time took the entire night and most of the morning to make, including constant concentration and care."

PoH shook his head in amazement, but then lowered the vial in his hands and cast her a worried look. "You shouldn't push yourself so hard, Sara. You should've gotten some sleep."

Waving off his concern, Sara gestured back to her tent. "I've left the ingredient lists and recipes for several high level potions, including this one, on my desk."

He arched an eyebrow, the snake on his skin writhing irritably at the movement. "Why? You'll only be gone three days."

She nodded. "I know, but it's vital that I'm not the only one in possession of this knowledge. If something should happen to me-"

"It won't."

"If something does," She affirmed, "Then we need to be sure that what I've learned doesn't die with me. This is just a precaution, PoH. A necessary one."

He was quiet for a long moment, then turned to again watch Xaxa schooling Liam in the ways of combat.

"Is there nothing I can say to convince you to stay with me?"

"Nothing."

He nodded as if he had expected the answer. "I've given strict instructions to Xaxa to guard your life and be your shadow every moment that you're gone. If he fails me, I'll flay him alive."

Sara grunted her disapproval. "I hope he doesn't guard me too closely."

PoH glanced back at her, a wry smile on his face. "You never did like Xaxa."

She scoffed. "He's a brute, intent only on harming others." She met his gaze. "Why do you insist on allowing him the rank of Second in Command of Laughing Coffin?"

PoH's raptor gaze softened a bit as he contemplated the question. "Sara, you've drilled me time and again on the fact that sometimes, leaders have to make difficult decisions." He gestured with a casual wave of his hand at the fight before them as Xaxa dropped Liam to his knees. "Xaxa is easily the best fighter in Laughing Coffin, one of the best in all of Aincrad. Some believe there's not a player alive to match him. The man's prowess, bravery, and veteran status have earned him high esteem and more rewards than almost anyone."

"I wouldn't reward a hateful man who loves causing only pain."

PoH shrugged. "A leader must reward good work and faithful service lest he find himself no longer a leader. Why would the people under me want to serve me if they believe their efforts won't be taken into account? Furthermore, Xaxa is seen as something of a legend among us orange players, and legends can be powerful symbols, as I'm sure our Shadow of Death knows. Giving Xaxa a position of authority from which to assert his legend helps keep morale high. So you see, Sara, I always have reasons for what I do."

Thinking over his words for a moment, Sara at last dipped her head to cede the point. "I understand. I'm sorry, PoH, for doubting your choices. It was foolish of me."

Cupping a gentle hand to the side of her face, PoH drew her close to him until their foreheads touched. "You are far from foolish, my love. You're the smartest woman I've ever met." He kissed her. "I will miss you terribly, you know. I won't be able to sleep until you're back in my arms."

She rolled her eyes as a smile came to her lips. "It's three days. I've spent longer periods of time in my tent working on potions."

"At least then I knew you were safe."

He kissed her again, then sighed and drew away. Turning to the fight, PoH cleared his throat.

"Xaxa. Sara is packed. It's time."

…

Brushing branches aside with her arm, Sara picked up the pace. Xaxa moved quickly and with a familiar, smooth grace through the woods that she struggled to keep up with. Two men marched on either side of them, and Liam and Midnight held the rear. Xaxa had been told to bring only five players as an escort, but Liam had begged PoH to let him go as well in case the Shadow did strike. It worried Sara how zealous the young man had become in his eagerness for vengeance. She supposed that if her entire guild had been murdered in cold blood right before her eyes, she would feel the same way.

There was little talking as the group marched on through the trackless woods. Every now and then snippets of conversation would arise between the men, but for the most part, they remained silent and watchful. By their alert and professional demeanor, Sara guessed PoH had spoken to each of them, and at length, about the need for her protection. Knowing him, he had probably terrified them with promises of retribution should they fail to keep her safe. She didn't like thinking about PoH threatening people, but she reminded herself that he loved her. Such things were probably normal when driven by passion.

Xaxa had been angry at the idea of her going ever since she had conceived it, and his irritation grew ever worse as time wore on. After they had made a goodly distance and were nearing the location of The Cutthroats' camp, Xaxa snapped venomously at one of the guards when the man, not knowing how close they were, requested a brief rest stop.

"I'm not about to prolong this fool's errand on account of your lack of spine, Durabond."

Durabond grimaced at the heated rebuke, and quickly fell back into his position. Sara looked at the red eyed skull mask beside her as they walked.

"Is that what you think this is? A fool's errand?"

He sneered at her. "Well now, let me I consider wasting our time suckling inferior players who are only good enough to bring us supplies a fool's errand? Let me think."

She glared at him. It seemed every time the man spoke, she liked him even less. "You should be thankful PoH holds you in such favor. If I were him, I would've stripped you of your rank long ago as punishment for your arrogance and selfishness."

Xaxa laughed coldly, returning his gaze to the trees ahead of them. "You amuse me, Sara. You really think you just know it all, don't you? One day though, you'll discover just how little you really know."

She frowned. "What do you mean by-"

Stopping abruptly, Xaxa shot his arm up, his hand enclosed into a fist. The small column froze, and Sara saw hands drop to hilts in anticipation as the players of Laughing Coffin prepared themselves. She glanced back to Xaxa. His hood was drawn up around the sides of his skeleton mask, but she could still the faint glow emanating from his cold red eyes as he focused on something hidden in the treeline. She strained her eyes, but couldn't see anything.

"Commander," Durabond asked quietly from behind. "What-"

The trees on the left came alive in a rush as dozens of camouflaged mobs came crashing into their path. The monsters- Dark Elves armed with curved, poison swords and covered in green and blue paint and leaves- looked at the group of orange players in surprise for but the briefest of seconds, only to let out a collective howl as they targeted them and leaped into the fight. As one, the entourage of Laughing Coffin members drew their weapons and formed a protective line between Sara and the threat.

Drawing her knife and reaching for a potion of poison damage, Sara advanced to join the fight. Before she had taken a step, she felt Xaxa's hand clamp down on her wrist, forcing her back. Unable to break free from his powerful grip as her escort met the Elves head on, she rounded on him.

"Why aren't you helping your men?"

Ignoring her as battle cries and the sound of clashing steel rang out around them, Xaxa drew his sword with his free hand and looked out into the trees. She heard a cry from one of the men and turned in time to see a Dark Elf axe bury itself in Durabond's shoulder. She again tried to wrench herself out of Xaxa's grip, but he held her with what looked like little effort.

"You coward!" She shouted furiously as she fought to free herself. "We need to help them!"

He spun around and turned a glower so menacing on her that she had to remember how to breathe. His terrible red eyes seemed to cut into her soul. "Stop talking."

He returned his gaze out into the woods as the fighting raged on not five feet to their left.

"The mobs were surprised to see us." He explained in a dark hiss as he gripped both his estoc and her hand tighter. She flinched against the pain it caused her wrist. "They were surprised, and only targeted us when they saw us. That means they were led to us."

Understanding the truth behind his words, Sara held her knife at the ready as she scanned the trees. The forest was so dense, so full of foliage and natural obstacles, it would be impossible to spot a player sneaking up on them.

At that moment another swarm of mobs, this time tall Rock Golems armed with clubs and stone mallets, tumbled out of the trees to their right. Spotting the two of them, the monsters bellowed in hollow, robotic voices and charged forward. Snarling viciously, Xaxa swept her behind him as best he could but was then forced to give up his hold on her as he drew his estoc and met the attack. With lethal skill and deadly precision, he hacked apart the mobs, mercilessly slicing them in two or sending their severed stone heads flying. Sara had never seen such controlled violence.

"Teleport out!" Xaxa shouted as he sliced open three Golems with a single cut. "Now!"

Before she could begin to do as he said, she felt something hard hit her on the back of her head. Only dimly aware of falling backwards, her vision flickered for a moment, and then was gone.


	72. Chapter 72

72

June 30th, 2023

Floor 39, Atwold Forest

A dim, throbbing pain was what woke her.

Groaning groggily as the tendrils of sleep loosened their hold and began to fall away, Sara felt the distant pain again, aware this time that it was coming from the back of her head. It wasn't unbearable, but it did hurt enough to make her involuntarily lift her hand to feel for blood. In the darkness of her mind, she frowned when she felt her hands stuck together. She tried to break them apart, but couldn't, so she simply gave up and raised both arms to feel at the wound that she was sure was there. Instead, she felt only her thick, matted hair. She remembered then that she was in Aincrad; there was no blood in this world. At least, not in the traditional sense.

 _Aincrad._

Her memories came back to her in an icy rush. Her eyes snapped open, and that was when she saw the man sitting in a chair in front of her, one leg crossed over the other as he leaned back casually.

They were in a dimly lit, circular room lind with bookshelves that appeared to have been made of some kind of tree bark, but she barely noted any of that. Her eyes were fixed on the man before her. Wearing a black cloak and hood that covered his armor and the top of his head, he looked similar to the members of Laughing Coffin. Rather than their deliberately ragged cloaks and hoods though, his appeared new and well made, and his particular shade of inky black seemed to suck at the light around them in an effort to fill the room with darkness.

A face mask that looked to have been made of custom fitted black steel was pulled up over the lower half of his face, covering his mouth and nose. Between the sinister hood that dropped down over his forehead and the black steel mask that concealed his lower face, only a single thick skein of dark blonde hair tumbled down past the hood, making its way down his cheek and stopping just shy of his chin. The thick golden hair stood out in stark contrast to the blackness of his clothes, somehow making him appear even more menacing. And then there were his eyes.

The only part of his face not hidden away behind black, his piercing cobalt blue eyes burned with such intensity that they sent a shiver of pure terror down Sara's spine. In those merciless, fearless eyes, she could see a riveting, calculating intelligence combined with an icy fury so extreme that it threatened to incinerate her where she stood. To her complete surprise and confusion, though, she could also see a distant pain. It was well hidden behind his rage, his unfeeling cold, but she saw it, lingering in the shadows of the blue fire that danced within his glare. She knew at once, though, that it was not a weakness. Rather, it seemed his agony was the fuel that drove his seething fury. Under the scrutiny of such menace, of such choking rage, she had to remind herself to take a breath. This was a very dangerous man.

Sara had always thought that PoH's iron, raptor gaze, when brought to anger, was the most terrifying thing she would ever see. Now, she knew she was wrong. This man's steely resolve was a match for PoH, and in more ways than one. Such an intimidating, lethal force needed no introduction. The man sitting in front of her was the Shadow of Death himself.

"Good evening." He said to her without moving. His clear, commanding voice was slightly muffled by the lower face mask he wore, but that served only to add a threatening sound to his already menacing tone. "You woke up sooner than expected. I hit you pretty hard."

She said nothing, and instead forced herself to look away from him as she swiftly appraised the room, subtly searching for an exit or weapon she could use. It was only after a brief moment that she realized he was calmly watching her gaze.

"There is no point in thinking about fighting me. Or escaping. We are in a place where your Laughing Coffin comrades will never be able to find you."

Deftly feeling the nature of the smooth bark floor under her with her fingers as she took into account the imperfect circle shape of the room, Sara surmised that somehow, they were inside a tree.

The Shadow adjusted himself in his chair, drawing his right arm forward to lay on the armrest. Sara noted the polished steel gauntlet that covered his fingers, hand, wrist, and onwards all the way up to his elbow.

"While you were unconscious," He went on, "I emptied your friend list- short as it was- and took the liberty of disbanding you from Laughing Coffin before bringing you here. No one will be able to track you. No one will know how to find you, or even where to look."

Sara glanced down at her right forearm. She smiled mentally when she saw that her tattoo- the Laughing Coffin symbol of a smiling face within an open coffin- was still there. She may not have been a member any longer according to the system, but that was still who she was. He wouldn't be able to take that away from her.

Forcing down her fear, she turned up her chin and smiled mockingly at him. "Congratulations on your great victory, _Shadow of Death_." She said the title with exaggerated reverence. "Using mobs to fight your enemies, and sneaking up on a woman rather than facing her head on. It seems your legend has outgrown you."

Though she couldn't see his mouth, she saw the cold smile in his eyes. She suppressed the urge to look away and cower.

"That's the idea." He said with a nod. "I'm glad my efforts have been successful. However, I'm afraid you now have me at a disadvantage. You know my name. I don't know yours."

A thin strand of her silver hair fell forward into one of her eyes, but she ignored it as she glared at him. "Sybil."

He cocked his head slightly. "A lie, I think."

She shrugged. "Think what you will. It won't make you right. My name is Sybil."

He regarded her with a cool expression, though the blue flames never stopped dancing in his eyes. "I don't suppose it matters, either way. Your name is not what I'm interested in. It's your talents I care about."

"Talents?"

He nodded. "Well, talent. You are Laughing Coffin's 'Potion Master,' are you not?"

Sara shook her head. "I am not."

He drummed his steel covered fingers along the back of the arm rest. "I'm going to give you a warning, in advance. I don't like when people lie to me. It tends to try my patience. You would not like to see me when I'm impatient. You would not like it one bit. Now, I'll ask you again. Are you Laughing Coffin's renowned Potion Master?"

Sara knew what would happen if she answered truthfully. He would use her, force her to make potions for him in his quest to murder the orange players. That was why he hadn't killed her. Already, he had murdered nearly a hundred people, wiped out dozens of vassal guilds. With her skills helping him, he would become even more of a threat. With her potions, he would kill untold numbers of gallant players fighting against Justice, fighting to protect the innocent. She would not help him destroy Laughing Coffin, destroy PoH. She would not help him destroy the cause.

Doubtless, he already knew exactly who she was. He was asking simply to gauge her resolve, to ascertain whether or not she would be difficult. She intended to be more than difficult. She didn't doubt his words, his implied threats of pain and torture. The thought of making him angry knotted her stomach and filled her with dread, but she knew she had to do it. If she made him angry enough, there was a chance he would kill her, whether in a single blow or in a long, drawn out session of torture in which his rage drove him too far, but the result would be the same. If she was dead, she could be of no use to him. The orange players would be safe.

She sneered up at him. "Are you slow? I already fucking told you, I'm not her. I'm not a potion mixer. Looks like you made a mistake, you stupid piece of-"

In a blink, he shot out of his chair. In another, he was right in front of her, his face mere inches from hers. A gust of wind hit the left side of her face, billowing her long silver hair out behind her as a powerful thud resonated around the room. She heard a tremor course through the wooden wall just behind her. Glancing slightly to the left, she saw what had happened; his armored fist had slammed into the bark not two inches from her face, sending bits of wood flying into the air before they shattered into tiny pixelated shards. At least half of his fist was embedded in the wood. Sara was only vaguely surprised that the tree they were in wasn't an Immortal Object: most of her attention was, at that moment, locked on his fiery blue glare as he looked into her eyes. Their faces were so close, each time she breathed, her forehead threatened to brush up against his hood.

Without removing his fist, he peered at her. "I'm not interested in playing games with you, Sara. I know your name. I know your talent. I know that you are the Potion Master of Laughing Coffin. Your lying won't save you." The cobalt flames continued to dance as he stared at her. "I'm disappointed in you, Sara. Too afraid to admit who you are, to stand up for your actions and choices. I was told you were brave and selfless. It seems your legend has outgrown you."

She said nothing at the returned slight. It didn't matter what he thought of her. Her only goal was to keep the orange players alive. She would never help him. He knew who she was, but it didn't matter. She would die before she betrayed the cause.

"Alright, so you know who I am." She whispered through gritted teeth. "You've caught the woman responsible for Laughing Coffin's potions and many of their strategies used in battle. Because of me, hundreds of green players will never again draw breath. Ending me will cripple our war effort. I know you think I deserve death. Just kill me and be done with it."

He arched an eyebrow. "Trying to make me underestimate your intelligence won't work either, Sara. I never underestimate my enemies."

"Did Xaxa teach you that lesson when you ran from him with your tail between your legs?"

His glare heated until Sara was almost sure she would burst into flames, but he didn't take the bait.

"You know I have no intention of killing you. You want me too, though. You practically crave death at this moment. But I'm not going to indulge you, Sara. I'm going to use you."

"Use me for what?" She asked angrily, though she already knew the answer.

Dislodging his fist from the wall, the Shadow rested it over his knee. Out of her peripheral vision, Sara could see just how deep the hole was.

"I find myself sadly lacking in proper potion making skills," he said calmly, his eyes never leaving hers. "So I decided I'd get some help from you." He gestured expansively around the room with his unarmored left hand. "This is your new home, Sara. I hope you like it. You're going to spend every day here from now on. The only thing you're going to be doing here is making me potions. Immunity from Paralysis, for a start. From there we'll move on to whatever else you know. I hear your knowledge is quite expansive."

She steeled herself against his fiery eyes and smirked at him as fearlessly as she could. "I'm not making anything for you."

His eyes took on the sharp, lethal look of a predator. "I wasn't asking."

She returned his look. "Neither was I. I'll never help a murderer like you."

The Shadow's eyes twitched in amusement. "That's ironic, coming from a member of Laughing Coffin."

He stood. "I'm tired of talking. You start right now."

"Maybe you're too stupid to understand English. I'll repeat what I said. I'm not helping you."

Slowly, very slowly, he dropped back down until he was on one knee again. He regarded her with a curious look. "Refuse again, and I'm going to torture you. Do you know what torture is, Sara? I can tell by your eyes that you don't. Oh, you know the meaning of the word, sure, but you've never fully grasped it. That's because you've never experienced it. I know all about torture, Sara. I can make you grasp it. I can make you fully appreciate the word.

"First, I'll gouge out your eyes with my fingers. The task is difficult and messy enough with a surgical knife, so I expect using my bare hands will be a considerably more trying ordeal for both of us. After you've gone blind, and find yourself alone in a world of darkness devoid of light and hope, I'm going to hang you up by your wrists and light a fire underneath your feet. It takes much longer to die if we start there. Have you ever seen what happens to the human body as it burns, Sara? I think it's what happens to the skin that is most intriguing. It doesn't burn easily, but when the fire does catch on, it starts to melt and bubble up in response to the heat. The bubbles let off a smell similar to charcoal, and then they begin exploding when the concentrated heat bursts through. That's when people _really_ start to scream; right when the bubbles of skin begin bursting apart."

Horrified, Sara found herself swallowing even though her throat had gone dry. She lifted her chin defiantly at the monster before her. Somehow, she knew that this would be her last act of bravery. Soon, she was going to be screaming. "Fuck. You."

The Shadow blinked. Though he said nothing, she saw in his expression that he appeared to be taken by dark thoughts. After a long, quiet moment, he slowly rose to his feet.

"Tristan!"

Sara frowned in confusion at both his abrupt change in demeanor and the name he had just called. She didn't have it in her to look at the beast hovering above her any longer, so she kept her eyes forward. Behind the chair where the Shadow had been sitting was a small stairwell leading down, and it was from there that she heard footsteps walking quickly up the stairs. A face appeared, and Sara's eyes widened as she saw who it was.

"You?"

Stepping inside, Tristan scratched his head in embarrassment as he looked at her. His cursor was now green. "Yes, it's me. I never thanked you for standing up for me in front of that awful red eyed fellow with the skull mask. Thank you very much, Sara."

She wished her hands weren't bound so she could leap past the Shadow and strangle the awkward looking man. "You're a liar. You were never part of The Cutthroats."

He smiled apologetically. "No, I wasn't. Sorry about that."

"You made it all up."

He nodded. "Well, _I_ didn't make it up, but yes, I said it and I was lying. We had to get you away from the Laughing Coffin camp somehow." He looked away from her hateful glare. "Israel, I just checked some of the latest papers published by Aincrad Today. They're starting to use another name for you alongside the Shadow of-"

"Tristan, I need you to watch her for me." The Shadow said abruptly, cutting him off.

Tristan faltered. "What?"

The Shadow turned smoothly, his black cloak billowing out around him as he made for the stairs. "Don't worry, she's bound and unarmed. Just do me a favor and watch her until I get back. I won't be long."

Tristan stepped out of the way as the Shadow reached the stairs and began his descent, disappearing from view.

"Where are you going?" Tristan asked down the stairs.

"Just watch her." Came the reply.

Sara heard more footfalls down staircases, and then the sound of a door grinding open and closed. There was silence.

Tristan glanced her way, and Sara met his look with a threatening scowl. Looking down at his feet, the man took up a position in front of the stairwell and stood straighter, as if he were a guard on duty.

"Is there, um…" He paused, not looking at her. "Is there anything I can get you? Water or something?"

She ignored him and leaned back against the bark wall. She felt her shoulder dip inwards and turned in confusion, only to see the hole the Shadow had made with his armored fist. She couldn't imagine how he had obtained such strength.

Tristan's eyes focused on something above her, but he cleared his throat and said, "You should really just do as Israel asks. It'll be easier for you."

She didn't bother looking at him as she scoffed. "I'd rather die."

His jaw worked as if he wanted to say more, but instead he stiffened and said nothing.

After a while, Sara's mind began to drift. She thought of PoH. To say that he would be livid when he discovered what had happened would be an understatement. She uttered a silent prayer that he wouldn't take his anger out on the men ordered to escort her. They had done their best. Even Xaxa had placed his life on the line by forcing her behind him and taking on the swarms of Rock Golems the Shadow had lured over them. In his case, though, she knew it was only because PoH had threatened to flay him alive. Her hate for the man was mutual, and the only time he didn't openly voice his disdain for her was when PoH was near. She thought about what Xaxa had told her, just before the attack.

 _You really think you just know it all, don't you? One day though, you'll discover just how little you really know._

Frowning as she pondered the words, Sara tried to tell herself that most likely, he had been simply trying to spite her. There was nothing Red Eyed Xaxa wouldn't say if he believed it would hurt his enemies. Yes, she assured herself, he had been simply trying to unnerve her. Yet something still felt off about it. Her explanation to herself just wasn't conclusive. She remembered the way he had said the words, his tone. He had fully meant it. It just didn't make sense.

After awhile, she gave up trying to figure out what exactly Xaxa had meant, and her mind drifted to other things. She thought of the Anti-Teleport Potion, what it could be used for, how PoH would find some creative way to apply it, as he always did. She thought of his obsession for her, his passion so fierce that even when he made love to her, his body trembled. She wondered why she simply didn't feel that same spark.

She thought of Braklin. The man's hatred for her had revealed itself when they had walked by each other that morning. In his glare, she saw that he wanted her dead, among other things. Perhaps she should have dealt with him before leaving. The fact remained, however, that he would not dare harm any other woman after what PoH had told him. He was a capable fighter, an asset to the cause. Petty emotions had to be set aside in view of the greater good. Suddenly, she thought of her son.

Her eyes welled up as the image of Jeffrey's smile flashed through her. She swallowed past the lump in her throat, forcing him from her thoughts. Though she was becoming more skilled at burying thoughts of her Jeffrey with each passing day, she couldn't shake the crushing loneliness she felt on the rare occasion the thought of him did break through to the surface. In an effort to fully remove him from her mind, she looked around and scanned the room. Without the Shadow's presence, she was able to focus better on her new prison.

Though it was dark, there was enough light provided by small, flickering lamps placed in glass sconces to illuminate the strange room. She saw three conjoined windows on either side of the bark walls, large enough to squeeze through if she tried, but she remembered hearing the number of stairs the Shadow and Tristan had had to use. She was probably far too high to make any kind of a jump. A bed was positioned in the corner of the room, and by the way it was angled, must have been pushed there to make space in the center of the room.

Bookshelves lined the walls, filled with ancient looking, leather bound volumes. Though she couldn't make out any of the words in the dark, she could see the gold engravings on many of the spines. She had seen similar books before. In fact, PoH had his own collection. They were usually filled with useless lore, but he believed they might contain hints or expose secrets within the game and was more than happy to spend countless hours poring over pointless, fictional stories in his pursuit of useful information. PoH was nothing if not patient. It seemed the Shadow of Death was patient as well.

Sara's head throbbed painfully, and she realized that she had forgotten about the pain during her talk with the Shadow only to have it return now that there was nothing to occupy her thoughts. Raising her bound hands, she subconsciously felt the back of her head as she winced.

She saw Tristan glance down at her and then open his menu. A bar of chocolate materialized in his hand, and he walked over to her.

Extending an arm, he offered the bar. "Chocolate is really good at getting rid of headaches. Here. This'll help."

She hesitated, then figured that it couldn't hurt. Gingerly seizing the bar, she broke off a piece and popped it in her mouth. By the taste, she could tell it was dark chocolate.

"Thank you..." She said after breaking off another piece. She handed the rest back to him.

He waved a hand and shuffled back to his post, looking pleased that he had helped her. "Go ahead, you can take the rest."

She eyed him for a moment as she chewed. The throbbing began to lessen. Tristan was responsible for her capture, but he seemed a sincere, kind hearted man. It didn't make sense for him to be in league with the Shadow.

"What are you doing obeying the commands of the Shadow of Death?" She asked. "Are you his prisoner too?"

Tristan blinked in surprise. "No, I'm not a prisoner. Israel is my friend."

She squinted at him. "A friend who orders you about? And makes you walk into the midst of Laughing Coffin alone? Xaxa almost killed you."

He smiled at her. "But you stopped him. Thank you again for that. I could tell right off that you were...different."

She didn't veer off the subject. "Tristan, I can tell that you're different as well. You're not like him. Why are you helping that monster?"

He puzzled at her, pushing some of his long black hair back behind his ear. "Israel is no monster. Some may see it that way, and maybe he does too, but he's not." He gestured at her. "Anyway, you're not exactly one to talk. You're Laughing Coffin. Most everyone in Aincrad would call you a monster right alongside him."

Sara frowned. "What does my guild have to do with…"

She trailed off as she realized: Tristan was probably in Justice as well, or at least working for them as a vassal. Still, it made no sense. Why would someone like him be with those killers? By all rights, someone like him should've joined Laughing Coffin long ago.

Before she could ask another question, Sara heard the grating sound from before, of a door opening. After a moment, it ground to a halt. Footsteps pounded up the stairs. It was more than one person.

Tristan glanced down at the stairwell, concern lighting his feminine face. The footsteps came closer, and Sara began to hear crying. Tristan's eyes widened with shock, and he backed away from the stairs. An instant later, an orange player tumbled up the stairs and fell to his knees on the wooden floor in the center of the room. He was blindfolded, his hands bound behind his back. Behind him stumbled three more orange players, all tied up the same as he was. The Shadow of Death came last. A gleaming sword with bloodred edges and a black center was in his hand.

Without saying a word, the Shadow waited until the players were all on their knees and facing Sara. Walking up behind the one on her left, he lowered his armored fist and drew the man's blindfold away. Terror was etched onto the player's face as his wet eyes darted around the room in wild panic. He saw her, and blinked.

"Please...please! Help us!" He gasped.

Sara tried to give him a reassuring smile. "Calm down, it'll be al-"

With a silent swing, the Shadow brought his sword down on the man's head. Bone and brains exploded outward as the man's skull was cleaved in half.

Sara screamed. "You fucking animal! You sadistic monster!"

The Shadow ignored the explosion of pixelated particles as he removed the blindfold from the next man. "That man is dead because of your refusal to do as I say. The fate of these three is now in your hands. If you don't want them to die, I suggest you start working up a Paralysis Immunity potion for me. Now."

Still in shock as a few of the glassy shards that had once been a human being floated through the air around her, Sara was unable to reply.

The Shadow raised his sword. It's crimson edges seemed delighted at the prospect of destroying another person.

"Please, God!" The next man screamed in horror as he cowered on the ground before her. "I don't want to die!"

The sword began to come down.

"Stop!" Sara screamed.

"I said, now!" the Shadow roared in reply, his sword halting in mid swing.

She licked her lips. "I can't!"

His chilling cobalt eyes glared at her. "Wrong answer."

Sara threw out her arms. "No, no wait. You don't understand. I need the right ingredients, the right materials to make that potion."

"You think I'm a fool? You brought materials and ingredients in order to help the potion mixer of The Cutthroats."

"Only enough for a few days!" She explained in desperation as the men before her sobbed. "I don't have enough supplies to keep making whatever you may end up asking for!"

His sword was still frozen in the air as he looked at her, the flames dancing in his eyes. "We'll worry about that when we get there. You have enough in your inventory right now to make me potions for the next three days. I want an immunity potion. And I want it now."

"Alright!" She cried, opening her inventory. "I'll do it! Please, just let them go!"

He shook his head. "They go free after you make me my potion. Move."

"How do I know you won't just kill them after I make you the potion?"

"I'll kill them right now if you don't start moving."

With trembling fingers, Sara set to work. There was no alternative. She took out the pots, cauldron, vials, wooden ladles, and bowls of herbs, roots, flowers, and special aulms and quickly began breaking up the Foyer Roots with her hands.

The world seemed frozen in place throughout the night as she worked: Tristan stood in the corner of the room, watching with a mixture of horror and fascination. The Shadow stood over the crumpled forms of the three remaining orange players, his sword hovering in the air as he watched her. Sara had never before seen the players kneeling before her, and even their purple dyed armor meant nothing to her. They must have been from one of the lesser vassal guilds. As it was, she worked feverishly to save their lives.

The hours seemed to crawl by as she worked with reckless and unrestrained determination. Fearing that the Shadow would kill them just because she took too long, she redoubled her efforts. Her silver hair whipped around her face and clung to the sweat beading her forehead, but she didn't care. She was exhausted, and her head again began to throb, but she dared not slow. After a time, she moved in a blur, performing the steps and creating the potion without even being fully aware of exactly what she was doing.

Finally, just as the first rays of dawn began to seep in through the windows of the tree they were inside, Sara ran the open vial along the amber colored liquid in the cauldron before her and handed it to the Shadow with tired, trembling fingers. She was so drained she doubted she could stand just then if she had to.

He examined it for a long moment, then silently opened his menu. A corridor crystal appeared in his hands, and he activated it in the back of the room, setting its location to the outskirts of the Town of Beginnings on Floor One. Forcing the three players through the portal, he then closed it off. The corridor crystal shattered in his hands.

"Well done, Sara. You saved them." He said in a voice devoid of emotion. "From now on, I expect no more arguments. You'll do exactly as you're told. Refuse to obey again, and I'll bring more men here for you to watch as I kill them. Understand?"

Unable to muster the strength to speak, Sara merely nodded.

"You've earned yourself a few hours of sleep. Come on Tristan."

Both players descended the stairs, but Vivienne scarcely noticed; she was already on the ground. Sleep came immediately.


	73. Chapter 73

73

July 7th, 2023

Floor 38, Castellan Keep

Vivienne's silver and blue plate armor weighed her down and chafed at her skin where the joints shifted when she moved. She wanted nothing more than to rip it all off and fall into bed.

"Is my-" she caught herself, "-I mean, is your squad rested enough for another assignment, Meifan?"

The imposing tank offered her a small smile as he walked alongside her. His armor was even thicker than hers, to say nothing of the massive tower shield always on his back. She had no idea how the man managed to move under such weight.

"They'll always be your squad, Vivienne," He said sincerely. "And I'll always see you as my leader. Well, you and Jae both."

She dipped her head gratefully as they turned a corner. The light blue brick walls were in pristine condition, and the marble floors of the castle were so well polished that light from the chandeliers above reflected off them, making it appear as though the whole place shone with brilliance. Vivienne had never dreamed of such a place belonging to the Holy Dragon Alliance. And to think, Jae had made it all possible.

"How are the men getting on with their new quarters? Everyone unpacked? Is anyone unhappy about the new living conditions?"

Meifan stifled a laugh. "The living conditions? Vivienne, I feel like a king each time I enter my room. The men feel the same way. In answer to your question, though, they're more than ready to be off and get some work done."

She was thankful for the news. The men were always her first concern, and knowing that they were doing well lifted her spirits.

"I'm very happy to hear that. Now then, if you're up to the task, I'd like you to take the squad and conduct a proper analysis of the surrounding countryside."

Meifan squinted at her curiously. "Something troubling you, Viv?"

She shook her head. "Not yet. That's what we need to find out; if there's something we should be troubled about. Though the guild has finished moving into Castellan Keep, the area outside of the castle grounds is still largely unknown to us. We need to know if there are dangers about. When Jae and I first discovered the area, there was a trap along the road that nearly killed him not fifteen minutes from here."

Meifan stroked his mustache, his face set in a serious expression. That's what she liked about him; he always took things seriously and with well considered caution. He didn't like surprises. That had been part of the reason why she named him squad leader after her promotion to Officer.

"I understand." The tank said firmly. "I'll have the squad sweep the area and report back to you by the end of the night."

Vivienne shook her head. "Take your time with this, Meifan. We need to have full knowledge of what dwells in the woods around the castle. Take note of any dangerous mobs and spawn points you come across. If you run into a monster you haven't seen before, don't engage it. Just bring the name and description back with you and we'll fetch an info broker to fill us in. I would also like the forest mapped and charted. Terrain can be useful, but it can also be a detriment. We need to know what we can use and what areas can be fortified in emergency events."

Meifan tapped a knuckle on the shaft of the studded war mace at his belt. Lances were his primary weapon, but Vivienne had seen firsthand the man's skill with armor piercing items. It was a clever combination as well: as a tank, the lack of damage per second stats and abilities offset his offensive power. To counter this, he used his lance, which granted extended reach, or his mace, with it's armor piercing value. Either way, his choice of weapons more than made up for his base damage deficiency.

"You speak as if you're expecting an attack." He said, sidestepping two new recruits who hadn't yet dyed their armor to standard.

"Only a fool expects to live in peace." She shrugged. "I'm not saying a war is going to break out here, but it never hurts to be prepared, that's all. I'm sure Jae would've already thought about properly securing the perimeter, but you know how busy he is. We can't wait on him to do everything for us."

The man nodded, his massive plates of armor clanking. "I agree. I'll assemble the men and see to it at once. The mapping shouldn't take more than a day, but since it's already past noon, I'll have the charts sent to you tomorrow morning. The perimeter itself will be done before breakfast, I'll see to it."

She squeezed his armor plated shoulder. "Thank you, Meifan. You're the best squad leader an officer could ask for."

He looked suddenly triumphant. "Thank you Vivienne. I'll be sure to tell Aranal."

She frowned. "Aranal?"

"Oh yes. Aranal was chosen by Jae to lead his squad after he got promoted, same as you. Since then, that hulking goof and I have been having a bit of a bet going to see who is the better squad leader."

Vivienne chuckled in agreement. "Aranal is pretty light-hearted, and he thrives on gossip like a fish wife, but he's also smart and decisive- good traits for a leader. That's a hard bet."

He nodded seriously. "And one I intend to win. Lord knows I deserve some vengeance."

"Vengeance?"

"Oh, yes." Meifan rubbed his forearm. "Let's just say that arm wrestling him wasn't the best decision I've ever made. But in my defense, I had had a lot to drink that night."

Vivienne laughed softly. "Don't tell me Aranal had something to do with that as well?"

He rolled his shoulder subconsciously. "Well, I may have challenged him to a drinking contest. You have no idea how much that big ox can put down, Viv. I thought for sure he was cheating until I watched him down another sixteen pints."

After Meifan left to gather the men and see to his new task, Vivienne continued on. Her room was located in the corner tower of the castle, with an imposing view over much of the grounds beyond the outer wall that she quite enjoyed, but it was a walk getting there.

Upon reaching the Grand Hearth, the largest public chamber in the center of the castle, Vivienne stared in awe. Shaped like a rectangle, the Hearth alone was larger than the entire stone farmhouse the guild had lived in before. Massive marble pillars, laced with beautiful, multicolored veins running along the length of them, towered at least fifty feet into the air before reaching the great domed ceiling. On either side of the blue and white walls crackled over a dozen roaring fires trapped in built-in bronze hearths.

Elegant tables the size of trees ran from one end of the Hearth to the other, but didn't take up nearly enough space to fill the chamber. A smaller table, separated from the others, stood on a raised platform at the end of the hall. A silver and blue carpet, weaved with the finest threads and embroidered with beautiful patterns and designs, covered the empty center of the room and travelled all the way from the great steel doors leading into the chamber to the dais with the isolated table.

Windows spread between great rafter beams near the ceiling sent down rays of sunlight to further warm and envelop the great room. Fifty immense chandeliers hung by steel cables all along the ceiling. Though they were only lit at night, the complex structures of polished glass shone with such brilliance during the day that they appeared to be on fire. But it was what stood framed on the back wall above the dais that had really caught Vivienne's attention when she first entered the Grand Hearth.

A truly enormous window, cut into the shape of a perfect circle and standing at nearly fifteen feet tall by fifteen feet wide at its center, dominated the room. Made of stained glass, the various colors seemed to twist and twirl, coalescing into and repelling each other as yellow met green, blue struck against red, and orange merged into purple. The light shining in through the swarm of tints took on their shades as it sailed through the air, covering most of the ground in a warm, dense beam of ever shifting color schemes. The swirling design of the glass made the air itself seem almost alive as the colorations of light burst through and coated the hall. It was a masterpiece of light and color.

Until the day she and Jae had discovered the castle, Vivienne had never before beheld the wonder that was stained glass windows. They had become one of her favorite things almost on the spot. Even now, after having already seen the design dozens of times since the guild had moved in, she still found herself speechless at the sight.

Finally exiting the Grand Hearth through one of its side doors, Vivienne continued down elegant, polished halls of stone and seamless veined marble. Castellan Keep was vast, and even after thoroughly exploring the place and living there for weeks now, she still had to take care not to get lost among the maze of turns, stairwells, extended halls, and platforms leading to the outer ramparts of the Keep proper.

When she at last made it to her room, Vivienne closed the door behind her and had just begun to turn when she felt broad, warm shoulders push up against her own. Strong arms wrapped themselves around her.

"It's just me." Jae whispered into her ear, but she had already known. Her heart began to race as heady emotions filled her. Her ear tingled from where his warm breath had brushed against it. All weariness she had felt was suddenly blown away. He kissed her cheek, and she found herself unable to stop her smiling.

"And just what do you think you're doing in my room?" She asked in a playful tone.

He kissed her neck, and the spot where his lips had just been felt like fire. She had to force herself to slow her breathing. Though part of her wanted to stay still so he could keep kissing her neck, she turned and wrapped her arms around his shoulders.

He grinned playfully at her. She loved his boyish grins. "What does it look like? I was waiting for you."

She leaned in for a kiss at the same moment he did, and their lips met with shared enthusiasm. It felt like it had been ages since she had gotten a chance to kiss him. His lips always tasted good.

Jae pulled back. "I can leave if you-"

She drew his head close for another kiss, her lips parting slightly. Though he remained reserved for a moment, she knew he felt her tongue when she ran the tip of it demurely across his teeth. Responding to the invitation, his lips parted as well and she felt his tongue against her own. Rapidly losing control of her senses, Vivienne felt a soft moan escape her throat before she could stop it.

He pressed himself against her, but not too much to suggest he would try anything. She loved that about him; he was always so gentle and self-restrained, never pushy or dominating.

After a long moment, and with a great deal of struggle, Vivienne pushed away for a breath.

"I missed you."

He smiled at her. "I missed you too. It's driving me crazy how little we get to see each other."

She sat back on the bed as the uncomfortable weight of her armor came back to her. "And how little time we get alone."

He sat down on the bed with her and gently began undoing her shoulder armor. "You look tired."

She grunted in answer as her boot came off. She set it aside on the floor and began untying the next one.

"How was your day?" He asked.

"Busy." She yanked off the other boot. "I finished up the questline in the Hedwin Plains with two of the squads. Also, I've just sent Meifan off with his squad to properly assess the boundaries."

"The boundaries?"

Jae undid one of the final straps and removed her heavy shoulder armor. She breathed a sigh of relief as the weight was lifted. "The perimeter beyond the grounds of the castle. The woods and mountainous terrain between here and Waterrun."

"Ah."

"It's important that we have a proper understanding of the environment we now find ourselves living in." She explained. We need to get the place mapped out and detailed so we can be wary of traps or mobs."

Jae leaned forward and kissed her neck again. Goosebumps threatened to prickle her flesh as a variety of sensations coursed through her. "Smart idea. How do you come up with such great ideas?"

Her smile widened. "Picked it up from a handsome man I know."

"Sounds like a wise fellow."

She scoffed. "When he doesn't think to highly of himself, sure."

He chuckled, his fingers unfastening more straps. When he wrenched off the back of the chestplate, Vivienne rolled her shoulders in relief. She was still wearing a padded shirt and pants underneath the armor, but they were weightless by comparison.

She brushed her hair forward over a shoulder. "So, do you want to come with me for dinner? I'm starving."

Jae sighed. "I can't. I'm leading two squads down to the Labyrinth in a few minutes to relieve Avari and her men."

She frowned. "Wasn't her shift supposed to be over hours ago?"

"I think so, but when I messaged her about moving some of our storage to a different sector of the Keep, she never answered."

Vivienne nodded her understanding. Players within the guild always answered each other's messages promptly, even when it was between enemies. The only time guild members didn't answer was when they were in the Labyrinth: it was too risky to open a menu and get distracted typing when there could be traps and mobs lurking around the next corner.

She glanced over her shoulder at him. "She won't be pleased about someone forgetting to replace her and her men."

He flashed a knowing look. "You're right about that. I don't particularly relish the looks she'll give me, or the yells, but her men need replacing before they get too exhausted. It's not fair to keep people past their shift. After I replace her, I'll send for whoever was supposed to replace her earlier. If an Officer slipped up, there will have to be repercussions."

"I agree." She blinked sadly at him. "A few minutes, you said?"

"And most of that is probably already up. I told Aranal to be quick about getting the men together, but I just had to see you while I had time. I'm tired of us not getting enough time together."

Vivienne smiled grimly. "I know we should be getting used to it by now, but I feel the same way."

He leaned forward again and before she knew it, they were kissing each other passionately. After a moment, Vivienne fell back gently onto the bed. Jae hesitated, but she gripped his shirt and pulled him on top of her. She ached for him to be close to her, ached to hold him and kiss him. Her feelings for the man lying atop her seemed to grow exponentially with each passing day. She simply couldn't get enough of him. He was kind, sweet, brave, clever, and cared for her deeply. She could see his own feelings for her in his soft green eyes every time she looked at him, and it made her heart flutter knowing he felt the same way.

Another moan escaped her lips when his tongue interlaced with hers, and then Jae drew back to begin kissing her neck again. Now though, he deliberately trailed the wet, warm kisses down her throat. Once her twice, he would stop to suck on her skin, leaving her dizzy and lightheaded. She wanted him.

The realization washed over her. She wanted him. She wanted him so badly it hurt. Beneath him now, feeling his strong, muscular body pressed against her while also experiencing the tantalizing sensations brought on by his wet kisses down her neck, Vivienne's need for him began to spiral. She could feel her legs begin to spread around his sides almost of their own accord.

Knowing full well what she was doing, Jae looked up from kissing her neck. She could see his own hunger, his own need for her reflected there in his light green eyes. That knowledge seemed to spur them both on.

She ran a hand down along his broad chest, feeling the soft hills and valleys of his muscles. She could feel that Jae wasn't a poster boy by any means. He didn't have a six pack or perfectly lean and pronounced pectorals. His muscles were powerful and unmistakable beneath his skin and thin layers of fat, but were more in keeping with the rest of his frame, more subtle, rather than the model standards of the real world. Jae had the body of a man. The knowledge made her knees weak.

Removing her chestplate, Jae lifted up her shirt. His eyes were on her the whole time, waiting for her to say when they had gone too far, but she had no intention of protesting. Raising her arms, she helped him get the shirt off. She still had a bra on, but at that moment she wished it wasn't there.

Gently bearing down on her, Jae began kissing and sucking on the areas of her chest not covered by the bra, his tongue and teeth sending shudders through her. Struggling to focus, Vivienne brought her hand down the length of his chest again, then down his stomach, until at last she gripped what she had wanted to find. Jae tensed, gasping as his fingers took hold of the bra in order to rip it away.

Then there was a knock at the door.

Jumping off of her, Jae swallowed as he straightened and stood. Quickly retrieving her shirt and throwing it on, Vivienne swept her legs over the side of the bed and sat up. Her head still swam with lust and desire, and she had to take several breaths before she was able to speak. Just as she opened her mouth to ask who was there, Jon Bright's voice came through the door.

"Hey, Vivienne, is Jae in there?"

"I'm here." Jae said, making for the door. He opened it, but not before looking back to make sure she was decent. "What's up Jon?"

Looking past Jae, Vivienne saw Jon, David, and Aranal all filling the doorway. Each of them was armed and battle ready.

"We came to get you." Aranal explained as he peered in to see her. A suspicious smile spread across his features. "What have you two been up to?"

Vivienne scowled at him. "If you came to get him, why didn't you check his room?"

The big man raised his arms helplessly. "We did, but he wasn't there."

"So we figured he'd have to be in here." David said with a wink.

Jon Bright made a show of taking several steps back. "We can give you a few more minutes of privacy if you want, you two."

Jae glanced to Vivienne again, and she could see on his face that he was seriously considering it. So was she.

At last, he sighed and shook his head. "No, Avari's squads need their break. Their shift has been over for some time. Let's get going."

The men dispersed into the hall, and Jae turned one last time as he exited the doorway.

"When I come back, we have some unfinished business to take care of."

She grinned at him. "Agreed."

And then he was gone.

Laying back on her bed, Vivienne's cheeks began to hurt from all her smiling. But she couldn't help it.

…

"Jae!"

Pausing just shy of the great steel doors leading outside of Castellan Keep, Jae turned to the sound of Lind's voice. Now in front of him, roughly thirty men of the HDA parted to allow him access to the approaching guild leader. Murmuring began to spread among some of them as the decadently clad commander reached them, his silver and blue robes trailing behind him. The robes were richly embroidered with a deeper shade of silver lining the trim and creating patterns along his sleeves, making him appear almost as important as royalty. Jae shot the men a glare that quieted them down. Only Aranal, David, and Jon Bright maintained their scowls.

"Lind, I didn't expect to see you here in the Grand Hearth."

The guild leader's long blue hair, usually tied back in a bun, trailed down the sides of his face. "Yes, well, as the commander of the Holy Dragon Alliance, it's my job to see to it that things aren't amiss, Jae."

"And is something amiss, then?"

Lind nodded. "You are. Why are you leading your squads, fully armed, outside of the castle? It's not your turn at the Labyrinth."

"No it's not, but Avari and her men haven't reported back yet. Their shift was supposed to be up two hours ago."

Lind looked puzzled at the news. "That is strange. Who is supposed to be switching with her?"

"That's what I'm on my way to find out."

The man arched an eyebrow. "And so you need two squads to conduct this enquiry?"

"Her and her men need rest. Whichever officer was supposed to relieve her obviously forgot, but until he and his men are sent to their proper post, there's no reason to continue forcing her squads to fight. It could endanger lives."

Lind's lip twitched as he thought it over, and then he gave a flick of his hand. "Alright, off you go then. Just see to it that Avari meets me in my chambers once you've relieved her, please. I have a quest line she needs to complete tomorrow."

Jae dipped his head. "I'll let her know."

"One last thing, Jae. I'd appreciate it if, in the future, you let me know before conducting new plans."

"I will, Commander."

After exiting the castle and its surrounding walls, Jon Bright stepped up beside him.

"Lind is a pompous fool."

"Jon."

"I mean it." the man grabbed his shoulder. "Why are we still doing what he says?"

Jae shot him a firm, deadly serious look. "We've had this discussion before. Lind is our Commander. Yes, he's made some pretty big mistakes. But that doesn't diminish his title. The past is the past. His popularity is on the decline, as is Avari's, but that doesn't mean you can insult them whenever you like, and it certainly doesn't mean you can whisper about him right in front of his face." He looked over the thirty men in front of him. "Understand?"

The men all nodded.

"Good. Now let's get this done."

…

"Avari?" Jae called out as he planted his spear back in it's latches at his back. Pixelated shards from the dead mob floated through the air. His armor clanked on the black stone. "Avari?"

"In here." A man called out, his voice echoing off the menacing walls.

Signalling for his men to fan out and follow, Jae followed the source of the voice until he saw the group huddled in front of a closed door at the end of the dark, eery hall. Avari, her bangs whisked back, pried at the lever beside it.

"What are you all doing here?" Jae asked as the HDA members parted before him. He stopped in front of Avari.

She didn't look up from what she was doing. "What do you want, Jae?"

He ignored her biting tone. "I've come to relieve you and your men. You've been at your shift for several hours past the required time. You should-"

"I'm staying here." She said coldly. With a grunt, she tried to muscle the lever into submission, but it wouldn't budge.

Jae eyed her. "What do you mean, 'you're staying here?'"

"Exactly what it sounds like. Are you thick?"

He tapped his fingers against the spear at his back. "Avari. Did the officer in charge of the next shift come to replace you?"

Avari nodded. "He did."

His anger heated, but Jae kept it in check as best he could. "And?"

She heaved at the lever again, then cursed under her breath with the effort. After a moment, she released her hold on it and drew a breath.

Jae was fast nearing the end of his patience. "And?"

She scowled at him. "And, I told him to finish up a quest somewhere. We have enough of those we need to get done."

Jae ground his teeth. "You refused to switch shifts, and you didn't tell him to let the guild know?"

"Sounds about right."

His anger flared. "So besides endangering the lives of your men by keeping them here without a stop for repairs or rest, what have you managed to accomplish?"

She rounded on him. "Don't talk to me as if I were a new recruit, 'hero.' I was Senior Officer before you joined this guild."

One of her men suddenly stepped forward. "She didn't make us stay with her. She told us we could go if we wanted to."

Jae frowned at the man. "Then why didn't you?"

The player gestured at her, and Jae saw that she was once again pulling on the lever. He understood. These men hadn't wanted to leave her all alone. They were worried about her. Besides seething with anger, Avari didn't seem to be paying much attention to anyone else as she drew her two handed greatsword and tried hacking apart the lever.

Jae glanced to her men. "Thank you for your commitment to our Senior Officer. My men and I are here now though, so you can go back and get some rest until your next shift."

The players nodded their thanks as they shuffled off back down the dark hall. Avari didn't seem to care, and instead began ramming her shoulder against the door angrily. Jae's men drew closer around him.

"What now?" Renar asked.

Jae shrugged. "I'm not sure. I guess if she doesn't want to leave, and if there's no officer to punish for this, than we can take her with us and just start our shift now."

Aranal gestured at their Senior Officer as she hacked at the lever again. "It doesn't look like she wants to leave this spot."

David, looking concerned, leaned in. "Do you think she's feeling alright?"

Jae glanced back at her. "She's acting much the same as she always does; angry and narrow minded."

David shook his head. "No, she's acting different. Why is she trying to get inside that door?"

"She probably wants to mark the room behind it on her map for later."

The young man looked at him with a serious expression. "I already checked the map; there's nothing behind that door. Not fog, not unknown areas. Just...nothing."

Jae frowned at the news. Straightening, he walked back over to Avari.

"Hey, I think-"

"Save it." She grunted as she pulled at the lever. "I don't care if you think I'm being stupid, or crazy. I have reason to believe that there's a hidden item behind this door, something that can help this guild. Despite what you or anyone else might think, that's something I still care about, so I'm not leaving until I get it. Now, you can help me, or you can leave me here. Just don't stand around gawking at me. Please."

The 'please' caught Jae by surprise. In that single word, he detected a hint of worry and concern. He saw then that, past the shroud of a scowl she always wore, Avari looked unsure.

Striding forward, he stooped down next to her and began heaving at the lever. The rust covered bar of iron didn't budge. He yanked it again like she was doing, but still nothing happened. Setting his jaw in determination, he put his all into the task, pulling and heaving until sweat beaded his brow.

"What exactly…" He pulled. "Is supposed to be...behind this door?"

She glanced partly over her shoulder. "A helmet...or something."

He frowned at her. "A helmet?"

Before she could answer, a sharp, loud sound groaned out beneath their feet, like a huge gear suddenly clicking into place somewhere far below.

Jae let go of the lever.

"Avari, what is-"

The door slammed open with a crash, and at the exact same moment, the floor beneath the two of them suddenly altered, dipping down until it was almost vertical. Unable to catch their feet, both of them tumbled down the floor that had now become practically a slide as it forced them through the dark doorway. Once inside, the ground disappeared altogether.

Falling freely through pitch black space, Jae thrashed wildly in an attempt to clutch at something and break his fall. He heard Avari cry out in surprise somewhere nearby.

"Jae!" Came Aranal's panicked yell from somewhere up above.

Glancing up, Jae was just in time to see the big man about to leap in face first when the light from the hall abruptly disappeared, cutting Aranal and the others off. The door had snapped shut.


	74. Chapter 74

74

July 7th, 2023

Floor 42, Labyrinth Sewers

Jae hit the water face first.

Gasping involuntarily as the freezing cold enveloped him, Jae struggled to stop swallowing it down and snapped his mouth shut. His eyes were open, but the water was so murky and discolored that he couldn't see anything around him. He was sinking at an alarming pace, so he forced his arms apart and began propelling as best he could through the filth. He felt the water churn near to his left and turned in alarm. His spear was still strapped to his back, and he knew that underwater his reflexes would be significantly slowed, but he reached for it anyway. For a fraction of a second, he saw a silver and blue armored leg as it kicked up and past him.

 _Avari._

Following the trail of bubbles and disturbed jets of water left in her wake, Jae looked up as he propelled himself higher. The filthy water was almost impossible to see through, but he began to catch more glimpses of silver and blue as he forced himself on. His head and lungs were beginning to throb from the lack of air, and his arms burned, but he pressed on without restraint, kicking his legs to increase his speed. He had just begun to fully make her out above him when she disappeared. In her place, he saw a dim light bouncing off the water. Making for the it, he kicked himself up with redoubled determination and suddenly broke the surface.

Gasping in air as his arms splashed the water all around him, Jae had to blink several times to get it out of his eyes. He felt a hand on his back, and he turned in alarm only to see Avari yanking him toward her. She was on her knees on a slime and rust covered ledge beside the water.

No longer resisting, Jae swam closer and seized the ledge with both hands. Once she saw that he had a firm grip, Avari let go and scooted back to give him space. Grunting with effort as he heaved himself up and over, Jae ignored the green colored slime that coated the stone floor and rolled over onto his back. He forced himself to slow his breathing and get his heart rate under control, but found that it was quite difficult between fits of coughing up water.

"Quiet!" Avari whispered in a hiss.

Jae gulped down another racking cough and sat up as quietly as he could. Keeping a hand on the floor to steady himself, he grasped his spear with the other and wrenched it unceremoniously from it's latches. The vast pool of murky water they had emerged from lapped silently along the ledge. The stone floor they were on led down from a dimly lit hall just ahead, it's stone walls covered with ancient vines and patches of moss.

Avari was knelt like a coiled snake as her eyes stared rigidily ahead at the hall. Jae strained his ears as he followed her gaze, but he detected nothing. After a moment, she relaxed.

"Ok, all clear."

"Where the hell are we?" Jae asked as the two of them rose to their feet.

Avari looked around. "I'm not sure, but it looks like a sewer to me. That would explain the slime, and the water."

Jae glanced down at the filthy pool before them with newfound disgust.

She took out a teleport crystal. "Teleport, Castellan Keep."

Nothing happened.

The Senior Officer's eyes widened in surprise. She shook her hand. "Teleport, Castellan Keep!"

Icy realization tingled up Jae's spine as he remembered the trap door on Floor One with Israel. There was no escape.

Still clutching his spear at his side, he glanced around for any stairs or ramps that might lead them back. There were none. The chamber they were in was mostly water, with only a few ledges identical to the one they were on, and all leading to the same hall. It was then that Jae saw the bones.

"Avari."

She glanced where he pointed, and the two of them stood in silence for a moment as they stared at the piles of floating skulls and bones bouncing gently atop the surface of the water. Examining the far walls of the chamber, Jae saw nooks in the stone packed with mounds of smiling skulls, their broken teeth and gaping eye holes sending a chill down his spine.

"Well, looks like there's only one way forward." Avari started down the ledge.

Jae caught her arm. "Tell me true, did you know what would happen when we pulled that lever?"

She peered dangerously at him. "Remove your hand."

Jae tightened his grip. "Did you?"

She pursed her lips. "No, I did not know what would happen. I expected a small treasure room or something. Is this your way of asking if I tried to get you killed? Do you really believe my intention was to trap you down here?"

He said nothing and released his hold on her. After a moment, he gestured up at the ceiling. It was far too high up and the room was too dark to see much of it. "We fell from up there. We have to go up."

Avari squinted at him. "And?"

"And, that hall leads down. Maybe we should search the rest of the chamber for some stairs or something."

Her lip curled into a mocking smile. "Too afraid to walk down a dark hall? Hero?"

Jae gritted his teeth. "Could you stop trying to pick fights with me and help for once? We need to get out of here."

"And the only way we're going to do that is by going down that hall. There's nowhere else to go."

Tired of talking, Avari swept her bangs up out of her eyes and drew her two handed greatsword. "Stay if you want. I'm finding a way out."

She strode forward purposefully, but not without caution. Her armor clanked on the stone floor as she entered the hall. Sighing angrily, Jae followed after her, his spear at the ready.

Falling in beside her, Jae remained silent and watchful as they marched ever onward down the narrow corridor. The moss and slime began to give way, exposing the weathered, cracked stone bricks on either side of them. Flickering candles wavered above, threatening to extinguish at the slightest disturbance and douse them in utter darkness. After a few minutes, he looked over his shoulder and saw that the entrance to the pool was gone. They were going down into the depths of the sewers.

Avari said nothing as they advanced, but it was clear by the look on her face that she wasn't pleased by the company. Jae felt the same way, but he was in no mood to further antagonize her and simply ignored her scowls. They needed to focus on getting out.

After a time, he thought he saw a slight difference in the endless stretch of hall far out ahead. By the squint in Avari's gaze, he knew she saw it too. They picked up the pace, their heavy footfalls sending echoes down the stone. They drew closer, and Jae saw that ahead of them was another chamber, or perhaps a room. In the doorway, he saw a pedestal with what looked to be a book covered in cobwebs.

"Carefully." He said in a coarse whisper as they advanced. "It might be a trap."

"Just don't touch anything." She whispered back.

They reached the doorway, and Avari was about to walk through when Jae pulled her back by a shoulder. She rounded on him with an angry, questioning look.

He gestured at the sides of the doorway. "There could be a wire or something. Crouch low."

She examined the entrance, then dipped her head in acknowledgement. "Once we're on the other side, get back to back."

He nodded his agreement, and the two of them ducked down low as they swept inside the room.

Straightening, Jae blinked in surprise as a skeleton charged at him, it's rusty sword raised high. With a twirl, he batted aside the incoming blow and then brought the spear down on the monster's pale skull. It exploded into dust.

He felt Avari's back hit his as she tensed. The clash of steel rang out behind him. Before he could turn to help, another skeleton emerged from the back of the dark room and charged him, brandishing a battle axe. Scraps of chainmail and plate armor covered the creature's chest and arms, so Jae adjusted his aim and lunged, embedding his spear into the hollow ribcage. Undeterred, the skeleton swung it's axe with wild abandon. Jae ducked, just managing to escape the attack. With a yell, he yanked the spear up, driving it through the monster's decaying bones and splitting it's upper body in two. It collapsed as it's bones deteriorated from the impact, and then exploded into pixelated shards.

To Jae's amazement, more skeletons began peeling themselves down from gaps in the walls, brandishing cudgels and swords as they targeted him. Taking a step forward to give himself the space he needed, Jae met their attack, swinging his spear to knock weapons aside while at the same time dealing out death blows left and right. Bones exploded first into dust, then shards as the undead creatures fell before his onslaught. More and more emerged from the gaps in the walls, and a few dropped down from high up near the ceiling only to explode apart as they hit the stone floor.

As Jae fought, he caught glances over at Avari who was fighting a pitched battle of her own. Using the weight and reach of her sword, the woman hacked apart the fragile mobs. She moved with deliberate care, only striking when she was sure of a kill and only blocking when she couldn't dodge or sidestep. Jae imagined that with such a heavy weapon as her greatsword, it was necessary to conserve as much as energy as possible.

He, on the other hand, was free to lay about him with swift, sweeping strokes and powerful cleaving blows that scythed through the ranks of the dead, caving in their skulls and chest cavities or shattering their ribs and limbs. When their number did force him onto the defensive, he quickly switched his grip of the spear and held it like a quarterstaff, deflecting half a dozen slashes and stabs with rapid movements as he hid behind it's length.

Though he was able to fend off most of the attack this way, a few blows came dangerously close to ending him. While knocking aside a heavy mace and two wickedly curved scimitars, a spiked flail swung past his guard and gored into his shoulder. Another time, while twirling the spear in an effort to halt several more overhead blows, a thin sword managed to zip past his defenses and stabbed into his hip bone. The exquisite pain brought tears to his eyes and slowed his movements as he cried out, but he forced himself to maintain his footing and quickly brought vengeance down on his attackers.

Finally, after a brutal, desperate struggle, the battle ended. Silence, broken only by the tired pants of both Jae and Avari, permeated the small square room.

After a moment, Avari opened her menu and held a health crystal above herself. "Heal."

He quickly did the same as he leaned on his spear. As he often did when he checked his health, Jae wished he had had a true staff during the fighting. Spears could be used in similar fashion, but they were substitutes at best and put him at a disadvantage. He was tired of being unable to unleash his full skill.

Avari looked around. "There are no doors."

Jae cast a brief glance around the walled off room. He noticed dozens of tombs and ancient looking coffins built into the black stone, all partly opened and accounting for the gaps in the wall he had seen. That was where the skeletons had emerged.

Jae looked back down the hall they had just come from. It sloped slowly upward, back to the watery chamber that he knew lay beyond. He walked up to the pedestal.

"Jae." Avari said sharply. "What are you doing?"

He looked down at the book. It's brown leather cover looked weathered and beaten. "This book is the only thing in the room. There's no way out. I think we need to open it."

Avari walked quickly up to the opposite side of the pedestal, her sword still in her hands.

"We already talked about this. That book is most likely a trap."

He glanced up at her. "Afraid, Senior Officer?"

She glowered at him. "You're an even bigger fool than I thought."

Jae gestured at the walls. "Look around. There's nothing else we can do. I think we're supposed to open this. When you found out about that legendary helm that you thought would be behind the door, did it mention anything about this?"

Avari laughed bitterly. "The NPC that told me about the helmet failed to mention the door was actually a trap that would imprison whoever opened it down in a fucking sewer with a single book. I'm in the dark here, same as you."

Jae returned his gaze to the worn cover. "Then there's nothing else we can do. We have no knowledge about this place. There's nowhere else to go. We have to open this book."

After a long moment, the woman sighed in resignation. "Alright, then. But be ready."

She took up a defensive stance beside him, her watchful gaze roaming the length of the walls around them. Jae gently gripped the leatherbound cover of the book, then pried it open.

Parts of the cover disintegrated into dust as it peeled open to expose the first page, but for the most part, it held. Swiping his hand over the first page to get rid of the layer of dirt and grime, Jae squinted his eyes as he read.

 _Kalaghan, Voice of the Assembly and Commander of the Eastern Armies_

 _15th of Breinar_

 _Today, the Captains of Arinhardt gathered before the Assembly and swore their allegiance to the Diadochi of the Nine. Under normal circumstances, such an occasion would have been followed by a month of celebrations and feasts, as the Assembly, and in fact all our people, have been praying for peace ever since the fall of Thermos. However, only dread filled the Assembly Hall when the Captains declared their condition in exchange for their surrender. They demanded that an end be put to Vixilus, Bane of Champions himself, arguing that it was our responsibility since the creature had been created from warping our most skilled warrior, General Vixil, with dark magic and sending him to plague their lands during the war. It was with much regret that we did such a thing, for the newly formed Vixilus became uncontrollable and now wreaked havoc among our own people as much as theirs. Yet for all that, defeating such a scourge seems impossible. There was much debating within the Hall when Stratos, Voice of the Sub-Assembly and Duke of the…_

Jae skimmed past the lofty titles and exposition until his eyes caught on another passage towards the bottom of the page.

 _...Following the directions given to us by the Captains, and reassured by the presence of our loyal and valiant men, Stratos and I descended into the bowels of the maze by way of the sewers, knowing full well that once we were within his home, there was no way out but over the corpse of the Bane of Champions himself…_

Jae looked up from the book and blinked. "Fantastic."

Avari leaned in, glancing from him to the book. "What is it? What did it say?"

He looked at her. "The book says that there's only one way out of the sewers, and that's 'over the corpse of the Bane of Champions.''

She paused. "Sounds like a hidden Boss."

Jae nodded. "From what I gather, this sewer is his lair."

"There's probably some sort of gateway or portal that activates once he's dead." She focused her gaze on the walls again. "Does it say how we can find him?"

Jae leaned in and gently flipped the page. He scanned the words, skipping paragraphs whenever he could see that they contained more lore than actual help. Finally, after going through several more hastily scrawled pages, he came upon a passage that looked promising at the beginning of a new date.

 _54th Breinar_

 _At last, after weeks of helpless wandering among the shores of the cesspool and losing men during the night to the horrible creature beneath the waves-_ Jae shuddered, knowing he had been in that water- _Stratos discovered the Shifting Hall. Following it, we and our men came upon a small room filled with tombs that contained the living dead- minions of the Bane of Champions. Good men were lost, and it appeared as though it was all for naught until I uncovered the truth behind the stone. Using my magic, I was able to pass unhindered into the mazes beyond. Stratos followed behind, but it was then we discovered that our men, helpless without any powers of their own, could not pass through. For days, Stratos and I feared that we would have to leave them in order to continue our quest, but at long last Captain Ralic came upon the key within one of the tombs, that would open the eyes of those without magic._

Jae straightened and looked to the walls. All along the bricks were gaps where coffins and tombs had been built within. Higher along the walls, the somber graves became more sparse, but he could see a few as high as twenty feet. Many of the bricks were loose and unsteady, and the wall was completely vertical. Such a climb would not be pleasant. He hoped it wasn't in one of those near the top.

"Start searching the tombs on your side of the room," he said as he approached the grave nearest him on his side of the wall. The side of it jutted out from the bricks, and it didn't take much to force it the rest of the way out. "Open them all and check inside."

"Why?"

He pried open the coffin. When he saw that there was nothing inside, he moved on. "Because the book says that there's a key inside one of these tombs."

He felt her frown at his back. "A key? But there's no doors."

"It's going to open up the walls or something. Just look, please."

He heard her mutter under her breath at him giving her an order, but she moved on to her side of the wall and began opening the coffins. After he had searched all the tombs on the floor level, Jae checked the ones that were higher up but still within arms reach. For a time there was no sound except their grunts of effort as the two of them heaved out coffins and checked inside. It became a monotonous, time consuming task that only grew more difficult the higher up Jae had to go.

Standing on one of the coffins he had pulled out, Jae began tugging at another just above eye level when he found that it's cover was already gone. Running his hands along the inside, Jae felt something thick and blocky that required both hands to properly grab. He pulled the object out and saw then that it was a small pyramid of stone. Turning it around in his hands, he saw a marking.

 _Walls of stone are walls of fear_

Frowning at the strange phrase, Jae nonetheless kept a tight hold on the pyramid and clambered down off the tomb. He looked up and saw Avari clinging to the rock wall at least ten feet in the air. He had no idea how she had managed the climb.

"I think I found it." He said up to her.

She cast a look over her shoulder, her bangs whipping around her forehead.

"I thought you said we were looking for a key?"

He shrugged. "I could be wrong, but I think this is the key."

Sliding the coffin she had been searching back into the wall, Valiri gracefully stepped down onto several loose slabs of brick as she began her descent. When she was low enough, she let go and landed on her feet.

"Well, if that's the key, how do we use it?"

Jae turned the slab of stone over in his hands, then set it down on the pedestal. "Maybe it says more in the…"

His words trailed off as the pyramid began to vibrate. A low hum reverberated through the air. Jae took a step back as the pyramid began to shake so violently that he thought it might topple over the edge and fall to the floor. Loose bricks fell out of the walls all around them. Areas of black stone shimmered, and then suddenly disappeared, revealing six narrow corridors. Jae could see that, within each corridor, other doorways and halls branched off, leaving hundreds of possible routes. He was beginning to understand why Kalaghan referred to the place as a maze.

Avari blinked as the air stilled and the hum died away. "Which way do we go?"

Jae straightened the tipped over pyramid and peered down at the book.

 _Using our powers to sense the way ahead, Stratos and I led our soldiers down the southern hall. From there, we began to see just how complex the maze really was, and I was thankful for my magic._

Jae looked south and saw the single corridor standing by itself in the back of the room. He pointed. "That's where we want to go."

"Alright then." she paused and gestured at the book. "I suspect we're going to need that."

"I thought so as well." Jae swept it up under an arm and, with his free hand, placed the key within his inventory.

"We might need this again as well." He said in answer to her look.

Together, the two of them strode forward into the corridor, or as Kalaghan had called it, the Southern Hall.

Using the book as their guide, Jae read off the directions Kalaghan and his friends had supposedly travelled within the maze of twisting halls and tall chambers. Small rooms, dead ends mostly, were tucked away behind many of the doors and contained little of value. Avoiding the larger chambers as well when they could help it, in case of traps, Jae and Vivienne moved quickly through the endless halls. They turned left, then right, then left again, only to discover more branches of the same corridors and yet more doors. Occasionally they would stumble across packs of skeleton warriors, but they had little trouble cutting them down in the narrow confines.

"This way." Jae said, pivoting down another turn as he looked up from the book.

She clicked her tongue irritably behind him. "You sure do enjoy pretending like you're in charge, don't you?"

"What?"

"You know what. You'd do anything to boss me around, to boss everyone around. I bet you're having the time of your life telling me where to go."

Jae stopped and spun around to face her. He was beyond tired of her. "I have to be honest with you, Avari. I'm getting really sick of your stupidity."

She looked ready to cut him in half. "Who the-"

"You know what?" He shoved the book at her, forcing her back a step. "You don't want me telling you what to do? Fine. You read it. I don't fucking care. Unlike you, I'm not a close minded, paranoid bitch who only ever thinks that my way is the only way. Take it."

Snatching the book from his hands, she opened her mouth to say something, then seemed to think better of it and marched passed him instead. He was surprised she hadn't started screaming at him.

Following after her as she turned a corner, Jae froze when he heard the dart. Before he could so much as blink, Avari went down in front of him, twitching slightly in an effort to move. He knew immediately.

She was paralyzed.


	75. Chapter 75

75

July 7th, 2023

Floor 42, Labyrinth Sewers

"Get out, Jae!" Avari whispered fiercely, still twitching on the ground as she attempted to move. "Run! That's an order!"

Jumping back a step into the side hall they had just emerged from, Jae pressed his back to the brick wall. He could see Avari's crumpled form as she lay helpless in the corridor, but he couldn't see the paralysis dart. If he knew where it had struck, he'd know which end of the hall the enemy was. There was no doubt in his mind who it would be. Orange players used paralysis darts. Player killers.

Leaning forward cautiously, he peered down the hall in the direction Avari had been moving. Half melted candles stood fixed on iron sconces at even intervals throughout the long passageway, sending droplets of hot wax dripping down to join the small, half dried puddles on the floor. By the light of the wavering candles, Jae could see shadows drifting along the floor and walls, but these looked to be cast by the flickering lights rather than by any threat. Still, it was impossible to be sure.

Ducking his head back behind the corner when he feared he might be noticed, Jae took a breath as sweat beaded his brow. He felt pinned down, unable to move lest he suffer the same fate as Avari. If both of them went down, they would be as good as dead.

"Jae!" Avari hissed, her unblinking eyes trained on the corner he was hiding in. Her face was frozen still like the rest of her, and Jae saw her eyes water from the prolonged exposure. Her eyelids stood still as stone. "Leave me here! I'm dead anyway. Just go!"

He held his spear in front of him with both hands, his eyes blinking away sweat as he craned his head to get a view of the other end of the hall. He saw a small doorway not ten feet down the corridor, with a wooden door bolted into place. It was bolted from the outside, which meant no one would be hiding within.

"Where were you hit?" He asked in a whisper as his eyes studied the shadows down the hall.

"I don't know. I went down before I knew what happened. Jae, it was a paralysis dart. That means-"

"I know what it means!" He ducked his head back behind the cover of the corner and took another breath as he tried to think of what to do. If he ran out into the hall, he would be shot- and he didn't even know which end of the hall that shot would come from. It was possible he could get them to the door, but Avari's deadweight would slow him and make the short dash even more perilous.

"Laughing Coffin doesn't take prisoners." Avari's voice came in slow pants. It was obvious she was having difficulty speaking past the paralysis. Her watery eyes were still locked on him, unable to look at anything else. "I'm dead, but you can live. Don't be an idiot for once. That's a direct order from your Senior Officer."

"I'm not leaving you here."

She sighed through her gritted teeth. "Then we're both dead."

His mind made up, Jae latched his spear onto his back and bent his knees. He took one last breath to power his limbs, and then darted into action. Charging into the hall, he immediately dipped his shoulder and dropped to the ground. No sooner had he begun his roll did he hear the whizz of a dart shooting overhead. Without slowing, he completed the roll and sprang up on his knees before Avari's body.

Balancing on the balls of his feet in preparation for his next movement, Jae heaved Avari up and over his shoulder with both arms. She was thin and light, but her armor contributed to her deadweight and made him grunt with effort as he shot to his feet. The world seemed to slow as he made for the door in three sprinting steps. He felt his heart beat once as he made the first step. Another beat, and he had completed the second stride. His right foot reached the door just before the third heartbeat, and he threw his shoulder against the wooden entrance. It groaned, but didn't break.

With a cry, Jae threw himself with maddening rage at the door that dared stand before him. He heard another dart zipping through the air, and then his shoulder smashed through, pitching him into the room at breakneck speed. Unable to keep hold of Avari as he fell, Jae saw her body tumble through the air before landing hard on the stone floor and then careening into a roll. Falling into the room just behind her, Jae winced as he smashed into a sturdy wooden table, shattering it inwards as splintered planks fell atop him. A sharp piece of wood impaled his left hand as it came down. His head spun, but Jae knew they weren't out of danger yet and he still needed to move.

Roaring with effort as he swept the broken boards off of him and leaped to his feet, Jae bit his lip when the long shard of wood snapped, leaving only a small piece buried inside his hand. Fuelled by adrenaline, he ignored the pain and yanked his spear off it's latches, twirling it into his good hand as he took up a defensive position beside the door. If the orange players chased after them, he would drive his spear into the throat of whoever entered first. He had never killed another human being and didn't want today to be his first time, but this was a matter of self defense. He would do what he had to to preserve his and Avari's life.

As the seconds ticked by, Jae saw a glow coming from his injured left hand. Glancing down for a brief second, he saw the splinter of wood shatter into tiny pixelated shards. That brought some relief, but his hand still throbbed. He knew that if it came down to a fight, he would have to rely solely on his right arm. He was thankful, at least, that it wasn't his good arm that was injured.

Jae heard Avari grunt and saw that she had stopped rolling and was now facing the back wall of the small square room they were in, wriggling to somehow turn to both him and the door.

"Avari," he whispered. "Be still."

She tensed at the sound of his voice, but quickly obeyed and stopped her struggling. By the way her body was angled, with her limbs splayed awkwardly around her and completely still as she was, Avari looked like a corpse. If the orange players got through the door, she would be.

Jae knew that as long as he held the narrow entrance, they had a chance. The orange players were known to attack in groups, or wolf packs as some said Laughing Coffin called them, and he would be fighting alone, but in the narrow entryway of the broken door, only one would be able to attack him at a time, maybe two if they managed to squeeze in a few feet.

Jae recalled what Israel had once told him: that fighting real people was more difficult and dangerous than fighting mobs due to the unpredictable nature of human beings. He hastily searched his memories of fighting with Israel in the real world. The two of them had sparred and honed their skills constantly, and out there, there were no mobs. Jae let the countless hours of lessons learned flood back into his mind, and hoped the knowledge would be enough.

After a time, when Jae's breathing had slowed and there was still no sight or sound of anyone outside in the hall, he began to wonder if, perhaps, there were no orange players at all. Avari had been hit with a paralysis dart, and he had been shot at several times as well, but it didn't make sense for no attack to follow after the quarry had been cornered. Of course, he reminded himself, it was also possible that the player killers were simply waiting in the shadows where they were safe, patiently biding their time until their prey grew restless and tried to get out of the room. There was no way to know for sure. Unless…

Peeling himself from the wall beside the door frame, Jae quietly strode over to Avari and laid down his spear.

Sliding his arms underneath her, he hoisted her up and carried her as quickly as he could to the far corner of the room, away from the broken door.

"What are you doing?" She asked in a suspicious whisper.

He set her down gently on the stone. "Keeping you hidden until I get back."

"Get back?"

Jae nodded. "I'm going out there to find out what shot those darts."

Avari scowled at him as best as she could through her frozen face. "Don't be absurd. They're probably waiting for us to do just that. If you go out there, they'll shoot you as easily as they did me."

"If it was Laughing Coffin that shot those darts, why haven't they attacked the room? They would already have seen that their darts paralyzed you. That leaves only me, and that last dart was really close when I broke down the door. As far off down the hall as they would have to be for us not to see them, they might very reasonably suspect that I was hit by paralysis at the last second as well. Why then would they not attack?"

She paused. "Are you saying that something else shot that dart at me? And the others?"

"That's what I need to find out. We can't just sit here. Skeleton mobs could start spawning any minute. You're helpless right now. I can't fight and watch you at the same time. If there are orange players in that hall outside, we have to deal with them quickly. It's possible that they didn't attack because there are only a few of them. The longer I do nothing, the more time I'm giving them to call for backup."

He stood up and looked around for something to use. The table by the door was crushed thanks to his fall, but there was another running parallel to it that remained intact. Brushing off the various cups, tins, and bowls on top of it, Jae picked up the table and brought it over to Avari.

She looked furious as she realized what he was doing. "You're going to cover me with a table?"

He nodded. "I have to hide you while I'm out there. If something comes in here, a mob, a human, anything, just stay quiet. If it finds you, yell for me as loud as you can, and I'll race back."

"Jae, you can't just…"

He lowered the table onto her, angling it so that it covered her whole body and didn't show any parts of her through the gaps. Satisfied, he turned and retrieved his spear.

Reaching the doorway, Jae took out the pyramid shaped key and threw it out into the hall. It sailed briefly through the air before hitting the stone wall opposite the door and cluttering to the ground. Jae heard another zip, and then saw a flash of steel as a dart flew past, directly down the center of the corridor like the others had. He now knew for sure which direction the darts had come from. His suspicion grew.

Stepping ever so slightly out beyond the door frame, Jae flattened himself against the cold brick wall as much as possible and began inching along in the direction the dart had come from. After holding his breath for the first few feet in anticipation of the zipping sound, he let out a sigh of relief when none came. He kept moving, keeping himself as sheer as he could while sidestepping along the hall. Light cast by the flickering candles above him danced, and more than once Jae had to grit his teeth in pain when hot wax dripped onto his neck or shoulders.

He glanced back to the ever shrinking door often, fearful that some pack of mobs or player killers would sweep in and find Avari. He imagined she was practically fuming underneath the table he had put on her. He smiled slightly at the thought of the furious scowl he would receive when he got back. If he got back. Though he was now reasonably sure what had happened, he could still be wrong. On top of that, there was no telling what traps could be posted along the wall. He saw a vent above him, and visions of Lex's dessicated body after the boiling oil had doused him haunted Jae's mind. He pressed on with renewed caution.

After what seemed an eternity of unbearably slow progress, Jae nearly danced with joy when he saw the end of the hall. A second later, he saw the mechanism wedged inside of it. Upon closing the distance, he found that right where the hall ended, another turn opened up to the left of the mechanism, carrying on a goodly distance before branching off into several rooms. Turning his attention back to the device sticking out of the wall, Jae readied his spear. The steel and wood structure looked like a miniature crossbow crossed with a musket from the eighteenth century. With a grunt of effort, he brought the weapon down on the device. He had expected it to break, but instead it toppled down out of the wall and clanked against the stone floor.

Lifting it with care, Jae read the title that appeared above it:

 _Steel Dart Thrower_

"You're not dead." Avari observed after he had returned and began lifting the table off of her.

"Sorry to dash your hopes."

He waved the Steel Dart Thrower in front of her in explanation, letting her see the title, then removed it to his inventory.

Picking the table up lengthwise, Jae ledged it as best he could into the doorframe. Once he was reasonably sure that they now had at least a little bit of protection should something try to get inside, he leaned his spear up against the wall and helped Avari into a sitting position against the stone bricks. Once she said she was comfortable, he propped himself down beside her, leaned his head back, and closed his eyes. He felt drained.

"What are you doing doing?" Avari asked incredulously.

"Waiting for the paralysis effect to wear off."

He felt her look. "It takes half an hour for paralysis to wear off. It's only been maybe ten minutes since I got hit."

He shrugged. "That's why we have to wait."

"We're in the middle of a death trap dungeon sewer. Anything could happen in twenty minutes. For all we know, this place could be a timed hidden event. You could die just sitting here. You need to keep going while you still can."

He glanced over at her. "I already told you, I'm not leaving you here. Once it wears off, we'll keep going and get out of this place together, or not at all."

She stared in obvious puzzlement. "Why do you care? You hate me. Me dying down here is more liable to make your life easier than anything else."

He frowned at her. "What makes you think I hate you?"

Unable to look away, she instead cast her eyes downward as much as she could, and paused. "Everyone hates me."

Jae blinked in surprise at her tone; she sounded suddenly very lost and alone. Unsure of what to say, he looked away, trying to grant her some privacy to regain her bearing as he studied a crack in the brick wall in front of them.

They sat in silence for what seemed like hours, though Jae knew it had only been a few minutes. With nothing to do but wait, timed dragged on at a snail's pace. It was irritating how, whenever he was happy and doing things he enjoyed that occupied his time, the hours seemed to fly by. On the other hand, when there was nothing to do but watch or wait or be subjected to awkward silence, each moment seemed to go on forever.

"I'm sorry."

Glancing over his shoulder at her in surprise, Jae hesitated. She blinked, a sign that the paralysis was beginning to loosen it's hold, and he thought he could see tears behind her bangs.

"For what?"

She stifled a laugh as she looked down at the floor. "Don't play dumb. We both know I've been a bitch to you ever since you joined the guild."

Jae cleared his throat. "It's not…"

"Spare me your kindly pretenses, please. I've treated you like trash ever since I met you."

"Well, I haven't exactly been nice to you, either."

"You were just reacting. I've been the instigator. I'm the one who kept trying to make you look bad, or mess you up, or get you kicked out of the guild...but there was a reason for it. I didn't trust you, Jae. When you joined up with the HDA, you were already popular among the players. I've seen what influence can do to people. I suspected that you joined because you wanted more power than you had. That you wanted to use your popularity to take over the guild."

Jae sighed. "Avari, I never…"

"Please, let me finish. I believed in Lind, and I didn't want anymore threats to him than there already were. I've always believed that hesitation is weakness, that waiting for your enemies to pile up and strike at their leisure is a mistake. I thought it made more sense to eliminate potential problems and not let them grow into threats in the first place. That's why I didn't trust you, right from the start. I thought that you were taking advantage of Lind's respect for you and using it to get in among us and usurp his position. I thought you were a potential problem, and each day you stayed, you became more of a threat. Over time, your position only became more and more stable. You shot through the ranks and gained most of the guild to your side. I mean Christ, you even got Vivienne to fall for you, and she's the most dedicated officer I know. In my eyes, your widening popularity and enhanced position was growing proof of your planned takeover.

"I urged Lind to remove you from the guild, but he refused. He said that he only kicked guild members out if they deserved it. After the Massacre of Floor Twenty-Five, he...changed. He started growing worried about you new status as a hero. At first I thought it was a good thing, that he was finally seeing you for who you were, but he still wouldn't exile you. You had the support of our members, and kicking you would bring their anger down on us.

"When he stopped going to the Assault Team meetings and stopped leading us into the Labyrinths, I urged him to take command again before you became a greater threat than Kibaou. But he refused to leave the base. As the weeks dragged on and still he wouldn't fight, I began to fear that he had lost his nerve. Every time you told me that Lind needed to take proper charge of the Assault Team again, I thought you were mocking me and that soon you would strike. I continued to try to convince him to fight again, but he grew angry.

"He must have sensed my growing fear of cowardice or apathy, because it was then that he told me about the debts incurred by our guild, and showed me the documents proving just how dire our economic situation was. That's why I hatched the plan to have you take over the role of Finance Officer. I figured that your failure at the impossible task would shatter your image and popularity among the players. But you didn't fail. You came up with the most insane plot to get us out of debt, and somehow, it worked. I knew that something had changed in Lind ever since Floor Twenty-Five, and it only got worse over time, but I made myself blind to it. I was the first member of the Holy Dragon Alliance. I devoted my life to keeping him safe, following his leadership. If it weren't for him, I doubt I would've ever found the courage or purpose to leave the Town of Beginnings. I just...I wanted to be faithful to him."

Her voice wavered, and Avari stifled a sob before taking a breath and continuing.

"When you revealed to us all that he was stealing money from our own guild members to fund a spy network, I couldn't ignore what he was becoming anymore. I know what influence does to people. Absolute power corrupts absolutely, they say. Lind doesn't want to lead, to fight, any longer. I'm beginning to think he doesn't want even want to leave this world. He wants us to keep fighting in the Labyrinths, but only because that will enforce our superiority and keep us from losing prestige to the other guilds. He's grown too accustomed to his role and walks around like he's royalty. I know that he still has the best interests of the guild in mind, that he still wants to see us thrive, but I fear that soon, that will become secondary to his own demand for luxuries. Already, he's purchased items of such extravagance to decorate his private chamber that I don't… I just don't know…"

She sounded like a tortured soul, and with each word it seemed she grew only more pained and ashamed. Moved by her crushing fear and worry, Jae squeezed her arm in quiet reassurance.

"Avari, you don't have to talk about these things if you don't…"

She shook her head ever so slightly. "No, let me finish, please. I've come to see that Lind is no longer the man I once knew, that he's not the leader I followed back on Floor One. I still want to be loyal to him, faithful, because I know he's a good man, but I'm just not sure if I can help him go back to who he was before. I want to be loyal, but I don't want to hurt this guild. The Holy Dragon Alliance is everything to me, and it tears me apart when I think that my faith in him is destroying us…"

She cried softly, and Jae considered what he should do. He wanted to comfort her, but she might find his attempts offensive or pretentious and close herself off again. Surrendering to his instinct, Jae gingerly drew his arms around her and hugged her to him. She stiffened- as much as a paralyzed person could- but then relaxed and allowed herself to lean against him as he hugged her.

"There's nothing wrong with being loyal, Avari." Jae said gently. "That is a trait to be revered, not feared."

She sobbed again, tears dripping down her face. "Not when the people looking to you for answers are harmed because of it. I'm Senior Officer. I should've done better. I should've done so much better. For them."

"You care about the guild, and the members in it." Jae said firmly in an effort to dispel her fears. "That is a fact known to all, even those who don't care for you or consider themselves your enemies. You haven't failed as Senior Officer."

She blinked again in an effort to clear her eyes. "You've been right about almost everything, Jae. Ever since you joined. Every choice you've made, every action you've proposed, has saved lives or made us stronger as a guild. I saw that, but I didn't trust you. More than that, though, I didn't want to betray Lind. I was one of his only supporters as time went on, and he knew he could always count on me to stand by him, just as I could always count on him to stand with me when the guild stopped liking me in favor of you over our rivalry. I didn't want to betray that trust to Lind, nor did I want to lose his support either."

"I understand." Jae consoled. "Lind is your friend. It's perfectly reasonable that you would want to stand by him."

"For the longest time, I thought you wanted to steal his position."

Jae shook his head. "I never wanted to steal anyone's position. I never wanted leadership. I just want to do what's right."

She sniffled. "Yes, I see that now. You were willing to risk your life to get me safely out of that hall, and you risked your life again coming back here and waiting for my paralysis to wear off. You're not the person I thought you were. You're a good man. I understand now that you always meant it when you said you didn't want to be in positions of command, but it's for that very reason, as well as your determination to do the right thing, that you have to be."

"If we get out of this," Jae said, "I promise that I'll do what I can to help you get Lind back to his former self. I respect him too, and I would like to help him."

The two of them fell silent, and Avari soon calmed herself. Once her breathing was normal again and she had stopped crying, Avari suddenly lifted in arm.

"It's gone."

The two of them pulled away as she stretched out her limbs, and then she began to rise.

Wobbly at first, she kept a hand to the wall as she got to her feet.

"How do you feel?" Jae asked.

She took a tentative step forward. "A bit stiff, like my whole body fell asleep, but I'm getting my feeling back."

"Ready to keep going? Or do you want to wait and rest awhile longer until you feel back to normal?"

She cast him a scowl that was much more in keeping with her usual self. Jae smiled in relief.

"Alright, I'll get my spear."

She was about to step out into the hall when Jae pulled on her sleeve.

"Just for the record, not everyone hates you."

She frowned at him. "What do you mean?"

He crossed his arms. "David has liked you ever since he first saw you, when you took us to dye our armor to standard. He practically falls over every time you walk by."

Avari looked completely and utterly bewildered. "David?"

Jae nodded. "David."

"But...but...why didn't he say anything?"

Jae shrugged. "You've never given him a second of notice. He figured he was invisible to you. That hasn't stopped his feelings though."

She looked frozen in surprise and confusion as she stuttered and stammered over her words, so Jae swept past her and tapped her lightly on the shoulder cheerily as he stepped out into the hall. He pointed to the left, where the Dart Thrower had been.

"It's that way."


	76. Chapter 76

76

July 7th, 2023

Floor 42, Labyrinth Sewers

Twirling his spear with a fierce cry, Jae swung the butt of the weapon against the side of the skeleton's face, shattering it's skull. Without slowing, he carried the spear around and used the blade end to slash upwards into the last undead monster, severing it's brittle ribs and almost cutting it in half. His eyes darted around through the bright pixelated shards as he searched for another enemy. His teeth were gritted together in a snarl from the violence he had had to inflict, from the commitment of dealing death, even if it was only to virtual creations.

Jae heard Avari take a breath behind him, and then the dulled scraping of her greatsword as she sheathed the mighty weapon into the scabbard at her back. He kept his spear ready a moment longer as he peered through the mist of glowing, glimmering shards.

"That's all of them." Avari said in answer to his probing eyes as she strode up beside him. "For now."

Realizing that she was correct and there was no longer any immediate threat, Jae relaxed. Straightening, he twirled the spear back into its latches at his back.

"There were more this time. A lot more."

Avari nodded her agreement. "We're getting close to the Bane of Champions. Shouldn't be much farther."

"What direction does the book say we should take next?"

Retrieving the small, ancient book with it's crumbling leather bound cover from her belt, Avari made to open it, but then paused. She glanced at Jae and gently tossed it to him. Reflexively, he caught it along the spine.

"I don't mind if you lead." She said in response to his puzzled look before glancing down at her boots. "You're more suited to the role than I."

Jae shook his head. "Avari-"

"What direction do we take?" She asked, looking back up at him. "I don't know about you, but I want to get out of this place."

Jae could see the resolve in her brown eyes; there was no point in arguing. Opening the book, he leafed through the pages until he found where they were.

 _Taking a final left turn just beyond the exit doors of the Chamber of Gluttony, our beleaguered group emerged, believing the worst was behind us. Now beyond the maze of corridors and long abandoned rooms that had been used for unknown but no doubt horrifying rituals of the most depraved nature, Stratos and I led our men into the Archway. It was there that we found ourselves walking the Hall of Bones._

Squeezing the book shut with one hand, Jae ignored the cloud of dust that billowed out and pointed at the plain wooden door at the back of the room.

"We take a left at the exit doors. I wonder why this room was called the Chamber of Gluttony?"

Avari scoffed as they set off across the broken tiles and mounds of bones. "Who knows. RPG's seem to love spitting out the most random names and smacking them on every building and room. On the rare occasion that a titled area makes actual sense is when you know you're in for a fight."

Upon reaching the door, Avari stepped out first in small, cautious steps as she looked around for any threat. They had both learned to be extra wary of traps at this point; Jae had accumulated several more Steel Dart Throwers during their wandering through the maze of halls. Following Kalaghan's directions within his journal, the two of them had made good time getting through the massive underground sewer that now seemed to be more of a ruined, underground palace. Or an ancient prison.

In spite of their progress, Jae knew that they had already been in the secret dungeon for hours. He had no doubt that even if Aranal, David, Jon Bright, and his other men hadn't seen him and Avari fall into the trap, the guild would soon have noted their absence. Vivienne was no doubt furious. Knowing her, the woman was probably assembling an army to lead down after them. A small smile touched his lips at the thought of her. It disappeared just as quickly when a thought struck him.

 _What if she forces the door open like we did, and comes down after us?_

He felt himself almost pale. The last thing he wanted was Vivienne down in the sewers. The place had proven itself incredibly dangerous already, but if anything from Kalaghan's journal was to be believed, he and Avari had gotten off relatively lucky. They hadn't had to fight the sea monster within the cesspool, for one, and the Shifting Hall that appeared to have been so elusive to Kalaghan's expedition before showing itself had been standing there waiting for the two players at just the right time. On top of that, a larger force would be in infinitely more danger when pressed within the small, narrow confines of the halls and corridors.

"We have to hurry." Jae said, picking up the pace with renewed determination. "We have to kill that Boss and make it back out before anyone else comes down after us and gets hurt."

Avari's eyes widened, as if she too were now grasping the implications of what such a thing would mean. Holding the door for him as he went through, the woman let it squeak closed and hurried along beside him. Now beyond the door, three halls greeted them. One went left, the other carried on ahead, and the third led right. Without slowing, Jae and Avari took the left.

"What happens at the other end of this corridor?" She asked quietly.

"The Archway. Then, from there, the 'Hall of Bones.'"

Dying candles sputtered above them, dripping more wax to the floor as shadows danced along the ancient brick walls coated with cobwebs. Jae kept his eyes moving as they walked, surveying every stone in his search for another trap or dart thrower. He saw none.

"The Hall of Bones doesn't sound too pleasant." Avari observed. "Maybe the Bane of Champions will be there."

The end of the hall came into sight; straining his eyes, Jae could see an archway built in similar fashion to Roman or Greek entrances. There was no door, and a pale green light emerged from within. Though unwilling to halt his search for traps, Jae forced himself to open the book and find the passage he had stopped at. They needed to know what would greet them within this Hall of Bones.

 _A more terrifying sight I had never seen, and my blood ran chill as we breathed the evil air. It sapped at our strength, our very will to go on, but we didn't waver. It was within this place of evil that more minions of the Bane of Champions were unleashed upon us, this time in such numbers that we could not hope to defeat them. Captain Ralic fell defending us, as well as Sergeant Hawford and two more of our men who held the rear to allow us time to escape the Hall. Their dying screams as we fled will forever haunt my dreams. At last, at the end of the corridor, we knew we had found it: The Lair of the Bane of Champions._

Jae closed the book, tucking it back behind his belt. "The Boss isn't in the Hall of Bones, but it sounds like plenty of our skeleton friends will be."

Avari nodded as she reached up and drew her greatsword with both hands. The ring of steel echoed off the ancient, crumbling walls.

"Nothing we haven't faced before."

Jae adjusted his heavy steel breastplate to be sure that it wouldn't hinder his movement in the coming fight. "It sounds like more than usual. A lot more."

The Senior Officer brushed her bangs out of her eyes, then shrugged. "It looks pretty narrow in there. They won't be able to come at us more than two or three at a time. Numbers don't count for much in such confines."

"I know that much, but still. They aren't our target. The Bane of Champions is. If we get an opening that will speed us through without fighting, take it. I don't want to be any more exhausted when we get to this boss then I already am."

"You have a point."

Pausing before the Archway that now towered over them by several feet, Jae and Avari gazed inside past the pale green mist. They saw two walls on either side, just like every other hallway and corridor they had travelled. Now though, the walls were composed of bones rather than bricks. There were no skulls, but every other type of bone in the human anatomy stood stacked tightly on top of eachother, intermingled and mixed together in such a way that it appeared as though a mass grave had been dug for an army in some ancient war. Arm bones protruded from the ghastly sight at regular intervals on either wall, and small torches burned in the death grip of skeletal fingers. A thick layer of the green mist covered the ground between the two walls.

"Well," Avari said after a moment of silence. "I have to admit, this place doesn't exactly inspire confidence."

Jae knew she was only trying to dispel the palpable sensation of dread that now trickled it's way up both of their spines. "Kalaghan mentioned that this mist has a way of sapping our will. It's just the air."

Avari stepped inside, and a loud crunching sound filled the still air as her steel boot came down beneath the wave of mist. Bending down, she felt around with her fingers and then lifted her hand. Clutched in her grip was a broken skull.

Jae stepped in after her, bringing the spear out and holding it at the ready. The two of them marched onward, both stepping on numerous skulls as their feet disappeared within the green mist that covered the floor. The crunching sounds filled the hall, echoing loudly and without end as they kept moving. The air grew thin and cold, and soon, Jae found himself shivering.

"There." He said, pointing with his spear down the hall as a black door came into view down in the distance.

Before they had marched another step, the walls of bones began to shudder. Torches fell from the skeletal hands gripping them only to disappear beneath the foot high mist, followed by hundreds of various bones as they began falling out of the wall. And then, as if borne out of a nightmare, the walls came alive with the living dead.

Hundreds of skeleton warriors crawled out from within the wall of bones, many emerging with limbs missing. A few held torches, and some bore weapons, but it was their numbers that brought Jae to a halt. They were everywhere.

"Move!" He screamed, bringing his spear down on two directly in front of him.

Breaking into a headlong charge, Jae and Avari hacked viciously through the horde of undead creatures as they emerged. The skeletons in their path were cut down before they could even begin to meet the attack, but there were many more behind that eagerly rushed forward, burning hatred gleaming through their abyssal eyes sockets. Scything through them, Jae and Avari did their best to keep up their momentum and not get slowed down, but quickly found that their assault would not last.

With each passing second, the way ahead grew more and more impassable as the dense ranks of skeletons continued to thicken, jostling each other and trampling the ones in front in their haste to get at the two players. The walls seemed almost alive as more and more of the monsters came crawling out of the bones, writhing like snakes before freeing themselves and joining the remainder of the horde.

Slowed to a grinding halt, Jae and Avari stood shoulder to shoulder, cleaving through the swarm of monsters before they were overwhelmed. Whenever he could, Jae took a step forward in an effort to advance, but was quickly driven back by the sheer weight and numbers piling up before them.

Lifting his spear for a sweeping attack as the wave of enemies pressed in closer, Jae felt a viselike grip clamp down on his wrist before he could deliver the blow. Looking over in surprise, he saw the upper body of a skeleton inching its way past the falling bones as it struggled to get out. It's fingers were wrapped tightly around his wrist.

He looked forward; the tide of skeletons rolled in as Avari desperately tried to fight them all off alone.

Wrenching his hand back as hard as he could, Jae dragged the skeleton out of the wall. It hit the floor and was immediately greeted by Jae's steel boot to it's skull, smashing it into pieces.

Freed, Jae spun around to keep fighting, but he already knew that it was over. The sea of skeletons was on top of them.

A beam of angry red light flared outward in a blinding wreath of fury, and Jae heard Avari let out a furious cry of rage. Her sword swung, the red light evaporating the pale green air, and then met the torrent of the undead.

There was a deafening blast, like thunder, and then Jae felt a wall of wind hit him with such force that it almost knocked him off his feet. Before him, the wind seemed to strike even harder, for the shockwave of air completely eradicated the front few ranks of undead monsters and then continued without slowing, knocking the limbs off many more and knocking all of them to the ground. Pixelated shards from the dead were caught up in the gale and billowed out over the crumpled sea of skeletons, causing many to shatter apart on the black door at the end of the hall.

Jae saw Avari teeter beside him as her sword slackened in her hands, and she began to pitch forward.

"Avari!"

Wrapping one of her arms around his shoulder, Jae helped Avari along as he bounded them over the bodies of the skeletons. They had to get to the door.

Several times as they ran, boney hands would reach up and snag at his pants or feet, but Jae refused to be slowed and merely kicked them away or brought his spear down on the ones with firmer grips.

He felt Avari pull her arm back as she steadied herself, and quickly released her. Sprinting along beside him now that she had caught her breath, Avari still looked more than a little disheveled. Behind, he could hear the hordes of skeletal creatures rising to their feet and taking up the chase.

They reached the black door, and Jae kicked it open without slowing. Flying inside the Boss' lair, Jae and Avari both turned and slammed their backs into the black door, jamming it shut behind them. They could feel the strain at the door for a moment as the mobs threw themselves against the door without paying any heed to the hundreds that must have been shattering against it, and then all was still.

"Thanks." Avari whispered.

Straightening before the door, Jae kept his back to it as he gazed around. It was dark as night, and as of yet there was no sound inside the chamber but their own breathing.

"Sword skill?" Jae asked breathlessly.

"Yes. My strongest. It doesn't kill many, mostly just creates a shockwave that knocks people down. It affects me with imbalance and knocks the wind out of me. Very dangerous. But it was our only chance as far as I could see."

Jae smiled over at her even though he knew she couldn't see it. "You did good, Avari. You saved us."

The room came alive with light as a dozen torches sprang to life all around the oval shaped chamber. The place was relatively empty, with only a raised dais at the back of the room. There, walking towards them, was a partially mummified skeleton covered in armor. A long, jagged one handed sword was in its right hand. At its other arm, it held a large kiteshield.

Scraps of white cloth trailed down past it's overlapping metal plate armor, and on its head was a helmet of such magnificence that Jae knew it could only be the legendary helm Avari had been after. Shaped like a helmet from ancient Greece, the silver steel had both a nose guard and two cheek guards that protruded underneath the eyes and carried around until they reached the creature's lipless mouth. A plume of blue horsehair stood proudly at the center front of the helm and ran all the way to the back of the head. It was a helmet that made the wearer appear taller, more powerful, and fully in command.

Tiny blue eyes glowed out from the eye holes of the fine helm, and the monster strode forward. A name appeared above it, as well as one health bar.

 _Vixilus, Bane of Champions_

"Only one health bar." Jae observed as he studied the Boss approaching them.

"He's covered in armor." Avari said, hefting her greatsword up before her. "His defense is probably exceptional."

"Armor has its weak points." Jae replied as the monster drew closer. "Go for the neck or side rather than its front and back if you can help it. Armor is typically weaker at those points."

Grunting in answer, Avari moved forward to attack. Readying his spear, Jae moved in beside her. Picking up speed, the two of them charged into the Bane of Champions.

Avari's sword was a blur as she hacked and slashed at the Boss with surprising speed, sometimes going for it's helm as a diversion, then switching targets and aiming instead for its neck, side, or other weak points. On the other side, Jae swung his spear, bashing and cutting as he twirled the weapon in a seamless, rhythmic pattern of complex assaults.

The air was filled with the sound of their combined onslaughts.

It was only after a moment that Jae realized that the monster deflected them all.

Using it's longsword against Avari, Vixilus angled the blade to deflect or glance aside her heavy blows, using its own weapon's superior speed to keep up the defense in spite of her renewed strikes. With it's large kiteshield, the monster absorbed Jae's rapid strikes, allowing him to batter against it with all his strength. Not a single blow from either one of them made it through the defense.

Letting loose a baleful screech, the Boss spun into the attack, slashing open several inches of Avari's side with it's sword and bashing Jae with the full weight of it's shield.

Knocked back, Jae struggled to maintain his feet. He heard Avari cry out, more in surprise than pain, and saw her fall back before the slashing sword. Now watching for the shield, Jae prepared another attack, only to feel an ice cold burning sensation lance up his arm as Vixilus swept his sword away from Avari and cut open a wide, deep gash all along Jae's arm. Avari moved to react, but the monster seemed to expect it and pivoted around, slamming it's shield into her face.

Avari flew back, hitting the black door behind them with a thud before falling to the ground. Her sword clattered against the stone beside her.

Advancing to finish her, Vixilus used its sword to block Jae's continued attacks as it swept forward. It didn't seem to worry much about him alone and wanted to deal with her before she could rise.

Jae couldn't let her die.

With a desperate scream, Jae threw his spear like a lance at the Boss with all his strength. The weapon pierced the air, flying with perfect balance and remaining straight as a reed as it moved. Vixilus blinked in curiosity, but didn't slow down and simply took the attack on the front of it's shield. Just as Jae had hoped.

Flinging himself directly along the same path as his spear, Jae swept into the blind spot he had created by forcing Vixilus to raise it's shield and slammed into the monster with his entire body weight. They went down hard with a crash.

Shrieking in anger through it's lipless mouth, the Boss tried swinging it's sword at him, but they were tangled up on the ground and it was easy for Jae to avoid the haphazard blows. Curling his hands into fists, Jae punched Vixilus in the face as hard he could. The steel cheek guards of the monster's helm hurt his knuckles, but he didn't let up and continued punching. Vixilus twisted violently, forcing them both onto their sides and preventing Jae from punching it again, so instead he tried wrenching off some of the thick metal discs and plates protecting the creature. They wouldn't budge.

Twisting an arm, Vixilus suddenly swung around and slammed the edge of it's shield against the side of Jae's head. It felt like his skull had exploded.

Jae's vision flickered, becoming small tunnels of distant light, and he was only dimly aware of the monster staggering to its feet before him, sword outstretched. Jae's head throbbed with unbearable, disorienting pain, and his eyes flicked closed for a few seconds before he forced them to open again.

Grasping around the stone floor for something to use as his vision finally began to clear, Jae inched back from the monster about to cut him in two. There was a flash of steel, and suddenly the Boss turned away, just barely blocking Avari's greatsword as it swept upwards.

Taking the chance she had given him, Jae got up on his knees and was just about to rise when he saw his spear lying nearby. Diving for it, he took hold of the weapon and leaned on it as he got to his feet. His head was still numb with pain, but he could think clearly again.

He saw Avari jump back out of the way of the creature's slashing attack, and she sidestepped around in an effort to get back to Jae.

"Stay there!" Jae screamed at her as he rushed forward behind the monster. "Keep it busy!"

Without hesitation, Avari met Vixilus' attack head on, swinging her sword with heavy, aggressive attacks that forced it to lift it's shield and actually managed to cut past it's guard once and hack apart some of the bone at the shoulder. Charging forward from behind, Jae twirled his spear. Just before he executed his movement, the Boss spun around again, this time slashing outwards to catch Jae by surprise. But he was ready.

Dropping low to the ground, Jae swung the butt of his spear with all his strength and momentum against the creature's ankle, completely shattering it's right foot and sending bits of bone flying out in all directions.

Hobbled, Vixilus attempted to shift its weight, but instead tumbled to the ground, it's shield clattering away.

"Now!" Jae shouted as he and Avari closed in.

They hacked at the monster without mercy, chopping into bones and severing the mummified body parts still clinging to the creature's body. Jae drove his spear down hard into the Boss' chestplate, rupturing it inward and stabbing deep into the heart of the monster. If it had been living, that would have been the end of the battle. Unfortunately for them, the monster before them was already dead.

Twisting around as it swung it's sword in a wide arc that forced the two of them back, Vixilus rose to a knee and prepared to rise up on its remaining foot.

"I'll keep the sword at bay!" Avari yelled. "You go for the kill!"

She dove forward, swinging her sword with deliberate care. Vixilus blocked the attack, but was unable to fully deflect it this time. Bearing down harder, Avari forced the Boss to keep its sword crossed against hers as she pushed. Without hesitation, Jae acted.

Charging forward, he lunged the spear with ferocious power and careful aim. Vixilus glanced at him with worried, desperate eyes, but it was too late. Jae buried the foot of steel at the end of his spear into the eye hole of the magnificent helmet, impaling the Boss' head. He felt the steel erupt out of the back of it's skull, but the helmet stopped the tip from going any further.

Vixilus shrieked once more, and then shattered into pieces. Pixelated shards exploded outward only to then begin floating delicately through the air like autumn leaves.

A teleport gate emerged at the top of the dais, and a sign suddenly appeared in front of them:

 _Congratulations!_

Leaning on his spear, Jae took a much needed breath. Avari abandoned all pretense of endurance and sat down on the smooth stone tiles, resting her sword on one shoulder.

Another sign appeared before Jae.

 _Last Attack Bonus:_

 _Champion's Helm_

Opening his menu, Jae selected the helmet, allowing it materialize in his hand. His eyes widened as he saw the stats. He had seen legendary gear before, but nothing of such a high level. He barely had the required defense and Strength to put it on.

"Well, looks like we got what we came for after all."

Avari looked up, and he held the magnificent helm towards her.

She shook her head. "You keep it."

Jae puzzled at her. "What?"

"You keep it. You got the last attack. It's yours."

"I only got the last attack because you kept it busy. Avari, you came here for this helmet."

The woman rose to her feet and sheathed her greatsword over her back.

"I wanted the helmet to help the guild. You're a member of the guild. You having it will help. Honestly, it'll be probably be put to the best use with you anyway."

Jae looked down at the helmet in his hands. He couldn't deny the fact that he wouldn't mind having it. "But…"

"I'm not taking the helmet back, Jae. That's final. Now then, put it on and let's get the hell out of here."

…

"Commander Lind." Avari said in a steely, determined voice that Jae found somewhat unsettling.

Lind looked up at her. He had just dismissed them after they had finished explaining their little misadventure in detail, but didn't appear surprised that the woman still had something to say. "Yes, Avari?"

She straightened her back and lifted her chin. "I'd like you to name Jae your new Senior Officer."

Jae nearly choked.

Lind blinked several times before he found his voice. "What?"

"I want you to name Jae as your new Senior Officer. More than that though, he needs an official standing."

Lind looked completely dumbfounded. "Official standing?"

Avari nodded patiently. "You need to name Jae your Second in Command. He's more than earned the title, and the rank. Senior Officer is all well and good, but it's not very well defined. Second in Command makes it quite clear."

Jae shot her a glance as he threw up his arms. "Avari, what are you doing? You're the Senior Officer."

She shook her head. "Not anymore. I'm not worthy of the rank, as my past performance at the post has demonstrated."

Lind glanced from her to Jae, then back to her again. "Avari, are you quitting the Holy Dragon Alliance?"

The woman shook her head again. "No. I love this guild. I would die for it. I could never leave unless I had done irreparable damage and only by my immediate departure could that damage be reversed."

Lind rose in his chair. He cleared his throat as he searched for words. "Then why are you telling me to give up your rank to Jae?"

"Because I have proven myself unfit for the command. Our ranks should be filled by those worthy of them. I am not. Perhaps one day I will be again, but not now. Name Jae."

Lind's eyes took on a determined look. "I will not. I won't do it."

Avari shrugged. "Then I'll simply resign the post. The guild will want Jae to take my place once it's open. You know they will."

Jae touched her arm. "Avari, you don't need to resign. You can't-"

"Lind," Avari said over Jae's pleading. "This is my last act, my last advice, as your Senior Officer. Name Jae to my place, and name him official Second in Command. You know he's the one for the job, just as I do. It's time to stop harming the guild with petty rivalries and concerns and unleash our full potential. I will not debate this with you." She looked at Jae. "Either of you."

She turned to go, but stopped at the door and turned back.

"Lind, if you have ever found my council to be helpful, if you have ever thought of me as a friend you can rely on, then do as I ask. This is for the guild."

Without another word, she left the chamber, the door closing firmly behind her.


	77. Chapter 77

77

July 18th, 2023

Floor 39, Atwold Forest

Israel studied the ground angrily. Brushing aside leaves with an annoyed sweep of his armored fist, he leaned closer to the ground in order to better make out the tracks. He saw the small, familiar imprints that Sara's feet made; even when she ran, she seemed to take light, dainty steps. Being slender, the bruises she made in the earth were sometimes hard to read, and with autumn leaves and long grass further masking the trail, it was difficult even for Israel's tracking skill to follow. The imprints were also further apart, betraying her long legs and the strides unique to her when she ran, but also making it easier to lose the trail and go off in a wrong direction before discovering the mistake.

Having found her trail, Israel bounded off further into the northwest corner of the Atwold Forest. He knew the woods well; there was no end to the forest for quite some time in that direction. If Sara had been trying to make it out, she would have traveled south. That meant she was deliberately staying in the woods. If he wasn't so angry, Israel would have smiled at her cleverness.

Though the woods slowed her down, Sara no doubt knew that even if she made for the south, and the forest's end, Israel would catch her. He had already done it twice before, and she had most likely noted his skill at tracking with each foiled escape attempt. By going deeper into the woods, it would be harder for Israel to catch up, take him a bit longer, giving her time to try and find a brief enough hiding place she could use to friend request her friends and bring Laughing Coffin down on their location. If PoH managed to pinpoint the Atwold Forest, Israel had no doubt the man would find him.

Gliding easily through the trees at a full sprint, Israel smoothly altered his course without slowing whenever a tree or some other obstacle got in his way. His black cloak billowed out behind him as he darted through the woods, but he was careful not to let it make any noise as he ran with silent grace. He stepped lightly, on the balls of his feet, so as to keep his footfalls quiet and not alert Sara as to his presence. He felt hers though. She was drawing close.

Bounding stealthily over a small stream, Israel caught a flash of black dress. Slowing his breathing to further prevent any chance of her hearing him, he darted through the trees and made a deliberate course parallel to her, but separated by about twenty feet. Keeping his eyes fixed on the bit of dress he had seen as he sprinted through the trees, Israel caught a glimpse of her as she ran past a clutch of dense oaks.

Her black dress was torn in places from the branches, and the hemline around her ankles was caked in mud and dirt, but the outfit still managed to accentuate her form and hug her curves in such a complimentary, dignified way that she appeared almost regal, like royalty having a bad day in the countryside. Her long, thick silver hair was a tangled mess that tumbled down her back, but it too managed to compliment her features rather than detract from them. Israel had noticed from the first that her face, while youthful and attractive, betrayed a mature wisdom that seemed odd in comparison to her looks. Her bright blue eyes too revealed a soul that had somehow aged ahead of her years. If it weren't for those eyes, Israel would have believed she was his age.

Sara stumbled, her hands still bound and unable to help her keep balance, then disappeared briefly behind another clutch of trees. Israel picked up the pace parallel to her, slipping quickly and quietly around each obstacle as he gained speed. Sara emerged again a second later, kicking her way out of a patch of thorny briar that hindered her path. That the woman wasn't used to dwelling in forests had been apparent during her first escape attempt a week or two before; she clumsily tried to maintain a straight arrow path through the woods, no doubt thinking it would be faster, when in reality it bogged her down with obstacles that slowed her pace and exhausted her energy. Yet now she appeared to be having even more difficulty.

She made her way out of the briars at the cost of more rips in her dress, and Israel saw why she was having more trouble than usual. Her menu was open.

Typing furiously with her bound hands as she ran, Sara paused only to look ahead and keep herself from slamming head first into trees. She was at the friend request screen.

Peeling off from the course he had set, Israel made to cut her off. For a second he considered bringing her down with a paralysis dart, but at once abandoned the thought: Laughing Coffin's master potion maker had no doubt taken an Immunity Potion.

Emerging suddenly from the trees in front and to her left, Israel saw Sara glance up in surprise. She pivoted hard on her heels in an attempt to turn back, but her momentum slowed her abrupt maneuver. Leaping forward, Israel tackled her hard to the ground. She gasped breathlessly as she landed on her back, the wind knocked out of her.

Straddling her as she panted, Israel seized her wrists with his armored hand while with his other, he closed her menu. She had come close to sending PoH a friend request, but it hadn't gone through. Struggling to free herself from his grip, Sara writhed her body and jerked her hands. By her slowed and weakened movements, it was easy to see that she had already used all the energy she had had during the run. As fiercely as she tried to put up a fight, he had no trouble wrestling her under control.

Rising over her, Israel kept a hold of her bound wrists and began the march back to the Treehouse. Hauling her by her wrists as her back dragged along the dirt and leaves, he made no move to help her to her feet. The pursuit, brief as it had been, had wasted valuable time that he could've spent doing something productive. He was more than fed up with her incessant escape attempts.

They hadn't gone far back through the trees when Israel felt the last of her resistance slacken as he hauled her along on her back. Satisfied that she was finally done, he loosened his grip a bit.

"Sara, what part of you thought that was a good-"

Whipping her body around with a violent jerk, Sara threw her long legs in front of his path. Unable to catch his footing in time, Israel lost his hold on her and pitched forward. Catching himself with both hands before he hit the ground, he made to rise. Her boot came up hard against his ribs. Tipping over before he could right himself, Israel hit the ground on his back.

It was obvious at once what had happened: Sara had pretended to be exhausted and without strength in order to make him more lax, and then struck out with everything she had when he least expected it. She was craftier than he had given her credit for.

Above him, Sara stepped forward and lifted her foot to kick at his face. That was a mistake. She had expected that the kick to his ribs had temporarily shocked him with pain, leaving him open to further attacks. Against a normal opponent, her logic would have made sense, but not against him. He had underestimated Sara, but now she had just done the same to him.

Israel was immune to pain.

Eagerly seizing hold of the searing agony lancing through his cracked ribs with his mind as he opened himself to the mental hunger, Israel reached out and caught her foot with his armored right hand.

Though he was tempted to crush her entire foot in his grip, Israel knew she would scream. He had things to do, and while he was reasonably sure that there were no orange players dwelling in the Atwold Forest, he didn't feel like taking the chance to find out. If it came down to a fight, he would be hard pressed to keep Sara under control while at the same time fending off enemy blades.

His mind made up in a fraction of a second, Israel tightened his hold on her foot and then yanked it out from under her, toppling the woman to the ground like a newly felled birch.

Twisting onto her side, Sara clawed at the ground in an effort to get to her feet, but Israel was having none of it. Leaping atop her, he yanked her shoulder around with a powerful tug, forcing her onto her back again. She tried to strike at him, to scratch at his eyes with her fingernails, but he quickly seized her arms and pinned them both back with a forearm. With his free hand, Israel opened his menu.

"I've had just about enough." He said darkly.

Pulling out one of the Sleeping Potions she had made for him, Israel didn't bother forcing her to drink it or activating it above her. Instead, he removed the stopper and simply upended the contents of the glass vial directly in her face.

Sputtering as the grey colored liquid splashed into her mouth, nose, and eyes, Sara attempted to spit it out while still writhing with all her strength to get out from under him. A second later, her eyelids drooped closed. Her body went limp as she passed out, and when he was sure that she wasn't faking it, Israel rolled off of her and took a tired breath.

"You're the most annoying woman I've ever met." He muttered irritably.

Pulling back his hood enough to wipe at the beads of sweat on his forehead, Israel cursed under his breath at the prospect of walking back to the Treehouse. Lifting Sara up with both arms, he threw her over his shoulder and started back.

"Tristan." Israel splashed more of the Sleep Antidote into his friend's face. "Tristan. Wake up."

Groggily opening his eyes, Tristan stared with a glazed expression. "Wha...What…?"

Israel shook the shop owner gently. "Tristan, what happened?"

Tristan blinked, the glazed look still lingering in his eyes. "What do you...mean?"

"Sara escaped while you were watching her. What happened?"

As if snapped out of a daze, Tristan's eyes widened. "Sara." He groaned. "Israel, I'm sorry. I was watching her and she got away. We have to find her."

Israel helped the man to his feet, then shook his head. "I already did. She's back upstairs with a new chain I decided to install. It's connected to her ankle and the wall. I made sure to check her inventory too. She's not going to get away again."

Tristan rose to his feet, nodding slowly. "Good, good. I'm sorry, Israel."

"It's fine. Just tell me what happened so she can't do something like that again."

Now fully awake, Tristan looked up as he racked his brains. With a snap of his fingers, he pointed at Israel. "I was in the room with her, reading one of the books, and then she threw a Sleeping Potion at me."

Israel frowned. "Threw it?"

Tristan nodded. "She must have added a splash damage or on-contact effect. It hit me on the shoulder and got all over my gear. I remember asking her what she was doing, and then I passed out. I don't understand how she managed to cook up an extra after the batch we had her make."

Israel arched an eyebrow. "She cooked up more than that." From a pocket lining the inside of his cloak, he withdrew an empty glass vial.

Tristan leaned in to peer at the label. "Fall Damage Resistance?"

Israel dipped his head in confirmation. "I found it on her while I was bringing her back. She must have made two and used the first one to jump down from the window and reach the ground without taking lethal damage."

Tristan groaned again. "She's far more resourceful than I would've imagined."

"Or perhaps we've simply been fools. When was the last time you brought her ingredients to use?"

Tristan wiped at the corner of his mouth with the back of a hand. "Well, that would be last week, when you paid me our agreed upon price of Col in exchange for her list of needed ingredients to keep producing you potions."

Israel nodded matter of factly. "And what ingredients were on that list?"

"Why, the same as always I expect…"

Tristan trailed off for a moment as something seemed to interrupt his thoughts. He looked back at Israel with shameful eyes. "Now that I think about it, there were a few names on the list that I hadn't seen before. I know because I remember not being able to pronounce them when I was at the Holy Dragon Alliance's Item Exchange shop. The man running the place, some big fellow named Arinil or Ariel or some such, was friendly, but his lack of knowledge in the field of business running was hardly accommodating-"

"Tristan," Israel said patiently. "Focus."

"Right. Like I said, there were items that I recall not having read out before. I had no what they were to be used for."

"And you didn't think to question what they were doing on the list?"

Tristan somberly scratched his head of long black hair as he rolled a shoulder subconsciously. "Well...no. I suppose that after several weeks of buying ingredients for her in exchange for your generous payments, I began to trust that she wouldn't add anything not needed. I kept a careful eye on every ingredient at first, mind you, but after a time I just got caught up in the routine. I'm sorry, Israel."

Israel was quiet for a moment, then sighed and shook his head. "No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't be blaming you. I should've been checking the ingredient lists too. I guess I stopped being as wary after a while as well. She was smart and played us both for fools: by allowing some time to go by before beginning her escape attempts or making potions in secret, she made us lax, made us believe that she wouldn't try anything."

Tristan sat down on the couch and after a moment, puzzled at him. "But if she had the potions before, or at least the means to make them, why didn't she use any during her first two escape attempts earlier in the week?"

Israel rapped his steel backed fingers on the rail of the spiral staircase as he leaned against it. "Because that was her greatest asset, her hidden card. She didn't want to reveal her full hand, as it were, until she was good and ready. She was probably waiting to have all the potions she needed before using them all in one go to maximise her chances of success. By attempting to escape without any beforehand, she made me believe she had none. Her deception nearly succeeded."

Tristan sighed. "She's no fool, that Sara."

Israel grunted irritably.

"I can't help but feel like she's different."

Israel glanced at the man. "What?"

Tristan shifted in his seat. "I mean, she doesn't act like the others. She just seems...I don't know...different somehow."

Israel felt his face heat. "She's an orange player. A killer just like the rest of them. She may be a potion maker, and therefore not in the wolf packs doing most of the killing, but she's had her fair share. In fact, she probably has more blood on her hands than any of the others thanks to her potions and their widespread application."

Tristan backed down from Israel's glare. "You're right, of course. Sorry. Sometimes I can be a bit misled by how people act on the surface."

Israel cooled when he noticed Tristan had paled. He cleared his throat and affected a small smile. "Seeing the good in people is nothing to be sorry for, Tristan. Even if that good isn't actually there." He waved a hand dismissively. "Anyway. From now on, I'll be checking every item on the ingredient lists she writes for me before I hand it off to you."

Tristan smiled. "Sounds good. I'll do the same, just to be safe, whenever I take the lists to town."

Israel lowered his hood in the warm room and walked over to one of the windows. "It's going to be dark in another hour or so. Would you mind watching her while I go out and-"

Tristan jumped to his feet. "Shit, I would, but it's late now and I need to get back to my shop. I have to make sure to keep up my daily profits, even if they are smaller now that the Holy Dragon Alliance is dominating the market." He paused. "I'm sorry, but-"

Israel waved a hand. "Don't worry about it, go mind your shop. The chain should serve to keep her stationary now anyway. I'll just make sure her inventory is clear before I head out for the night's hunt."

Tristan snapped his fingers again. "Oh yes, don't forget to meet with that spokesperson for Aincrad Today on the new occurrences and the continued contract."

Israel dropped down sullenly into the couch. "I shouldn't have to meet with them so often."

Tristan scoffed. "It's just once a month. There are some new updates going around as a result of your work that I think you'll find quite interesting."

"Afraid to be the bearer of bad news yourself, Tristan?"

Tristan shook his head. "You'll just have to hear it from them. I'll come by tomorrow if I can."

Taking out a teleport crystal, Tristan held it high above him

"Teleport, Arbus!"

After Tristan had gone, Israel closed the windows of the living room and then made his way up to the bedroom. When he emerged onto the top floor and turned to look at her, he was surprised to see that Sara was awake and staring coldly at him. The metal loop he had fastened to her left ankle was connected to a long iron chain that was hooked to the bark wall. The many rips and tears in her dress exposed parts of her legs and chest, but she didn't seem to care. Her bosom rose and fell with deliberate, calm breaths. Her blue eyes, lighter and softer than his, were riveted on him.

Israel didn't bother sitting down in the chair at the mahogany table and instead peered down at her as he rested his hand on the pommel of Apocalypse.

"That was a good plan, I have to admit."

"I didn't do it for your praise."

Her unblinking eyes glared at him with defiant hatred. He knew she feared him, but that didn't diminish her bravery. In fact, it revealed it.

"Did you really think it would work?"

"What would?"

"Leading PoH to me."

She studied him. "It almost did. It would've, but you moved faster today than you did the other two times I tried to run."

Israel shrugged. "You're not the only one with skills in deception. During that second chase, I suspected you were observing how quickly I could catch you. I didn't want you know the full extent of my tracking and hunting skills in the event that I would really need to use them."

"That's nice. Now get on with the torture."

Israel arched an eyebrow. "Torture?"

She scowled at him as if he were an idiot. "You've discovered that I don't care about you killing other orange players in front of me as punishment. If I did, I wouldn't have tried to get away. We both know that means it's time for a new method of punishment." She raised her chin. "Get on with it then and stop wasting my time."

Israel cocked his head as he peered down at her. She was certainly interesting, if nothing else. "I like how you think, Sara. I don't like, however, that you think you can fool me. You care about orange players dying. You care very much."

She shook her head. "I don't-"

"You do. As much as you feared being the cause of more deaths in the course of your attempted escapes, you did the math. You knew that making potions for me was bringing about far more orange player deaths than any number of punishments for your escapes. You knew that my death would save the lives of countless others still breathing. With that knowledge, you determined that it was necessary, for the greater good, to do everything you could to get away, or at the very least let PoH know where I was before you got captured again. Then all the fury of Laughing Coffin could've been brought to bear on my little treehouse, and the Shadow of Death would've been just another bad memory. In the event of the worst case scenario- your recapture before achieving either of your goals- you figured you could at least use the effort to feign a supposed lack of care for orange players dying on your account. Then I would be forced to torture you, which, in your bravery and selflessness, is far more preferable than losing more gallant compatriots to your cause."

He glowered down at her, and he could see her face pale even as her defiant expression held fast. "Unfortunately for you, I am not so easily fooled. I'm going hunting again tonight. Not because I have to. Not because there's some important orange guild I've targeted that needs to be taken down. The plans I've set in motion have already begun unraveling all the work PoH has done, the empire he has constructed. If I wanted to, I could afford to take a night off and catch up on some much needed sleep. But I'm not going to do that now. Instead, I'm going to bring back some more blubbering murderers and sit them down in front of you so you can watch while I cut them all in half."

Sara's jaw worked as she stared in fright. "No."

"Yes. And while I kill them as punishment for your bad behavior, I'm going to watch the guilt and horror fill your eyes as you realize you've just made a terrible mistake."

Turning on his heel, Israel marched down the stairs.

"Don't kill them!" Sara screamed through the house as he made his way to the bottom floor. "Please! Torture me! If you kill them, I'll keep trying to escape! I will, and I promise you, you won't be able to catch me every time! I'll keep trying!"

Israel chuckled, but didn't bother to shout back to her as he continued his descent. Instead, he merely muttered, "No you won't."

…

Israel was drawn from his thoughts when he heard someone behind him. He didn't slow or pause; he didn't want the pursuer to think he had lost the advantage of surprise. Maintaining his pace, Israel merely drew Apocalypse a few inches to be sure it was clear in its sheath, then allowed it to drop back down.

He hadn't been gone from the Treehouse long, a half hour or so at most, and he was still in the Atwold Forest, albeit a far flung corner of it. He had arranged to meet the spokesperson for Aincrad Today, Goliner, at a clearing nearby, but that wasn't for a few minutes yet, and he was still some distance from the meeting point.

Walking more softly and halting his breathing, Israel strained his ears to listen for any other followers. There were none.

Turning sharply to the left, Israel maintained a slow, deliberate composure as he disappeared behind an outcropping of rock and high grass. He turned another left, away from the outcropping and towards an area of dense yew trees with low hanging boughs. As he moved, he heard the footsteps now off to his right stop briefly before picking up at a faster, more purposeful pace.

Taking another left, Israel glided quietly through the trees until he caught sight of his pursuer. The man, completely oblivious as to what had just happened, continued moving cautiously forward, darting from tree to tree and scanning the area ahead. He wore a lincoln green cloak and hood that covered his armor and face, and had no doubt been designed for forest camouflage. If he had looked back once, he would've seen Israel drawing up behind him. Confident of his stealth, the man never did.

Closing the distance between them, Israel drew his sword. The ring of steel filled the air, and before the man could draw his own weapon, Israel was right behind him with the gleaming bloodred edge of Apocalypse pressed to his neck. With his armored right hand, Israel seized the hilt of the player's sword, holding it down before it could be reached for.

"Why are you following me?"

The player tensed, and Israel could hear him sneer in spite of his terror. "Shadow of Death."

Israel pressed Apocalypse harder against the man's throat.

"Yes, that's me. You must not be very bright, coming after me alone."

"I wasn't trying to kill you...yet." The player squirmed slightly, but Israel allowed Apocalypse to make a small cut. The man froze against the pain.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I'm with Fury's Fire."


	78. Author's Note

Hey everyone, I just have a few announcements to make.

First, I'm very happy to inform everyone that today I crossed my personal milestone of obtaining over 5,000 views for my story, Brothers In Arms. It might seem a little strange to think that of those thousands who read the chapters I put out pretty consistently, only 11 are officially following the story at this time, but I don't mind. As long as people enjoy my story, that's all that really matters to me. That being said, I am extremely grateful for the support and kindness from those 11 who took the effort to let me know how much they care for my fanfic, whether in words or in favorites. It is for you guys that I try to keep up a schedule and not procrastinate.

Second, I'd like to apologize for the delay in a new chapter. Yesterday I began experiencing some problems with the writing service I use, and I have been unable to access my story and the new chapter I have already completed. I tried fixing the problem today, but no luck. As it's appearing like it may be a few days before I fix this problem and get a new chapter out, I just wanted to give you all a head's up and an apology in advance. As soon as I find a solution, I'll get the chapters posted.

Third, I just wanted to let everyone who might be interested know that I've nearly completed an original fantasy/sci-fi novel that I intend to pursue a publishing contract for, and I will shortly be uploading it to my account of the same name at FictionPress. So, if you're interested, keep an eye out on that site! The book will be called The Moonstone.

Right, that about wraps everything up. Thank you for reading, and I'd like to apologize once more for the technical problems I'm facing that will probably delay the upcoming chapters of Brothers In Arms for a while. Cheers everyone!


	79. Chapter 78

Author's Note: Thanks to a very good friend of mine (none other than Jae himself) stepping in to help me fix my computer, everything is up and working again. Thank you for your patience everyone, and here's the new chapter.

78

July 18th, 2023

Floor 39, Atwold Forest

Israel shrugged. "That's nice."

The man paused for a moment in surprise. "I said, I'm with the guild Fury's Fire."

He spoke as if he had just made a dramatic reveal and now expected Israel to cower in fear.

"Good for you, I heard you the first time. Am I supposed to care?"

The man licked his lips. "Fury's Fire. We are a powerful orange guild, vassals to Laughing Coffin. You made a big mistake, making an enemy of us, when you killed four of our members without provacation at the Kern River."

Israel rolled his eyes even though the man was facing the other way and couldn't see. "Never heard of you. I've killed so many people, it becomes difficult trying to identify their corpses. I do remember killing some players at the Kern, though. Weaklings who were torturing a defenseless, unarmed green player." He leaned in, close to the man's ear. "They didn't put up much of a fight."

The player snarled with hatred. "You came upon them like a coward from behind. It wasn't a fair fight. You killed them, and now you will suffer. The members of Fury's Fire are all hardened Beta Testers. We will see justice brought to you."

Israel laughed. "Is that why you were following me? To slit my throat and gain the glory of taking down the Shadow of Death all by yourself?"

"No." The man spat in disgust. "My task, as the best scout, was to find you and discover where you lived. I already know you stay somewhere here in the Atwold Forest." He paused to let out a bitter laugh. "I already sent my guild the news. You may kill me, but it's too late. They'll scour the region day and night, and they _will_ find you. They want to bathe in your blood. They want to hear you scream. Justice will be delivered. And when Fury's Fire finally kills you, all of Aincrad will fear and respect us, including PoH."

Israel slit the man's throat with a lazy, effortless pull of his sword.

"Shame you won't live to see it."

A gurgling sound escaped the player's mouth as he tried to draw a breath, and then his health hit zero. Israel sheathed his sword and turned as the cloud of shards flew past him.

Israel walked cautiously through the remainder of the woods in his path as he made for the clearing. If it was true that an orange guild knew he dwelt in the forest, it was possible that he could be set upon at any moment if he wasn't careful. He considered turning back, but thought better of it. He needed to speak to Goliner. So long as he kept silent and hidden within the forest, he would be safe. But for how long? Even if the orange player had been bluffing, Israel had to assume his position was now compromised. And he didn't think the man had been bluffing.

If the orange players knew where he was, they would bring the entire community of player killers down on him, with PoH at their head. He didn't stand a chance against an army. If he left, though, the majority of his gear and supplies, not to mention the potions that Sara had been making for him, would be lost. The girl herself- easily the greatest loss of all- would be rescued and redouble her efforts in making potions to aid her guild and vassals. Kept under close guard night and day forever after, she would be impossible to eliminate, let alone recapture. Left to her own devices, she would be the end of him and give Laughing Coffin the advantage all over again. All the work he had put into spreading the rumor of the Shadow of Death would dissipate with news of her escape from right under his nose, and then…

Israel shook his head irritably as he smoothly glided around a birch tree that had lost most of it's leaves. He was thinking of the problems, and not of the solution. He needed to think. He went over what the orange player had told him in his mind. The man had been spiteful and brave, but in that bravery, he had talked too much. He had revealed, both by his tone and words, that Fury's Fire was envious of PoH, and by extension Laughing Coffin, at best, and hated them at worst. Fury's Fire wanted the glory of eliminating the Shadow of Death all to themselves, and believed they could do it. That meant…

With an icy flash of realization, Israel knew what he had to do. He would need to act fast, as soon as he was done speaking with Goliner. Quickening the pace, he kept his senses alert as he plodded on through the dense, dark woods.

About twenty minutes later, as he sat stone still on one knee in the midst of some thick undergrowth overlooking the clearing, Israel saw the air in the center of the grove come alive with glimmering light. A circular, seven foot tall portal materialized from nothing, and out of it stepped Goliner.

The short, squat man was well armored and carried a long sword at his belt, but Israel could tell right away, as he always could, that the green player had no idea how to use it by the way in which he awkwardly tried to offset the imbalance to his right side. The man's hair was hidden by a small flat topped wool hat that made him appear more a merchant or peasant than a newspaper spokesman.

Goliner's eyes darted around in concern and apprehension as he stood in the center of the grove, the portal disappearing behind him. He and Israel had spoken several times now, but Israel was still a player killer, and the man wasn't very good at hiding his fears.

Emerging from the underbrush, Israel stepped into the clearing several feet in front of the man.

Goliner jumped back in surprise as he took in Israel's masked face and hood.

"Mr. Shadow! I didn't see you there."

Israel swept a quick gaze around the clearing, than focused his attention on Goliner.

"I don't have much time today, Goliner, so let's make this brief. What's this new name business about?"

Goliner adjusted the hat on his head. "Right, about that..."

Israel scowled. "Don't make up any excuses. I'm not paying you for it, and I expect the 'Spirit of Vengeance' to stop finding it's way onto the front page."

Goliner waved his hands dramatically. "But, sir, the Spirit of Vengeance is you. We never added the name to your description and exploits for the sake of more money. At least, not your money. It was to increase publicity."

Israel frowned. "Publicity?"

The man nodded enthusiastically. "We've kept to our side of the contract, no mistake about that. The addition of the Spirit of Vengeance was simply our way of taking advantage of the results of the spreading news and helping both you and Aincrad Today. The entire player community knows about you now, knows about your mission of revenge. The players all still know you as the Shadow of Death, particularly the orange players from what we can tell, but a large percentage of the green players began circulating their own name for you when rumors and gossip began going around along with our papers."

"What rumors?"

Goliner looked glad for the question and unfolded his hands expansively. "Rumors are inevitable when big news spreads around the cities. You've been on the front page for quite some time now, and as such, players want to know more about you. It's human nature to want to uncover mysteries. You're a very mysterious person, sir, if you don't mind my saying. Thanks to your exploits and our constant publications, the Shadow of Death spread like wildfire and has become almost legend by now. The majority of the green player population fears you, as you wanted, but a good many also view you in a more romanticized light, as a haunted man who fights for revenge. As such, it was inevitable that other names for you began emerging. The Spirit of Vengeance was merely the strongest, most popular name being spread around, so we at Aincrad Today took the initiative and added it to your other epithet. We never stopped calling you the Shadow of Death, we simply took advantage of the popular tales going around and used the talk to further generate interest in you."

Israel arched an eyebrow a the short man. "And in so doing earn yourself substantial profit increases."

"I won't deny that." Goliner admitted. "The chance for extra purchases crossed our minds. That's how businesses work, after all; taking advantage of the market. But we knew that you wanted your legend to spread to all of Aincrad, and adding this new name along with the Shadow of Death aids that goal."

Israel thought it over for a moment. The 'Spirit of Vengeance' didn't sound as frightening or straightforward as the Shadow of Death, but he supposed it didn't downplay the fear factor he was trying to instill in potential orange player volunteers. Goliner was right about the fact that spreading the legend was his main interest. The whole point of the name at all, and the spreading of it, had been to produce fear and a promise of retribution for any who considered becoming player killers. He hadn't expected any admirers, much less another name generated by the public in order to satiate their illusions of who he was, but it wasn't hurting or hampering his efforts, so who cared?

"Alright." Israel said firmly. "Good argument, Goliner. I'm inclined to agree."

The spokesman sagged with relief.

"You may continue calling me the Spirit of Vengeance alongside the Shadow of Death in the papers you produce." Israel went on. "Just be sure that you don't make any more changes without my prior knowledge and consent."

He turned to go.

"You're leaving?" Goliner asked in surpsie. "I thought you wanted to discuss further updates as far as statistical progress and begin negotiations for the next month of-"

"You know I don't negotiate, Goliner." Israel said without turning. "The next month of our agreement will carry over the same way this one has. As far as updates go, I'm sure everything is well in hand and I've learned all I wanted to learn. Don't die before our next meeting."

Stepping back into the treeline, Israel set out to hunt down Fury's Fire.

Several hours later, as he crouched down in front of a dried muddy stream, Israel blinked. The footprints were gone.

He had begun the search for any members of Fury's Fire immediately after cutting short the meeting and leaving Goliner. He wanted to eliminate the threat, and the only thing he had been really interested in discussing was the new name for him going around. Now that he was sure the Spirit of Vengeance title wouldn't interrupt his plans, he needed to focus on destroying the orange guild. They may not have known where the Treehouse was, but they knew he was in the Atwold Forest, and that was close enough.

Going off of that knowledge, Israel had begun scouring the woods for traces of the players. He wasn't entirely sure how many there were, but it didn't matter. He had to assume the whole guild now knew of his whereabouts, so he would kill them all because each was a threat. They could be given no time to hesitate in their thirst for his blood, because hesitation would mean consideration of calling for aid. If they did that, knowledge of his location would quickly spread to all of the orange players yet alive. He needed to kill them all before such a thing occurred.

But now he had lost the trail.

It had been easy to pick up; the players appeared to have entered the woods together in a loose column of perhaps six or seven. That many people travelling in the same direction created obvious disturbances and easily followed tracks wherever they went, forcing branches aside, creating imprints in the dirt, and kicking up leaves, among other telltale signs. After finding the trail, Israel had pursued quietly and from a safe distance, slowly gaining speed in order to eventually close with them without being discovered himself. Yet now, at the nearly empty streambed filled with mud and rocks, all trace of them had vanished.

Scanning the ground directly ahead and around him, Israel saw that no tracks started up again. It was as if the group of orange players had simply vanished. The thought crossed his mind that perhaps they had used teleport crystals, but that didn't make sense. They were after him and now had every reason to believe he was soon to be within their power. Why would they leave.

Discounting the notion, Israel rose to his feet. No, they wouldn't have left. He had made sure…

A dim, distant pain lanced up his side.

Instinctively, almost without even thinking about it, Israel grasped at the pain and drew it without hesitation into himself, but that was all he could do. Without so much as a blink, he went down, the ground tilting as it rose up to meet him. He knew what had just hit him.

It was a paralysis dart.

…

The corridor crystal shattered in Ranson's left hand. In his right, his fingers tightened around the hilt of the Shadow of Death's gleaming red sword. It was a fine blade, worthy of the guild leader of Fury's Fire. Turning from his living prize as Ulick and Rachel dragged the Shadow ahead, Ranson took one last look through the portal into the Atwold Forest to be sure they weren't followed. It wouldn't do to have someone discover what had just happened. Wouldn't do at all. That sadistic bastard PoH would be beyond furious. The man had been in a blood frenzy ever since his bitch had been lost to him on account of the Shadow. While Ranson could understand such heart ache at the prospect of losing one so loved, he found it difficult feeling sympathetic towards a power hungry dictator like PoH, especially when that dictator looked down his nose at Ranson the Great. The overlord of the orange players viewed him as nothing, and Ranson never forgot what the man had called him in front of his own guild: 'an unimportant, self-obsessed fool, a miscreant forever bickering over scraps.' Now, PoH had proven himself the fool. Since the loss of his bitch, the dictator had murdered dozens in his blind rage.

Ranson scowled at the thought. Such loss of control was hardly fitting of the most powerful player in Aincrad. The man had no tact. Killing people was all well and good- in fact, Ranson had no doubt he'd be dealing out far greater death when he was at last in command- but it had to be done tastefully. Killing one's servants when they were loyal and could be of use was wasteful. Only Ranson himself was worthy of ruling over the orange player community. And now, he had all but guaranteed that destiny. Once word of his victory over the Shadow of Death spread, all the orange players would know that he had done what PoH could not. He would rule.

"On the ground!" Ulick screamed from behind him. "And don't move!"

Turning back as the portal closed behind him, Ranson saw Ulick kick the Shadow of Death in what appeared to be his face, nearly ripping off the bag they had put over his head after paralyzing him. Their prisoner dropped to the ground, and Ranson could see him twitch as he attempted to move in spite of the paralysis holding him down.

"Are you deaf?" Rachel hissed at the pathetic form in front of them. "He said don't move!"

She kicked him in the side with all her strength, and Ranson thought he heard ribs crack.

Stepping excitedly forward, Ranson gestured for his friends to keep going as he began stomping down on the Shadow's back. Following his command, the two of them eagerly stepped forward and unleashed a barrage of kicks and punches on the crumpled form of the murderer before them. They held nothing back, and Ranson felt sweat bead his brow as the minutes ticked by. They beat him viciously and with wild abandon, and the Shadow of Death simply laid there, like a dog that had finally learned it's place.

A slender arm suddenly wrapped itself around the front of his chest, and Ranson froze as a grin spread across his face.

"Don't kill him before we get a chance to have some proper revenge, Ranson."

Turning around, Ranson took Nimwe in his arms, kissing her lustily as her long blonde hair tumbled out around them both. She purred at the kiss and wrapped a leg around him as her lips parted and her tongue raked along the front of his teeth. As they kissed, he was dimly aware of Royse and Ethan shuffling past them to join Rachel and Ulick. The dull, sickening thuds of boots and fists coming down on human flesh sent tremors of glee tingling through Ranson's body. His plan had paid off.

Nimwe pulled away from him to catch her breath, and he could see the pride in her eyes, as well as the arousal. She dragged a finger along his lips. "You've done it, guild leader. You've captured the Shadow of Death himself."

He beamed at her. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever met.

"I couldn't have done it without you, Nimwe. You're everything a man could want. Now, let's have our vengeance on this monster for what he did."

Blood lust filled her hazel eyes, making his breath catch in his throat. Licking her lips suggestively as her eyes promised a reward later when they were done, Nimwe broke out of their embrace and stepped over to the other guild members.

"Stop for a moment, everyone. I want to see his face."

Ranson turned and strode up beside her, lacing an arm around her waist as Royce removed the bag from their prisoner's head. He tore off the hood and face mask as well, then stepped back to complete the circle they had formed around the murderer.

The Shadow's cobalt blue eyes took them all in briefly, then halted on Nimwe and Ranson. With handsome, prince charmingesque facial features and a sharp, square jaw flecked with dark blonde stubble, not to mention the long, shoulder length blonde hair that fell almost to his broad shoulders, the man wasn't what Ranson had expected. The killer couldn't move, but he managed to raise his chin defiantly at Nimwe as she took a tentative step forward, exposing his partially broken jawbone and badly cut lip.

"So," Nimwe said in a dark tone that tingled Ranson with arousal. "You're the legendary Shadow of Death. The Spirit of Vengeance. What's your real name?"

The Shadow glared at her without fear. He opened his mouth slightly to speak, but first had to spit out several teeth. "You're the first person in a long time to ask me that."

Ranson felt his face heat at the man's careless, disrespectful tone. Stepping forward, he backhanded the player with his gloved hand, knocking the man to the ground.

"When my wife asks you a question, you answer."

Rachel and Ulick pulled the man back onto his knees as Nimwe leaned in.

"I asked for your name."

The player blinked at her, flames dancing in his cobalt eyes. "My name is Israel."

"Israel." Nimwe scoffed disdainfully. "Not nearly as intimidating as I thought it would be, given all those big titles of yours."

The Shadow fixed her in a murderous glare, and Ranson felt Nimwe stiffen against him as she fell back a step.

In a rage, Ranson stepped forward and brought the heel of his boot down onto his captive's face.

"I don't particularly appreciate the looks you're giving my wife, you piece of shit!" He kicked him again before he could rise. "You worthless fucking murderer!"

As if spurred on by his fury, the members of Ranson's guild joined him, mercilessly beating the crumpled player as they laughed or spat at him. Ranson didn't laugh. He didn't spit. His vision was red and blurry as he attacked the Shadow, punching him deliberately in his cracked ribs and other injured areas to inflict further pain. He wanted nothing more than to exact full vengeance for the loss of his family. For the loss of his family to this madman's red sword.

After a long, brutal moment, Ranson forced himself to step back, reigning in his volcanic fury before he killed the man prematurely. The others quickly took the hint and followed his lead, returning to their place in the circle around their victim.

The Shadow of Death didn't bother trying to get up this time and merely writhed on the dirt floor of their cave, gasping for breath.

Amused by the sight, Ranson laughed.

"The mighty Israel, Spirit of Vengeance, Shadow of Death, crawling in the dirt like a worm."

He gave the man one last kick in the side for good measure, sending him sprawling into the dirt. Kneeling close beside him, Randon gripped the Shadow by his long blonde hair and wrenched his head up until their faces were inches apart. "You don't know how long we've all been waiting for this. You killed four members of my family. Did you know that?

The Shadow coughed, and Ranson couldn't tell whether is was the pain from the beating or the paralysis that was making it hard for him to speak.

"Is that...what you call...your fellow murderers? Family?"

Ranson backhanded him again, chuckling as the man hit the dirt face first.

"That is what I call all the members of my guild." He stood, unfolding his arms expansively around at the circle of players gathered in the cave. "They are all my family."

He cleared his throat, then spoke loudly and with pride as he studied the faces of his loving family. "Fellow members of Fury's Fire. I have waited patiently for all of us to be here, exacting justice upon this man, this fucking killer." As he spoke, he saw the four of them draw their weapons. This is what they had been waiting for.

"He has caused us all pain beyond belief. He took Emma from us! He took Mike, Frusell, and Weaver as well! They didn't know him. They had never done a single thing to him in their lives! And yet, he killed them as easily as if they were mobs in a dungeon. He's no better than the players who scorn and hate Beta Testers like us!"

The others were practically shaking with rage as they listened, their eyes fixed on the downed player before them.

"It is time," Ranson continued, "that we punished him for his crimes. It is time for our prisoner to finally see justi-"

The Shadow of Death rose casually to his feet.

"I don't think you understand the situation."

Ranson froze, his mouth still open as he stared in confusion. He felt Nimwe lean back against him in sudden apprehension.

The Shadow was smiling at him, but the blue flames within his eyes gleamed with such menace that Ranson almost forgot how to breath.

It made no sense. He was sure the paralysis potion would have lasted longer than that. Far longer. None had ever worn off that quickly before.

The Shadow wiped dirt from his lips as he looked at them all. "Since it appears you don't know what's happening here, I'm going to clear up any misunderstanding you may have had." He leaned in close as his smile grew. Ranson felt Nimwe tremble slightly as they both stood mute in surprise, confusion, and cold fear.

"I'm not your prisoner." The Shadow of Death's grin disappeared. His armored right hand clenched into a fist. "You are all mine."

Screaming hatefully, Royse charged forward, bringing his sword down towards the murderer's head. Without even bothering to look away from Ranson's eyes, the Shadow lifted his steel backed hand and with remarkable speed grabbed hold of Royse's blade in mid swing.

Still looking at him, the Shadow of Death squeezed, shattering the sword into a thousand pieces. For the first time in almost a year, Ranson felt terror well up inside him.

Before Royse could take a step back, the Shadow had seized him by the throat with his left hand

With a collective roar, Ranson, Nimwe, Ulick, and Rachel all rushed forward to cut him down.

Then the world went truly mad.

Ranson swung the red and black sword, hearing it sing as it pierced the air, but before he could connect the blow, the Shadow's steel coated arm spun around and backhanded him. A high pitched scream escaped his throat as he felt his jaw break and most of his teeth shatter as they flew out of his mouth. Still screaming as his vision flickered under the unbearable agony now coursing through him, Ranson was dimly aware of hitting the ground. In front of him, he saw Ulick's blade close in on the Shadow. Just as he lunged for the killer's heart, the Shadow yanked a struggling Royse in front of him by the throat. Ulick's sword ran the man through.

Abandoning his hold over the now exploding Royse, the Shadow whipped around, dodging Rachel's swing and coming up behind her. Before she had a chance to even cry out, his powerful arms wrapped around her throat and snapped her neck with brutal efficiency.

Nimwe slashed at him as Rachel collapsed, and though he managed to dart back from the majority of the killing cut, she still managed to slice open a deep vertical gash along the player's chest.

Ranson could do nothing to hold back his screams of pain as he watched. Following up on her success, Nimwe swung her scimitar in an effort to decapitate the killer. At the same time, Ulick brought his own sword down with both arms. The Shadow darted nimbly underneath Nimwe's assault, then deftly grabbed her sword arm with both of his hands and snapped her arm back at the elbow. Nimwe let out a shrill scream as her forearm folded back and a thick bone tore itself free of her flesh. The Shadow snatched up her sword once her grip faltered and was about to round on Ulick when the big man's sword made contact, burying itself deep into the man's shoulder.

Through the twisting agony lancing up from his broken jaw and teeth, Ranson almost managed a grin. The pain of such a wound would take the fight right out of the Shadow, leaving him open for the killing blow.

Ulick ripped his sword free and with a scream of righteous anger brought the weapon down one last time.

Raising his armored forearm above his head without a moment's pause, the Shadow blocked the attack. The sound of crashing steel reverberated around the cave. Then, with Nimwe's sword in his left hand, he lunged, stabbing Ulick in the heart.

The whole ordeal had lasted only seconds, but Ranson felt as though he had already seen the nightmare replay itself a thousand times in his head. His and Nimwe's screams intermingled with each other as she toppled to the ground near him and clutched madly at her destroyed arm.

Stepping out of the thick mist of pixelated shards, the Shadow of Death emerged in front of Nimwe's weeping body, her pale blue sword in his hands.

"Please!" Ranson gasped through the pain as he struggled to rise. "Don't hurt her! Don't-"

Without ceremony, the Shadow brought the sword down on Nimwe's head. Bits of brain and fragments of skull exploded outward for a fraction of a second before dissolving into shards alongside her corpse.

"No!" Ranson screamed in pain, sorrow, and pure rage. His grip on the red and black sword tightened, and he somehow got to his feet.

The Shadow of Death cocked his head at him.

"You going to hurt me, Ranson?" He smirked in mocking amusement. "Well, are you?"

Howling in fury, Ranson allowed the image of Nimwe's death to fill his mind, using the rage to fight the pain and power his swing as he prepared to cleave the Shadow's upper body from his legs.

He never came close.

Dropping Nimwe's blade rather than try to block the legendary red sword, the Shadow instead dodged the blow and then came back up with a punch of his armored fist to Ranson's gut.

It felt like his insides had just turned to mush.

No longer in control of his body, Ranson dropped the sword as he doubled over and desperately tried to suck in some air.

In a blink, the Shadow of Death had him by throat and with his steel covered arm lifted him up against the cave wall. With his other hand, he caught hold of the red sword before it hit the ground and began pressing it to Ranson's belly.

Ranson's face was mere inches from the Shadow's, and he could see the man's deathly cold and haunted gaze behind the dancing blue flames. In that gaze, he could even see the reflection of his own terror stricken eyes.

"How did you...the paralysis..." Ranson managed to whisper through his broken teeth.

The Shadow arched an eyebrow. "You really thought that would work on me? You certainly aren't a very intelligent man. Now, you've paid the price." He leaned in a bit. "Before I kill you, I just want you to know that it's your fault all of your friends have just died. It's your fault you're about to die. You came after me thinking you didn't need the help of Laughing Coffin, or any other orange players. You wanted the glory for yourself. You were greedy. That greed was your downfall. I knew that if I let you believe you had caught me, you and your guild would take me back to your base. I knew you and your friends were aware of the region in which I reside, so I couldn't afford to let any of you live. By your tracks in the woods, I suspected you were all present, but I had to be sure. The only way to be sure I had you all was by allowing you to bring me back here to your base. If I had attacked you in the woods, you would quickly have realized that you needed back up and may have managed to send a message to PoH. This I could not allow. By making you think I was completely helpless and at your mercy, you had no reason to want reinforcements. Now the secret of my whereabouts dies with you."

Ranson sobbed as tears flowed down his cheeks in twin rivers. "Please...please no..."

"Goodbye, Ranson."

The last thing he felt was the razor sharp tip of the red sword as it struck his heart. His health evaporated, and Ranson saw his body glimmer and then explode into shards as a sign appeared briefly above his head.

 _You are dead_


	80. Chapter 79

79

July 18th, 2023

Floor 24, Livern Cavern

 _Congratulations!_

 _You have been awarded a Unique Skill for achieving the following requirements:_

 _First Player to kill 200 other Players_

 _Unique Skill unlocked:_

 _Demonic Blade_

Standing amidst the mist of pixelated shards that had only seconds before been Ranson, leader of Fury's Fire, Israel could do nothing but stare at the screen in bewilderment for a long moment. He had no idea what a Unique Skill was, much less the specified Demonic Blade. His eyes lingered on the third line down on the bright screen in front of him: _first Player to kill 200 other players._

Israel was shocked at the number. He had been killing orange players for so long now, and so methodically, that their numbers had never once crossed his mind. He had suspected he had killed more people, real people, than most anyone else in Aincrad, but this message confirmed it. He was more of a killer than every last one of the orange players. Than PoH himself.

Recovering from the surprise of the screen before him, Israel closed it and opened his menu. Swiping through screens, he at last found his Skills page. Straining his eyes, he examined it carefully.

 _Skill_ _Level_

 _One Handed Longsword 627/1000_

 _Acrobatics 492/1000_

 _Sprint 450/1000_

 _Stealth 534/1000_

 _Martial Arts 613/1000_

 _Detection 498/1000_

 _Tracking 570/1000_

 _Potion Mixing 204/1000_

 _Demonic Blade 1/1000_

Israel looked at his newest skill for a moment before tapping it to open its Sword Skill tree. There was only one available Sword Skill, but at Level One, that was to be expected. Next to the name ran the usual skill description: _Unholy Counter- A defensive counter move, Unholy Counter can only be executed when being attacked. Once activated, Unholy Counter will target the opposing weapon at its weakest point, causing vibrations and glancing the weapon aside or, depending on the level and durability of said weapon, destroy it. This is then followed by a quick diagonal slash for medium damage._

Israel liked the idea, but he knew to only ever use his new Sword Skill against mobs. All Player Killers had long ago learned never to use Sword Skills against a living opponent. The rigid, obvious moves were risky enough already without the system taking over to execute the attack, and being unable to reverse the commitment was a death sentence against a competent fighter. Israel still fought mobs fairly often during the night when he was out hunting, but they were weak and he only killed them because they got in his way or threatened to reveal his presence to the orange players he was after. He doubted he would ever find much actual use for Unholy Counter, but he still liked having a new Sword Skill to use as a last resort in his arsenal.

Satisfied, Israel was about to close the menu when he noticed another unlocked skill at the bottom of Demonic Blade's skill tree. He peered down to better see the words: _Passive Skill- Servant of the Underworld (+5,000 Maximum Hitpoints, +20 Strength, +20 Agility)._

Israel closed his menu and checked his stats. Sure enough, his HP had gone up by five thousand and his total Strength and Agility had each increased by twenty. He shrugged to himself. He didn't much care for being called a 'Servant of the Underworld,' but he decided that being freely given a boost to his stats was worth just about any name.

…

Sara awoke from her uncomfortable, restless sleep when she heard the sound of grating wood. Someone had just entered the Treehouse. From where she was at the top floor, she had no way of knowing who it was. For all she knew, it could be a member of Laughing Coffin sent to rescue her who had perhaps stumbled upon the door.

Sara lifted her head from the hardwood floor and pulled a loose wisp of her long silver hair back into the tangled mess the rest of her hair had become. Sitting up as best she could in spite of the chain biting at her ankle, she straightened her back and listened. A yawn came to her, but she held it down, her attention focused on trying to discern the distant footsteps far below her. She tried to tell herself not to get too hopeful, but she couldn't help it.

When she slept, and wasn't having nightmares about the Shadow of Death hacking apart all those innocent people, she dreamed of PoH breaking into the Treehouse and hacking off the chain that held her with righteous fury. Her heart quickened at the thought. She had never been sure if she loved PoH, but she knew without a doubt that she loved freedom and would give anything for it now that she had lost it. Maybe, just maybe…

"Israel?" Came Tristan's friendly voice from down below.

Sara sagged, her impossible little dreams shattering along with her hope of liberation. A tear or two welled up in her sleep glazed eyes, but she rubbed them away.

"Israel?" Tristan asked again, his voice carrying a little louder this time. "You here?"

Annoyed by his continued questioning, and now fully ready to simply lay back down and try to get whatever extra sleep she yet could before the Shadow returned and forced her to keep working, Sara answered, talking loudly so her words carried down the stairs.

"He's not here, Tristan. He's been gone since last night. I'm sure if you come back later he'll be here waiting."

"Thank you, Sara!" His tone was sincere, as it always was, but at this moment Sara was in no mood to hear it.

Smoothing down the folds of her torn black dress, Sara was about to lay back down on her hands- the least uncomfortable solution to laying on a cold floor- when she heard Tristan pounding up the stairs.

Sitting back up, Sara muttered a curse under her breath for saying anything. Now Tristan would keep her up. Though her dreams were usually less than pleasant these days, sleep was the only escape she had from her imprisonment, the only time she could forget what she was being used for, the players she was killing by helping the Shadow of Death.

Tristan's thick head of long black hair appeared at the top of the stairs first, quickly followed by the rest of him as he emerged and made his way over to her. His hand waved in greeting as he smiled.

"Thanks for letting me know."

Sara scowled. "I heard you the first time, Tristan."

Dropping his hand back to his side, the shop owner nodded sheepishly. "Sorry, I just wasn't sure if you had heard me."

Against her will, Sara felt a pang of regret at speaking so harshly to him. Much as she tried to hate him alongside the Shadow, she couldn't help but like him too. Tristan was one of the kindest people she had ever met. In his eyes there was no malice, no hatred. He didn't like hurting people. Every time he visited the Treehouse to trade with the Shadow or make business deals, the frail, cheerful little man would go out of his way to be kind to Sara and even help her with the potion making if he had time. In the weeks since her capture, and in spite of herself, she had come to view him as a friend. She just couldn't fathom why he would be in league with Justice.

She did her best to smile. "Sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you. You woke me with the noise when you came in, so I guess I got a bit startled."

Tristan shook his head to ward off the apology, but then stopped and frowned. "You sleep on the floor?"

"Of course."

"Is it comfortable?"

She blinked at him. "What do you think, Tristan?"

He scratched his head. "Sorry, I just thought you wouldn't want to sleep on the floor."

She gestured around. "Where else would I sleep?"

"I don't know, I guess I just thought you slept on the bed."

Sara glanced at the mattress in the corner of the room, far from her reach. She returned her gaze to Tristan and arched an eyebrow as she pointed to the chain on her ankle.

"I'm a prisoner, Tristan."

He shrugged. "To be fair, you forced Israel to put that chain on you because of what you did."

"Yes, what an unfortunate victim he is. How dare I make his life more difficult for trying to regain mine."

Tristan shifted his feet uncomfortably. "I understand why you tried to run, but I did warn you to do as he said. Still…" He walked over to the bed and began hauling it over, the wooden legs making a creaking sound as they dragged along the floor. "I'm sure Israel would agree that we can afford to keep the bed within reach of the chain so you can sleep." He paused and glanced at her with a lopsided smile. "Unless you have some potion that can turn the mattress into a weapon too."

She ignored his friendly joke. "Much as I enjoy your company, Tristan, I have potions I need to be working on. Is there something I can help you with?"

Once he had dragged the bed over until it was close enough for her to lay on without pulling the chain, Tristan released it and opened his menu.

"No, but I thought there was something I could help you with."

"And would that be?"

As if on queue, two large bowls of soup appeared in Tristan's hands. A mouthwatering aroma of onion, garlic, and basil suddenly filled the air. Sara's jaw nearly dropped at the sight.

Though hunger was a artificial in the world of Aincrad, it still felt very real. Since he captured her, the Shadow hadn't bothered to feed her once. Tristan had brought her food before, but those wonderful days were few and far between, and most of the time he only had travel food like dried jerky or fruit. The tantalizing scents and sight of an actual meal sent her stomach reeling and forced her to gulp down her saliva.

Handing her one of the bowls along with a small wooden spoon, Tristan gestured for her to join him as he sat down on the floor and leaned against the bark wall. Scooting back, Sara eased herself next to him and leaned back as well. Her eyes never left the bowl as she reverently scooped up a spoonful of sausage and carrots. She brought the spoon to her lips and closed her eyes in bliss as she chewed. It was the most wonderful thing she had ever tasted.

Though she was tempted to scarf the soup down, Sara forced herself to slow down and savor it. She and Tristan ate silently, and the more she ate, the more Sara was convinced that she would never be able to finish the whole thing. To her surprise, she did.

Setting the empty bowl on the floor beside her, Sara leaned her head back against the wall.

"Thank you, Tristan."

He smiled sheepishly. "No one should go hungry, in my opinion. It's a terrible feeling, being hungry. Like a burning pit in your stomach that just gets bigger and bigger and never goes away."

She looked at him from the corner of her eye. "Sounds like you know a lot about it."

He shrugged. "My family was poor when I was younger. It was always a struggle, making ends meet. Between me, my mother, and my four sisters, there was never enough to go around."

"I'm sorry. It must've been hard."

He waved a dismissive hand. "It was a long time ago, back when I was a child. Things have gotten better since then. My mother married a wealthy business owner, and he in turn provided me with a job at his food store. We got on much better, thanks to him." He chuckled suddenly. "In fact, he was the one who bought me the NerveGear and one of the copies of SAO as an early Christmas present...I hope he doesn't blame himself for what happened. He's a good guy."

He fell silent, and Sara looked at him a moment. "Tristan."

He glanced up at her with an inquisitive smile. "Yes?"

"Why are you on the same side as the Shadow of Death?"

His smile vanished. "Sara…"

"I mean it." She pointed at him. "These past few weeks, I've come to know you pretty well. You're not a killer, Tristan. You're a good man. You just want to help people. You've been nothing but kind to me. I know you may not view it like this, but I consider you a friend."

He arched an eyebrow. "Do you always attack your friends?"

"I had a choice when I made my escape." She replied firmly. "That choice was to hit you with either a sleeping potion, or something far more permanent."

His eyes widened. "I see."

Sara twisted around to face him, the chain rattling on the floor as she adjusted her foot.

"Tristan, you should be with us. Why would you willingly help that physcopath?"

Tristan frowned at her. "You've got it all wrong-"

"Do I?" She gestured at the chain. "I'm a prisoner, Tristan. A slave. You do understand that, don't you? If that's not enough, think of all the people he's killed. Can you imagine him loose in the real world?"

"You don't know the first thing about him." Tristan affirmed. "Contrary to what you believe, Israel cares a great deal for life. Since this game began, he's risked his life to save mine on more than one occasion, and one of those times was not from mobs."

Sara frowned in puzzlement. "What do you mean? Was it Justice?"

Tristan shook his head. "I don't know anything about this Justice player that you're always talking about. I was attacked-"

"Justice isn't one player!" Sara said in amazement. "Justice is a green player guild. They're one of the most powerful organizations in the game, rivaling the size of Laughing Coffin's empire." How could he not know this?

Tristan blinked in confusion. "I've never heard of them. As far as I know, the only powerful green player organizations in Aincrad are the two Clearer guilds: the Holy Dragon Alliance and the Knights of the Blood-Oath, and then of course there's the Army, which now rules the entire First Floor from their headquarters at the Black Iron Palace. Regardless, it wasn't them or this Justice guild that captured me and laughed as they started to slowly kill me. It was orange players."

Sara's head reeled in confusion as she tried to make sense of what Tristan was telling her. How on earth could he not know about Justice? They dominated most of the green player community. Their brutality and hatred for Beta Testers was the reason PoH had risen up in revolt. What they did to her son, to her sweet Jeffrey, was the reason she had…

"It was Israel who found me while they were torturing me." Tristan continued, oblivious to her utter puzzlement. "He didn't even hesitate. He crossed the treacherous Kern River to get to me, then fought all four of them. Four! He defeated them all to save me. Yes, he killed them, but God knows they deserved it. Sara, they were laughing as they cut me."

Sara forced herself from her thoughts about Justice and brought her focused gaze back to Tristan.

"I'm sorry for what happened to you. You must have been attacked by a rogue guild. There are orange players that aren't in league with PoH, that don't want to serve the cause we fight for and merely want to hurt people. I won't deny that those who attacked you were evil, but you can't lump all orange players in with them. I hate Justice for the evil they've caused, for the crimes they've committed against Beta Testers, but I don't hate you for being green the same as they. The players who attacked you must have been on their own and not aligned with Laughing Coffin. They were evil, like the Shadow is."

Tristan shook his head. "You have no idea what Israel has been through. He took up arms against the orange players when Laughing Coffin attacked and murdered the woman he loved…"

He trailed off and fell silent.

Sara's eyes were suddenly very wide at what Tristan had just told her. Not at his mention of Laughing Coffin; that was impossible. Unless the woman had been with Justice, Laughing Coffin would never have targeted her. Green players didn't know much about the various factions and guilds within the orange player community. Laughing Coffin was by far the most well known, so it was doubtless a simple assumption on his part in saying that PoH's followers would have orchestrated such a thing. Most likely it had simply been another rogue guild of orange players, like those who had attacked Tristan, if he was to be believed.

No, it was something else he had just said that shocked her. That the Shadow of Death could love anyone seemed...impossible. If such a thing was true, than he had taken up the cause of vengeance for the life of the person he loved, just like she had. He wanted revenge on the orange players he viewed as evil for the same reason she served the cause of vengeance against the green players who had taken Jeffrey. She knew well the pang of loss, the empty misery of loneliness and despair. As much as she hated to admit it, Sara suddenly felt like she had more in common with the man she despised. Against her will, she found herself wanting to know more.

"Who was she?"

Tristan suddenly looked ashamed and shook his head somberly. "I've said too much. It's not for me to talk about such things." He glanced at her. "If you want to know more, you'll have to ask him. Not the Shadow, but Israel."

Taking their bowls and removing them to his inventory, Tristan got to his feet.

"I should get back to the shop. I'll check in later, to see if Israel's back. I do hope he's alright."

Tucking his long black hair into the back of his shirt to keep it out of the way, Tristan walked over to the stairs. Putting a hand to the rail, he paused just before taking a step down. He glanced over at her.

"All I will say is that there's more to Israel than you realize. Far more. He's a tortured soul, haunted by the loss of the woman he loved. Anyone who knew him at the time knew how much she meant to him. She was his whole heart. After...he disappeared without a trace for months. No one knew where he was, what had happened to him. Even now after all this time, I'm the only one that knows he's still alive." He paused and stared out the window, a distant look in his eyes. "I shouldn't be the only one. He should know too."

Sara frowned. "Who should know?"

Tristan blinked, but before he could answer, a rasping sound filled the air as the door downstairs opened and dragged along the bark floor.

Tristan brightened almost at once and looked down the stairs. Sara knew who it was by the soft, nimble footsteps as the man ascended the stairs. The Shadow was quite good at being silent and graceful when he wanted to be. Each time he had caught her in the woods, she had been amazed at how he had seemed to appear from out of nowhere.

Mentally readying herself for his cold, merciless demeanor and fiery blue eyes, Sara found herself completely unprepared for what emerged at the top of the stairs.

From the first time she had met him, Sara had only ever seen his eyes. The rest of his face may as well not have existed, covered as it was by his nightmarish black lower face mask and hood. She had grown so accustomed to the frightening, inhuman look that she couldn't have imagined what was beneath it even if she had tried. Now though, she saw it all.

Thick, dark blonde hair tumbled down around his face, nearly brushing his shoulders, and layered in such a way that it reminded her of the stereotypical Prince Charming pictures in old storybooks. His skin was tanned and he had blonde stubble scattered around his cheeks and chin, detracting from the look and adding a more rugged appearance, but the shape of his face, from his pronounced cheekbones to his square jaw, only confirmed the princelike appearance. His blue eyes burned with the same intensity, but seemed far more natural against the backdrop of the rest of his face. All told, he was unmistakably handsome. Against her will, and to her complete amazement and self-loathing, Sara found him almost...attractive.

"Tristan." Israel said with a smile. "I'm glad you're here. I stumbled across something I'd like to ask you about...in private."

Israel turned to Sara. He appraised her with the usual cold look. The look of hatred.

"One of your immunity potions came in handy for me this morning. Just thought you'd like to know."

Sara was about to retaliate with a fiery retort when she suddenly found herself thinking about what Tristan had told her. Rather than answer, she studied Israel's eyes. It didn't take long to find; she could see the pain, the burning sorrow, hiding behind the blue flames. She had seen that pain before, that first night he had captured her, but she hadn't been able to place it. Now, she knew. Tristan hadn't lied. The Shadow truly had lost part of his heart.

The man frowned at her silence, obviously surprised that she hadn't heatedly begun rebuking and cursing him. She was surprised as well.

"I'm going to need more."

That brought her out of her silence. "More Immunity Potions?"

The Shadow shrugged. "More of everything, on a more advanced scale. I know you can tweak potions to make them stronger."

Sara scoffed in exasperation. "I'll need more specialized ingredients for that. All the high level herbs and roots I use in the advanced potions are now gone. I rationed them as best I could because of their rarity, but I have nothing left."

"We'll buy more."

"No one has the skill or the level in potion making that I do. They can't make the potions I can make. Without demand, there's no supply. You won't find the ingredients I need in any shop, unless you're willing to wait half a year for the other potion makers in Aincrad to catch up to me."

The Shadow shrugged and turned to Tristan. "If I offered double the usual price, would you be willing to go around and find the specialized ingredients she's going on about? I'll have her draw up a list of names and descriptions."

Sara rolled her eyes. "Only a potion Master of my level can locate and pick up the advanced ingredients needed. I could sketch a perfect illustration of what he would need to find and Tristan still wouldn't be able to locate them. The system prevents such things. Only I can see them and gather what I need."

Israel sighed. "I'm not an idiot, Sara. You're not leaving this Treehouse." He turned to Tristan. "Will a hundred thousand Col do?"

Tristan's mouth dropped, but was quickly replaced by an enthusiastic grin.


	81. Chapter 80

80

August 2nd, 2023

Floor 38, Castellan Keep

Jae and Vivienne eyed each other suspiciously as intense silence permeated the still room. Light from the small lamp hanging above the door cast shadows along the blue walls. In the corner, a single, elegant window stood partially opened to allow the crisp, cool night air access to the room. A soft breeze rustled the window's curtains and for a moment threatened to extinguish the flickering lamplight, adding to the restless caution that filled the air.

Without blinking or taking his eyes off Vivienne as she sat on the side of the bed opposite him, Jae carefully removed a card from among the five others in his hand and set it down on the disorderly pile standing between the two of them. The lacquered coat of the card glinted in the lamplight. An eight of spades.

Vivienne, sitting still as stone with her legs crossed, reacted only with a brief flit of her green-blue eyes to the card he had just placed. Just as quickly, she returned her attention to his eyes.

Her long, majestic brown hair cascaded down around her shoulders. Wearing only a thin shirt that clung to her bosom and tight shorts hiked up around her thighs that exposed her perfect legs, the mere sight of Vivienne would have, on any other night, caught Jae's breath in his throat and filled him with burning desire. But not now.

Scanning her eyes for any sign of doubt, any expression of intent, Jae watched from out of his peripheral vision as she withdrew a card from her own hand. With slow, deliberate care, she kept it's back to him until the exact moment she laid it down on the pile of cards between them. Jae had guessed what it was, and had been proven correct: a six of diamonds.

Keeping himself tense as he wiped the smirk from his lips before it formed, Jae flexed his right hand. Vivienne twitched, but immediately stiffened in an attempt to hide the involuntary move. Jae almost smiled. The ploy had worked. She had just given herself away.

Keeping a blank face, Jae gingerly withdrew the card on the far left of his hand, carefully keeping it's back to Vivienne's tireless eyes as he stretched out his hand. Victory was his.

Jae set the card down atop the pile. King of spades.

In a flash, both Jae and Vivienne were moving. Lashing out with his other arm, Jae made for the pile. At the same time, Vivienne's other arm darted forward with lightning speed, a card clutched between two fingers. Committed now, Jae slammed his hand down on the pile of cards with such violence that several nearer to the bottom flew out across the bed in all directions. The sudden bout of action gave way to still silence, and it was only then that Jae saw what had just happened. Beneath his palm, Vivienne's slender hand stood frozen, palm down on the cards.

Jae shot her a look. Her lip curled into a grin.

Removing his hand, Jae kept his eyes on the cards before him. Vivienne lifted her hand with calm confidence, exposing the card she had managed to lay down just before his hand had snatched victory: the ace of spades.

"I win, I think." Vivienne said smugly.

Jae's jaw dropped. "But you were...how did you…"

Leaning forward lasciviously, Vivienne kissed him. "You gave away your strength. By trying to fool me with a simple ploy, you betrayed your confidence. All I had to do was wait for you to commit."

Jae was nothing if not competitive, but at that moment, his surprise melted away in the face of how he proud he was of her. A broad grin stretched its way onto his face as he waggled a finger at her.

"You're too clever for your own good, you know that?"

Vivienne shrugged playfully. "Maybe you're just not as smart as you thought."

He shook his head. "I've taught this game to a good many people over the years, and not one of them was ever able to beat me, and that was after weeks of play. We started less than two hours ago, and you've beaten me three times in a row!"

Vivienne let out a soft, lilting laugh. "Well, games of strategy and anticipation have always been something of a hobby of mine. Plus, I have you as my teacher." She paused to grin at him. "Wherever did you learn this game? I've never heard of it. You always seeme to know about such random, particular things."

The sound of her laugh was infectious and filled Jae's heart with joy. His beaming smile only grew as he moved to clean up the scattered cards. "Well, when I was younger, there was never much in the way of entertainment. Boredom can be a powerful innovator. Without anything else to do, me and…" He blinked as his words suddenly trailed off, then cast his eyes down at the royal purple bed covers.

Silence filled the room for the briefest of moments, and then Vivienne was in front of him, drawing his head gently to her shoulders as she wrapped her arms around him.

"You and Israel?" She whispered.

Jae nodded, his smile long gone.

"I'm sorry, Jae."

Her luxurious hair smelled of sweet pine and rose water. Reigning in his surprise at the unexpected emotions now flooding through him, Jae forcefully set aside the feelings and looked up at her. Vivienne's riveting green-blue eyes flashed a mixture of concern and tenderness. Her feminine face was etched with knowing care. The sight of her filled his heart with happiness again.

Jae cupped his hands to the side of her face. "It's fine, I'm alright." He kissed her, then cleared his throat. "Like I was saying, it was Israel and I that discovered the game. It's actually very old; a card game played back during the seventeen hundreds among sailors. Once the two of us heard about it, we had to learn how to play." He eyed her. "And I was always better than him. I used to be quite proud of my skills, you know."

Vivienne arched an eyebrow. "Don't be a baby. You should be happy you have a smart woman by your side, and not some ignorant girl who knows nothing of strategy or tactics."

Jae eyed her with a smile. "I am, Vivienne. I really am."

It occurred to him just how perfect she really was. Gorgeous, intelligent, fearless, kind, tough, and skilled in battle, Vivienne was everything he had ever wanted, and more. Sometimes, he had to remind himself she was real. This was one of those times.

"What are you thinking about?" Vivienne asked coyly.

Jae smiled softly as he thought about the flawlessness of the woman in front of him. "Oh, just how much I love you."

Vivienne blinked.

Jae's smile dissipated as he realized what he had just said.

"Oh," Jae blurted out. "Sorry. I don't want to put you in that kind of position, just forget I…"

Before he could finish, Vivienne darted forward, crushing his lips in a joyous, blissful kiss that took his breath away and scattered his thoughts. After a long moment, she pulled away.

"I love you too, Jae." She beamed. "I love you too."

Jae ran a hand tenderly down the length of her hair. "I have no idea what I did to deserve you, Vivienne. You make me the happiest man in the world...even in spite of my wounded pride." He added with a grin.

Gripping the collar of his shirt tightly in her hand, Vivienne pulled him forward and atop her as she laid back on the soft, goose down bed. He felt her legs wrap sensuously around his sides.

She brought her soft, velvety lips to his ear, sending tingling sensations racing through him as she whispered, "I think I know just the thing to make you forget all about that wounded pride, Hero of Floor Twenty-Five."

…

"And that should about do it…" Taylor said, his brow furrowed in concentration as he strapped the polished, ornate silver steel pauldron onto Jae's right shoulder. The weight of the massive armor piece was substantial, but the pauldron had been cunningly designed to distribute it evenly so it wasn't too heavy. Being custom made and fitted, the piece had also been fashioned to fit like a glove, angling and overlapping perfectly at important junctures.

Jae yawned. He hadn't gotten much sleep last night. When he saw Taylor waiting on him, he lifted his arm and rolled his shoulder experimentally, and was surprised to discover that he still had full range of motion.

"Hmm…" Taylor muttered as he examined the pauldron with a critical eye. "It could use a little more color to fully catch the light when in movement."

Jae didn't need to look down to know what the weapons and armor modifier was talking about: the elaborate, raised _SC_ engraving etched onto the center of the shoulder piece, denoting Jae's rank: the Second in Command. Just below the two big letters ran the phrase _Hero of Floor Twenty Five_ in a smaller but no less refined print.

Picking up a small, worn brush that looked ready to fall apart at any moment, Taylor enthusiastically attacked the engraving in an effort to make it shine more. Before he could get carried away, Jae caught his hand.

"Thank you, Taylor, I appreciate your attention to detail, but I'm sure it's fine."

Taylor shrugged, but his face was still creased and his eyes were still on the engraving as he set the brush down. It was obvious the man was a die hard perfectionist, and any detail that he viewed as unfinished probably didn't sit well with him. After a moment, Taylor finally took his eyes off the pauldron and smiled up at Jae apologetically.

"Sorry about the delay. I was working on the armor night and day, I swear, but I didn't want anything to be off, and I-"

"It's alright, Taylor." Jae smiled to ward off the man's worry. In a quieter voice, he muttered to himself, "Too bad it didn't take longer."

"Sorry, did you say something?" Taylor asked, his critical eye roaming the length of the steel breastplate covering Jae's chest.

Jae cleared his throat. "Thank you for the armor, Taylor. I hope it wasn't too much trouble."

Taylor waved his hands dismissively, his gaze passing over the emblazoned and even more elaborate _SC_ etched onto the chestplate just over Jae's heart. "No trouble at all for the Hero of Floor Twenty Five, and our official Second in Command to boot. It's vital that a man of your importance not be mistaken for someone of lesser rank. The guild needs to see your position at all times so that no hesitation can be forthcoming when you need to give commands. All must know you, and obey."

Jae suppressed the urge to roll his eyes. He was tired of being important.

"I understand, but is it really necessary to have the letters on both my front and shoulder? I feel pretentious."

Taylor looked at him as if he were insane. "Why, of course it's necessary. Battles are chaotic; you can't expect the men to all be on one side of you. Personally, I still think I should've engraved the left shoulder as well, and maybe the cloak…"

"It's fine the way it is, I'm sure." Jae said hastily.

Taylor sighed. "Very well, if you're sure." He snapped his fingers as a thought came to him. "Do you have that legendary helmet by chance?"

Jae nodded. "It's in my inventory."

Taylor clapped his hands enthusiastically. "Excellent, excellent, put it on then."

Jae frowned. "Right now? Why?"

Taylor blinked at Jae in utter amazement. "Why, to see how it looks with the rest of the suit of armor, of course."

Muttering irritably to himself as he opened his inventory, Jae removed the Champion's Helm and put it on, his overlapping armor clanking slightly against the movement.

The short, bald man's eyes widened with approval. Taylor snapped his fingers again.

"I'll get the cloak."

"You didn't...do anything to it, did you, Taylor?" Jae asked as the man shuffled past him in a fit of excitement.

There was no answer, and rather than turn, Jae merely reigned himself and set his sights forward again. The Champion's Helm had eye holes that slightly impaired his vision, but not by a noticeable room they were in was small, at least in comparison to the other chambers in Castellan Keep. Suits of armor and random weapons stood stacked against the walls, while random steel discs of every shape and size lay strewn about the floor, along with chisels, files, different colored polish, and various other items. Directly in front of the raised platform on which Jae had been told to stand when he had entered stood a tall mirror covered with a thick canvas to prevent clients from looking at themselves until Taylor wanted them to.

The familiar weight of Jae's officer's cape returned as Taylor hooked it to his shoulder straps. A ruffled, richly decorated light blue sash suddenly appeared in front of Jae's vision as the item modifier lowered it around him. By the way it hung from his shoulder at one end to his waist at the other, Jae suspected Taylor had attached it to the cloak.

"Taylor?"

"There we are." Taylor mumbled before circling back around to face Jae. He adjusted the thick, flowing sash with a hand.

"Taylor." Jae said again, lowering his voice with meaning.

The man brought his eyes up. "Yes Jae? You look remarkable. Like a conquering hero. You'll be a symbol of hope and inspiration on the battlefield, you will."

Jae cleared his throat, then tapped at the sash along his front. "I don't mean to sound offensive, Taylor, but what the hell is this?"

Taylor rolled his eyes. "It's to show your more esteemed, regal side. It's called a sashe."

"It's called too much."

Taylor look genuinely surprised. "You think so? I mean, I suppose for some the frills might be a tad ostentatious…"

Jae nodded, trying to keep his voice polite. "Just a tad."

Pursing his lips in disappointment, Taylor sighed and removed the sash.

"Anything else you want to adjust?"

Jae dipped his head toward the mirror. "I'll decide on that after I've gotten a look, if that's alright with you."

"Of course."

Making his way to the mirror, Taylor removed the canvas, exposing the six foot tall plane of glass. Jae nearly gasped at the sight.

He had always hated looking lavish and excessive, and was more at home with simple clothes, but that only increased his surprise at the results staring back at him. His armor had been recast, repolished, and reshined from head to toe, and every inch had been conformed to fit his exact measurements perfectly. The bright silver steel seemed to glow against the thin rays of sunlight streaming in from the windows. The _SC_ insignia on his chest stood proud and dominating against the rest of his armor, but not distastefully so.

Rather, it seemed to somehow perfectly match the rest of him. The engraving on his shoulder pauldron, though smaller, looked no less impressive, and the title beneath it ran with smooth grace and quiet dignity. A light breeze picked up from the windows behind him, and his royal blue cape, now trimmed and edged in silver, billowed out proudly. The spear on his back looked natural and elegant in its new silver and blue latchings.

On his head, the blue plume of the Commander's Helm was perfectly in sync with the other blues throughout his outfit, and bestowed upon him a powerful, benevolent look. The front of the helm covered the majority of his face, but seemed to add an element of sharp authority and position to him that hadn't been there before. He looked like someone who had been through hard times and desperate struggles, and had lived through them all. He looked like a man who was used to being looked to for guidance and hope when other men found themselves facing their darkest fears. He looked like a born leader.

Taylor nodded to himself in obvious pride as he looked into the mirror alongside Jae. "You will be a beacon of victory, a symbol of perseverance, when the men see you on the battlefield."

Jae tried to find words, but could not. He had never in his wildest imaginings thought that he would be looked to as a leader, much less that he would look the part. Yet now, he appeared as powerful and magnificent as a warrior king.

"Taylor…" Jae managed. "You don't get paid enough."

Taylor nodded in complete agreement. "You got that right."

A thought struck Jae, and he realized at once. This is what he wanted to wear. This is what he _would_ wear. It was the only thing that could be truly appropriate. He needed to find his friends.

Thanking Taylor profusely as he stepped off the platform, Jae hastily began pulling off the armor and storing it carefully in his inventory. He didn't want it to be seen until he needed it. Making for the door, Jae took out a large bag of Col and set it on the table for Taylor, in spite of the fact that the man had been paid in advance for the work by Lind. The task of finding the right accoutrements for the new and official Second in Command was, after all, a guild matter.

Making his way down the beautiful stone corridors and chambers of Castellan Keep, Jae craned his neck as he searched for someone from Group H. Members of the guild greeted him with good natured smiles and good mornings, and he returned the gestures in kind. His heart pounded against his ribcage as he walked. The grin on his face refused to fade. It was a truly wonderful day.

Upon entering the Great Hearth, Jae had to adjust himself to the vastness of the great chamber as he always did when stepping inside. The majesty and promise of the massive room typically made him feel quite small and unimportant, but not today.

Striding down the aisles of trestle tables and crackling fires along the side wall, Jae heard commotion ringing out from the double front doors. Peering ahead as he picked up the pace, Jae caught sight of David and two other members of the guild standing guard by the doors. All three were urging a small crowd of players back before they spilled out into the hall. Forgetting his happy thoughts for the briefest of moments, Jae's face took on a sterner look as he reached the doors.

"Make an orderly line!" David shouted above the clamor. "Once we've checked your level and are sure you meet the requirements for joining the guild, you can enter!"

"What's going on?" he asked David as he tapped the young man on the shoulder.

His friend sighed wearily, but greeted Jae with a smile. "Volunteers trying to join the HDA."

Jae frowned. "More?"

The influx of volunteers had been more numerous of late, but the numbers now seemed to be perpetually on the rise. Barely a week ago, Jae and Avari had been forced to turn away nearly forty people who hadn't met the guild requirements.

Successfully pushing the crowd back for a moment, one of the guards glanced at Jae with an exasperated look. His silver and blue armor glinted in the morning light.

"It's because of the Spirit of Vengeance."

David nodded. "Many people are growing terrified of the growing troubles posed throughout Aincrad by Laughing Coffin and the Shadow of Death, and want to join the guilds for protection as a result. I've heard that Kibaou and Thinker have accepted hundreds more into their Army as a result of these fears, and now number nearly a thousand strong."

The second guard looked up from ordering the crowd back. "If Aincrad Today would stop talking about the Spirit of Vengeance in every daily paper, people wouldn't be as frightened or caught up in all the talk."

Jae listened quietly, but he agreed with the player's opinion. He had long since stopped bothering to purchase new editions of Aincrad Today for himself, knowing that each would be covered with more speculation and idle gossip on the strange and elusive Shadow of Death. It wasn't through a lack of interest; on the contrary, Jae was just as curious about the orange player. He suspected, however, that Aincrad Today was merely circulating rumors and inventing stories of the man in order to rake in profit. He also believed that the widespread gossip about the Spirit of Vengeance being some sort of vigilante was nonsense; an orange player was an orange player. They were all murderers, and as far as Jae was concerned, there was nothing good about them. He was happy, at least, that in spite of the rumors, the green player community had the sense to fear the man along with all the other player killers.

The crowd pressed in again, demanding entry, and pulling Jae from his thoughts.

Stepping past David and the two guards, Jae faced the crowd with an angry glare that sent many back a step.

"My name is Jae. You may have heard of me. As the newly elected Second in Command of the Holy Dragon Alliance, I'm ordering you all to get a hold of your fears and obey the guards at this gate. If you want to join the HDA, that's fine, but you will do it by our rules, not your own. Form an orderly line so that these men here can view your level and the strength of your gear. If you fit the requirements, you may join." He leaned forward. "Press me again, and I'll see to it that all new recruitment into the guild is halted completely until further notice."

Pivoting on a foot amidst the silence that now reigned, Jae was about to turn when he saw a familiar face peering out from the back ranks of the gathered players, and one of the few who hadn't been on the verge of riot.

"Ryan?"

The handsome, broad shouldered man smiled and nodded. "Good to see you again, Jae...er...Second in Command."

Gesturing for the man to come forward, Jae walked with him past the two guards and into the doorway.

"You can just call me Jae, Ryan." He clapped the man on the back and quickly introduced him to David before speaking again. "It's good to see you again, but it is a surprise. What brings you up here?"

Ryan rolled his shoulder subconsciously. "Well, truth be told, Jae, I've wanted to join the HDA for quite some time, a good deal longer than these people who are driven by fear and gossip, anyway."

Jae frowned. "Why didn't you mention this before, when you helped save me from that pit trap?"

Ryan smiled. "I wasn't a high enough level to meet the requirements, at the time. I didn't want you to think I expected some kind of reward for helping you with the trap, so I kept my mouth shut. I wanted to meet the requirements before coming back to volunteer." He lifted his chin with pride. "I'm happy to say that today, though, I reached my goal and am now Level Thirty-Five."

Jae grinned. "Excellent, than you meet the requirements. On behalf of the HDA, I'm happy to accept you into the guild."

David nodded gratefully. "Anyone who helps Jae is a friend, and worthy of a place among us. Consider me, and the other Group H members, in your debt."

Ryan frowned in puzzlement. "Group H?"

"The party I used to be in before joining the guild," Jae explained. "And very good friends of mine."

Ryan's eyes widened, then he smiled in embarrassment. "I really appreciate the hospitality, but I'm not sure if I quite deserve all this praise and-"

"Nonsense." Jae said casually. "You risked your life to save mine when you didn't even know who I was. Such care for life is always something to be revered. I'm glad you're with us, Ryan. However, I do have things to get to today, so…"

Ryan held up both hands. "No, no, please, I don't want to get in the way. Is there something I'm supposed to do first now that I'm in the guild?"

Jae nodded and pointed to the guards. "Once they've chosen some others from among the crowd that fit the requirements, they'll lead you to our storage rooms. You'll be given silver and blue dye to fit our uniform standard, and then you can officially join the guild in your menu."

Ryan thanked him and David one last time and made for the guard. Once he was out of earshot, Jae turned to David.

"Alright, I need you to get the others together. Find Aranal and Jon Bright and all of you come meet me in my room."

David hesitated. "Alright, but...will it take long?"

Jae blinked. He felt suddenly selfish for simply demanding David to drop whatever he was doing to come help him.

"No, it shouldn't take long, but if you're busy-"

David shook his head. "No, it's fine." He paused again as he shifted his feet. "It's just that I have a date with Avari planned for tonight."

Jae's eyes widened with delight. "Really? That's wonderful, David! Good luck tonight. I promise I won't keep you overly long."

David grinned. "Alright. I'll go get the others."

He turned away, then paused and looked back at Jae with a look of puzzled awe. "It's the strangest thing. I have no idea how she suddenly took notice of me after so long, but I'm certainly glad for the change."

Jae shrugged innocently. "Sometimes it just takes time for things to fall into place."


	82. Chapter 81

81

September 9th, 2023

Floor 39, Atwold Forest

"These won't work." Sara said obstinately.

Israel stared at her. Her bold, defiant attitude often fascinated him, and he respected her for it, but at the same time it usually made him want to strangle her. This time, though, she wasn't being flippant or smug. She was simply stating facts.

He had suspected the ingredients he had scavenged in desperation were no better than the countless other batches he and Tristan had scraped together for her to craft her potions with. Still, he had had to try. If Sara didn't have what she needed, her vast skill and talent was inaccessible and she couldn't make him anything. Another, less practical reason for his dogged determination to find the right ingredients in spite of her insistence had been to prove her wrong. Sara was smart, too smart for her own good in his opinion. She liked showing him up. If he didn't know any better, Israel would have suspected that she found amusement in their constant clashes of wills.

Her big, sky blue eyes met his gaze. "I told you before, the ingredients needed for such high level potions as only I can make can only be seen and utilized by me."

Israel scowled at her as he straightened. "You're sure that none of these will work? I went to an NPC potion shop this time. NPC's don't have the level barrier that we players do."

She worked her hands through her tangled mass of silver hair, obviously uncomfortable with how unruly it had become since her capture. Israel didn't care. "Yes, and such shops will probably have everything we need somewhere around Floor Seventy. You want to wait that long? Last I heard, the Assault Team have become bogged down."

Israel crossed his arms over his chest. "Yes. It's been nearly a month since they broke through to Floor Forty-Four, and they haven't cleared it yet."

"So unless you want to wait another year, or more, to be able to purchase what I need from future shops, I have to be the one who searches for the ingredients. If not, I can't make what you want and you may as well kill me now."

Israel knew that was what she wished he would do. He had wished it himself often enough. However, her potions had greatly increased his effectiveness in eliminating the orange vassal guilds: in the two odd months since her capture, he had wiped out nearly three dozen more guilds. At this point, and without the steady stream of volunteers to be used as reinforcements, Laughing Coffin was sure to be buckling. Still, he sometimes wondered if Sara was more trouble than she was worth.

And now she had him in a corner. If he was unable to bring her the supplies she needed, she was useless to him. If he let her roam free, she was beyond certain to make another escape attempt.

Pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, Israel faced the window and resigned himself with a sigh.

"Do you know where the ingredients you need are to be found?"

He heard the chain rattle behind him as she moved. "I know the general areas, yes. Once there, it takes some time to wander around and find them, but it isn't difficult and I can identify them from a good distance."

Israel turned to face her. "Very well then. We go together." He pointed at her wrists. "And your hands stay bound."

Sara nodded as if she had been expecting it. "Alright. It shouldn't take more than two or three hours, but you should bring enough teleport crystals for the various environments we need to visit."

He waggled a finger at her. "Let's just make one thing clear. If I even think you're planning to make a run for it, or call for help, or friend request someone when my back is turned, I'll be bringing more orange players to your room. A lot more."

Sara glared at him. "I expected no less from you."

After they had prepared for the trip, Israel with extra potions and crystals, and Sara with various pots, bowls, and vials needed to hold the ingredients she would be gathering, Israel took out a Corridor Crystal from his pocket. They were rarer than Teleport Crystals, but those required each person using them to take one. Israel had no intention of letting Sara get her hands on a crystal. She may have convinced him to let her out of the Treehouse, but he wasn't about to give her anything that she might use for herself.

Israel bent down in front of Sara, hardly noticing how her torn black dress revealed her shapely form. His hair tumbled down over his face, and he brushed it back behind his ears in annoyance. He so often had it back beneath his hood now that it felt strange whenever he allowed his hair to fall freely. After unfastening the chain from her ankle, and double checking to be sure she hadn't managed to slip out of the wrist bindings, he stood up.

"Where to first, then? I need to set the Corridor Crystal's location."

Sara rose awkwardly to her feet, and by the way she hobbled in an attempt not to fall, Israel realized just how long she had been sitting on the floor.

"Well," Sara began as she straightened. "There are a number of places right here on Floor Thirty-Nine. We can try the Barenial Swamp first."

Israel didn't want her to see his surprise, so he frowned instead. "How did you know we were on Thirty-Nine?"

"Well, during my escape attempts, I could tell we were in the Atwold Forest by the color and shape of the tree roots- I've been here before to look for certain roots I needed. The Atwold is on Thirty-Nine."

Israel had hoped that she would have no idea where they were, where he lived. Once again, she had proven herself smarter than he had hoped.

Grumbling to himself, Israel set the Corridor Crystal to the Barenial Swamp and watched as a wide, circular portal appeared in the center of the Treehouse bedroom, writhing and expanding for a moment before reaching it's completed form. The bed, book shelves, and windows all disappeared from view behind it.

Israel grabbed hold of Sara's arm and stepped forward. Before he had gone more than two paces, he felt Sara buckle beside him. Turning, he saw her pitch forward to the floor as her front leg gave out. Reaching out a firm hand, he steadied her before she could fall.

"Thanks." Sara said with a surprised blink as he helped her continue forward.

He looked forward. "I just don't you want ruining my floor."

They stepped into the portal, and the world disappeared. In its place was a universe filled with brilliant flashes of light and dark for the briefest of seconds, and then they emerged in Barenial Swamp.

Israel gripped Sara's arm tightly with his armor backed wrist and rested the other on the hilt of Apocalypse as he scanned the area. It was early afternoon, and the sun was still high in the sky, but he knew better than to be careless.

The swamp was actually far less unpleasant than he had expected. Once he detected no threat, Israel tugged on her arm, urging her forward. Brackish water flowed throughout the area in dozens of small rivers and streams, breaking off from each other randomly and linking together with others. Here and there, lakes and ponds dotted the region. The ground was relatively flat and there were few trees, but the bushes, high grass, and wild hedges covered the area. Israel felt ill at ease without much cover, but relaxed when he realized that if need be, they could hide in any of the bodies of water nearby.

"Why aren't you wearing your hood and cloak?" Sara asked as they stepped over a small stream. "Or the mask?"

Israel urged them around a patch of thick briar as his eyes maintained a constant, if more at ease, vigil. "In a place such as this, it's more likely that players might stumble upon us before I can find us a place to avoid their sight. The orange players know me by the mask and cloak. Not many have seen my face. From a distance, they'll think I'm just another player." He tugged her onto a dirt track that looked to have been made by wild animals. "Of course, that won't stop them from trying to ambush and kill us both."

Israel felt resistance as Sara jerked to a halt. He turned to face her angry glare.

"The other orange players wouldn't attack us without cause."

Israel let out a harsh laugh. "I'm sure that's what you all say to yourselves when you go to sleep at night. I'm curious, does it work?"

She arched one of her annoyingly perfect eyebrows. "You would know better than I. You tell me."

Reigning in his anger, Israel turned and tugged her forward again. He didn't have time for another verbal battle. They needed to get the ingredients and go before anyone found them. To his irritation, she again resisted.

Spinning around, Israel gritted his teeth. "Sara, I'm warning you-"

She gestured to the right of the trail. "There's some Helsbane Herbs off in that bramble there. That _is_ why we're here, isn't it?"

Israel shoved her ahead of him, but kept a grip on her arm. "Get going then. You should've said something at once."

She didn't reply, and instead simply made her way through the high grass with Israel right behind her. Pausing in front of a dark colored bush, she knelt down and looked over her shoulder at him.

"Can I have my hands for a moment, please?"

Grudgingly, Israel released his hold on her and leaned forward to watch as she wrapped her slender fingers around a cluster of leaves attached to the bushel. With her other hand, she yanked them off.

"That should do."

"Pick some more, if you can spare the space." Israel instructed. "I don't want to be coming back here anytime soon."

They wandered around the swamp for another half hour or so, with Sara eventually leading the way as she pointed out and made for each new herb or root. Everytime she picked something Israel didn't recall from the potion ingredients he had seen in her skill tree and memorized, he forced her to a halt and made her show him proof that what she was grabbing wasn't for a potion he didn't want.

When they were done in the Berenial Swamp, Sara gave him a new location, the Flower Field on Floor Thirty-Three, and Israel activated another Corridor Crystal. Once there, they repeated the process.

It was slowing going, and the hours seemed to tick by at a crawl at first, but eventually, and to his surprise, Israel found the trip strangely enjoyable. Being among the sounds, sights, and smells of nature, even if virtual, was calming and cleared his mind of the screams, violence, and death that he allowed to dwell there. As they walked, Israel took account of the vibrant ecosystems and thriving environments Kayaba had created, and found that he wanted to keep wandering among them even Sara was finished collecting what she needed.

To his surprise, Sara too seemed to enjoy being among nature, and he could see her visibly relax among the bow reeds, gentle grass, rolling plains, and chortling rivers. Several times, Israel was surprised to find that both he and Sara had stopped, side by side, to bask in the warm glow of the late afternoon sun as they stood in front of a large lake brimming with lily pads, frogs, and ducks that seemed to be enjoying themselves, or a small estuary teaming with colorful insects and small birds. Whenever he noticed, Israel quickly set them moving again.

After one such incident, Israel attempted to fill the awkward void.

"How are your legs?"

Sara blinked up at him. "Fine, now...thank you. I just needed some time to work out the muscles again. I can walk steady now."

He nodded, still looking out ahead. "Good. You were slowing us down, before."

He felt her scowl. "Says the man who has us pause and double back almost every ten minutes in order to check for any sign that we're being followed."

"It's every half an hour, and it's necessary for both of our safety."

Sara scoffed. "For you, maybe. The orange players probably want nothing more than to kill the infamous Shadow of Death, but that desire is well justified. I have nothing to fear for myself."

Israel looked at her. "Do all the orange players know your face? Know who you are?"

Sara shook her head. "Only a few of the larger, more important vassal guild leaders saw me much."

"Then your head is on the line just as much as mine. If they don't recognize you, the orange players will kill you with the same enthusiasm that they'll kill me, only they'll take their time first. Pain doesn't mean much to me, but I suspect you have more reason to fear it."

Sara shook her head in wonder. "What lies has Justice put into your head?"

Israel stopped. He remembered that name. It was the name of the guild that had one day stopped him and Naomi on the road, demanding Col as recompense for the woman he loved, a player who put her life on the line everyday on patrols, a Beta Tester, simply existing.

The familiar anguish and heartache he felt each time he thought of Naomi coursed through him, making him feel suddenly sick to his stomach. The bright, peaceful world he had spent the last few hours in now seemed a dim, dull place again. Struggling to control his pain, Israel forced it down, burying it beneath his undying hatred for PoH, for Laughing Coffin, for all orange players. He would have their lives.

Israel looked to Sara. "What did you say, about Justice?"

Before she could answer, a panicked cry tore from behind the small hill in front of them. Israel froze, bending his knees in preparation for either an escape or a fight as his eyes darted for a place to hide. They were in an area of soft rolling hills and little valleys, without any trees or even bodies of water nearby.

"That sounded like a player." Sara whispered beside him. "We should-"

A man, his green cursor hovering over his head as he moved, bolted out from behind the hill and turned a hard left, right for them. Right on his heels emerged a pack of giant red ants the size of small horses. Trampling over the grass as they flung their insectoid bodies forward, the ants quickly began to gain on him, closing the gap he had created with his hard turn.

For a brief moment, Israel considered not helping him. The player wasn't his concern, and a fight would mean distraction, perhaps long enough for Sara to slip away and get word to PoH. His fight was with the orange players. Not in helping fools who didn't know their limits.

Beside him, Sara squinted at the man running for his life out ahead of them. "He's a green player."

Israel nodded. "So he is."

Sara darted forward, straining against his wrist as he caught her. "We have to help him!"

Israel frowned at her. "Why do you care?"

She yanked herself forward, but Israel easily kept her under his grip. "Please, Israel, we have to help that player! He's going to die!"

Sara pointed, and Israel saw that the man's health was indeed within the red. Israel suddenly found himself appalled that he had hesitated to help. A human life was in danger. That man needed help.

The sound of steel rang out across the hills as Apocalypse was freed from its sheath. Israel turned to Sara.

"Stay right-"

Ripping free of his grasp, Sara charged forward directly into the path of the swarm of ants. Unarmed, unarmored, and without even a potion to aid her, the woman nevertheless fearlessly drove forward, waving her arms and screaming at the monsters to get their attention as the train of her black dress billowed out around her legs.

Cursing under his breath, Israel sprinted ahead, determined to get to her before the ants did.

"Here!" Sara shouted at the massive insects as she made straight for them. "Right here!"

As Israel ran, he saw their black, beady eyes turn from the running, screaming man and instead focus on Sara. In an instant, they had altered their course and were running straight for her.

"Sara, get back!" Israel roared. "Run!"

She did neither.

The lead ant reached her, it's pincers snapping menacingly as it moved to rip her apart. With one last, furious bound forward, Israel closed the distance. Yanking her behind him, he swung Apocalypse at an angled arc. The ant's pincers jutted forward, but before they could reach him, bloodred steel came down, hacking off the monster's head. The body came down in a heap, then shattered into pixelated shards.

The other ants let out a collective shriek that rattled Israel's eardrums, then made for him with redoubled fury. Snarling, he met their attack. A thick mist of glowing shards filled the air as Israel attacked, hacking off limbs, impaling fat, red bodies, smashing in heads, and shattering pincers. He wasted no time fighting the monsters; he simply killed them. Dodging in and out of the reach of their pincers, he slashed and cut with silent, calm commitment. Once or twice, a sharp claw rent open sections of his red brigandine armor and ripped at him, fueling his assault with pain that he then turned against them. He never screamed in rage or yelled with fury; such passion to survive, to live, had ceased to exist within him the day Naomi had left the world forever.

After several minutes, it was over. The only evidence of the battle, of the violence, was in the air now thick with shards floating calmly to the earth like autumn leaves. The wildlife had fled in fright at the noise, leaving the area now eerily silent.

Turning, Israel caught sight of Sara attempting to give the man a heavy bag that looked suspiciously like it contain Col. How she had managed to collect money, he had no idea. Holding it out with both hands, Sara asked the man to take it in order to repair his destroyed gear. Before she had even finished getting the words out, the young man had hastily withdrawn a teleport crystal.

"Teleport, Arbus!" The player shouted in terror.

There was a brief flash of light, and then he was gone.

Striding forward as his anger simmered within him, Israel snatched the bag of Col from Sara.

"I don't think I even want to ask how you procured this, but you will _not_ do it again. Understand?"

Sara didn't seem to hear him. "Why did he run?"

Israel laughed bitterly, then stopped when he saw the sincere expression on her face. She really didn't know.

"We're orange players, Sara." Israel muttered. "Why would he not run?"

"But he wasn't in Justice." She argued. "All guild members have the symbol of their respective guild above their cursor. He had nothing. What did he have to fear?"

Israel blinked. "Us, Sara. He had us to fear. We're orange players. He's a green player. He probably thought that after you handed him that bag, we'd laugh maniacally and start up the torture."

Her face was blank. "But we saved him. I ran in and distracted the mobs and you killed them."

Israel glowered at her. "Another mistake I expect you never to repeat. When I say stay, you stay."

"Why would he think we were going to hurt him if he saw us save his life?"

Shaking his head in wonder at the woman before him, Israel glanced up at the sky. "Why, of all the orange players out there, did I have to get stuck with one who's insane?" He looked back down at her as she folded her arms under her breasts. "He no doubt believed that we were merely rescuing him from the mobs so that we could then be sure of having his gear and Col all to ourselves rather than having the system snatch away our victim."

Sara's blue eyes took on a confused, worried look of such profound feeling that Israel almost felt sorry for her. At that moment, it was clear beyond all doubt that Tristan had been right about her. Sara was different. She wasn't like the others at all. Israel had seen it as well, but he had always ignored the suspicion. Now, he could ignore it no longer. He wanted answers.

"Why did you help that man?" Israel asked. By the way she flinched back, he realized his voice must have been carrying more of an edge than he had meant.

Sara quickly recomposed herself and scowled at him. "Why are you asking me that? Why do you think I'm some kind of heartless monster? He needed help, so I tried to help. A life was at stake."

Israel leaned in and reminded himself not to sound to angry. He gripped both of her arms. "Sara, I need to know the truth. Right now. You're not who you've said you are. You can't be."

She looked at him as if he were crazy. "What are you talking-"

Israel shook her. "Why are you in Laughing Coffin?"

She paused, her big blue eyes searching his own in obvius puzzlement. "Well, I'm not in Laughing Coffin anymore, thanks to you-"

He shook her again. "Sara, I mean it. Please, answer me. Why did you join them?"

She peered at him, as if suspecting he was somehow trying to trick her. After a long moment, she finally answered, but her voice had lost its fire. "Can we sit down? Please?"

Normally Israel wouldn't have cared for such requests, but now, because of the weariness in her eyes and the haunted look passing over her features, he suddenly found himself worried about her. There was obviously something very wrong in all of this, and he needed to figure out what. It simply defied sense for Sara to be a member of Laughing Coffin. She had just risked her life for a green player, for heaven's sake. And yet, she was more than just a member of the murder guild. She was the master potion mixer, the player who had instructed the army of killers on how to use and implement the paralysis strategy, resulting in hundreds, if not thousands, of player deaths. She was the woman who stood beside PoH himself, if what Tristan had told him was to be believed.

"Yes, I suppose we can sit."

Quickly finding a patch of soft grass that was well hidden behind a tree and a small stone wall that looked to have once bordered a a patch of farmland, Israel allowed Sara to sit. She leaned her back against the wall, and Israel decided to sit beside her. She lifted her legs, taking care not to allow her dress to hike up over her knees, and began absently picking at a loose thread at one of the rips.

"To understand it all, I should probably tell you all of I was sixteen, I became pregnant."

She paused, as if expecting him to say something. He didn't.

Without looking up past the loose thread she was now kneading between her fingers, Sara continued.

"It was a terrible mistake, everyone told me, a horrible shame, to have a child so young. I didn't view it that way. I loved my baby, even before he was born…" Her voice wavered for a moment, but she cleared her throat and lifted her chin defiantly. "The boy that got me pregnant was terrified and asked me to abort the child. I understood his fears, but I refused. His parents moved across the country with their son, not wanting him to be burdened by a baby before his life could even begin. I didn't blame them their thoughts, their concerns. My parents hated them so much for what they did that they became enraged anytime the name of the family was brought up. I understood their reaction as well, but I didn't feel as they did. That summer, I gave birth to my boy. Not even a junior in high school, not even seventeen, and I was now a mother. I named him Jeffrey.

"My parents stood by me, taught me how to care for my baby, until I could take care of him on my own. I finished school, and when I turned nineteen, after working on and off, I got a good paying job. I left home, not wanting to burden my parents any longer. I got an apartment, and Jeffrey and I were happy. We didn't have much money; in spite of the job, I never had much left over after bills. As he got older, Jeffrey always told me he didn't mind not having as much as other families, but I knew he wanted to have the same toys as his friends, and later, the same games. I wanted him to have what they had, so I saved up. It was hard, and it took a few years, but I did it. When the NerveGear came out, I could tell how much Jeffrey wanted one. He would always look on in utter amazement whenever one of his friends showed it to him. During car rides to school, Jeffrey would talk my ear off about how exciting and wonderful virtual reality was, and how he had researched everything there was to know about NerveGear, and the upcoming game, Sword Art Online.

"When the news came around the time of Jeffrey's tenth birthday that SAO was seeking Beta Testers, I knew it was the perfect time to act. I requested two slots for the thousand player Beta. Jeffrey always wanted to do everything with me, always tried to get me into the games he was playing, and I knew my participation in something he loved so much would make him even happier. We scored the slots, and played the Beta together. Jeffrey was quite good, better than me with weapons, and it's mostly thanks to him that we got all the way to Floor Seven before the Beta ended.

"I pre-ordered two advanced copies of the game right after. At the game's launch, we were both excited to be back in Aincrad. That was when Kayaba showed up. Jeffrey was terrified, but he stayed brave for me. He wanted to protect me. I had learned about potions during the Beta, and making them came easily to me, so I kept to that path. The player base scorned Beta Testers right from the start, but the rioting and rampaging against us began shortly after the First Floor had been cleared. We avoided most people as best we could. We did well, until early February."

Sara's knuckles clenched as she drew a deep breath, and Israel could see the pain and anger on her face.

"One day, while I was still asleep, Jeffrey left our room and wandered into the city. We were in a safe zone, so when I woke up and saw his location, I wasn't that worried. He messaged me then, saying that a player had requested his help just outside of town. Once tricked outside of the safe zone, Jeffrey was ambushed by players from the guild known as Justice. Tristan doesn't know about them, and it seems you don't either, so I'll explain-"

"I know who they are." Israel said quietly. "Green players who target and oppress Beta Testers."

Sara nodded. "They took everything he had and forced him to wander out further away from the town, saying Beta Testers didn't belong in the village soon to be run by Justice. Mobs targeted him before he could make his way back. Unarmed, he couldn't fight them. I know all this, because he messaged me in terror the entire time. He messaged me even as the wolves bit and tore…" Sara's voice broke, and Israel saw tears well up in her bright blue eyes.

Sara said nothing for a long moment, and Israel wondered if she had decided not to go on, but after some time, she did.

"For a long time, I pondered suicide. I didn't want to live in a world without my child, without my Jeffrey. There seemed no reason to keep going. I don't know how long I was like that, wandering aimlessly, more dead than living, when PoH found me. He and his men took me in, and he asked me why I had given up on life. I told him everything, as I've told you, and he told me that while it was mobs that took the life of my son, it was Justice that killed him. He said that he and his followers hated the way Beta Testers were being hunted and oppressed, and that they had risen up in revolt against Justice in order to eliminate the criminals and bring real, true justice to Aincrad. He instilled in me the cause, and gave me back my life. PoH explained to me that Justice had taken over most of the green player community since Jeffrey's death, and that killing was a necessary evil against such zealous fanatics.

"For a long time, I merely helped fight in the wolf packs, but I was never much good with a sword and was more of a liability than an asset. It was PoH who discovered my talent and skill at potion making, and he encouraged me to pursue it wholeheartedly. One day, PoH came to my tent and told me that one of the wolf packs had found a special detachment within the service of Justice, men led by a woman who he believed to have personally been a part of Jeffrey's murder. I don't how PoH knew that of all the army of Justice, those were the players responsible. But I could see in his eyes that he knew without a doubt.

"I went with the wolf pack, and I...killed three of the Justice members myself. That was the day I turned orange for good."

Sara stopped, took a breath, and closed her eyes, as if a weight had been removed from her shoulders. Israel didn't know what to say. Everything he thought he had known about the woman was wrong. She wasn't a cold hearted killer. She wasn't among those responsible for Naomi's death. The woman before him was a victim. Like him, she had lost the most important person in her world. PoH had taken advantage of her broken heart, her agony, and used her. Israel wished he could help her see what he now saw, but he didn't know how. From what Tristan had said, it had appeared to him as though Sara and PoH loved each other, considering how close they were, how they looked and spoke to each other. How could Israel possibly free her mind from such a tight, relentless grip as blind love? If he told her the truth, she would simply turn it aside and call it a lie. How could he help her? And then, the answer came to him.

If there was any chance of showing Sara that she had been used, that everything she had come to know and believe in following her son's death was a lie, Israel would need to do something he hadn't done in a very long time. He would need to open himself up. He shuddered in fear at the thought of allowing that agony, the one pain he couldn't overcome, to surge through his being. He had kept it trapped, buried, for so long. Steeling himself, Israel overcame his fear. It wouldn't be for long. Once he said what he needed to say, he would bury the feelings again. He knew how.

"Once, I was in love." Israel said slowly, trying to keep the memories and heartache from shattering his mind as they had almost done once before.

Sara looked up at him in surprise, but said nothing. In her eyes, he thought he could see a kind of curious compassion.

"Her name...her name was Naomi. She was a Beta Tester too, just like you and Jeffrey."

Israel closed his eyes. The misery felt like it was crushing his soul. The aching loneliness, the despairing agony, churned within him, a void where once his heart had been. He wanted nothing more than to lock the feelings away again and instead satisfy them with more death and pain, but he pressed on.

"I didn't know her before, in the real world. I met her here. She became my reason for living. She was my heart, my soul. I loved her more than I ever thought it was possible to love someone. I wanted to marry her. Like the fool that I was, though, I didn't realize that until it was too late." He cleared his throat and cursed himself for being so weak before opening his mouth again. "I had gotten into a fight with her, the day she died. I told her I didn't care for her and left. Before I could get back to her, before I could apologize, she was killed." Israel opened his eyes and looked at Sara. "By Laughing Coffin."

Sara froze for a moment, then slowly shook her head. "Israel," she said softly. "I'm sorry, but it can't have been Laughing Coffin. You said Naomi was a Beta Tester. There's no way-"

"It's true." He affirmed, his voice little more than a whisper as he struggled with the demons inside of him, wrestled to subdue them before they destroyed his mind. He wanted to die for the pain he had caused Naomi. He wanted to die so he could see her again and apologize. But not yet. He needed to extract vengeance before he took his own life. Pain was all that kept him going. He had to inflict more pain.

"My brother's men caught-"

"You have a brother?"

Israel blinked. "Yes. At least, I did once."

Sara's voice was soft and compassionate. "What happened to him?"

"I don't know. He could be dead. I haven't seen or heard of him since Naomi's death half a year ago."

Sara nodded without replying, so Israel continued. "My brother's men caught a scout for Laughing Coffin the next day. The man confessed to my face. He had been among the wolf pack who killed her."

Sara pursed her lips as she leaned back against the small stone wall, and Israel guessed that she was racking her brain for some kind of answer that fit her beliefs.

"There's no mistake in this." Israel said softly. "You have my word. You should know that before she died, Naomi and I encountered Justice once as well."

Sara sat up. "You did?"

Israel nodded. "Yes. They found us on the road and demanded Naomi's money. She ended up giving them a legendary ring as well." He paused to make sure she was looking at him. "But I believe that the dozen or so men and the woman leading them we saw that day were the only members. I haven't been among the green players in over half a year, but as far as I know, Justice never became powerful. They never dominated the player community. If you don't want to take my word for it, ask Tristan. He spends every day dealing with the green players, and he's the most honest man I know. Talk to Tristan."

Sara stared out ahead, and he words came out distantly and far off, as if she were somewhere else. "I already have."


	83. Chapter 82

82

September 9th, 2023

Floor 39, Atwold Forest

Sara paced the room in a daze. Her head was spinning, and she felt sick. She didn't know what to believe. Israel's words reverberated in her mind as she paced, and as much as she tried to tell herself that they weren't true, she couldn't let it go. Too many things didn't add up. She wanted to be right, needed to be right, but it felt as though everything she knew was now suddenly rotting away in her mind. She wrestled with her doubts, her rising panic, in an attempt to convince herself that Israel had been wrong. Countless times, she almost succeeded, but then other memories would spring up, making her hesitate again. She remembered what Xaxa had said to her. _You think you know everything, don't you? One day, you'll realize how little you truly know._

Israel came in up the stairs for a moment, but if he had said something to her, she didn't remember hearing it. Sara's head was throbbing, her mind bogged down with a thousand thoughts. Over and over again she tried to piece together what she knew, what she believed. PoH had saved her, restored meaning to her life, promised justice against her son's killers. PoH was a hero, a rebel leading the good against the tyrannical Justice guild. He wasn't a murderer. He hadn't lied to her. He loved her. Yet she had seen the benevolent truth in Israel's eyes. She wished Tristan would hurry.

After returning to the Treehouse, Israel had quietly unchained her from the wall and left a large platter of food on the bed. Dimly, Sara thought she recalled him telling her that the bathroom was downstairs in case she wanted to wash her hair, but she couldn't be sure amidst the swirling vortex of emotions and arguments raging inside her. She hadn't touched her food, hadn't thanked him for removing the chain, hadn't even spoken to him since he had told her about Naomi. She saw the plate of food on the bed as she paced feverishly: fresh baked bread dripping with honeyed butter, a variety of sliced cheeses, fruit of all sorts. The food had been arranged with deliberate care. Sara felt bad for not noticing when he had brought it to her.

She reprimanded herself. What was wrong with her? She was the prisoner of the Shadow of Death, a merciless killer who had destroyed so many innocent lives. She should be trying to run away, or kill him, not worrying about hurting his feelings. Sara tried to steel herself in righteous hatred for the man, but found that she no longer could. She had seen the tortured loneliness in his eyes, the haunted pain laced within his words as he had bared his shattered heart to her. To her, he wasn't the Shadow of Death any longer. He was Israel.

Shaking her head violently to clear the thought before it grew, Sara called down to him.

"Israel?"

He emerged at the stairs almost immediately, and Sara realized that he must have been waiting at the staircase. His face betrayed his sincere concern for her.

"Sara?"

She straightened, attempting to look calm and confident before him as his cobalt eyes bore into her, the flames dancing as they always did. Now though, there was no scorn, no hatred, reflecting back at her. There was merely understanding, and sorrow.

"What you said before, about PoH and Laughing Coffin, was it all true?"

"It is, I swear it."

Sara gritted her teeth. She felt on the verge of tears. "Why would PoH authorize an ambush against a Beta Tester? Why?"

His face softened. "Because that's what Laughing Coffin has always done. There was never any rebellion for the sake of the Beta Testers. There was never any fight for justice."

Sara hated his sympathetic tone. "You're lying!"

Israel shook his head. "I'm not."

"What if you're mistaken in your belief that it was Laughing Coffin? Green players hardly know the difference between rogue orange players and-"

"I'm not a green player." Israel said firmly. "I know the difference. I've fought Laughing Coffin more times than I can now remember. I know their look, their gear, their strategies. They killed Naomi, and the three other Beta Testers with her. They don't care about protecting anyone but their own."

"Then why didn't they kill me?" Sara yelled. "Why would PoH rescue me?"

Israel hesitated. "I can't be sure-"

"Tell me!"

He looked into her eyes. "It is my belief that PoH somehow knew of your potion making ability and wanted to use you to strengthen his cause."

"Go away!" Sara screamed. She wanted to strangle him. "I'm tired of hearing your lies!"

Israel didn't argue. Without a word, he began walking back down the stairs. A thought came to her, and she called his name. He paused and looked back up at her.

"Is Tristan on his way?"

Israel nodded. "He is. He'll be here soon."

The Shadow of Death turned and continued his descent, disappearing from her view.

She needed to talk to Tristan. Israel had admitted the shop owner knew more than he did about the truth of the matter. Tristan had spoken to her briefly about Justice. She needed to know more. She needed to know the truth. Israel's word wasn't enough. In the back of her mind, Sara heard a voice whisper to her that no one's word would be enough for her if she remained determined to believe only what she wanted to believe, but she ignored it and kept pacing.

Sara wasn't sure how much time had passed, how long she had been pacing without end as she fought to convince herself that Israel was lying. She couldn't bring herself to even consider the implications were he telling the truth. If PoH was nothing more than a leader of murderers, there was no cause. If there was no cause, everything she believed in, everything that kept her going, had been a lie. Worse, those false beliefs had led her to aid in the murder of countless innocent players.

Sara looked at her hands and imagined them soaked in blood. If Israel was telling the truth, then _she_ was the real monster.

"Sara?"

Looking up, Sara saw Tristan standing there at the top of the stairs, his face etched with worry and concern.

"Israel told me what happened today, he explained everything. I just want you to know-"

"About a month ago," Sara said, cutting him off. "You told me that you didn't know anything about the guild known as Justice."

Tristan nodded. "Yes."

"Were you lying?"

He shook his head, his feminine face contorted with sorrow. "No, Sara, I wasn't lying. I spend most of my days among the green players, trading, buying, selling. I know a good many people. Never once had I heard about Justice before we had that discussion."

She eyed him suspiciously. "And now?"

Tristan hesitated. "After Israel told me what happened, what you had said, I did some digging for a few hours."

"And?"

He looked away from her. "I talked to some info brokers in charge of Aincrad Today. Its their job to know about everything that goes on within SAO. They told me that Justice did indeed exist, but that they never so much as ruled a single village. Their guild was small, no more than thirteen players, and they rented out all the rooms on the second floor of a tavern. They did indeed target and oppress Beta Testers wherever they could find them, and some of the common players were sympathetic to that cause, but they never garnered a following, much less an army. One day, in late February, they went out to go find more Beta Testers. They never returned. It was discovered later that they had been killed when some players who knew them found their names on the Monument of Life. It was suspected they had been killed by Laughing Coffin, but there wasn't enough evidence to-"

"I helped kill them." Sara whispered, almost to herself. "We ambushed them on the road. A dozen players, led by a woman. PoH told me he was certain that they were the detachment who had…"

Tristan nodded somberly. "In that, PoH was being truthful. They were the ones who killed your son, because they were the only members in Justice."

Sara's vision swam. She was so dizzy. "And...you're sure that there weren't more of them, or that they never had control of a stronghold, or a town, or…?"

She thought she could see tears in his eyes as he glanced up at her. "I swear, Sara. I wouldn't lie to you. We're friends, remember?"

Sara realized she had stopped breathing and sucked in a gasp. She tried to make sense of the myriad emotions raging inside her head, but was overwhelmed by them. Was it true? Could the cause have been nothing but meaningless words all that time? Was she really such a fool?

Panic gripped her, and she felt as though she was falling. The cause had been all that had kept her going. All that had given her life purpose. There was no cause.

No.

She couldn't believe it.

"Leave me be." Sara said, her words hollow as she sat down against the bark wall of the room.

Tristan stepped forward. "Sara, please, let me-"

Sara exploded. "I said leave me!"

Flinching back, Tristan hesitated for a moment longer before finally turning on his heel and marching back down the stairs. She was alone with her fear, her panic, her doubt. She couldn't believe it. She wouldn't.

Sara blinked, and suddenly she remembered waking up in the night, the same night she had urged PoH not to harm the vassal guild leaders who were stirring up dissent against him for not protecting them. She remembered being half asleep as she stirred in PoH's bed. She had heard him talking with Xaxa at the door in hushed tones. She had heard them, but the words had been lost to her in the midst of sleep. Now, she remembered every one.

" _Why do you insist on keeping up this mad charade with her?" Hissed Xaxa._

" _Silence."_

" _She is an ignorant fool living in a fantasy. You could have any other woman-"_

 _PoH glared at him, but spoke casually, as if he were discussing the weather. "Another word, Xaxa, and I'll skin you alive. Am I clear?"_

 _Silence for a moment. "Yes. Forgive me."_

 _PoH grunted. "Sara is special. She is our greatest asset. More than that, she means everything to me. You will not test this again, Xaxa, or you will find yourself forever regretting your mistake."_

 _Xaxa fidgeted with his belt strap. "Understood. It is not my desire to cause a rift between us. I seek only to strengthen your rule and the power of Laughing Coffin. If we leave those cowardly slaves to continue stirring up resistance among the rest of the vassals-"_

" _We will not."_

 _Xaxa paused. "But you said-"_

" _I know what I said. Sara was standing beside me."_

" _Then we move to strike?"_

 _PoH nodded, his snake tattoo writhing along his handsome face. "Take a wolf pack. Kill the protesters."_

 _Xaxa dipped his head happily, then turned to go. PoH softly spoke a command to stop him._

" _And Xaxa, one last thing. Make sure you kill them slow."_

Sara felt tears rolling down her cheeks. Not tears of sorrow or betrayal, but of shame. As if now freed, more memories came to her, each one feeling like another nail in her coffin. She remembered PoH's blank, oblivious face staring back at her when she had interrupted Tristan in the midst of his false message, asking if it was a detachment of Justice he and his "Cutthroats" had killed, and not innocent players. Tristan had had no idea what she was talking about, but it was PoH's surprise that truly exposed him. Only after a brief moment had he righted himself and affirmed that it had indeed been a party of Justice members.

Sara remembered countless times when wolf packs had returned triumphant and laden with spoils, eager to tell their embellished stories of the battle, only to have PoH order them to silence and to return to their tents. When she had asked him about it, his excuse had been that unless kept well disciplined at all times, drunk and adrenaline pumped warriors could easily end up destroying half the camp. Sara had believed him.

What a fool she had been.

Xaxa's words refused to leave her be.

 _One day, you'll realize just how little you truly know._

He had been right.

Sara could deny it no longer. Her blindness was gone. Her world had just crumbled to ash, but she now saw the truth. There had never been any cause. PoH was a bloodthirsty killer, just like the rest of them. Using his cunning and lust for power, he had created a nearly unstoppable organization, a killing machine composed of murderers out for death. And she had been at the front of it all, waving a banner of blood.

PoH had done nothing but lie to her from the first moment he had found her so that he could use her for his own gain. More than that, he had indoctrinated her, turned her into an unwitting pawn, a slave to his will.

Sara wanted to vomit at the memories of how she had lain with him, spreading her legs for her master, and all the while he had no doubt laughed to himself at her stupidity while he rammed her. Her stomach heaved, and she dropped to her knees somewhere in the center of the room. She felt dirty. She imagined his perfect smile, his steely grey eyes, his lips upon her most intimate parts. She wanted to rip his face apart.

A flash of realization hit her, and Sara wanted to bash her head against the wall in revulsion. Israel had been wrong about one thing: PoH hadn't known of her skills in potion making when he stumbled across her. The only thing he had seen was her. She remembered his penetrating grey eyes looking her up and down for the first time. In appraisal, she had thought. Now she knew. He had looked at her with lust in his eyes. From the first, he had merely wanted her body. That was all he cared about. He wanted to take her, and so lured her in with honeyed lies. And she had let him. How many times had she let him touch her, kiss her, ravage her?

Sara screamed in horror, disgust, fury. She had been nothing more than an object, a vessel to be used to satisfy his filthy, lurid desires. But it was worse than that. Upon discovering her talent with potions, PoH had urged her to become the guild's lead potion mixer and use her skills to aid the 'cause.' In doing so, she had become as much a murderer as him. Together, they had bathed in a river of blood.

Curled into a ball on the floor, Sara trembled as the storm of her outrage, her revulsion, her guilt, festered within her, threatening to destroy every fiber of her being. She would never be able to forgive herself.

…

"Vivienne!" Aranal's booming voice echoed off the walls. "There you are!"

Vivienne turned and watched as the big man trotted up in front of her, his usually mirthful features now twisted into a look of worry and foreboding.

"Aranal, is everything alright?"

The big bear of a man shook his head grimly. "There's trouble down in the Grand Hearth. Can you please help?"

Vivienne frowned. "What sort of trouble?"

"Some of the men have started a fight and it's turned into a full scale brawl. The place is in an uproar."

Scowling, Vivienne immediately took up a fast, determined stride back the way she had come. If any of those men belonged to her squads, they'd be sorry. She was in a bad mood.

"Where's Jae?"

Aranal must have detected the irritation in her voice; he sidestepped away from her a good two feet before clearing his throat and replying.

"Jae's still down at the Labyrinth."

Vivienne threw up her hands in exasperation. "Has all law and order fallen apart today? Jae and his men should've been off their shift hours ago. What are they still doing at the Labyrinth?"

Aranal coughed. "I...well...he...wanted to get in some extra time. He's frustrated at the lack of progress-"

"The entire Assault Team is frustrated!" Vivienne said loudly. "That doesn't mean we break protocol. I'm going to have words with him when he gets back here, Second in Command or not."

Aranal bobbed his head in agreement, clearly startled at her anger. "I believe you."

Vivienne forced herself to cool down as she and Aranal took a sharp turn down the next hall, their footsteps echoing off the smooth marble tiles. It wasn't his fault the day had been particularly chaotic. All morning long, Vivienne had hardly been able to walk ten feet from her room without someone approaching and asking for her help or advice. Had the requests made sense, she would have gladly assisted in any way she could, and all morning she had been doing just that, but the requests had been absurd. Players who had done their various jobs without trouble all throughout the Keep for months had now, it seemed, lost all capability and knowledge they once had.

Officer Luin had come asking for her professional help in finding a sword that fit his build, something that he should've been perfectly capable of doing on his own half a year ago. Next came Squad Leader Renar, one of Jae's men, asking for assistance with keeping up a guild calendar. Taylor, who lived across the castle, had also appeared, demanding to fit her a new suit of armor and, when she managed to talk him out of it, asked for her help with a shield he had been commissioned to modify. The pleas were endless, and had grown only more ridiculous over the course of the morning. The barrage of absurdities had prevented Vivienne from so much as leaving the hall. Already, she had made more progress walking with Aranal in the past few minutes then she had all day.

"Where were the other officers when this fight broke out?" Vivienne asked as they descended a robust stone staircase. "Where was Avari?"

Aranal allowed himself a scoff. "Avari's off somewhere with David. Again. That boy is acting like a lovestruck puppy- and she's little better!"

That brought a faint smile to Vivienne's lips, if just for a moment. She thought David and Avari were adorable together, and was happy that they were spending so much time enjoying each other's company. It surprised her that Avari had had such a change of heart, and in more ways than one. Ever since the Senior Officer and Jae had been trapped in a hidden dungeon beneath one of the Labyrinths, her attitude had changed. She no longer resented Jae. On the contrary, she now seemed eager to hear what he had to say on any given matter, and defended his decisions often. She was even considerably nicer to Vivienne these days as well.

Exiting the final corridor, Vivienne mentally prepared herself to take control of the situation. Men often made the mistake of underestimating her capability to lead because she was a woman, but never for long. In many ways, men were like children. A leader needed only to show them a firm hand and no tolerance for misbehaving, and they quickly fell into line. Still, she wasn't in the mood for parenting.

Stepping out into the Grand Hearth, Vivienne was greeted by the most astonishing sight she had ever seen. The floor of the hall was gone, buried underneath several inches worth of rose petals. Hanging from the rafters above were elegant chandeliers, different from the usual, and near to bursting with fabulous pink and red light. Massive candles burned all throughout the Hearth, and the thick smell of cinnamon incense- her favorite scent- rolled gently over her.

But it was the man in the center that had her full attention.

Garbed in beautiful, perfectly set and fitted plate armor that complemented his powerful form, complete with a royal blue cloak billowing out dramatically around him and a striking blue plumed helmet that granted him a regal, commanding look, the man looked like nothing less than a warrior king. It was Jae, but he looked more imposing, more dominant, and more manly than she had ever seen him. She felt her knees weaken at the sight. He was the most handsome man she had ever seen.

Glancing back over her shoulder, Vivienne briefly saw the back of Aranal's shaved head as he slipped back around the corner and disappeared.

Returning her eyes to feast on the man standing alone in the Grand Hearth, Vivienne strode forward. When she was within several feet of him, she saw his broad smile behind the helmet. It was infectious, and she grinned helplessly at him as she gestured around.

"Jae, what's all this about?"

His smile grew. "Like it?"

"Like it?" Vivienne looked around at the hall. It looked like it would've taken days to set everything up. "I love it."

He nodded. "I hoped you would." He leaned in confidentiality. "Sorry about keeping you trapped up in your room all morning. I needed some time to set everything up."

Vivienne scowled. "So that was your doing, was it? I should've known."

Jae kept smiling, and Vivienne couldn't help herself. Stepping forward as she shook her head, she gave him a quick kiss, then tugged at his armor.

"You look like you belong in my bedchamber, Second in Command."

Jae took a step back. "Let's see if you still want to say that in the next minute."

Vivienne frowned. "What does that mean?"

Jae dropped to a knee. It was then that Vivienne saw the small box in his hand.

"Officer Vivienne of the Holy Dragon Alliance," Jae began, positively beaming as he opened the box before her. "Would you do me the honor of making me the happiest man in the world by becoming my wife?"

Speechless, Vivienne could only blink for a moment as she stared at the open box. In it, there sat an exquisite diamond ring laced with silver and blue wire. At its perch sat a perfectly cut peridot- her birthstone. She had no idea how he had remembered such a thing. She had only spoken of it once.

Jae cleared his throat. "No rush or anything, Viv, but this armor is heavier than it looks and-"

"Yes!" Vivienne shouted as she threw herself at him, ripping off his helmet so she could give him the kiss she really wanted to give. "My answer is yes!"


	84. Chapter 83

83

September 17th, 2023

Floor 39, Atwold Forest

Israel pressed the gnarled knob jutting out from the massive tree and stepped back as he watched the bark shift and drag in on itself. The door grated open, and he stepped inside.

The lights came on as they always did at his entrance, and after removing the mask and hood that covered his face, he instinctively reached out behind him and pressed the identical knob beside the door. The bark dragged loudly again, then was silent. Israel raised an arm to brush back the hair that had fallen into his eyes, and to his surprise, he saw a wide, deep gash about six inches long along the inside of his left forearm. It was then he realized that he was grasping at the pain, amplifying it as his mind swam deeper into its current of agony, without even realizing it. More and more often he seemed to be pulling at the torment, channeling it within him, feeding off of it, without even noticing.

Israel had gone out hunting for orange players more often in the past few days as well, driving himself relentlessly in his pursuit of them. Inflicting pain, though, no longer seemed to satisfy the feelings within him; the crushing sorrow, the overwhelming guilt, as much as it used to. He saw the violence fill his eyes in a series of flashing images: severed heads tumbling to the ground, guts spilling from disemboweled stomachs, white knuckled hands still gripping swords as the limbs themselves flew through the air. Above it all, filling that air, were thick clouds of bright pixelated shards whose very memory temporarily blinded him. But it wasn't enough.

Several times in the last few days, Israel had begun deliberately allowing himself to be wounded during battles in an effort to satiate that inferno of burning pain- the only pain he couldn't control, the only pain he feared- that reddened his vision and blurred reality as it ripped at his heart. For the most part, it worked. The concentration required to amplify the physical agony and send it raging through him more or less blotted out the pain within him, even if it didn't bury it completely. Exposing his mind to such horrific anguish took its toll, though. Several days ago, he had pushed himself too far and awoke curled up on the ground, his body trembling as sweat coated his skin. But it worked to temporarily rid himself of the suffering in his heart, and that was all that mattered. He suspected that the cost of such constant exposure to torment was what made him sometimes forget he was drawing it within himself.

Letting his injured arm drop back down to his side, Israel looked up at the ceiling. Sara would be sitting up there, at the top of the tree. He knew that was why the misery within his core was growing stronger, why he could no longer satiate it as easily; he had allowed it to escape the mental prison he had trapped within him, the makeshift room within his core where he had buried it, when he had opened himself up to Sara. For so long, he had kept it down, kept it relatively dormant thanks to the constant violence. He knew, even then, that it had only been a temporary solution, that eventually it would grow too strong to be ignored, but still.

But that wasn't what worried him. It was Sara he found himself fearing for. Ever since that day when she had discovered the truth for herself thanks to his words, she hadn't been the same. Whenever he went to see her, he felt profound sorrow for what he saw staring back at him. The fire was gone from her eyes. In its place now lurked horror at what she had done, and a vast, overwhelming guilt for the deaths she had caused, however indirectly. She had spoken little, and eaten less. Israel suspected she hadn't slept much at all. Neither had he: nightmares of Naomi's face when he had told her he didn't love her haunted his dreams.

Regret flared up within him. Sara had been his enemy before, but she had been filled with life, with purpose. Now, she was a shadow of her former self. He should've considered the implications of showing her the terrible truth, should've thought about the guilt she would no doubt feel. Sara had risked death to preserve life. At every turn, she had fought him stop the killing. Such a noble heart would surely shatter under the weight of the truth of he had shown her. How could he have been so cruel?

Israel reprimanded himself. He was thinking of the problem again, not the solution. The past was the past. It was up to him to try to rectify what he had done, to help her. He remembered how terribly he had treated her. He had done his very best to be cruel, to hurt her, before she had told him who she really was. Yes, it was up to him to help her, now.

He walked quietly up the staircase, closing his tired eyes as his feet found their way by memory. The eyes of all the dead, of all those he had killed, stared at him in the darkness.

Emerging at the top floor, Israel looked at her. She was sitting in the same spot on the floor he had last seen her the day before. Her black dress, which already revealed the rise and fall of her curves, was still torn and frayed in various places, further exposing some of her shapely form. Her hair was still a tangled, matted mess. Israel wished she had taken up his offer of a shower, not because she smelled or looked badly, but because he remembered how often she had tried to smooth it out with her hands in obvious discomfort, and he thought she would find joy in being clean again. Her hands moved with easy, knowing confidence as she ground a small bowl of herbs into mush inside. Various tins, pots, ladles, vials, and other materials were arranged in a semi circle around her with remarkable neatness. At first glance, her attention appeared to be on her work, but Israel could see the glazed, distant look in her eyes. She wasn't looking at the bowl.

It took her a moment to notice him, but she didn't appear to care when her eyes did finally take note of his presence some feet in front of her.

"Almost done." She said in a voice devoid of emotion. "After this, I'll start on restocking the paralysis potions."

Israel wasn't sure what to say, so he looked away from her. The window was open, inviting the crisp autumn air inside. Beyond, he could see leaves falling from various branches.

"Thank you, Sara….Would you like to take a break from that?"

Sara returned her gaze to the mush she was working at with a small pestle. "No. I'm fine. Thank you."

Israel cleared his throat as he fumbled for words. "Would you mind going for...another trip with me?"

Sara frowned, her hands stopping above the paste she was creating. "I still have enough ingredients from our last walk to make potions for a good while yet. It isn't necessary."

"I know, but I like to be well stocked in case of emergencies. It's better to be prepared in case we can't go back out there for awhile."

"I don't think-"

"Please?"

She paused and looked up at him. "Alright, if it means that much to you."

Israel nodded. "It does. I just like to be prepared for any eventuality, that's all."

He helped her gather what she needed, and then activated a Corridor Crystal for them.

"Teleport, Red Plains."

Contrary to the name of the area, Israel and Sara emerged amidst green grasslands and gentle fields brimming over with wheat and corn. Trees dotted the peaceful countryside, and birds flew cheerily overhead. Sara didn't bother looking around and merely set out down the overgrown, unused dirt road that stretched on as far as the eye could see. Israel caught up with her, and for a long time, there was silence between them as they walked, their footfalls muted on the dusty, trodden earth.

Israel wasn't sure exactly why he had asked for another search. There were several possible reasons. It could be that he was doing it for his own benefit: during the last walk they had shared, the anguish within him and the visions of brutal violence had faded somewhat, clearing his mind and calming him. It was possible he was trying to find that peace again, even if only for a little while. It was also possible he was doing it for her. If his tortured, wandering mind could find a measure of solace amidst the clear, crisp air, the chirping birds, the scampering squirrels, perhaps she could as well. He wanted to help her. He owed her that much.

The morning wore on in silence, and the slow, monotonous walking was broken only during the times Sara broke off from the main road and quietly plucked or grabbed various ingredients she spied nearby. Israel didn't bother checking what she took; her will was gone. She no longer wanted to make an escape attempt. Though he wasn't sure, Israel suspected that she now viewed her capture as a fate deserved for her crimes. A smaller part of him suspected she thought such a fate too generous.

"Can I ask you a question?" Sara asked calmly, casually, without looking at him as they walked. The noon sun basked them in rays of gentle warmth from above.

Israel's heart lifted. This was a good sign. "Of course. What is it you want to know?"

"When you first captured me, that night, you threatened to show me the true meaning of torture, to make me experience what it really meant."

Israel looked ahead. He felt sick at the recollection. "I remember."

"Why didn't you?"

Israel was silent for a moment. Not because he didn't know the answer, but because the memory of it made him feel ashamed.

"A long time ago, when I had first begun hunting down orange players, I was captured by one of them. He paralyzed me when my back was turned, and I didn't have any antidotes. I don't think antidotes had even been discovered yet. He took me to a small cave on Floor Nineteen, and tortured me there, every single day, for almost two months." Israel felt himself shudder at the memory. "He did things to me that I didn't think a human being could do to another. Every day, he told me to apologize for killing the other players in his guild, his friends. At first, I tried to fight. I was defiant, and held my ground. That didn't last long. I ended up begging him for forgiveness every time he asked, even though I knew he wouldn't stop. He just took amusement in hearing me beg." Israel took a breath. "His name was Drefan."

Sara's eyes watched him, and he saw that, for the moment at least, the glaze was gone.

"How did you get away?"

Israel set his sights forward again. "I had to learn to embrace the pain he gave me, rather than fear it. I learned to control it, bend it to my will, and I used it to kill him and escape. I despised him for what he did, what he was. Of all the lives I've taken, depriving him of his is something I take the most pride in. It's something I would never take back. He was a demon, a monster walking among the living. You may not believe me, but I know in my heart that taking his life was a service to the world."

Sara was silent for a moment. "I believe you."

Israel cleared his throat and went on. "When I said those things to you that night, I was angry. I thought you were nothing more than another monster, a reflection of him and all the other orange players that had hurt me, and Naomi. When you stood up to me in spite of my threats...it reminded me of myself when Drefan had first captured me. I realized that in my hatred, I almost became him. To this day, I still feel ashamed that I...that I came so close." He looked over at her. "I'm sorry, Sara."

Silence enveloped them as Sara looked forward again. After a long moment, she said, "You should have done it."

Israel slowed to a stop as she walked past him. What had he done?

He reached out and grabbed her arm, forcing her to face him.

"You don't mean that."

She eyed his hand. "Why not? I deserve it."

Israel shook his head. "You don't understand. No one deserves such a thing. No one should have to live through that."

"I'm responsible for the deaths of countless innocent people." Sara hissed vehemently, tearing her arm from his grip. "Because of my stupidity, my ignorance, I helped a murderer build an empire over a mound of corpses."

Israel shook his head. "I know killers, Sara. I've been among them. Christ, I am one. You're not a murderer. Everything you did, you did with the right intentions. You are not to blame for what PoH has done. He spun a web of lies to bind you to his cause."

Sara shook her head and looked out across the wheat fields before them. "Intentions make no difference to the dead." She let out sharp, bitter laugh. "And to think that all this time, I thought you were the monster."

Israel refused to back down. "You need to stop this, Sara. You're being selfish. Do you think wallowing in self-pity is going to bring back those who have died?"

Sara frowned at him in genuine surprise. "What? No. I'm not-"

"Yes, you are." He affirmed. "You know the truth now. Yes, it's terrible. Yes, it's understandable for you to feel guilty. But how are you using the truth to make up for what you've done? Are you fighting back against the player killers, against Laughing Coffin, against PoH? Are you working to defend all those innocent lives still at risk? Are you seeking vengeance, justice, for the lies told to you, the lies that stained your hands with blood? No. You're pouting like a child, feeling sorry for yourself and dwelling on things that none of us has the power to go back and change." He softened his voice. "There's a wise saying I try to keep foremost in my heart at all times; think of the solution, not the problem. In taking the time to hate yourself for what you've done, to allow guilt and self-loathing to fill your days rather than purpose and productivity, you're dwelling only on the problem. That won't erase what's done, Sara. You need to ask yourself, what is the solution? Though each of us must ultimately answer that question for ourselves, I have a few ideas that might help you.

"You've been gifted with remarkable talent in the art of potion making. Why not use that gift, that skill, to keep helping me fight the murderers who have wronged you? Why not spend your time thinking of how you can prevent more loss of life, and so begin to make amends for past mistakes? Though you are my prisoner, you still hold power over your own life, the power to decide what you will and won't do. You're a good person, that much I know without a doubt. Don't allow the past to destroy who you are. In this life, we cannot go back. Only forward."

Sara was silent for a long moment, her big blue eyes watching him.

"You are not the man one expects." She said finally, and he saw the glint in her eyes as fire returned, even if it was only a small ember. "I am grateful for what you have told me. You are right, self-pity is not a luxury I can afford, nor one I deserve. It is time I began making up for what I have done. I will move forward, and take advantage of the situation I find myself in by helping you fight them." For the first time since she had discovered the truth about herself and so many others, Sara smiled. "Really helping you, I mean."

Israel arched an eyebrow in suspicion. "What does that mean?"

Sara rolled a shoulder apologetically. "Let's just say that since I started making potions for you, I haven't been making them quite up to par. I had also been deliberately seeking alternatives that prevented or slowed my EXP gain so that I wouldn't unlock the next tier."

Israel chuckled in spite of himself. "You continually manage to prove yourself more than a little troublesome."

A sincere expression flashed across Sara's features. "I'm going to help now, though. I'll do everything I can to begin making amends to those lost by aiding you for as long as I'm with you. You have my word."


	85. Chapter 84

84

October 21st, 2023

Floor 38, Castellan Keep

"Any idea what this is about?" Vivienne asked as Jae eased up beside her past the dozen or so other officers already assembled.

Jae shook his head and gazed out past the heads in front of him. Avari's back was turned, exposing her powerful greatsword in its sheath to the rest of the room. The gold embossed hilt seemed to glitter as the afternoon sunlight from the window danced off of it. Her black hair had grown somewhat and now covered the nape of her neck. Her silver and blue armor, no doubt worn and dented from her shift in the Labyrinth, was hidden behind the luxurious royal blue officer's cape that began at the shoulders and flowed down to her steel boots. She bent over slightly, leaning in over the table as she spoke in hushed tones that Jae couldn't overhear. Opposite her and facing the rest of them sat a red faced Lind.

"I better go see what they're talking about." Jae said. He turned back to Vivienne. "But first, I'd like to greet my fiance."

She beamed at him as he drew her close and gave her a quick kiss. His breath caught in his throat from the brief, wondrous intimacy, and he was glad she pulled away first; he might not have had the strength to. After all, they hadn't seen each other since the night before due to their responsibilities.

"Go on." Vivienne said softly, urging him along. Your place is up there, Second in Command."

Jae moved forward, and with each step the small throng of officers parted for him, dipping their heads in respect or smiling good naturedly as he walked past. One or two clapped fists to hearts proudly. When Jae had first been chosen to be Second in Command of the Holy Dragon Alliance, he had found the sudden subservience from men he knew to be grating and uncalled for. They had fought with him, joked with him, argued, eaten, and supported him for many months as equals. He wasn't as close with them as he was with the old members of Group H, it was true, but he considered them all friends.

The officers' relations with him hadn't changed since his promotion to Second in Command and Senior Officer, but their demeanor now conveyed a layer of formality that had at first irked him. During the first few weeks, he had tried unsuccessfully to get them to stop and treat him the same as before. It was only with time, and several words from Vivienne, that he had come to understand that such trivialities were important for the sake of maintaining discipline and adherence to the rank by all, and that the men knew that. Personal friendships had not wavered; they were simply proud of him and showing him the respect owed his position so that the rest of the guild would not mistake his authority either.

Stepping out of the small crowd, Jae strode across the decadent Commander's chamber, his silver steel boots muted on the magnificent blue and silver carpet that ran to the marble table Lind had brought with him from the old HQ. A thin black stain of ink ran still ran along one of the wooden legs from a day that, to Jae, already felt like a lifetime ago.

 _Time in SAO seems to go by so much slower than…_

Jae frowned as he marched ahead, and it wasn't until he had closed the distance that he realized the words he had been searching for were the real world. He had forgotten about the real world.

Avari must have heard his approach, for she turned her head to glance at him from over her shoulder. She smiled reassuringly, not bothering to stand from her position bent over the table. "Good to see you, Jae. Sorry to keep everyone waiting."

Jae returned the smile. "Good to see you safe from your shift, Avari." He looked from her to Lind, who's face still looked more than a little heated. "Is everything alright here?"

Lind pursed his lips. "Fine. _Officer_ Avari here seems to have forgotten her place, that's all."

Avari, not looking at all angered by the subtle insult, merely shook her head.

"Apologies, Commander, if you feel I've overstepped my position. I was merely trying to help you remember yours."

A thick vein in Lind's temple bulged, but before anything more was said, Jae cleared his throat.

"Is there a reason for this gathering, Avari? I heard it was you who called it."

She straightened, brushing the thick bangs from her eyes as she dipped her head into a nod. "I did. It's important."

She gave a last, lingering look of hopelessness to Lind, then turned and faced the gathered officers. Jae turned beside her to look at the others, and by the look on their faces as they gazed at him realized that his own was probably etched with wariness over what the important news might be. His eyes lingered on Vivienne, her beautiful, radiant face superseding and shadowing the others in his vision. She was his world. Jae blinked and found himself tracing a finger along the engagement ring on his right hand. A small grin came to his face, banishing the grim, worried thoughts from a moment before. He was going to be married.

While engagements rings were traditionally for the woman alone, Vivienne had told him that in her family, it was tradition for both members of the couple to wear them, and so had bought him a masterworked, handcrafted ring worked with dark colored copper and bronze for a powerful, masculine appearance. Jae was more than happy to comply with her family tradition, and cared deeply for the ring and it's meaning.

Jae remembered how nervous he had been to ask her. Looking back, he was amused by how long it had taken him after he realized he wanted her to be his wife- nearly a month- to work up the courage. The sight of her now, wearing the sparkling diamond and peridot ring he had gotten her, made his heart soar. It also made him reprimand himself for ever waiting, for doubting. He vowed silently that he would never hesitate out of fear again. Life was too short to waste pondering and being afraid.

"Thank you fellow officers," Avari began, drawing Jae from his thoughts, "for gathering on such short notice. I know we all have work that needs doing, tasks that need to be supervised, but I needed to let everyone know." She took a breath. "During my shift today down in the Labyrinth, my men and I located the Boss Lair."

Grunts of pleasant surprise and approval rose from the dozen gathered officers. Jae let out a breath of relief. He had long ago come to realize that being in a position of power meant always assuming the very worst. He was glad that his thoughts hadn't come to pass.

"It's about time." Officer Retarin said happily. "Now we can finally beat Floor Fifty and really begin picking up the pace."

"If we can defeat the Boss today," Another man, Officer Vitelly, said, "That'll be two Floors in the same month. A good morale boost for our men, and the whole Assault Team, considering our current pace."

The other officers nodded knowingly at Vitelly's words. He was certainly right. For months, Floor clearing progression had reached an all time low, much to the chagrin of the guild, to say nothing of the rest of the player base. It certainly wasn't through lack of effort; Since emerging from bankruptcy and revitalized with Castellan Keep as the new base, the HDA had put significant effort into Labyrinth raids, alongside the Knights of the Blood-Oath who now seemed to be the leading force over much of the Assault Team. In fact, only the Holy Dragon Alliance stood as their equals now. Yet for all their power and prestige, the Knights of the Blood-Oath had become just as bogged down in the ever more difficult and complex Labyrinths as the HDA. Such flagging progress wasn't good for morale, and Assault Team numbers had suffered as a result. Jae guessed that there were hardly more than six hundred players still fighting on the frontlines. The others had either died or abandoned the fight completely.

"Upon securing the outside room," Avari went on, "My men and I discovered a peaceful town NPC hiding behind one of the pillars." She paused long enough for the surprised warriors gathered in front of her to stop their questions. "When we spoke to him, he told us that he had come to warn all 'heroes' who might approach that the Boss inside would be more deadly than any we had yet faced before."

The officers exchanged worried glances, but were now silent.

Jae looked at Avari. "Did the NPC say or do anything else after giving this warning?"

Avari shrugged. "He ran off in a fright out of the chamber and down the hall. I sent a few men to bring him back if they could, but he was gone."

"And he said nothing else? No word on who the Boss is or how to defeat him?"

"Believe me, I asked. He said nothing else."

Jae sighed and pondered what she said. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Lind cutting the skin off of an apple with a knife. The rich, elaborate sleeves of his robes were folded back to his elbow. His attention seemed riveted on cutting the fruit in his hand perfectly.

"This confirms our suspicion, at least." Vivienne pointed out, her sparkling eyes focused on Jae and Avari.

"Suspicion?" Officer Retarin asked.

Jae nodded. "Since the Massacre of Floor Twenty-Five, we've suspected that there was a reason that Boss was so much stronger than the others had been."

"The Bosses on Floors adjacent to the Twenty-Fifth," Avari said. "Were far easier to defeat. Bosses on other Floors, particularly the Twenty-Seventh, Thirty-First, and Thirty-Fourth were also easier to handle, yet they were all on higher Floors."

Jae interlaced his hands behind his back. "This led us to believe that Quarter Bosses- that is to say, Floor Bosses on the Twenty-Fifth, Fiftieth, Seventy-Fifth, and Hundredth Floors- are considerably more difficult than the others around them, acting something like milestone challenges. Until today, however, this was merely speculation. We've never been given warnings before, except perhaps once. The entire Twenty-Fifth Floor was filled with traps and treacherous roads, acting as a kind of warning for what we were to face inside the Labyrinth. Now, on Floor Fifty, we've been given another, and one much more direct. That's all the evidence I think we need to confirm our suspicion to be true."

The officers nodded slowly as they took in what he had said. Avari filled the silence.

"That is the main reason for my asking you all hear. Since we must now take it as fact that this upcoming Boss raid could very well be another Massacre, I wanted each and every one of you to know the peril ahead."

"We will need to fight this battle with the utmost caution." Jae said as he looked at each officer's face. "Preserving lives will be our number one priority. I promise you that I will put my all into ensuring the safety of those who participate in this fight. There will _no_ t be another said, I will not be choosing anyone to go with me against their will. For such a dangerous mission, I want only volunteers. It will be the same for our lower ranks. I want you to stress to your men that if they go with us, it will be of their own accord. You have one hour to tell the men, and decide. Whoever chooses to go, wait for me in the Grand Hearth. Officer Brunar, I want you to ride to the Knights of the Blood-Oath base and let Commander Heathcliff know everything we've just discussed. If he chooses to involve his guild in the fight, or some lesser Assault Team party, that will only help us. Now, unless our Commander has anything more to add, you are dismissed."

All eyes fixed on Lind, and the Guild Commander shifted uncomfortably in his seat for a moment before shaking his head and saying. "What our Second in Command says make sense. I wish the best of luck to whoever chooses to go. Dismissed."

As one, the group of men turned and filed slowly out of the Commander's chamber. Vivienne stayed behind as Jae set out down the carpet again to join her. Avari walked alongside him.

"He didn't look very happy with you." Jae said quietly as they walked. "What were you saying to him?"

Avari sighed irritably, but her voice came in low tones. "I was trying to remind him of who he was, who he used to be. I told him that the men's morale would benefit greatly seeing their Guild Commander alongside them during such a dangerous fight."

"And his reply?"

She glanced his way. "The same as always. His usual 'I'm busy.'" She paused. "I think the man is too far gone to help, Jae. He just doesn't care anymore. He's turned into a decadent, pompous fool content with living a life of luxury while his men do the dying and you do the commanding, all to keep the guild he leeches off intact."

Jae stole a look over his shoulder back across the vast room and saw Lind grit his teeth as he cut off a long piece of skin from the apple in front of him.

Returning his eyes forward, Jae laid a hand gently on her shoulder. "I'm sorry Avari."

She grunted in reply.

When they reached Vivienne, the three of them remained silent and filed out of the room. Once the great oak door had been shut behind them, they all drew to a halt.

"You've been fighting on your shift in the Labyrinth all morning." Jae told Avari. "You and your squads are exempt from this raid. They have the rest of the day off, as do you."

Avari scoffed at him. "You're joking, right? I'm going with you."

"But, your men-"

She waved a dismissive hand. "I think my men know how to nap by themselves. We both know how dangerous this fight is probably going to be. I'm going so you and David don't get yourselves killed."

Jae rolled his eyes. "Fine, have it your way." He smiled slyly. "Good luck explaining that to David, though."

Satisfied that he understood, Avari began walking down the hall with a laugh. "David's a smart man. He knows he needs me."

"It'll be good having her." Vivienne observed. "Avari is one of the best fighters I know."

Jae nodded, drawing the love of his life closer to him. "I know the truth of that. If it wasn't for her, I doubt I would've lasted long against the Bane of Champions." He pulled her in for a kiss. "How angry would you be if I told you you're not coming?"

Vivienne twisted out of his arms, a furious glare lighting up her eyes. "What?"

Jae cleared his throat. "I can't have you in this kind of harm's way. This fight will be-"

"One of the things I fell in love with you for were your brains." Vivienne said, her smoldering glare still on him. "Don't be an idiot. It's not attractive."

Jae's expression turned serious. "Now is not the time for jokes, Vivienne. If this Boss is anything like the one on Floor Twenty-Five, we could be looking at another disaster here. Who knows how many could die."

"You said you'd make sure there wasn't another Massacre."

"And of course I'll do my best to see that promise through, but I'm not all powerful, nor am I all seeing. You know I said that more for the men's benefit than my own." His voice softened. "Viv, I love you more than anything. You're my fiance-"

"I'm also an Officer of the Holy Dragon Alliance." She snapped. "Or did you strip that rank from me when you gave me that ring?"

Jae raked a hand through his hair. "Of course not, but-"

"But, nothing. You forget who I am. You forget who you are. You're letting your feelings for me cloud your judgement." Vivienne's expression cooled somewhat. "You're the Second in Command, Jae. It is your responsibility to lead fairly and honestly. Picking favorites, for whatever reason, is a betrayal of that responsibility, that trust. I'm an officer, just like the rest of the men you just spoke to. You wouldn't tell one among them that he's exempt from such danger while the others face possible death, would you?"

Jae sighed. "No."

"No," Vivienne repeated with a nod. "Because it would be unjust. Sparing me from danger while others risk their lives, even if I wanted you to, would be the same. I'm an Officer. It is my duty to fight beside my men, and I know more than a few will volunteer to follow you into this battle."

Jae looked down at his feet. He wished he could fight her logic, but he couldn't. He didn't want her in such danger. He just wanted her to be safe. If anything were to happen to her... "You're right. I'm sorry, Vivienne. It was wrong of me to say such a thing. You can come, of course."

The love of his life wrapped her arms around him, and Jae could smell the sweet rosewater scent on her thick brown hair. "There is nothing to be sorry for. I love you, Jae. I want you to be safe just as badly as you wish it of me. I understand your fear because I feel it burning within my heart just as fiercely. Yet in spite of my feelings, I would never ask you to remain behind. Even if I had the power to order you to remain here, in safety, I would not. You are the Second in Command of the Holy Dragon Alliance, and your responsibilities, your duties, far outweigh our own personal wishes."

Jae cupped her cheeks reverently with his hands. Her skin was always so wondrously silky smooth. "You're the wisest woman I've ever met. I don't know what I did to deserve you. I promise, I won't disappoint you again."

Vivienne smiled, her velvet lips brushing against his. "You could never disappoint me. You just keep me safe in there, and I'll keep you safe, and everything will be fine. Agreed?"

Jae nodded. "Agreed."

He pulled her to him, but even as they kissed, a part of him felt as though he had failed to protect her. Images of all those lost against past Bosses flashed in his mind.

…

A knock on the door pulled Jae from his quiet foreboding. Finishing the last strap on his polished breastplate, he sighed. The hour was nearly over, and he had hoped that he might get the chance to be alone with Vivienne for another moment or so before going down to the Grand Hearth with her, but it now looked like that wouldn't happen.

Armor clanking, Jae approached the door and opened it wide. In front of him stood a determined looking Ryan.

"Jae, I hope I'm not bothering you."

"Not at all. Something wrong, Ryan?"

The handsome, broad shouldered player shook his head. "No, no, nothing like that. I just wanted to ask your permission to stand with you and the other volunteers for this Boss raid."

Jae frowned. "Are you sure? You're in one of Avari's squads. You must be worn out after fighting all morning. I gave everyone who was on shift today exemption from the raid."

Ryan nodded. "I know, Officer Avari told us as much. But I want to help. I want to fight with you and the others."

"I admire your determination, Ryan," Jae said sincerely, "But a fighter not at his best has a far greater chance of getting killed. We all need to know our limits."

Ryan smiled. "I understand, and you are right. I promise you, I know my limits. I had a chance to rest some this past hour. I'm ready and able to fight. I would feel ashamed to let others face danger while I stayed behind. Please, allow me to come."

Jae couldn't help but grin along with the brave, dedicated player. He shrugged. "I did say that I wanted volunteers. I'll be happy to know you're watching my back in there, Ryan."

Ryan clapped him on the shoulder. "Thank you, Jae. I won't let you down."

The player set off at a brisk pace, no doubt eager to reach the Grand Hearth in time. Jae didn't even have time to shut the door when he saw Jon Bright lurch to a halt in front of the doorframe, blinking in surprise at Jae standing right there.

"Good, you're still here." Jon said with an exhausted pant. Sweat beaded his brow.

Jae scowled. "Where have you been? I messaged you, and so did David and Aranal. We were about to leave without you." He leaned in, transforming the scowl into a sarcastic smile. "You're not afraid of going off to battle against this Floor Boss, are you?"

Jon Bright rolled his eyes as he panted. "Don't be stupid. You'd have an easier time fighting the Shadow of Death than you would keeping me from standing by my brothers. I came as fast as I could. Honestly, there needs to be a better layout of Teleport Gates. I had to sprint almost two miles!"

Jae chuckled at Jon's exasperation. "I've never been that badly inconvenienced by Teleport Gate locations. Where the hell were you?"

Jon suddenly gave him a suspicious look. "Nowhere."

Jae frowned. "What's that supposed to mean?" He scanned the mud and dirt all over Jon's pants. The man must have been all but flying down the road. "Where have you been all morning?"

Jon hesitated, then looked over his shoulder down both sides of the hall before leaning in confidentially. "Alright, if you must know, I was out getting you and Vivienne a wedding present, alright?"

Jae blinked. "What?"

Jon Bright scowled at him. "Don't tell Aranal or David. You hear? And don't you ask me what I got either, it's a surprise. You can see them all on the day."

Jae's eyebrow lifted. "All?"

Jon rolled his eyes. "Shut up. I'm going to get my armor on. Don't leave without me."

The Group H member took a step back away from the door, but then paused to turn and waggle a finger at Jae.

"And I had better be the best man."

Jae found himself grinning again. "Best man?"

"Of course. We all know it has to be a Group H member. It better be me."

Jae scratched his head. "Can't all three of you be best man?"

Jon laughed. "Sure, if you want a brawl on your hands."

"Jon, there you are!" Came David's voice down the hall.

Jon and Jae both peered down the left side of the hall in time to see David and Avari, both fully armed and armored, making their way past them, no doubt headed for the Grand Hearth.

"We thought you'd gotten frightened at the prospect of fighting a tough Boss." David teased.

Jon laughed, leaning casually against Jae's doorframe as the couple walked by. "Lucky for you, I decided you'd be helpless without me and just couldn't leave you to the wolves."

Avari scoffed. "Nonsense, he's got me to protect him."

Jon chuckled. "Of course, I should've remembered that you two are inseparable. It's adorable."

Avari crossed her arms menacingly.

"I'll have you know that I'm still an Officer, Jon Bright. I can make you go do triple shifts over at the Item Exchange."

Jon's face paled at the threat. "Oh God, please no. That place is hell behind a counter."

Jae suppressed a laugh. "Keep your voices down, unless you want Aranal to overhear your remarks and bring the wrath of God on you for making fun of his operation."

Avari crossed her arms beneath her breasts. "Oh please. Aranal himself hates bargaining with the regulars. You should've heard him argue over the price of wild garlic with one in particular, some girly looking man with long black hair-"

A loud _dong_ cut her off, reverberating in Jae's ears and echoing down the corridor for several brief seconds before fading out into non existence. He knew what it was. A large clocktower was attached to the back of Castellan Keep, near the citadel portion of the castle. Newly discovered and activated some days ago by Vivienne and several others for the purpose of aiding punctuality, it rang out once every hour on the hour.

Time was up.


	86. Chapter 85

85

October 21st, 2023

Floor 50 Labyrinth

"Alright everyone," Jae said in a commanding tone as he planted his spear into the ground before him. "You know what to do. Stay in ranks, maintain discipline and follow officer orders. If you get lost or cut off from the rest of the formation, don't take any risks. Teleport out. If your health drops to red and you know you don't have time to heal, teleport out. Watch each other's backs and do what you're trained to do, and we'll all make it out of here in one piece. Any questions?"

Aranal raised his hand. "With all due respect, fearless leader, do you think you could cut the inspirational speech short today and let us go in there and do what we do best? My poleaxe is restless." He hefted the large, brutal looking weapon to prove his point.

Peels of good natured laughter rippled out among the twenty-five silver and blue garbed warriors in response to the big man's request. Jae allowed himself a ghost of a smile. His friend was only trying to ease the tension in the room.

"Just for you, Aranal, I made sure to keep the stereotypes to a minimum. That's all I have to say. Prepare yourselves, and I'll see if our comrades are ready to get this done."

Turning on a heel, Jae strode across the chamber, his steel boots echoing on the hard, stone floor. Nearby, he saw the small crowd of white and red armor clad members of the Knights of the Blood-Oath. At their head stood Asuna, the Second in Command of her guild. She was speaking to them, and though he couldn't make out the words, Jae guessed she was saying much the same as he had been. Passing his gaze along the faces of the guild before him as he approached, he noted that their Commander, Heathcliff, was not among them.

Asuna saw him approach and moved to meet him halfway. By the easy grace with which she carried herself, and the calm, calculated way in which she appraised the area around her, Jae could tell she was an expert swordswoman. A white gloved hand rested on the hilt of a thin, razor sharp rapier at her side. Her long chestnut hair flowed freely down the length of her back, adding both to her beauty and commanding presence. Jae guessed that she was only a few years younger than him, perhaps eighteen or nineteen like David.

"My men are ready." Jae said, dipping his head in greeting.

Asuna looked back over her own warriors. "As are mine. Twenty five of our best, accounted for and eager for battle. Just let us know when you want to go in."

Jae nodded, then offered an appreciative smile. "Thank you for coming."

Asuna shrugged. "Floor clearing is a burden that all must share, and a risk that we all must take if we are to eventually clear this game and go home. It would be wrong to allow any one of us frontline groups shoulder the weight alone."

Jae nodded knowingly, then gestured out among the red and white clad players before them talking among themselves, their quiet voices mingling together and echoing lightly out around the large stone chamber. "Why didn't your Guild Commander come himself?"

"Why didn't yours?"

Jae exhaled through his nose. "Fair enough."

Asuna's wary features softened. "I meant no disrespect." A wry smile stretched onto her face. "It seems us Sub Commanders always end up stuck with the dangerous work."

Jae chuckled. "I don't think truer words were ever spoken." He clapped a fist to his heart in a gesture of respect, then turned to head back to his own lines. "I'll see you on the field, Lightning Flash."

"You as well, Hero of Floor Twenty-Five." She replied.

Once he had resumed his place before the small crowd of HDA members, Jae beckoned with a finger for his Group H friends to step forward for a private word. All three looked powerful and strong in their nearly identical suits of silver and blue plate armor. Jon was resting a short sword over his shoulder, David's fingers drummed the hilt of the finely wrought scimitar sheathed at his hip, and Aranal stood with both hands clasped atop the huge crescent bladed axe head that made up the top of his polearm weapon.

Once he had taken them aside, Jae fixed each in a determined, resolute stare.

"I know I have no right to make the following request of any of you, and I know you have others to look after, but I still need to ask. I'd feel a lot better knowing that, as my friends, as my brothers, that if things go poorly in there for me-"

"They won't." David affirmed.

"If something does happen," Jae continued. "I'm asking all of you to make sure Vivienne

is safe first. Even if it means leaving me unprotected. Even if it means I get killed as a result. If any of you must choose, for any reason, between Vivienne's life or my own, save her."

"Jae." Aranal said softly, the grin that so often creased his face now gone, "You're

speaking as if you think you're about to die in there."

Jae looked at him firmly. "I don't want to die, if that's what you mean. I'll do whatever I

can to stay alive, to keep everyone alive. But I don't know what's going to happen. I just want to know that you three will help me protect Vivienne. Please."

Jon Bright nodded with a look of steely resolve. "We'll protect her, Jae. You don't need to worry about that. We would've done that anyway, with or without you asking."

David nodded his agreement. "We know how much Vivienne means to you. She's like a sister to us. We wouldn't let anything happen to her."

Aranal clasped a big hand on Jae's shoulder reassuringly, covering the _SC_ engraved onto the silver pauldron. "You rest easy Jae. We'll watch Vivienne's back in there so that you can stay focused on watching _all_ our backs."

As if sensing the somber atmosphere, Jon Bright broke into an easy grin as he looked at Jae. "If I end up saving either you or Vivienne from certain death today, I expect to be given official position as best man."

Aranal almost choked. "Don't be absurd. It goes without saying that I'm best man."

"You?" David said in a tone of utter surprise. "Let's not forget who met Jae first. Or who already saved his life."

Jon Bright rolled his eyes. "Please. At this point, almost everyone in Aincrad has saved Jae's life at some time or another. He's crazy and reckless, everyone knows that."

Jae cleared his throat. "Alright, I think I'm starting to regret calling you over now. We should get in there."

The three men chuckled in satisfaction at Jae's chagrin as they returned to their assigned positions in the ranks. Jae couldn't help but smile even as he scowled.

Looking over the double lines once more to be sure everyone was in place, Jae felt grateful to have so many veteran and expert fighters standing with him. Meifan stood in the center front line, the position showing his authority as the squad leader of the newly formed specialist tank unit. His massive tower shield covered him from feet to shoulders, and in his right hand was a lance, shortened for infantry use. Beside him stood Schmitt, a relatively new member of the guild, but one who had already shown great promise during his first battle as an official member of the Holy Dragon Alliance: he had managed to block a direct single target Sword Skill attack from the Floor Forty-Nine Boss. It was an impressive feat and showed ability, even if the man himself was a little standoffish and appeared nervous at times.

In the second line, composed of DPS players, Jae saw Ryan, his deadly double edged hand and a half longsword gleaming, and Renar, the mace wielder who had for a short time served directly under him when Jae had been a squad leader. Vivienne stood in command of the left flank, hand resting on her saber as her sparkling eyes fixed on him. Jae felt himself beam with pride and joy, as he always did, when his eyes caught on the ring on her finger. Her long, luxurious brown hair was tied back in a single braid, and her thick suit of silver and blue armor did a good job of hiding her form, but Jae still found her the most beautiful woman in the world.

Avari stood in command of the right flank, her bangs brushed back out of her eyes and her massive greatsword held with ease in her hands. Aranal and Jon Bright stood close beside each other, near to Vivienne. David stood by Avari, as Jae had expected. He himself would have stood by Vivienne, were he not Second in Command. As Jae watched, he caught the brief look of silent joy and fondness David and Avari shared with each other before adjusting their grip on their weapons and looking forward again.

It made his heart swell for both of them, his friends, to care for each other so. It occurred to him how far both had come. Avari, her face once locked in an eternal scowl and her mind closed off to reason in response to her dogged loyalty to Lind, now stood happy and proud, with a man she cared for by her side. At the same time, David appeared considerably older, more masculine, more mature, then he ever had before in Jae's opinion. With his chin held high, his eyes full of a maturity that only blood and battle could bestow, and his protective stance beside the woman next to him, it was hard to consider him a boy any longer.

Standing there, looking out at the silent faces of the people he cared for, the people he loved, was when Jae realized something. He wasn't fighting to free himself from the clutches of Kayaba's game. He wasn't fighting to get home. He was fighting for them. He was leading to keep them all alive and well.

With a new sense of purpose, Jae took out his Commander's Helm. Looking at it in his hands, Jae marveled at it again. With it's Greek hoplite style cheek and nose guards, raised head protection, and proud plume of blue horsehair, it was both regal and sinister, majestic and commanding. It was a symbol of hope and inspiration to all who saw it. He put it on, and a cheer rose up from the players gathered before him as his vision narrowed slightly from the cheek guards.

Twirling his spear into his hands, Jae turned sharply and reached for the door.

"Men and women of the Holy Dragon Alliance, let's clear this Floor!" He shouted over his shoulder. With a shove of his hand, the double doors parted before him.

With another cheer, the group of twenty-five streamed in right behind, maintaining their rigid, disciplined shield wall as they entered the dark Boss Room.

Coming to a halt about twenty feet inside the pitch black chamber, Jae strained his eyes against the darkness. Movement to the right caught his eye, and he saw the white and red flashes as Asuna and her men marched in alongside them, their own shieldwall mirroring the superior training and discipline of all Assault Team veterans.

Dim torches flared to life around the perimeter of the room's wall and atop iron sconces on some of the pillars in the center of the room, but only served to give them an idea of the outline of the chamber. The majority of the darkness itself remained.

Jae didn't blink as he peered out into the shadows. He dimly heard the soft breathing of the players behind him.

"Sub-Commander." One of the men said from behind him. "Do you see anything?"

Jae held up a fist for silence. A glimmer somewhere ahead caught his eye. Jae took a tentative step forward. He needed to know where the monster was.

A great cry rose up from the darkness like a wave, carried forward by a multitude of voices all screaming for blood.

Before Jae could blink, a horde of warriors emerged from the shadows, brandishing swords and scimitars as they made straight for the two shieldwalls. Six feet tall, with both bodies and armor made of what appeared to be hard baked purple and blue clay that had begun to fade, the hundreds of warriors now charging forward appeared to Jae to be replicas of the Terracotta army buried in ancient China.

The din that rose up from the host of conjoined warcries was both breathtaking and alarming, but Jae didn't back up. The ground shook as the sea of clay soldiers surged forward.

"Shield wall!" Jae cried at the top of his lungs in order to be heard by the men behind him. "Brace for impact!"

As one, the line of tanks in front closed ranks until they stood shoulder to shoulder. Jae heard the clatter of metal down the line as each shield was overlapped with the one beside it. Turning, he saw members of the second line lower their longer weapons, such as spears, halberds, lances, and polearms, down between the shoulders of the first rank. The tanks themselves bared lances, flails, swords, and maces in front of their shields. The result was a makeshift fortress of flesh and bone, metal and sharpened steel, bristling like a hedgehog from all the weaponry.

Just as the wave of Terracotta soldiers flung themselves forward to close with him, Jae grabbed hold of the top of Meifan's tower shield and hurled himself up and over into the gap the man had provided for him.

"Push!" Jae roared over the din as he and Meifan dropped their shoulders and pushed against his tower shield.

At that moment, the bellowing sea of clay warriors crashed against the shield wall. A titanic clamor rose up as steel and clay smashed against the lines with such violent force that Jae had to grip his spear in both hands lest it be swept away from him. Meifan's tower shield trembled against the strain and pressure as more and more bodies piled up against it, but it held firm thanks to the two shields overlapping with it on either side to distribute the full weight. Great clouds of powdered clay and pixelated shards rose up all around the shields as the front ranks of Terracotta warriors were crushed into dust between the shield wall and their own comrades pressing in behind them.

"Advance!" Jae boomed, and he surprised himself with the loudness of his own voice. "Shield wall, advance!"

With a great grunt, the front rank of tanks stabbed and slashed their weapons in order to clear a small space, then lifted their shields off the ground and pushed forward a step. More clouds of powdered clay and shards exploded all around, filling the air with both thick dark colored hues and brilliant sparkles of light. The second rank stepped up behind in support, stabbing their halberds, polearms, and spears again and again forward past the shield wall and creating a merciless killing zone just beyond the front line. Another grunt from the tanks, and they heaved themselves forward another step, repeating the process.

As the lines advanced, obliterating the swarm of clay mobs and driving deeper into the room, Jae risked a glance down the right of the line. There, beyond the blue and silver armor, stood the red and white shield wall of the Knight of the Blood-Oath, keeping pace. Jae let out a breath of relief. If the Knights had been pushed back, the horde of mobs might have managed to turn the flanks of his shield wall and envelop them.

Returning his concentration on coordinating the fighting in front of him, Jae had just finished impaling a particularly large Terracotta warrior with his spear when a shadow flashed by overhead. Turning his gaze up in alarm, Jae was just in time to see a truly massive being drop down from the darkness above. It had to be the Boss.

"Reserves, turn ranks!" Jae roared above the battle as he abandoned his place beside Meifan and began pushing past the second line of DPS players. "Turn-"

With a thunderous bellow, the Boss descended, hitting the ground like a meteor just behind the two guilds.

A massive, golden head shined against the reflections of flashing steel and the dim lamps around the room. Black, empty eye sockets gazed with soulless intent at the players stretched before it. Three massive golden arms, bulging with veiny muscles, jutted from the sides and chest of the terrifying creature. The third hand in the center had rings of all sorts covering it's fingers. It straightened, and Jae guessed that it had to be at least twenty feet tall. By the shape of the face, he was astonished to see that it looked like a mutated statue of Buddha.

With a sweep of one of it's golden arms, the Boss bowled over the back lines of the HDA group, sending them sprawling to the ground with cries of pain and surprise.

Darting forward to face the Boss before it did any more damage, Jae slashed at the still moving arm. Liquid gold flowed from the long, jagged cut caused by the blow, and the Boss reeled back angrily. Another arm, the one jutting unnaturally from it's chest, flew down, with it's golden, ringed hand curled into a massive fist.

Before Jae could react, the fist struck the tiled stone floor.

A piercing, earth shattering pain struck Jae's ears like a thunderclap, and his first instinct was to drop the spear and clap his hands over his throbbing eardrums. Instead, he found his feet knocked from under him as the stone floor rippled with the force of the attack, sending a wave of force outward all along the chamber. He hit the stone on his back and groaned as he felt his spine hit something sharp.

His legs shook, and Jae had to grit his teeth in his struggle to stand. Looking around, he saw that the entire HDA raid group had crumpled to the ground as well, along with at least a hundred of the Terracotta soldiers. A showering of pixelated shards betrayed the fate of many more of the mobs. To his horror, Jae saw that every member of the Holy Dragon Alliance had lost at least half their health, with most of the DPS players losing more.

Staggering to his feet with the help of his spear, Jae scanned the rising mass of bodies. He felt sick to his stomach, and his thoughts were slow and pained.

"Vivienne!" He croaked.

"Look out!" Someone cried.

Spinning around, Jae saw that the Boss was bringing it's fist down for another shock wave attack. At that moment, he knew that if the ringed hand came down to the floor again, he and the rest of his guild would die.

Piercing blue light split the air, and Jae saw a long gash lace it's way along the arm of the monster, interrupting it's attack. There was another flash, and he saw Asuna, at the head of five or her men, attacking the monster with blistering fury. More colored light filled the room and danced off the walls as the Sub Commander and her men kept up the assault with more Sword Skills.

"Asuna has given us a moment to recover!" Jae shouted, turning back to his own downed men. "On your feet! Vivienne!"

He helped Renar to his feet, then heard her voice.

"I'm alright!"

Issuing more orders to reform the ranks facing the Boss as he pushed through the men, Jae saw Vivienne limping out of the carnage.

"You're hurt!" He said, looking at her favored leg. "Teleport out!"

She shook her head, wisps of her brown hair splaying out around her as they came undone from the braid. "No, I'm fine! I'll reorganize the tanks to contain the Boss, but we need to keep the mobs off us!"

Glancing ahead to the diminished, but not defeated, horde of Terracotta soldiers slowly rising to their feet, Jae nodded.

"Stay safe."

She smiled briefly, then began calling out for Meifan and the other tanks as she limped forward to face the Boss still being held at bay by the KOB's fierce counter attack.

Quickly gathering a small force of AoE players to him, Jae caught sight of Avari and called to her. Beside her stood David, and both looked bruised and battered. Jae guessed he didn't look much better.

"Avari, Vivienne is forming a new shield wall to pin the Boss! Make a hammer to her anvil!"

With a knowing nod, Avari ran off to see his orders through, with David right beside her. Though he was loathe to leave others to the Boss, Jae knew that Vivienne and Avari would only hold so long as the mobs were kept at bay. He needed to eliminate the lesser threat posed by the Terracotta soldiers so that everyone could focus on the Boss.

"AoE, to me!" Jae cried, brandishing his spear as he charged into the ranks of the mobs before him. They weren't yet completely recovered from the stunning shock wave, and he intended to use that against them.

"Let's cleave some skulls, Jae!" Aranal bellowed as he hefted his poleaxe and fell in beside him alongside around a half dozen other AoE fighters.

They crashed into the clay mobs with frightening brutality, and Jae heard his own screams of rage echo out around the chamber as he and his detachment tore them apart. Clods of dust and clay sailed through the air, rapidly followed by millions of pixelated shards as the slaughter fully commenced. He swung the blade end of his spear, beheading one of the warriors before he came too close. Following up, he used the wooden butt end to bash in the brains of another. He impaled a third through the heart, then split a fourth almost clean in half with a downward strike. Driving forward, he hacked, stabbed, and swung again and again, shattering clay limbs and impaling bodies on the end of his spear. His throat went numb from his cries of rage, but he couldn't stop. He needed to get back to Vivienne, to help her against the Boss. The mobs before him were in the way of that need, endangering her. His commitment was a boiling cauldron churning as it overflowed. Without pause, he pressed ever onward and destroyed the mobs, grinding them into nothingness around him and his men.

After a brief few moments of brutal violence, Jae looked around and saw that the Terracotta army was gone. Only a few stragglers who hadn't stayed with the main force remained, and most were already being engaged by players from both guilds nearby. Beside him, Aranal and the other men panted. Sweat beaded their brows and trickled down over their armor.

"Don't...go so far...ahead...next time." Aranal managed between breaths. "I almost couldn't keep up...with you."

Jae turned and clapped a hand to the man's shoulder just as he bounded back through the mist of shards and clay to the Boss battle going on in the front of the room. "Sorry. Come now, Aranal, we have to help them."

Emerging from the cloud of debris, Jae saw Asuna and her men falling back as the monster battered them with it's massive golden arms. Vivienne shouted an order, and the reformed ranks of tanks and DPS players from the HDA closed in, covering the KOB's retreat and pinning the huge creature to the back wall. A fierce cry echoed out from the right flank, and out came Avari, at the head of a wedge shaped formation of DPS players, crashing down on the Boss' exposed side while Vivienne kept it pinned. Hammer and anvil indeed.

Jae and the others with him sprinted forward to aid the line of tanks, but just as they closed the distance, the Boss leaped up high into the air, disappearing into the shadows above. Angry cries and desperate shouts followed it up as the players from both guilds looked up.

"We wounded it badly." Vivienne said to him as she peered up into the darkness alongside him. "Asuna's men did as well. We thought we had it."

"It can slip away from the usual Boss snares and containment zones." Jae said, both to her and the others around them. "Reform and keep backs to-"

Another clamor came down from the darkness as the Boss dropped from the shadows. Like an avalanche, it crashed into the center of the Knights of the Blood-Oath.

Weapons and bodies went flying through the air, and with a sweep of it's arm, the Boss knocked over Asuna and the few other red and white clad warriors still standing.

"HDA, with me!" Jae yelled as he charged forward.

With a shout, his guild members followed him forward, and Jae was aware of Vivienne and Avari close on his right side, and Jon, Aranal, and Ryan on his left.

Bursting through a mist of pixelated shards that had only seconds before been members of the KOB, Jae drove forward, leaping over fallen players as he closed with the writhing Boss. Striking upwards at it's side, he lodged his spear deep into the ribs of the monster, sending rivulets of liquid gold down the shaft of the ashwood weapon and onto his silver steel gauntlets.

Shrieking in rage, the Boss swung an arm down at him and the players behind, but Jae dodged the blow and leaped around in front of it, ripping open the creature's sinewy stomach with a ferocious slash. Nearby, Vivienne lashed out with her saber, hacking apart the monster's golden leg and severing it nearly in two. The Boss flew an arm out again to stop the encroaching group of HDA members, knocking several from their feet and killing two, but the others dodged or sidestepped the attack and ran in, lunging and cutting with resolute determination.

Still shrieking from the blows raining down, the Boss leapt back into the air, again disappearing into the darkness.

"Shields up!" Jae shouted to the players around him as his eyes peered into the dark.

"Help up the downed players!" Vivienne ordered others while pulling a KOB member to her feet.

About a dozen feet to his right, Jae saw Asuna order her men back from the middle of the room. "Backs to the wall if you can! Stay clear of the center to avoid another surprise attack!"

A shadow flickered above Jae's head, and he looked up just in time to see the massive golden monster free falling through the air above him.

Without hesitation, Jae shoved Vivienne away with all his strength, then broke into a roll. Coming up, Jae was just about to turn when he felt the ground shake, and then a massive pain exploded in the back of his head. The earth tilted as the floor rose up to meet him, and he plummeted to the ground. His vision narrowed, and he struggled to stay conscious against the pain.

A ringing sound reverberated in his ears, and Jae managed to lift a hand to the back of his head. To his surprise, he felt metal. An icy flash of realization swept over him; in that instant, he knew without a doubt that if it hadn't been for his legendary helmet, the head blow would have killed him.

Regaining some of his his senses, Jae slowly turned and saw pixelated shards floating up all around. A shudder went through him: someone else had died from the same blow.

"Jae!" Someone screamed. "Move!"

Blinking, Jae saw the monster right in front of him, it's muscled arm preparing for another blow. Without thinking, he flung himself back, just missing the sweeping attack. To the right, he saw Ryan leap up to drag a downed player away, but was forced back when another arm swung down, finishing the warrior on the ground. Crying out in desperate rage, Ryan hacked at one of the Boss' hands with his longsword, slicing off a finger before being thrown aside like a ragdoll.

The monster moved in for another attack to finish Ryan and several others too groggy to move, but Jae forced himself forward and stabbed his spear deep into the monster's gut. His spear was coated in golden gore, and more of the liquid showered over him as he sank the shaft of his weapon deeper into the Boss, desperate to keep it contained.

"Rally!" He cried out to anyone who could hear him. "Attack it now! Finish it!"

The Boss grunted as it tried to bat Jae away, and each swat that made contact made him feel as though his bones were shattering, but he held on to his spear and thrust deeper, forcing the creature back.

All at once, a crowd of players from both guilds charged forward, hacking at the monster even as they panted from their wounds and exhaustion. Jae could barely see them through his tunnel vision, and a final blow from one of the big hands sent him and his spear tumbling down to the floor. His armor clanked against the stone, and Jae groaned in pain as he forced himself up to his knees. He had to keep going.

Rising to a knee, Jae saw the Boss cry out as the crowd of players rent and tore at its body. Then, with a combined sweep of both arms, it sent everyone tumbling to the ground once again. Jae's heart sank when he saw that Vivienne was among those rolling onto the stone floor, stunned and in the red.

Reaching for his spear to use as a crutch, Jae was about to call out her name when he saw the monster curl it's hand into another fist. His breath caught in his throat. It was about to unleash the same AoE attack it had at the beginning of the battle, the same one that brought everyone down into half health, and that had been when they were fresh.

If the blow were to connect to the ground now, in their condition, not one of the players in the Boss room would again survive.

Forcing himself up, Jae was about to hurl his spear in a last effort to stop the attack before it came down when a clay body crashed into him. It was one of the few surviving Terracotta soldiers. It was unarmed, and one of it's clay legs was missing, but the it had managed to surprise and tackle him down and was using weight to keep him pinned. Jae no longer had a grip on his spear.

Smashing an elbow into the mob's face, Jae heaved it off him even as his eyes remained fixed on the ringed fist coming down. Dozens of downed players tried to writhe or crawl away, but it was to no avail. Vivienne was struggling slowly to her knees. The fist was nearly to the floor.

It was too late.

In the next instant, Jae saw Jon Bright, on his knees, his armor battered, his sword broken, fling himself directly into the path of the descending fist.

"No!" Jae screamed.

The golden fist came down, obliterating Jon's body and sending a flurry of pixelated shards high up into the air. A rumble carried through the ground around the monster's fist. Sharp fragments of stone flew up. But the attack had been stopped.

Jon Bright had saved them all.

"Jon!" Jae roared. He saw the shards flicker and dissipate as they floated into the air. He couldn't bring himself to look away from them. "No!"

The clay warrior leaped atop him again, but at that moment, Jae felt a fire of rage leap through his veins. Jon Bright was dead.

Gripping the mob's upper and lower jaw with both hands, Jae ripped it's face apart, sending clods of powdered clay into the air as the body exploded into shards.

Teeth gritted in unquenchable rage, Jae picked up his spear and got to his feet. His body was alive with a new, dangerous strength that hadn't been there before. His friend was dead.

Charging the Boss, Jae ducked underneath it's swing and leaped onto the monster's arm. Without daring to slow, he ran along the sinewy muscle, leaping over the bending elbow and clambering up onto the golden biceps.

The Boss swatted at him with another arm, but Jae was too quick. Jumping forward to bring his target into few, Jae stabbed his spear into the inky black eye socket.

A horrible shriek emanated from the creature as it flailed back onto the heels of its feet, and Jae dropped down. Reaching out madly with his free arm, he caught hold of the monster's lower lip, holding himself up. The bellowing Boss roared in pain as two of its arms cupped it's ruined eye socket, and Jae saw black liquid leaking down the golden cheek.

Forcing himself over the parted lower lip, Jae landed inside the monster's open mouth.

"Now you fucking die." Jae whispered through gritted teeth.

The Boss's jaw flexed as it prepared to bite down on Jae, but it was already over. Gripping his spear in both hands, Jae stabbed upwards with all the strength left in him, and he buried the weapon up to his hands. From his grip on the shaft, Jae felt the blade end pierce skull and brain.

The shriek died instantly.

Tottering backwards, the monster quietly and limply landed on it's back with a mighty thud that threatened to send Jae down into its throat. At that moment, however, it exploded into a thick mist of shards.

Landing on his back, Jae laid on the ground for a time, in silence. The usual victory sign appeared above the room, but Jae didn't pay it any mind. Tears welled up in his eyes and leaked out down his face.

Another friend had died.

Jon Bright was dead.

A sudden sign appeared in front of him, blocking his view of the shadowy darkness that hid the roof of the Boss Room.

 _Congratulations!_

 _You've been awarded a Unique Weapon for achieving the following requirements:_

 _Player with the most Boss kills_

 _Unique Weapon:_

 _Starfire, Double Bladed Staff_


	87. Chapter 86

86

November 3rd, 2023

Floor 39, Atwold Forest

Sara frowned down at the open cookbook on the table. Strands of her long, silver hair fell downward over her eyes as she leaned forward to read the instructions more closely. She ignored the impairment and instead strained her eyes to better make out the convoluted words.

 _What the hell is lard?_

The recipe she had chosen, mostly due to it's short and seemingly simple list of instructions, called for precisely two and one quarter cups of lard in solid form, and then another two thirds cup in a pureed state. The problem was, Sara had no idea what the stuff was.

Straightening, Sara racked her brains to try and recall a time when she may have heard of or seen lard. She came up blank.

Sighing in resignation, Sara considered abandoning her attempt and trying something else. A look at the brimming bowl of various ingredients, not to mention the already dirty and covered table, immediately convinced her otherwise. She had already been working for nearly an hour just to get this far, and there had been other tribulations in that time she had managed to work past that she had no desire to encounter again. She wasn't about to start all over.

Hooking her hair back behind her ear, Sara absently tapped a finger to the smooth oak tabletop as she considered how to proceed. Even if she knew what lard was, there was no guarantee it would be inside the treehouse. While Israel maintained a surprisingly well stocked kitchen, there had been a few ingredients on the list she had known about but couldn't find. In those cases, she had had to procure substitutes, and so far nothing had gone horribly wrong. At least, nothing she could see.

Sara glanced at the bowl again. Filled to nearly overflowing with wet flour, eggs, milk, water, oil, yeast, cinnamon, and a few other things, the soupy concoction looked positively foul. Yet that had been what the recipe called for. She assured herself that when it came time to mix it all together to form the dough, everything would come together.

Returning her attention to the lard problem, Sara pondered the ingredient list. It occurred to her that sugar was absent. The bread she was trying to make was called Russian Sweetbread, but sugar, the one ingredient she was sure she would have needed, wasn't on the list.

The answer presented itself almost at once. Sweetbreads couldn't be sweet without a sweetener. Sara was no expert, but it seemed such a thing was crucial. Perhaps lard was a different kind of sugar, or at the very least a different kind of sweetener. If that was the case, substituting lard for pure sugar was all she needed to do.

After giving the page a quick, final scan to be sure sugar was indeed absent from the list, Sara grabbed hold of the bag and began measuring out the appropriate amounts of sugar. When it came time to add the two thirds cup of puree lard, she shrugged and simply added another two thirds cup of sugar.

Finally done with the collection of ingredients, Sara retrieved the large whisk that Israel kept with the other kitchen tools above the cabinet and began to stir the contents of the bowl. It smelled good, but she couldn't be sure until the dough was formed. When she was finished and compared what was now in the bowl with the illustration of the raw dough in the cookbook, Sara sighed with relief. The result looked surprisingly perfect.

Removing the dough from the bowl, Sara set it onto the smooth tabletop, remembering too late that she was supposed to scatter flour down first. She hastily set about laying down a coat of flour, then gingerly rolled the blob of raw dough onto it to keep it smooth. Before beginning the next step, she checked the clock above the mantelpiece, gasping in surprise at how little time she had left. Israel and Tristan had agreed on setting a time for a casual group dinner between the three of them at six. It was already nearly four.

Setting her sights to her work with renewed vigor, Sara began kneading the dough, forcefully pushing at the thick, gooey substance with the palms of her hands and creating a rhythmic motion to the act. As the moments wore on, the simple, slow, motonous movement began to feel almost calming. As she worked, her thoughts began to drift. She imagined Israel's pleasant surprise once he saw what she had done. He always seemed to take great appreciation in acts of kindness, and he had a fondness of cooking and food that always amused her. After all, it wasn't everyday big strong men had such devotee interest in domestic hobbies. He would be thrilled when he finally came home and saw the results of her work for himself. He would be happy with her. Sara found herself smiling brightly at the thought.

Her smile only widened further at the realization. Here she was, the Potion Master for Laughing Coffin and the lover of PoH himself, grinning like a lovestruck girl at the prospect of making the Shadow of Death happy.

But he wasn't the Shadow of Death. Not to her. Not anymore.

Ever since Israel had opened her eyes to the reality of PoH and Laughing Coffin, and saved her from her own guilt, the two of them had become close. They first had merely begun to speak more often, but then started to go out more frequently to pick up ingredients she needed on Israel's insistence, even though she remained well stocked. Over time they ended up talking the hours away on those long walks, with Israel asking countless questions on the names and uses of various plants and roots that they came across.

Sara had at first been confused of his motives, but had quickly come to see that he simply loved to learn and had a fascination with nature akin to her own. From then on, she had happily taught him how to identify plants by their look and feel, as well as which herbs were poisonous and which were beneficial. He always listened in sincere curiosity. Other times during walks, they would talk about other things, ranging from the mundane and simple to the harsh and painful.

In either case, Israel would always listen in rapt attention, truly appreciating the things she had to say. Such respect and courtesy filled her with pleasant feelings and made her appreciate him in turn. Sara surprised herself on multiple occasions with how comfortable she felt around him, and how she could easily talk with him about things that she would before have never spoken about to another soul.

During some walks, though, both of them would simply travel in silence, taking comfort and peace both in each other's presence and in the presence of nature. The world of Aincrad was a treacherous prison to some, but to the two of them, it had very many peaceful, beautiful qualities as well. That another person would feel the same way towards such simple things as a tranquil lake or a calm, quiet grove as she made Sara's heart fill with joy. Often, the two of them would halt during a walk and bask quietly in the beauty of it all. The effect was so enchanting that once, Sara had felt the urge to reach out and hold his hand. She remembered how he had taken it with a sincere, good natured smile. She remembered too how her heart had fluttered at the contact. It hadn't been long after that day that he had removed Sara's chains and given her free reign of the Treehouse.

In a daze, and with the smile still on her face as she thought of him, Sara stopped kneading the finished dough and lazily put it into a pan and then into the oven. Now that all she had to do was wait, she stepped back and leaned against the tabletop, her eyes fixed on the oven but at the same time far away from it.

Over time, their frequent walks through the deserted landscapes of Aincrad lost their pretense of being forays for supplies. Though neither of them said anything of it out loud, Sara knew that both of them simply wanted to go for a walk in each other's company.

Sara thought back to how close she had come, several weeks ago, to asking Israel to teach her to fight with a weapon. She was in serious need of learning to defend herself in case she was ever caught without her potions, and she reasoned that there were very few superior teachers from which to learn. Yet in spite of her reasons, she knew in her heart they were only pretense. Though it made her blush in embarrassment to admit it, she knew that the real reason she had come so close to asking him to teach her was mainly because she wanted to be closer to him, to spend more time with him. It was that realization that had kept her from saying anything in the end.

But she wasn't sorry. Sara often felt confused or embarrassed, or even a little ashamed, at knowing she wanted to be closer to Israel, but never sorry. He was like no one she had ever met; trouble and wonder all wrapped up in one package. In fact, the sheer enigma that was Israel often baffled her. He was intelligent and clever, but also impatient and sometimes brash. He was exceedingly gentle and kind to her, often so much so that she felt more important and special around him than she ever had before, but at other times, to those he considered his enemies, he could be the embodiment of volcanic fury and merciless violence.

When he smiled at her, Sara's heart soared and strange emotions rushed to her head, but when he came back from his nightly hunts in a cold scowl of remembered brutality and hadn't yet seen her, she had to fight the urge not to turn and run. His shining cobalt eyes, so filled with sincere appreciation and respect when he looked at her, often made her fall to helpless grinning, but she remembered well how terrible those same eyes looked when the fire within them was brought forth.

To be sure, Israel was like no man Sara had ever met. He seemed impossible to accurately describe and even more difficult to fully understand, but such realizations only made her want to try harder, and only brought up from within her the urge to be with him more often. Not spending time with him was like not seeing the sun come up in the morning. In fact, more and more recently, she had come to feel as though the days were empty and bland without him in them.

At that moment, Sara heard the grating sound of the wooden door as it opened and closed. Pulled from her thoughts, she watched the door to the top of the spiral staircase hopefully. A moment later, the door opened and Israel appeared at the top of the stairs. His shoulder length blonde hair looked more ruffled than usual, and his stubble was thicker, giving him a more tired, haggard appearance, but he was still very handsome. More handsome, in fact, than she remembered him being that morning. She was used to the thought; it seemed that with each passing day he was even better looking than she had previously noticed. And she had noticed.

Ascending the stairs, Israel flashed her a warm smile in greeting that made Sara's spirits soar. The day seemed brighter already.

"You're not usually in the kitchen." Israel observed as he took off his black cape and brigandine chest armor, setting both down on one of the elaborate wooden chairs. "What are you up to in here?"

Sara beamed at him. "I'm baking…"

She trailed off as the smell of burning food hit her. Puzzled only for a brief moment, Sara turned abruptly in alarm to the oven. What she saw inside made her heart drop. Hastily putting on the pair of dark colored oven mitts that hung above the oven, she opened the door and pulled out the bread. Israel sidled up beside her to get a look as she stood mortified.

Staring back at them from atop the stove was a solid black lump. It looked more like a piece of large charcoal than a loaf of bread. She didn't understand.

The realization hit her when she saw the time: it was nearly five. The instructions had specifically called for a twenty minute baking time, and Sara had left it in for nearly an hour. Her daydreaming had caused her to lose all track of time.

Taking in a breath to try and quell her disappointment and frustration, Sara stared unmoving at the burned bread. Beside her, Israel peered down at it and shook his head reverently.

"Well, I must say, Sara. You've outdone yourself. It's a masterpiece."

He turned to look over his shoulder at her, and she could see the amused smile on his face at his own joke. Israel liked to think of himself as funny.

Rolling her eyes irritably, Sara shoved him with a hand. In spite of herself, however, she felt a smile of her own creep it's way onto her face as he grinned at her.

"What?" He asked playfully as he struggled to stay upright against her push. "I'm serious. Just look at those proportions." As if to showcase his point, he brought a hand close to the cracked, frayed edges of the charcoal lump. "The angling is positively masterful."

Sara shook her head at him in annoyance as she laughed. "You're terrible, you know that?"

Israel nodded. "The worst."

Still grinning, Sara realized in wonder that Israel had just made her happy again in spite of her colossal failure. The man really was something else.

Turning to face the oak table, Israel began folding the sleeves of his red and black tunic.

"Come on, we can make a new one together."

Sara shook her head and gestured at the clock on the wall above them. "It's already five. Tristan will be here in an hour. I wanted to have everything prepared for the dinner tonight. For all three of us."

Israel shrugged. "An hour is plenty of time for a loaf of bread. As far as the rest of the meal though, we may need to act quickly. What did you have in mind for the main course?"

Sara hesiated. She hadn't even thought that far ahead. "I haven't...decided yet."

Israel nodded thoughtfully, stroking a finger along his stubble for a brief moment as he looked around the room. "Well, if you've no objections, I think the best course of action here would be a soup."

Sara frowned. "Soup? What kind of soup?"

"Lentil soup."

"I've never heard of it."

Israel chuckled. "Not many people have. It's simple and can be made well within an hour, but it tastes amazing if done right. I love lentil soup. For the moment, though, let's tackle the bread. I'm guessing you were making sweetbread of some kind?"

Sara nodded in puzzlement. "Russian. How did you know?"

Israel gestured to the small grains of sugar scattered all over the table. "Normal bread doesn't exactly call for that much sugar. Come to think of it, Russian Sweetbread doesn't either."

Sara crossed her arms. "Well, I had to make do somehow. The recipe called for something I've never heard of in its place. We don't have any, either. I looked."

"What was it?"

"Lard."

Israel blinked, then broke out into laughter. It wasn't rude or indemnifying, but simply good natured and amused. Though it was directed at her, it made Sara's unwilling smile widen further even as she scowled at him.

"Sorry," Israel said as he took a breath. "I know lard isn't used as much these days, so I understand you're confusion. We do have some, though."

Sara choked. "We do? What is it? Where is it?"

Israel pulled the bowl to him and quickly began breaking several eggs Sara had left on the table. "It's rendered animal fat made to be used as both a sweetener in some cases and in place of butter or margarine. It's actually healthier and tastes better than you would think. It's in a brown container in the cabinet above the stove. But don't worry, we won't be needing it for the bread I have in mind." He glanced at her. "Unless you really do want Russian Sweetbread? I just guessed you picked a spot in the cookbook that looked easy."

Sara wrinkled her nose at him. "Nice to see you have such a high opinion of my knowledge in the kitchen." She didn't want to admit that he was right. "Let's go with the bread you had in mind. I'm guessing it goes with lentil soup?"

Israel nodded. "Challah. It's a jewish sweetbread that goes perfectly with lentil soup. It looks amazing too, which is always important."

After quickly adding various ingredients to the bowl, including some things Sara wouldn't have expected such as vanilla extract and olive oil, Israel topped it off with flour and began blending the mess together into dough with his hands. At the same time, he began instructing her on what was needed to begin making lentil soup, giving her exact numbers and measurements on each of the small multitude of ingredients. Seizing the biggest pot she could find, Sara did as he said and began turning the heat up as she went about her long, the kitchen sizzled and warmed as the air became filled with the wondrous aroma of sausage, potatoes, onion, oil, and garlic.

"Perfect." Israel said with a smile as he examined the finely chopped and sliced carrots, potatoes, and sausages in the pot. "Now we can add the water. Eight cups exactly, please."

After adding the water and turning up the heat to boiling, Sara glanced over at the table and saw, to her amazement, that Israel had already finished kneading the dough and was now shaping it into three intertwined braids. His proficiency and easy, nonchalant motions while performing the difficult looking task astounded her.

"Where did you learn to cook and bake so well?" Sara asked as she watched his flour covered hands work.

Israel paused briefly to cast her a puzzled look. "It's the strangest thing. I don't quite remember." He frowned as if in contemplation. "I know that my mother was always such a wonderful cook, and when I was little I swore up and down that I wanted nothing more than to be as talented as her when I grew up."

Sara smiled. "She must be proud of you."

Israel blinked, returning his gaze to the braids of dough as his hands continued to work swiftly and with knowing ease. "My mother and I are no longer on good terms."

A pang of sorrow filled Sara's heart at the unexpected discovery. In that instant, she felt the need to hold the man in front of her, to comfort him. Even though he was no longer facing her, she could see the sadness in his face. She wrestled with the desire to wrap her arms around him and instead cleared her throat.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to pry."

Glancing back at her, Israel smiled again and waved off her concern with one of his hands, sending a small cloud of flour into the air.

"It's not that. There's no need to apologize. I just...I can't quite remember why her and I aren't close anymore. Trying to remember is like walking into a haze of confusion."

Though she didn't reply, Sara nodded knowingly. She too had been having more trouble remembering her past life as time in Aincrad wore on. With each passing day, the real world was beginning to seem more like a distant dream than reality.

There was silence for a long moment as Israel finished braiding the dough. To occupy her hands, Sara stirred the wonderful smelling lentil soup as it cooked.

Israel stepped up beside her with the braided challah bread on a metal tray in his hands. His muscular arm brushed against her, and Sara felt her heart quicken at the unexpected contact.

"Is the oven still hot?" he asked.

Sara nodded as she bent down to open the oven door. "Three hundred and fifty degrees."

"Perfect."

Once the bread was in the oven, he sidled closer to her in order to taste the lentil soup. Her skin heated as their bodies touched, and she forced herself to sidestep away.

"You did great, Sara." Israel said in between mouthfuls of the lentil soup. As he chewed, he breathed in through his open mouth to keep from burning his tongue. "It's amazing. You should take up cooking professionally."

…

"Tristan, you didn't have to bring anything." Israel said as the grinning item shop owner handed him and Sara large containers filled with delicious smelling food. "Sara and I made dinner."

Tristan hooked a skein of his long, jet black hair back behind his shoulder as he nodded. "I know, I could smell it before I walked in. I don't know what you two made, but the aroma alone had my mouth watering before I said hello. All the same, I couldn't show up empty handed. That would be rude."

"Your food smells amazing as well." Sara said with a smile. "Did you make it yourself?"

Tristan let out a good natured chuckle. "Good God, no. The last time I tried to cook, I almost lost an eye. I bought everything from a local NPC restaurant by my shop. The venison pasties are simply divine. I had to bring some for you both to try."

"Venison pasties?" Sara frowned. "I've never heard of that dish before."

"It's an old English dish," Israel explained as he set the steaming containers down onto the ready made table. "It combines the savory taste of roasted venison cooked in red wine with the sweetness of honey and sugar."

Tristan held up a finger. "Yes, but the sweet and savory sides are divided by a thin wall of the pasty crust. It's not authentic unless it's divided."

Israel snapped his fingers. "You're right, I can't believe I forgot. I was thinking about making a pasty sometime and would have mucked it all up if not for that reminder."

"You're welcome." Tristan said cheerily. "Now, let's eat."

Sara moved to dish up the soup into the bowls, but Israel insisted she sit down and let him do it. As he ladled the bowlfuls of lentil soup and began passing out the dishes, Tristan unpacked his venison pasties and passed one to Sara, eager for her reaction. She took a bite, and was pleasantly surprised to discover that the food tasted remarkable.

"You're going to need to give me the address to this NPC restaurant, Tristan." Sara said after swallowing another bite.

Tristan laughed, then leaned back as Israel set down a steaming bowl of soup in front of him and Sara, followed by several slices of the beautiful looking Challah bread. By the time Israel sat down, Tristan was halfway into his bowl.

"This is amazing!" he exclaimed past a mouthful of potatoes and lentils. "You two should start a restaurant together!"

Sara smirked at Israel. "You hear that, Spirit of Vengeance? Our menu can be jewish food and burned charcoal."

Israel brandished his spoon at her. "You'll not be allowed anywhere near the breads in my restaurant."

Sara and Tristan both laughed.

The three of them ate and laughed and talked the evening away. Sara had never before imagined that a simple dinner between friends could be so grand or feel so warm, and before long her cheeks were sore from beaming.

They spoke for a while of Tristan's shop, how business was getting on. He complained vigorously on the Holy Dragon Alliance merchant business that continued to thrive and compete against all the other player markets, but added that he couldn't help but admire their tenacity at haggling and the skill of their leadership for overseeing such an unheard of use of Assault Team manpower. He mentioned new wares coming in from the recently unlocked Floor Fifty, including better potions and new varieties of Teleport Crystals, ones already set to designated areas.

After a time, Tristan and Israel asked Sara about potions and how she was doing. Though she was more than happy to tell them all about her work, Sara often had to reword things so they could understand. After all, their were a great many aspects of potion making that she herself didn't yet fully comprehend.

"I've been working on a new potion, a special one." She said as she dipped her bread into the lentil soup.

"What does it do?" Israel asked.

Sara shrugged. "I'm not sure yet. I won't find out until I've successfully made the first of its kind."

Tristan swallowed a bite of venison. "But if you don't know what the potion will be, how do you know it's special?"

"It's a tier breaker."

Israel frowned, his food laden spoon inches from his mouth. "Tier breaker? As in, unlocking this potion will grant you access to a new level of potions to craft?"

Sara nodded. "If I can make this potion, I'll be able to access the recipes for a half dozen even more advanced ones. Who knows what abilities will become available to us."

Tristan ripped off a hunk of challah bread and stuffed it into his mouth as he spoke. "Is this tier breaker proving difficult?"

Sara sighed as she leaned back in her chair. "Very. I've been at it for weeks and haven't yet been able to succeed. It's by far the most difficult recipe I've ever come across. The ingredients required are particularly rare and difficult to use, but are very fragile and easy to mess up. The procedure itself is convoluted and uncompromising, and requires complete concentration and focus without rest for almost ten hours straight."

Tristan's eyes widened in surprise. "Ten hours?"

She nodded. "On the rare occasion I've managed to keep from making a mistake past the first few hours of crafting forms, my body grows tired and my concentration always flags, causing a mistake. I have no idea how long it will take to meet success."

Israel passed her another slice of bread. "Don't push yourself too hard, Sara. It takes time to master such a difficult task. I'm sure Kayaba designed it that way to halt the progress of those who would try focusing all of their time and effort into one skill alone."

Sara nodded. "Yes. I've experienced other such milestone tests before. I have no doubt it was set up deliberately."

Israel smiled. "You'll succeed. I know you will. Just give it time."

In the sight of his confidence in her, in his sincere, caring smile, Sara could only nod in appreciation.

Once dinner was over, Tristan wiped down the kitchen and put away the leftover food, of which there was surprisingly little. Israel and Sara, meanwhile, set about washing and drying the dishes. As they went about the chore, Sara couldn't help but feel heady emotions and warm thoughts fill her head each time their bodies touched. The contact felt electrical and sent shivers down her back. Throughout the ordeal, she prayed he wouldn't hear her galloping heart.

After cleaning up, Tristan hugged them both and said farewell for the night, explaining that he needed to close up his shop and send his newly hired assistants home before going to bed. Just after closing the door and returning to the kitchen, Israel picked up one of the few remaining mugs off the table. Lifting it too quickly and unaware that it had milk in it, he jerked back as the contents spilled out all over his tunic.

"Damn." He muttered as he looked down at himself. "I liked this shirt. Do you think this will affect durability?"

Sara suppressed a laugh. "It's fine, just make sure it gets washed before the milk stains."

Grunting in agreement, he strode hastily out of the kitchen and upstairs to the bedroom dresser where he kept his clothes.

 _He'll want a towel._

Making her way to the bathroom closet, Sara quickly retrieved a small towel from the top rack and made her way back up the room. Upon ascending the stairs, she stopped dead in her tracks.

Israel was shirtless.

Though not a largely built man, he was certainly lean and very muscular. His taut, tanned skin looked rock solid against the well defined and proportioned muscles of his chest and arms. His pants were on, but were low enough to expose the V shaped contour pointing down from his sides. His shoulder length blonde hair seemed to tumble perfectly around his face as it brushed against the top of his well built shoulders. His cobalt eyes seemed to stand out perfectly from his well framed, square jawed face.

As she took the sight of him in, seeing the hills and valleys of him, Sara felt her knees go weak.

His eyes turned up in surprise.

"Sara, I was just about to ask-"

"I got you a towel," She said in her best casual voice as she handed it to him and retreated quickly back down the stairs. "Sorry for barging in like that."

She walked in a daze as she made her way to the bathroom. Upon reaching the tiny sanctuary, Sara closed the door behind her and stood panting for a long moment.

 _What is wrong with me?_

Stepping towards the mirror, she looked at the reflection staring back at her. Her silver hair was freshly washed and cascaded down her back in waves. Her soft blue eyes, nowhere near as piercing or fascinating as Israel's in her opinion, stared back at her. Her otherwise pale face was flushed with red as she saw images of Israel without a shirt dancing in her mind. Her clean and seamless black dress clung softly to her, subtly accentuating her body's curves. She hoped she looked attractive enough.

 _Why is that something I'm thinking about?_

Scrambling to come up with an answer, Sara thought about Israel. She thought of how her world seemed to come alive whenever he was near her. She envisioned his smile, and thought of how it always managed to lift her spirits. She relished his smiles, his attention, his care. She relished even more when she was the cause of those smiles. He had been through so much grief. He deserved happiness. She wanted him to be happy. She wanted to make him happy.

Sara blinked in icy shock as realization suddenly coursed through her.

She knew why she had always felt strange with PoH, why doubts and discouragements had made her uncomfortable and never able to fully enjoy laying with him, even when that had been during the time of her ignorance and stupidity. The emptiness that had pervaded her soul each time she had lain with PoH was no longer there. In its place was Israel.

She loved him.

Sara gasped at the scope of the revelation. She was in love with Israel. Helplessly, hopelessly, in love. Her whole life, she hadn't even know what loving a man felt like, what it was. Before she knew the truth of the monster, she had gone for so long thinking, supposing that she loved PoH, trying to convince herself that she did, but now, with Israel, she didn't have to try. She didn't have to attempt to belief or to convince herself. She simply knew.

She loved him.

For a brief moment, Sara felt tingling fear surge through her at the strangeness of it all, at how overwhelming it was. Immediately afterwards, however, she found herself overcome with joy. She knew without a shadow of a doubt that she wanted Israel to be hers, just as she wanted to be his. She wanted to hold him, kiss him, love him. She wanted him to do the same to her.

Giddy from the warmth and joy and bliss filling her soul, Sara quickly set about making sure she looked perfect. She fixed some strands of loose hair, adjusted her dress, and even considered unbuttoning the top of it to better expose her neck and chest. Her reason for that thought sent tingling sensations up her arms and made her blood heat. She wanted him to love her, to ravish her. At that moment, that was all that mattered. She undid the two buttons.

Opening the door, Sara made her way out of the bathroom and quickly ascended the stairs, her heart pounding like a drum against her chest in anticipation. Her breath caught in her throat as longing filled her thoughts.

Once inside the bedroom, she saw that Israel wasn't there. A second later, she heard his footsteps down on the first floor, in the living room. Without a second thought, she made her way downstairs at a brisk pace. It took all of her might not to run. Descending the stairs, she barely noticed the doors as she opened them, the walls, the kitchen, the railing of the stairs. Her mind was focused on something else.

Finally stepping down into the living room, Sara saw him.

Israel had on a blue tunic held at the waist with a red and gold brocade belt that went well with his black pants. Sara had to force back her feelings of disappointment that he was fully dressed. He was turning out the lamps in preparation for bed, but hadn't yet gotten to all of them. The result cast the room in a low, dim glow.

Almost without meaning to, Sara called softly to him.

Israel turned at the sound of his name, and Sara felt her body glow as she watched his cobalt eyes fix upon her own. Her whole life, Sara had been accustomed to men finding her attractive and desirable. She had always hated being the object of their lurid looks. One of the first things she had come to respect about Israel, even when she had hated him, was that he never looked at her in that way. He only ever looked her in the eyes. Now though, she found herself almost disappointed that he didn't look at her with lust. She hoped her own weren't betraying the same.

"Sara, are you alright?" Israel asked into the still silence as flames from the few remaining lamps and candles cast dancing light out onto the bark walls. "Is something wrong?"

"Everything is fine." She managed as her eyes flicked to his lips. Her pounding heart threatened to careen out of control.

Sara closed the distance to him, her bosom heaving as she struggled to reign in her panting at what she was about to do. A million thoughts and emotions filled her mind. She loved him. The very knowledge of that fact made her body tremble with hot need and desire. It was a type of lust she had never known before, and one far more powerful. It was the lust of love.

Israel watched her approach with a perplexed look on his face, making no move. Sara wanted to feel his lips against hers. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in close for a kiss.

Tensing in surprise, Israel gently took hold of her shoulders and stopped her before her lips made contact.

"Sara-"

"Make love to me."

Israel's brow drew down in surprise. "What?"

Sara forced her fears down as she gulped. She gathered her courage.

"I'm in love with you, Israel. You and only you. I want you to make love to me."

Time seemed to stop as Israel gazed down at her without moving. His fiery, cobalt blue eyes appraised her without so much as a blink as silence permeated the still room. Sara, overcome with hope, fear, longing, need, expectation, and anticipation stood there, hovering on the brink. She had forgotten what true happiness, true love, was in Aincrad. Israel had shown her the way back to those feelings. She wanted him. She needed him.

"No."

Sara blinked, unable to comprehend the word. "What?"

Israel's eyes filled with sorrow as he looked at her. His voice came again, and just as before, it wasn't at all harsh or cruel or dreadful, but soft and gentle and full of sincere, tender meaning.

"No."

Sara's world shattered around her like a thousand pounds of falling glass. She hadn't expected him to refuse her. She hadn't expected that at all.

"What I mean is." Israel began again, licking his lips as he held her gently by the shoulders. "I can't. Please don't think I want to hurt you in any way, Sara, but I...I just don't...I already...I love…"

His voice broke before he could finish, but he didn't have to. Sara knew. He didn't love her.

He loved Naomi.

Blinking back the tears welling up in her eyes, Sara forced herself to speak through the rising lump in her throat as she backed up a step.

"Of course. I understand." She put on her best smile and retreated another step. "I'm sorry, I don't know what came over me. I shouldn't have said such a thing."

Israel's face betrayed his concern as he reached for her, but she backed up again. He touched her arm, but this time, Sara's heart didn't flutter. Her body was numb.

"Sara…"

Pulling gently away, Sara smiled again as she made for the stairs, trying to summon the will to turn away from him. "It's fine, don't worry about me. I think I just need to go upstairs for a bit."

Turning on her heel, Sara ascended the stairs in a cold, numb haze. She heard Israel call out to her again, but she didn't answer and kept moving. When she found herself in the upstairs bedroom, she closed the door of the stairwell and flung herself onto the bed.

How could she have been so stupid? So blind? Israel loved his Naomi more than his own life. It was his love for her, his aching loneliness and despair without her, that forever dwelt behind the fire of his blue eyes. His passion for the woman he loved was what had turned him into the Shadow of Death. Such powerful, true love was the stuff of legend, the feelings people wrote stories about. Who was she to compare to such devotion? Who was she to think she could have been the one to mend his broken, battered heart? Overcome by the intoxicating passion that had swept through her and clouded her mind with thoughts of joy and bliss, she had foolishly believed that she could...that he might….

Burying her head into the soft, goose down pillow, Sara wept.


	88. Chapter 87

87

November 12th, 2023

Floor 38, Castellan Keep

Jae furrowed his brow in concentration as he twirled Starfire in his hands, rapidly picking up speed each time his fingers adjusted to the movement. The razor sharp, footlong blades on both ends of the magnificent ashwood shaft seemed to emanate both a faint hue of piercing azure blue and bright, fiery red respectively. A bead of sweat trickled down his forehead as he moved with the weapon, his ears thrumming each time he lashed out at the wooden dummy target made in the shape of a large, barrel chested man. The wood from the target splintered and flew into the air as he struck at its arms, sides, and head in rapid, fierce combination blows. The double bladed staff seemed all but invisible in the air as he spun it in weaving patterns, battering the beleaguered, inanimate foe into fragmented ruin.

The weapon still felt heavier than he was used to. Jae had spent much of his free time training with Starfire ever since it had come into his possession in an effort to become reacquainted with his signature weapon style, but that free time was limited, and countless hours of fighting with a spear proved difficult to forget, even if he had utilized it as though it were a staff whenever possible. Because of the weight, Jae recognized a slight decrease in his speed and follow up ability, but the hindrance was slight, and each day of training decreased it further.

As the ends of the staff hummed in the early morning air, Jae found himself marveling yet again at the unique, legendary weapon. It's durability and statistics were jaw dropping, and the make, balance, and design of Starfire were beyond masterful. Indeed, the weapon was simple perfection. In the hands of a master, he doubted there was any foe it could not defeat. After a few more days of practice had removed the last of his rustiness with the new weapon, Jae knew that he would be more lethal a fighter than ever before, and finally able to unleash all of his fighting skill.

A loud crack shattered the eery quiet around him as one of his blows drove home against the side of the dummy's neck, snapping the wooden beams and sending the roughly hewn head toppling to the ground along with a large portion of splintered plank ends still attached. A second later, the dummy itself shattered into pixelated shards.

Panting from the exertion, Jae moved on to the next dummy standing several feet to the right. Normally, the training yard section of the courtyard would be crowded with HDA guild members looking for a turn at the dummies, so much so that he would have considered it lucky indeed to have one on which to train. But not today. Jae knew where everyone was this morning.

After allowing himself a breath, Jae started up again, twirling Starfire in his sore, weary hands, picking up speed with each twist of his wrists and grunting from the contact each time his blows fell. As he practiced, Jae found his thoughts drift to what Taylor had said. The weapon and armor modifier, usually so cheery and talkative, had fallen to a far more serious countenance and demeanor when Jae had brought Starfire to him for a closer appraisal. After a few moments of silent frowns, Taylor had looked up at Jae and stated that the staff was superior in make and quality even to some legendary weapons. He had then rubbed his stubble covered chin and said that he believed Starfire to be the only one of its kind, a truly Unique Weapon. Even more interesting was that it had opened up for Jae a new Sword Skill- the Double Bladed Staff.

"I figured you'd be here."

Turning, Jae saw Vivienne's radiant face light up with a ghost of a smile as she approached him from the center of the courtyard.

Her thick brown hair was down, wispy strands of which floated up around her as the morning breeze picked up. She was wearing a thin, green sweater that did an annoyingly good job of hiding her curves, along with light brown leggings that went well with her traveling boots. Though she was both unarmed and unarmored, Vivienne still maintained a commanding, deadly quality to her that was evident with each graceful step.

Jae felt a smile creep it's way onto his features at the sight of her. All the things that weighed on his mind seemed always easier to bear when she was near.

"Sorry, were you looking for me?"

Vivienne arched an eyebrow. "Me? No. Half of Castellan Keep? Yes."

"They're just excited. We have plenty of time before we need to get ready."

Vivienne eyed him. "You don't sound too excited."

Jae hooked Starfire onto the latches at his back as he approached her. "Of course I am. I just wanted some time alone before the big ceremony. We aren't going to get any of that for quite a while afterwards, you know."

He ran a hand through her hair as he smiled at her. "Have I ever told you how beautiful you are, Viv?"

She crossed her arms underneath her breasts. "Don't change the subject." She broke her gaze and looked away from him as she paused. The familiar scent of sweet rosewater and pine from her hair filled Jae's nostrils as he waited for her to speak again. When she did, her voice came low and tinged with concern. "Jae, you know that you can tell me anything."

"Of course."

She still didn't meet his gaze. "So you know that...that if you're not ready for this, we can call it off."

Jae blinked in surprise. "What?"

"If you don't want to do it just yet, we can postpone the wedding-"

Gripping her shoulders, Jae forced her to look him in the eye as he gazed resolutely down at her. "Vivienne, why would you say such a thing? Of course I want to get married. Don't you doubt it. Don't you doubt it for a moment."

Vivienne blinked away a tear. "I know you. I know when you're troubled. You're having doubts-"

Jae gripped her shoulder tighter so she could feel his resolve as he shook his head emphatically. "You've got it wrong. I'm sorry my feelings are bothering you like this, but it isn't what you fear. The wedding isn't what's troubling me."

Vivienne reached up to clutch his hand as a worried expression creased her smooth, feminine features. "If it isn't our wedding, than what is it? Is something wrong, Jae?"

Sighing in resignation, Jae pulled away from her to stare out at the courtyard before them. Small, elegant cherry blossom trees littered the beautiful grounds, dropping hundreds of small, bright pink petals to mingle with the freshly cut, vibrant grass. Paved walkways were interspersed throughout the greenery, coming in from all four corners of the large rectangular space to slowly, gradually meet at the beautiful, decadent silver fountain in the center of the courtyard. In the center of the fountain rose up a tall, wide spout of water that sent soft rippling sounds, like a gentle rain meeting a forest, all across the area as far as the training yard.

Surrounding the tranquil scene were the walls of Castellan Keep, the stone bricks rising imposingly high into the air, with elaborate windows cut into various levels to offer views of the area below. Jae loved the courtyard. It seemed that wherever elements of nature were allowed to flourish, peace therein resided. Yet now, that peace was shattered. He hadn't wanted to tell Vivienne, to fill her mind with the same thoughts.

"There is nothing in this world I want more than to marry you, Vivienne. You're the love of my life. This day has been in my dreams for almost as long as I can remember. If anyone tried to stop me from making you my wife today, I would hunt them down to the ends of the earth. They would not escape me. Just thinking about how it will be, to have you beside me there in front of all our guild, to let the world know that you are mine, makes me the happiest man alive. But now that that time is nearly here…" His voice broke for a brief moment as he looked out at a falling cherry blossom, it's petals seeming to float against the air as it glided to the ground. "Now that it's here I find myself thinking about how I wish Jon could be here to see it. And Lex. And Israel. And all the others lost to us." He looked at her, knowing that there were tears in his own eyes. "I just wish that they could be here to see it."

Stepping forward, Vivienne threw her arms around him as she kissed him tenderly, comfortingly. "Oh Jae, I'm so sorry. I feel the same. I've been thinking of Jon Bright for days. I can only imagine how it must be for you, to have so many loved ones absent here today." With a palm, she kneaded circles against his back, between his shoulder blades. "I wish Jon were here as well."

Jae affected a small smile as he hugged her. "He bought us wedding gifts, just before the Floor Fifty raid. That's the reason he was nearly late. There I was about to head for the Grand Hearth, and Jon Bright comes sprinting down the hall with half a minute to spare, panting and sweating and grinning like a fool, because he had wandered out to buy us both wedding gifts."

He heard Vivienne chuckle lightly against his ear. "I know. He told me that if I didn't love each and every one of his presents, he would personally make up a vivid story about a wild bachelorette party to tell you." She shook her head against his shoulder. "He was a good man. I'm glad to have known him, to have been his friend."

Jae nodded. "He wanted to be best man. He made it sound a lot like he just wanted to show up Aranal and David, but I know he really only cared about us. He wanted to be best man for me, and for you."

There was silence for a long while as they stood in each other's embrace. The wind picked up, emitting a low whistle as it collided with the walls of Castellan Keep around them. At long last, Jae found himself smiling.

"Jon would kill me if he knew I was here mucking up our day thinking about such things. He's probably rolling in his grave."

Vivienne chuckled again. "Knowing him, he's probably too busy flirting with angels to notice us being so foolish." She drew away to look him in the eye again. "But Jae, I do want you to know that if you need more time-"

"No." Jae said without hesitation. He kissed her hand. "Jon wouldn't have wanted us to hold back on his account. None of our friends would. I love you, Vivienne, and if you'll have me, I want this to be the last day of your single life." He cupped the sides of her face with his hands reverently. "Besides, if there's one thing the world of Aincrad has taught me, it's that we should always life our lives to the fullest, for you never know when that life might end. Not pursuing our dreams when we have the chance could end in disaster. Hesitation could be something you come to regret until the end of time." He didn't mention that it was the tragedy of Israel and Naomi that had first taught him that lesson.

…

"Why are there Knights of the Blood-Oath down there?" David asked curiously as he held Jae's elaborate cinched tunic in his hands. "And Army officials?"

Grunting in annoyance as he hopped into his expensive and finely made black dress pants, Jae finally managed to secure the tight fitting clothing around his waist. "I thought you'd know all about that, David, considering it was Avari's idea."

David cocked his head. "Really? She didn't mention it."

Aranal, on the other side of Jae and with a double sided brocade overcoat fashioned with gold and black trim to go with the tunic in hand, nodded his head. "I too, heard little of this. What was Avari's goal? Another scheme?"

Jae scoffed as he buckled on his tooled and multilayered golden belt. "Avari is beyond such things now, as you well know, Aranal. In fact, the purpose behind the idea was to invite the representatives of all the major guilds to the wedding as a show of good faith and unity. Vivienne and I are well known in the Assault Team, and a happy event like our wedding is sure to help raise morale and bolster everyone's spirits, if only for a day. Such an occasion has the potential to, as Avari put it, better solidify our relations with the other powers in Aincrad. Vivienne and I both agreed to the idea."

"Even the Army?" David asked with a wry smile.

"Even the Army." Jae replied as he took the magnificent black tunic from David's hands and began buttoning it on. There was a pause, but after a brief moment Jae couldn't restrain himself and asked, "Is Kibaou down there, do you think?"

David and Aranal both laughed.

"Not so eager for peacemaking after all, it would seem." David said with a grin. He shook his head. "I didn't see Kibaou, but there are hundreds of people down there. It's possible he's somewhere in the crowd."

Aranal shook his head. "Not possible."

Jae shot his big friend a curious look. "Why do you say that?"

"Because if he were here at Castellan Keep, you can be sure the whole place would have fallen to disorder and chaos in the first five minutes."

Jae chuckled. "I can't disagree with the statement. Of all the important players in Aincrad, I think I dislike Kibaou the most."

Aranal rubbed his beard in contemplation. "I wasn't there, so correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Kibaou vow undying hatred on you?"

Jae barked a laugh. "Something like that. Yet even if he hadn't been so dramatic, I doubt I would be any more willing to extend a hand in friendship anytime soon."

David nodded his head, his features creased with distaste. "The man's a viper, to say the least."

"Yes, and the most dangerous kind at that." Aranal said. "One with a title."

"If it's all the same to you boys," Jae said as he reached for the double sided overcoat in Aranal's arms, "I'd rather be thinking about my impending marriage to the woman I love than the possibly insane joint leader of the Army."

David leaned in with a smug look on his face. "You sure it's the wedding you're thinking about, or the wedding night?"

Aranal coughed with glee at the bawdy joke. "I think we all know the answer to that one, brother."

Jae rolled his eyes at the two of them. After he finished buttoning his cuffs, he took a step back and held out his arms. The outfit had been made by the most skilled player taylors in the Town of Beginnings at everyone's insistence, and certainly looked magnificent when he wasn't wearing it, but Jae feared he might look foolish in such an expensive and noble looking suit.

"Well, how do I look?"

As one, the two men broke out into proud grins. After a moment, David's smile faltered.

"You look like a king, Jae, and I'm so happy for you brother. Forgive me, but my mind turned involuntarily to less joyous thoughts for a brief moment. I just wish the rest of Group H could be here today."

Jae nodded somberly. "As do I, David. As do I."

"We three are Group H now." Aranal said gently as he clasped Jae and David both on the shoulder. "And one of our own is about to be married. Let's not dampen such a joyous occasion with sorrow. Jon, Lex, and all the others wouldn't want it."

David swallowed as he looked up at Jae with a sincere, proud smile. "Aranal is right. Today is for you, Jae."

…

An ear shattering cheer rose up around him as Jae entered the Grand Hearth with David and Aranal in tow. Standing tall on either side and dressed in handsome looking suits of their own, the two would have looked like bodyguards if not for the beaming smiles etched on both of their faces. As he strode down the majestic silver and blue carpet leading to the raised dais at the far end of the truly massive chamber, Jae had to remind himself to keep his jaw from dropping. Hundreds upon hundreds of players were gathered on either side of the vast room- two great, densely packed crowds pressing in on each other as they shambled closer to get a look at the groom and his men.

The clamor only rose as Jae made his way deeper down the path with people from all around shouting their congratulations and happy thanks for the invitations, as well as the loud and sincere blessings of many children in spite of the fact that in Aincrad, no one could get pregnant. Bawdy, light hearted jokes occasionally echoed around the chamber as well, most having to do with the wedding night and all eliciting a great chorus of good natured laughter.

"Be sure you don't break the bed!" Came one voice from out of the crowd.

"Be sure you don't break your sword!" Came another.

"If she says she's finished before the first twenty minutes, you're doing it wrong!" Echoed a third.

Chuckling along with the jokes and thanking the countless people giving blessings and the congratulations said by others, Jae couldn't help but think that at that moment, there was no where else he would rather be.

As he approached the dais, Jae made out dozens of red and white clad Knights of the Blood-Oath and the Army, as well as large numbers of other lesser Assault Team guilds such as the Legend Braves, the Nobility's Champions, the Earls of Rathmark, and the Fuurinkazan led by the capable warrior Klein. He scanned the multitude of faces for Kibaou and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw no glimpse of the man. He did, however, catch sight of a supremely dressed man in detailed Army livery who he could only assume was Thinker, the other 'joint' leader of the Army. Here and there he recognized warriors from past battles and campaigns within the Labyrinths, but the most surprising face of all that he spotted was that of Heathcliff himself, the Guild Leader of the KOB. Aside from being renowned for his mastery of tank abilities and defensive power, Heathcliff was well known for his policy of rarely leaving his headquarters. To have him present for a nuptial occasion rather than a Labyrinth raid or meeting was a great gesture of respect. Jae dipped his head in gratitude when the man's eyes met his own.

Completing his walk to the dais, Jae saw Lind approach him with a wide smile on his face. The Guild Leader was bedecked in royal robes of silver and blue to announce his power and station, but on this day the design looked more in keeping with that of a priest than a warrior or royal.

Jae met the man's grin with a shake of hands as he leaned in so that he might be heard above the din of jubilant voices.

"Thank you for agreeing to this role, Lind. It means a great deal to both Vivienne and myself."

Lind clapped him on the shoulder joyfully as he gestured around. "No thanks required, Jae. It's not everyday I get to marry off members of my guild, let alone my Second in Command and one of my best Officers. I know we've had our differences, and aren't friends so much as we once were, but in this, I truly wish you and Vivienne the very best. I never in all my life imagined that I would be asked to uphold such a trusted and sacred position as this, to be the one to officially recognize the start of a wonderful new life between two people."

Jae couldn't help but smile at the sincerity within Lind's words. At that moment, it seemed their differences had been cast aside in favor of joy and happiness for the occasion- at least for a day.

"It's only right that the Guild Leader oversee the wedding of two of his people." Jae said with a smile. "Besides, it's not like we had many others to turn to for the role. Everyone else was afraid of messing up."

They both laughed at that.

Straightening before the platform as Lind took his place behind him, Jae absently smoothed out the ruffles on his wedding outfit as he turned and watched the great oak doors down in the distance. Following his lead, the great crowd, split in half on either side of the great silver and blue rug running down the center of the chamber, turned to watch with excitement and wonder for the bride to enter the double doors. When she did, stunned silence filled the room.

Jae's eyes widened at the sight.

Dressed in a truly beautiful white wedding dress that seemed to shimmer and shine with each step, Vivienne entered the Grand Hearth. Her majestic brown hair cascaded down around her in ringlets. The pure, snowy white ruffles at the bottom of her dress his her feet and made her appear to float on the air rather than walk. Her sparkling eyes seemed to glow with unrestrained joy. Her beaming smile could have convinced the moon to depart and the sun to shine anew. Behind her and holding the train of her dress marched a teary eyed Avari in a gorgeous pink and purple dress of her own, designed like that of a Roman or Greek noble woman.

As Vivienne walked towards him, her radiance and beauty filling the massive room, Jae knew without a doubt that no angel or good spirit could have matched her in that moment.

Bliss and pride, joy and love filled his heart. It took all of his strength not to abandon his place at the dais and race towards her to take her into his arms.

When she finally took her place beside him, Vivienne's perfect smile seemed to only grow as she took in the sight of him. Behind her, Avari took her assigned place, and Jae was only dimly aware of the loving look the fearless woman shared with David who stood behind him in turn.

Though it was reverently quiet in the Grand Hearth, Lind raised his arms for silence before he began.

"Men and women of Aincrad, warriors and friends, loved ones and battle companions. We are known as the heroes of Sword Art Online- the Assault Team, the Clearers. Together, we have shared the horrors of war. Together, we have forged a path towards freedom and victory, hope and glory beyond compare. We have all fought, shed blood, lost loved ones. Today, however, let us not share in the trials and tribulations of which we have become so accustomed. Let us not cower in fear and worry over the next battlefield on which to fight, the next monster which we must face. Let us instead share something altogether different. Something inconceivably more meaningful. Today, I invite you all to witness the loving union of two of our own, two people who have refused to let Kayaba ruin their chance at happiness and life. You all know them well. I commend you all for coming here to give them the greatest wedding possible. Now, join with me in blessing our two heroes on this new journey they have decided to undertake together, and sharing their joy.

"Jae, step forward."

Unable to take his eyes, or his smile, off of Vivienne, Jae stepped closer to her.

"Vivienne," Lind went on behind them as he took hold of one of Jae's hands. "I present to you Jae Kulavic, Second in Command and Senior Officer of the Holy Dragon Alliance, Hero of Floor Twenty-Five, and Champion among the Clearers. Will you have this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love and to honor, to care for and to defend, to cherish and to uphold, for all the days of your life?"

Vivienne's eyes sparkled as she beamed. "I will."

Lind fitted Jae's wedding ring onto the hand and than pressed it into one of Vivienne's, then gently seized one of hers in turn.

"Vivienne, step forward."

She did so.

"Jae," Lind began again. " I present to you Vivienne Bevenere, Officer and Raid Sub-Commander of the Holy Dragon Alliance, Defender of the Guild, and Shining Example to all the Valiant. Will you have this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love and to honor, to care for and to defend, to cherish and to uphold, for all the days of your life?"

Jae swallowed past his joy as he grinned. "I will."

Without hesitation, Lind pressed Vivienne's free hand, now fitted with her own wedding ring, into his own.

"Then by my authority as Guild Leader of the Holy Dragon Alliance, I hereby proclaim the two of you married. May love and hope follow you both for all the days of your life."

Unable to restrain himself any longer, Jae darted forward. At the same time, Vivienne threw herself at him, and the two of them became wrapped in each other's arms as they kissed.

A deafening cheer split the air as the crowd went wild, clapping and shouting, crying and leaping into the air as they roared with delight at the love between the two newlyweds. As he picked Vivienne up in his arms and spun her around with joy, Jae barely heard them.

It was then that the celebrations truly began. At the prompting of the crowd, Jae and Vivienne made their way first to the dancing square that had been cleared away and decorated with beautiful tiles of shining silver. Musicians, hired from among the few players who devoted themselves to the little known skill, let loose a joyous, upbeat tune that made Jae's heart quicken and his feet move with delight.

The throng of players clapped their hands to the delightful melody and before long, dozens of couples were formed as men and women joined them on the dance floor. As he danced with Vivienne, Jae saw David and Avari among the twirling couples several times. He also saw Meifan, Aranal, Officers Retarin and Renwild, and many others that he knew from the guild, as well as some from others. Once, he even saw a woman dressed in the gray livery of the Army dancing with Ryan, who looked dashing in his silver and blue soldier's tunic.

Though Jae and Vivienne soon grew tired from all the dancing and retired to the great feasting tables where seats of honor had been prepared for them, a great many seemed to find no end to their energy as they danced without slowing to the music.

Once seated at the feasting tables, Jae and Vivienne were immediately beset by hundreds of the finest dishes, each made with special care by the cooks of the Holy Dragon Alliance and a great many other green players hired to help. There were plates heaped with crisped beefs, honeyed pork roasts, and freshly baked fish, great silver trays filled to the brim with succulent basted lamb cooked in red wine and lathered in gravy sauces, mighty cauldrons of mouth watering stews and soups, great loaves of floured bread dripping with butter, and so much he tried to make himself take at least a bite of all the delicious looking food, Jae found his stomach fair to bursting before he made it halfway through the dishes.

As the night wore on, the great crowd fell to a level of calm as groups of players broke off to talk and eat and dance among themselves. People met and mingled, laughed and talked, ate and drank, until well past dark. Though Jae and Vivienne spent most of the celebration time together, both took leave to greet various friends and guests separately, and so parted for a time. As he walked alone to the great horns of honeyed mead and sweet wines mounted atop the center feasting table, greeting players and thanking them for their warm congratulations, Jae caught sight of Asuna, Second in Command of the Knights of the Blood-Oath, as she approached him.

"You picked a good outfit," She said with a smile as she looked him up and down. "When I saw Vivienne's dress, I was afraid you wouldn't be able to match her."

Jae chuckled as he looked out at his new wife, radiant as the sun in her wedding dress, dancing with a laughing Aranal in the dance square.

"Your fears were certainly warranted. I do believe I pale in comparison."

Asuna let out a soft, lilting laugh. "Nonsense, you look perfect for the occasion. The two of you are a fit match for one another."

"Thank you. And thank you for coming, Asuna."

The young woman shrugged as she smiled. "Well, we Second in Commands have to stick together."

Jaw nodded happily at their shared private joke. "That we do."

They talked on for a few moments, but soon Asuna excused herself when a small crowd began to gather around in the eating of a freshly cooked pork roast just up from the ovens. Jae had no sooner filled his cup with mead and stepped off to join the throng when a voice from behind him spoke.

"I'm sure you've already heard it enough today to make you sick, but I'd still like to offer my sincere congratulations, Jae."

Turning, Jae dipped his head graciously at the sight of Heathcliff standing before him in rich but simple robes of red and white.

"Thank you, Commander. Your words mean a great deal to me. I'm glad you came."

The tall, strongly built man smiled.

"It is I who should be thanking you for the invitation, Hero of Floor Twenty-Five. I am usually weighed down by the responsibility of my office, of the people I must lead and take care of. In the midst of such duties, it is easy to forget what it is to simply enjoy the moment. This night has lifted my spirits considerably, as well as those of the men and women in my guild. For that, you have my gratitude."

Jae grinned as he stepped up beside the Guild Leader in order to look out at the great chamber now reverberating with the echoes of laughter.

"I know what you mean. I didn't expect to ever feel as happy as I do now. I don't think I'll ever forget this night."

There was silence for a moment as the two of them stood watching the laughing, dancing people all around them.

"Perhaps such joy and love of life is what Kayaba wanted for everyone here all along when he created this world."

Jae frowned in puzzlement at the strange notion. "What do you mean?"

Heathcliff seemed almost not to have heard him as he gazed out among the joyous crowd.

"Did you ever feel that the old world, the real world, was more a prison than it was a life? That all the rules and laws and corruption, all the hate and carelessness and limitations, kept people from thinking about life as it should be lived, and more about life as it simply, unfortunately, was?"

Jae blinked in thought as he contemplated what the man before him was saying. "I suppose that I have sometimes felt that way."

"Perhaps Kayaba's goal in bringing us here was to show us a new world where we would be free to rise up and live our lives with a renewed sense of purpose and need, released from the decay and grime of the old one where dreams were frowned upon and futures were steeped in monotony and the gray quagmire of lives and hopes never fully realized, or lived."

Heathcliff blinked as if he had just emerged from a daydream. He offered an apologetic smile as he shrugged his massive shoulders in embarrassment.

"Apologies, sometimes I get carried away in whimsical thoughts. I suspect Asuna will be informing me I've had too much to drink when we return to our base at Granzam Castle. I hope you have a wonderful rest of your evening Jae, and congratulations again on your marriage. If you will excuse me."

With a respectful dip of his head, Commander Heathcliff took his leave and was swiftly swallowed up by the crowd, leaving Jae to ponder the strange, hopeful ideas the man had expressed.


	89. Chapter 88

88

December 24th, 2023

Floor 49, Mugien

Jae exhaled irritably, watching as his breath steamed around his face. He shifted his weight against the cold wooden wall of the house behind him and used the opportunity to shake the fluffy white snow off his silver steel boots. It was freezing.

He cursed the biting cold under his breath, and as if in mocking answer, the chill wind picked up, creating waves in his billowing cape that then travelled down the length of it until reaching the bottom, where the edges of the cape snapped straight against their force. His face stung painfully as the chill air lashed out at him, and he was beginning to lose feeling in his ears.

"Where the hell is she?" He growled under his breath to himself as he dug his hands deeper into his armpits in an attempt to keep them warm.

Looking out past the alleyway, Jae caught sight of bright red and green christmas lights hanging from above every rafter and doorway. Smiling people walked to and fro down the snow covered road, some breaking off to collect small handfuls of the cold, white powder and then throw them at their friends. Flurries of snowflakes drifted down from the dark night sky, and in the backdrop, travelling on the biting wind, was the distant sound of Christmas melodies being played further up the street, probably at the town square. Most of the night's festivities in the city were occuring there, with everything from vendors selling hot chocolate and churros to NPC's ringing bells and holding up mistletoe whenever a couple or group walked past. In the midst of the revelry, Jae had seen a massive forty foot Christmas tree, positively bristling with lights, toys, and other decorations, rising proudly above the tops of the surrounding smoke stacked buildings.

The entire population of Mugien, some four hundred players, had enthusiastically embraced the preset holiday theme and put their all into the merrimaking. Jae could only imagine how much greater the celebrations and festivities were in the more densely populated towns, to say nothing of the Town of Beginnings, where it was guessed nearly half of the surviving SAO players now dwelt.

"Commander Jae."

Turning to the voice, Jae saw a slim girl dressed in layers of richly laced, fur backed clothing, along with a thick hood that concealed most of her face- whether to keep warm or to avoid attracting notice, he couldn't say.

"Sub-Commander." Jae corrected with a dip of his head in greeting. "Lind is the Guild Leader of the HDA, and therefore he is Commander."

The girl responded with an annoyed flick of her wrist, as if she couldn't be troubled with such trivial details. The snow crunched softly beneath her thick brown boots as she trudged further into the dark, narrow side street, gesturing with a hand for him to follow. It was with reluctance that he did so.

Jae had never liked places such as this- areas that provided little in natural defence or cover, and could be easily turned into traps thanks to the limited number of escape routes. Lingering in such spots felt too much like a foolish invitation for something bad to happen, and Jae tried to make a habit of not pushing his luck. Still, at least in Aincrad things were simpler- no one could be hurt within a safe zone. Besides, he knew that if by some miracle a fight did manage to break out here, he could more than hold his own. And yet, the lifetime of unease associated with such hotbeds of distant threat and squalor was a hard instinct to forget.

"You're late." Jae said above the freezing, snow dotted wind when the girl- Haletha, her name was- finally halted and turned to face him.

She shrugged. "Apologies. I was on the way here when I spotted something of interest over at the town square."

"Something pertaining to the reason for our meeting, perhaps?"

She thought it over. "It's possible, I suppose, but I doubt it."

"Then why the interest?"

"I saw another info broker, a rival of mine named Argo."

Jae didn't much care for the petty factions and conflicts within the community of info brokers. It seemed they were all of them interested only in money, and would sell their information, and loyalties, to whomever showed them the shiniest coin. Still, he didn't want to seem rude. Haletha had asked to speak with a representative of the HDA to share knowledge of her own accord.

"Is she here because of you?"

The slim woman shook her head. "I mask my trail specifically to keep rats like her off my scent. She wouldn't know I'm here."

"If you say so." Jae crossed his arms. "Now, why did you call for this meeting?"

Haletha gestured at his masterwork armor where the _SC_ engraving rose up prominently against the silver steel. "I have to say, I wasn't expecting the famed Hero of Floor Twenty Five himself would want to meet me here. I thought men like you were too busy being important in your great big castles?"

"I find that the best way to be 'important' is to be present for the important matters." Jae growled. He didn't like her sly change of subject. "Are you saying the message you sent us about this being a significant issue was an exaggeration?"

The info broker smiled slyly. "It was no lie."

Ripping the heavy leather pouch filled with coins off of his belt, Jae held it up for her. Normally he wouldn't be so quick to part with payments in advance, but he remembered her from several Boss raids as one of the info brokers willing to give information to the Assault Team that would help, albeit for a price. Each time, she had been as good as her word."I believe you. Now, tell me what you know."

Snatching the large pouch, Haletha weighed it for a moment in a palm. Satisified, she tucked the bag down into her bosom, exposing a bit of her cleavage.

"You're a man of your word. Thank you." She cleared her throat and leaned in. "I'm sure you've heard the rumor going around about some kind of Christmas Event occurring tonight?"

Jae scoffed. "Which rumor? I've heard about a dozen, each more far fetched than the last. One tale going around the lower Floors is that a massive cornucopia of items and Col will fall from the heavens in a sleigh made of gold." He shook his head. "I don't put much stock in stories."

Haletha wagged a finger. "Ah, but sometimes, stories contain elements of the truth buried within. All it takes is someone willing to dig through the rubble. While I must, unfortunately, say that all the lovely tales of cornucopias and treasure are false, I have it on excellent authority that something else will occur-something that could indeed bring the greatest treasure of all."

Jae scowled at her. "I don't like riddles, Haletha. I'm here because I put trust in you. Don't make me regret it. Get to the point, please."

Haletha cleared her throat as she shifted her weight. "Right then, straight to it. At exactly midnight tonight, an Event Boss named Nicholas the Renegade will appear underneath a great fir tree. Whoever defeats him will be awarded a gift, the likes of which none of us have ever seen."

Jae sighed wearily as he pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger.

"I've already heard that rumor. Practically everyone in Aincrad has. The Army has thrown their lot with the idea, and are dead set on finding this supposed Boss in spite having no evidence to back it up or a lead to follow. They've been wandering around without success in the wilderness for hours, and by morning the only result will be an army of weary, half frozen men." He drew his cape around him as he turned to leave. "It seems you've told me only what I already know. Good night, Hal-"

The girl snagged at his shoulder plate in an attempt to halt him, but she wasn't anywhere near strong enough.

"No, there's more. The Fuurinkazan know where it is- they have a lead."

Jae paused. "The Fuurinkazan? Commander Klein's men?"

She nodded, the sly smile returning. "They're following that solo player from the front lines, Kirito. Whether they're working with him or planning to steal the Boss kill from him, I can't say, but they're going to assemble here, at Mugien, in less than twenty minutes because they know he's going to teleport to the Event location from here."

Jae searched her eyes for a moment as he contemplated.

"How does Kirito know where this Boss is going to spawn? Where this fir tree is?"

Haletha arched an eyebrow. "You think he'd share his secrets with me? That little boy doesn't talk to anyone. All I know is that he knows where Nicholas is going to spawn, and the Fuurinkazan believe the same. They're a pretty clever lot, Klein's men. They wouldn't be preparing to go after him if they didn't think they were on the right scent. They must really want that Boss. But if you get there first, with a contingent of HDA soldiers at your back?" She narrowed her gaze. "You'd have both the numbers and strength to beat the Boss before them."

Jae could tell she was telling the truth- the truth as she believed it, anyway. Still, it was a solid lead. It would be foolish to ignore such a possible opportunity.

He donned his Commander's Helm. "If your words prove true in this, Haletha, you'll have my thanks- and enough Col as a token of that thanks to keep even you satisfied for a while."

…

"It's freezing out here." Ryan complained as he shuddered against the cold. "You couldn't wait to call us until the Fuurinkazan showed up, Jae?"

"Focus on the task at hand, Ryan." Vivienne said in her authoritative Officer voice. "We need to be ready."

"When they do show up," Meifan said quietly from his position further back behind them, "What then? We follow them to this Boss Event and then ask them politely to leave?"

Jae kept his eyes on the brightly lit square ahead of the column, as well as on the open windows to the buildings above. From the position he had chosen at a turn in the road that offered clear lines of sight throughout the plaza, it would be easy for one of them to locate anything of note while still being well hidden from sight themselves. "Why do you think I ordered a full raid party, Meifan? When we get there, we use our numbers to take control of the battle and steer it our way."

"The Fuurinkazan are skilled fighters," Avari said with a nod as she drummed her gloved fingers along the hilt of the greatsword at her back. "But they only number around half a dozen or so. With so few, they have no chance keeping the Boss focused on them, let alone dominating the fight in order to set up for the kill."

From his position on Jae's right, Aranal shivered in his armor. "I'm inclined to agree with Ryan. We've been standing out here growing icicles on our armor for at least ten minutes now. By the time we get back to base, my hot chocolate will be cold, Jae."

"Even worse," Ryan said with a lift of his finger, "The marshmallows will have melted."

Face pale, Aranal performed the sign of the cross.

Jae rolled his eyes as he set his sights forward again. "I'll buy you both another round when the the job is done. Promise."

"I'll hold you to that." Aranal muttered as he brushed flakes of snow from his thick red beard.

In the corner of his eye, Jae saw David lean close to Avari as he opened his menu.

"I brought a coat with me." He whispered to her. "Button it up all the way when you put it on."

Avari shook her head. "I'm not cold-"

"No arguments now, or you can forget me scratching your back tonight." He threatened with a serious look.

Avari rolled her eyes in irritation when she saw the resolve in David's eyes. She held out her arms in resignation. "Fine, if it'll stop you fretting." The moment he shuffled behind her to put on the coat, though, the woman broke out into a blushing smile.

Vivienne nuzzled close against him, causing their plate armor to emit a low clank as they made contact.

"When we're done here," She said confidentially, "I want you in our bed, Second in Command. It's too cold in there alone."

Jae kissed her brow. "When we're done here, by morning, that cold bed will be very warm. And broken."

She smiled coyly at the intimate promise. "It had better."

"I see them!" Officer Retarin whispered urgently.

Turning to the already moving column of silver and blue clad HDA soldiers behind him, Jae motioned for them to take up positions as he, Vivienne, Avari, David, Aranal, Meifan, and Ryan all fell in beside Officer Retarin for a better look. There ahead of them stood several players formed into a confidential semi-circle, each bedecked in red colored eastern style armor that betrayed their status as members of Fuurinkazan. A second later, Klein and two more emerged from the bowels of the city, taking a direct path to the others.

"Give the signal." Jae ordered quietly as he watched the players gathered at the square greet their guild leader with nods as they opened their menus.

Ryan, on his right, pointed ahead. "She's already moving."

Jae's gaze followed the man's finger. There, walking casually past the Fuurinkazan as if not even noticing them and caught up in her own thoughts, strode Helatha. Just as she passed them by, Klein held up a corridor crystal, his mouth opening to speak the activation words.

Brilliant, blinding light streaked outward as the air bent and pulled in at itself, swirling into a vortex as it disappeared. In its place now stood a portal filled with the usual strange, inundating patterns of light and energy Jae was so accustomed to. As one, and without hesitation, the guild of red armored players stepped into it, vanishing from sight. Just as the last of them stepped inside, the portal shimmered and dissolved. In its place, the snow and wind returned to dwell as if nothing had happened.

Jae motioned with a hand as he strode forward, his eyes on Haletha. "Let's move."

The sound of disciplined marching made by the forty men behind him, with each armored foot crunching down the thick sheet of snow coating the earth, drowned out the eery sound of the whistling wind. When they reached the info broker, Vivienne spoke first.

"Did you hear the location?"

Haletha nodded. "Forest Maze. They looked worried and in a hurry."

Without hesitation, Jae withdrew a Corridor Crystal from his pocket and turned as he held it up before the troops.

"Teleport, Forest Maze!"

Snowflakes crumpled and burst as the wind carrying them folded inward on itself, swirling violently until it disappeared behind a wave of brilliant light. Inundating patterns of living energy hummed with power.

"As soon as you're inside," Jae commanded as he stepped into the portal. "Battle formations!"

Vivienne and the others followed him in, and for a brief moment, the universe seemed to have been replaced with beautiful, radiant waves of pure light, wondrous to behold.

As quickly as the light world had surrounded him, it disappeared as he stepped out into more snow and howling wind. Now though, instead of buildings and Christmas lights, he was surrounded by dark, menacing trees coated with ice and snow. When Jae saw what was in front of him, he frowned in puzzlement.

"What is this?" Avari asked suspiciously as she stepped up beside him, greatsword in hand.

Vivienne and Aranal stepped forward protectively. Behind him, Jae heard the rest of the HDA contingent fan out as they fell into a three winged formation, with the center squad standing just behind him and the others.

Standing about ten feet in front of them, Klein and his Fuurinkazan turned in surprise as they drew their swords. Beside them stood the beta tester, Kirito. All in black, and with a hand on the sword sheathed at his back, the boy looked furious at what was happening. Within that fury, though, Jae could see desperation and sorrow.

"Where's the Boss?" Ryan whispered over to him from further down the line. "Was this a trap?"

Before Jae could answer, he saw Klein, still in a battle stance along with his men, say something quietly to Kirito. The boy hesitated, then took off deeper into the forest with a map in hand.

Jae looked around for any sign of threat, but saw none. Making a quick decision, he stepped forward without taking Starfire from the latches at his back.

"Why the show of force?" He asked in a loud voice against the wind as he gestured out at Klein and his unflinching men.

Klein didn't lower his sword. "We could ask the same of you." He dipped his head at Jae's men. "You might be on edge as well if you found you were being followed by an army."

Jae frowned. "We're all green players here, and we're all on the Assault Team."

Klein shrugged. "Plenty of green players have already gone temporarily orange tonight over all the rumors. No offense, but I wouldn't put it past the Holy Dragon Alliance to do the same."

Jae was tired of the word play. Klein was stalling.

"Where's Kirito gone?"

Klein didn't hesitate. "He abandoned us when he saw you lot."

"Don't mistake me for a fool, Klein. We both know Kirito is no coward." Jae arched an eyebrow. "Is he going to try and fight this Event Boss alone?"

"Kirito isn't your problem. We are."

Jae scowled. "I wasn't sure before if this Nicholas the Renegade story was the real deal, but I think you've just proved it." He gestured at the troops behind him. "We want that reward item."

Klein shrugged again. "So do we. So does Kirito."

"He can't hope to win alone."

"I'd be there helping him right now if you and your men weren't here stopping us." Klein replied. "But as long as you're here, we aren't budging. You're going to have to fight us if you want to stop Kirito and get that reward."

Jae sighed. "Look, Klein, I'm not sure what's gotten into you, but I'm not about to murder green players to get an item. There's no reason for a fight."

Klein nodded. "You're right, there isn't. I don't want my men to die if I can help it. However, neither of us appears to want to back down all the same. Since it seems we're at an impasse then, I propose a solution."

Jae blinked. "I'm listening."

Klein stepped forward, brandishing his Katana. "I challenge you to a duel. Half health. If you win, you can go forward and kill the Boss, earning you the item. If I win, you and all your men leave."

Vivienne shook her head. "You're just trying to stall. For all we know, Kirito could be meeting up with more friends of yours and fighting to share the reward with you once they win."

Klein rested his Katana over a shoulder. "That's not possible. The reward will only be one single item. Can't be shared." He cocked his head at Jae. "You're not afraid of looking bad in front of your men are you, Champion of the Holy Dragon Alliance? Worried about losing the title? You've got others."

Jae took hold of Starfire and pulled, releasing it from it's constraints at his back and twirling the double bladed staff into his armored hands.

"I accept your challenge, Commander Klein. Half health it is."

He took a step forward into the virgin snow that now made up the no man's land between the two opposing groups. Vivienne snagged his arm.

"Be careful."

He smiled at her reassuringly past his helmet. "It's not a fight to the death, only half health. Don't worry."

"All the same, if he kills you in an official duel, there are no penalties. He might try something."

Jae shook his head. "I don't know Klein well, but I don't think he's that type of person. I grant you that he's usually more cooperative than this, but I suppose he must have heard some awfully eye-opening stories about this item to make him so adamant."

"All the more reason to be careful."

He nodded. "I will. Promise."

Relinquishing her grip on his arm, Vivienne gave him a quick kiss before stepping back, but not before drawing her saber in a deliberate and warning gesture at Klein.

Jae and Klein marched forward towards each other until only a few feet of snow separated them. Jae opened his menu and made the duel request. Klein accepted. A large, transparent _Duel_ sign appeared above them in the sky, along with a timer counting down from five seconds. Jae used the brief time to analyze the man he was about to face.

Klein was a tall, average built man who looked to be about the same age as him, with stubble sprinkled across his chin and jaw and spiky red hair held up by a darker red headband. His Samurai style armor looked lighter and more mobile than Jae's thick plate, but at the cost of more reliable defenses. His katana, a long and deadly looking weapon that looked light and well honed, was sure to be formidable. The way the man balanced it in his hands as he set his stance of battle revealed his skill and confidence with the weapon.

Jae looked up at Klein's eyes and saw that the man was taking him in as well with an equally analytical gaze. It was going to be an interesting fight.

The timer hit zero.

Jae felt his warm breath on the ends of his helmet's cheek guards as he exhaled. And then he was moving.

Darting forward with controlled aggression, Jae let loose a swift and deadly barrage of blows, utilizing both blade ends of Starfire to double the number of strikes and minimize the time between each. Faint blue and red light emanated from the two blades and created streaks of color in the air as he picked up speed. Klein stood his ground at first, testing Jae's assault as he used the speed of his katana to compensate for his lack of reach, glancing aside the blows with well practiced movements. Using his superior reach and the ability to fight with both ends of his staff, Jae pressed the assault, twirling Starfire in complex, weaving patterns as he struck again and again. He slipped through Klein's guard and slashed at the man's chest. The blade bounced harmlessly off of the eastern style overlapping armor, but it was enough to scare him.

Darting to the side in advance of the next blow, Klein wasted no time and attempted to come upon Jae's now exposed flank. While impressed with the decision to sidestep rather than retreat, Jae had nonetheless prepared for it and repositioned in time to receive Klein's assault. With the tables now turned, Klein advanced with ruthless aggression, striking from all sides with wide, well timed blows in an attempt to overpower. Had he been wielding any other weapon, Jae suspected the assault would have given him pause, maybe even wounded him. But with a staff in his hands, he could unleash every nuance of skill and strength he possessed to full advantage. The staff had always been his primary weapon, the only instrument of war which he had fully, completely mastered. And now he intended to use it.

Though it took some effort and concentration, Jae first managed to stem Klein's assault. Following up, he then began beating down Klein's attempts at reigniting the attack, striking each sword blow aside and bearing down on him with relentless speed and fury. After thwarting a third counter offensive in this way, Jae pressed harder still, forcing Klein entirely on the defensive as he unleashed a barrage of steel and wood down on the guild leader. Cuts began to appear on the man's sides, face, and arms, but to Jae's surprise, Klein managed to stop all the more serious blows. Indeed, it quickly became apparent, even as he struggled to survive Jae's staff, that the man was a skilled and talented swordsman with a bravery that stood him in good stead.

Knowing that Klein was stalling for the sake of whatever plan Kirito was no doubt a part of, Jae had hoped to end the fight in the first few moments. He had the superior skill, that much was sure, but he needed to speed things up. He needed to win as quickly as possible.

Advancing several feet, Jae pressed harder still, swinging Starfire with such rapid movements that it appeared almost invisible amidst the snow filled darkness, with it's only evidence of existence emerging from the streaks of blue and red that emanated from the bladed ends. Klein attempted to sidestep away as he had done before, but Jae widened his blows and advanced another step, pinning him in place and forcing him to instead back up a step.

Several blows later, with the sound of clashing steel ringing out around them into the woods, Klein again attempted to escape, pivoting on his heel to make for the right while at the same time slashing out at Jae with lethal speed. In the midst of striking, Jae tried to abandon the attack and block the impending blow, but he was a hair too slow. The razor sharp tip of the katana hit his chest plate and glanced up to slash across his throat. With less than a split second to act, Jae jerked his head and neck back as far as he could. The katana's tip sliced through the thin layer of chainmail protecting his throat and sent a surge of hot pain lancing through him.

Crying out involuntarily, Jae retreated back a step and instinctively brought a hand to his throat. It had been a light cut, and the chainmail, though pierced, had helped halt the momentum of the blow. Had his throat been unguarded, or had he not managed to jerk his neck back the slight few centimeters he had, it would have gone far worse. He looked up at his health bar and saw that it had only gone down by a few hundred points. He heard angry shouts and turned to see Vivienne charging straight for Klein, with the rest of the HDA raid group looking just as angry and mere inches behind her.

"Stop!" Jae shouted angrily at them. He lifted his hand. "Stay back!"

They all stopped except for Vivienne, who came on like an avenging spirit.

"Vivienne!" Jae yelled at her. "The fight isn't done. Get back!"

She slowed, but pointed angrily at Klein. "He cheated! The terms of the duel were half health, and he went for a lethal blow! Had it not been for your retreat, he would've killed you!"

"It was an accident!" Klein panted, sweat beading his brow. Jae could hear the sincerity in his words. "I only meant to keep him back! My sword glanced up against his armor and went up at his throat!"

Jae shot Vivienne a glare to let her know he was deadly serious. He understood her anger and didn't like telling her what to do, but he was Second in Command. "We finish the duel. No one will interfere."

He rounded on Klein, rage bubbling through him at what had almost happened. "Defend yourself."

Klein readied his blade, but looked Jae in the eyes. "Jae, I swear, I didn't mean to-"

Lashing out with all his strength, Jae swung Starfire. Klein deflected the attack, but Jae saw him wince as his sword vibrated from the blow. Following up, Jae struck again, and again, picking up speed as he hacked and slashed at Klein's defenses, cutting open his armor and dealing out more cuts. He knew that Klein hadn't meant to almost kill him, it had been an honest mistake. In war, even the most skilled fighters were just as prone to accidents as the least. Still, he couldn't help but feel enraged that he had been injured, almost gravely, at the hands of the man before him. He felt adrenaline rush through him, mingling with blood fury.

The two of them fought on, and as the seconds ticked by, Klein obtained more and more minor injuries and Jae began shattering his guard. The man's health was almost down to half, while Jae's was still well in the green. Once or twice, Klein surprised him by performing feints or specialist combination blows, dealing out a few minor cuts of his own, but those wounds only made Jae fight harder. The fight needed to end. Now.

With a cry, Jae struck out at Klein's sword even as the man lunged for a stab. There was a sharp, metallic clang, and then the Katana was soaring through the air. Before Klein could attempt a retreat to retrieve it, Jae slashed at his leg, dropping the man to his knees. An instant later, Jae was standing over him with Starfire planted firmly on his chest. Both of them panted wearily.

"Please." Klein pleaded in a low voice. "You don't Kirito. I saw the look in his eyes, the pain. He's haunted by the loss of his guild. He needs to be the one to get the item. I don't know why, but he does. Please, don't take it from him. I fear what he'll do if he doesn't get it."

Jae started at the sincere worry and concern for his friend that laced Klein's words.

"What is this item that he would risk his life for it? That you would risk _your_ life helping him get?"

Klein sighed. "It's rumored the item has a revival ability of some sort. That it can bring someone back from the dead."

Jae frowned. "Impossible."

"Maybe, but he would stop at nothing to get it. He'll know no peace if he doesn't have it. I fear what he'll do if he can't bring back his friends. I think he blames himself. I think he'll commit suicide if he thinks he failed them. Please, let him have it. You'll be saving his life."

Jae looked into the man's eyes for a long moment, searching for some evidence of a lie. He saw none. Klein looked almost ready to tear up, but he remained staunch and silent.

With a sigh, Jae removed Starfire from Klein's chest and replaced it on the latches at his back. He turned on his heel to face his men. Vivienne, Avari, David, Aranal, and all the rest stood in silence as they waited.

"Klein won the duel. In honor of the terms of victory, we are leaving. Any questions?"

They looked too surprised to speak.


	90. Chapter 89

89

January 8th, 2024

Floor 39, Atwold Forest

"Remember that one, there?" Sara asked as she pointed to the purple plant, it's thick, unbranched center jutting up from among the petals flowered around it.

Israel scratched his stubble as he considered. "That would be the Titan Arum, yes? Used to counteract the aggressive and otherwise harmful tendencies of Caphilaris Sphinx when making Scrying Potions."

She nodded. "Very good." She pointed again, this time further down the narrow deer track that looked untouched by human feet. "And that one?"

Israel peered out to better glimpse the object in question. "The yellow root, clinging to that birch down there?"

"That's the one."

He didn't hesitate. "That would be the Cornelius Harot, used for the nerve slowing liquid found within it's veins to create stunning potions."

Sara grinned at him. "I'm impressed. It seems you've got the makings of a master potion maker."

Israel let out an exaggerated, knowing sigh. "Impressive as I am, though, I suppose I must give _some_ credit to my teacher."

Sara shoved him playfully. "And don't you forget it. I expect to receive an honorable mention when you end up concocting a unique potion never before seen."

Israel chuckled as they walked, allowing his hand to rest comfortably on the pommel of his red and black sword, Apocalypse. "I think you set your expectations of me too high. I could learn every rock and tree by name and still be no better at making potions than anyone else. In fact, if our last little experiment is anything to go by, I think I might be worse."

Sara suppressed a laugh at the memory. She had been trying to teach Israel to make more advanced potions on his own, and for a while he did quite well, but his concentration lapsed after far shorter periods of time than hers, and his hands tended to shake when performing delicate operations, making the fine mixing and adding elements of the task nearly impossible. In the end, after one such lapse of concentration and an overdose of an aggressive ingredient, a ground leaf called Expindum, Israel had very nearly managed to engulf the entire Treehouse in flames. Only Sara's prepared counteracting potions had saved them from a veritable explosion. Shaken and covered in black soot, Israel had cleared his throat and said that perhaps it was time for a break.

Sara waved a hand to ward off his concerns. "Nonsense, all the best potion makers go through rough experiments. Trial and error are the parents of progress. Your knowledge and memory retainability mark you as one with a gift for potions."

"So gifted that I nearly blew up our house?"

She picked at a loose thread on her dress. "Well, maybe you just haven't opened that gift and given it to yourself yet."

They both laughed.

"Come on, we should pick up the pace before it gets dark, get an early start on dinner." Israel said as he gazed up at the sky. Sara looked up as well and saw that the sun was lazily approaching the boughs of the treetops. It would disappear behind those branches long before it fell below the horizon, and it was because of that the Atwold Forest grew dark quicker than most anywhere else.

They walked faster and without anymore detours, but still kept at a relatively casual pace. It felt good to walk. Sara knew that neither of them ever wanted their walks together to end, and it was always on the way back that their feet seemed to slow. It felt good knowing that Israel was just as happy spending time out in the wild with her as she was with him. Even if only as a friend.

It had been two months since she had humiliated herself asking him to make love to her. Sara had feared that, after so foolishly betraying her feelings, her friendship with Israel would come to an abrupt end. The morning after, she had apologized profusely for her actions and asked him to forget the whole thing, that she completely understood his feelings and didn't want any bad blood between them. To her surprise, Israel was just as apologetic. He told her that if anyone should be sorry, it was him. After all, she had merely acted on her true feelings, feelings that he had never before revealed to her not to have shared. How was she to know what would happen unless she first asked like she had, he had said. On the other hand, he was angry with himself for not being more delicate about how he had responded, thinking that he had been cruel. Sara didn't think so at all, and told him as much, but Israel hadn't rested until he felt she understood his sincerity and accepted his apology.

He had tried to explain a little about his feelings for Naomi since she was the reason he had rejected Sara's advances. As soon as he started speaking about the woman he loved, though, he quickly faltered at the thought. It was obvious to Sara just how badly he missed the dead Beta Tester, how much he had loved her. She wanted to be considerate of Naomi's memory and promised herself she wouldn't feel petty feelings of jealousy or sorrow. Not being jealous was easy due to her respect for the dead, but the latter was more difficult to uphold. Against her will, she found herself saddened every time she thought of how reverently, how passionately, he had spoken of the woman.

Sara wished she could be the one to comfort Israel, to love him, but she also respected him and treasured his friendship. She feared that while they had managed to keep their relationship from suffering due to what had happened, another such episode might estrange them for good. Also, she respected herself. Throwing herself at a man who didn't want her wasn't in her character, and was beneath her besides. For those reasons, she vowed to do her best to bury her feelings. The task proved more difficult than the oath had been, but for the most part, things had returned to a semblance of normality. At least on the surface.

They went for walks more often, often at Israel's request, and Sara was more than happy to oblige. When she spent time with him, she felt alive and happy and free. When he wasn't with her, the day seemed always dark and monotonous. She knew, deep down, that she could never stop loving him for the man he was. That the way he made her heart sing when he smiled at her would never go away.

Israel was gracious enough never to bring up the subject, though, and for that, Sara was grateful. Nor did he treat her any differently than before, except perhaps that now he didn't hold her hand on those rare occasions it felt right to her to have otherwise done so. He was always kind and friendly, and she knew that it wasn't out of pity; he was sincere. It was clear that he cared greatly for her as a friend, and it seemed that that was what she would have to make do with. It wasn't a terrible bargain. Israel's friendship was almost as valuable to her as his love would have been.

While he remained an enigma, and one with a tortured, haunted soul besides, it seemed he too treasured her friendship, and that when he was with her, he was at peace, albeit temporarily. She feared the thought was just her wishful thinking, but day by day found herself believing it more earnestly. The notion, unfounded though it could possibly be, gave her joy.

By the time the Treehouse was again within their sights, towering over all the other trees around it, the sky had turned a rust colored red as the sun began it's slow descent behind the horizon. It was then that Sara noticed that, though the forest was supposed to have grown dark already, it remained bright and well lit.

Israel's hand tapping her shoulder brought her puzzled frown towards him. Handsome as ever in his red and black tunic and pants, with his prince charming hair tumbling down around his tanned, square jawed face as he looked above them, his finger came up, pointing to the heavens. Following his silent gesture, Sara gasped in wonder.

High above them, underneath the bottoms of the intermingled tree boughs so thickly interspersed as to become a veritable blanket of leaves and branches, sat a million tiny, flickering lights. The iridescent glow emanating from each one was profoundly beautiful, but together, the sight was enough to take the breath away. The host of little yellow lights flickered and flashed often, but never went off. On the contrary, they seemed to grow only stronger, more radiant, with each flicker. It was like seeing the sky at night filled with the majesty of uncounted stars, only even more vibrant. The lights cast shadows all throughout the underboughs of the trees on which they clung, showing in glorious personal light the color, detail, and life within each leaf and branch. The overarching green from the boughs was like a wondrous, lively backdrop set behind the persistent, radiant lights. The forest floor basked in that glow, that light, making the whole place feel like some enchanted other world.

It was so beautiful it seemed almost surreal.

"What are they?" Sara asked in wonder, her eyes unable to look away from the sight.

"Fireflies." Israel said beside her. She could hear the mirth in his tone. "The males are gathering to mate, and flash their lights to attract the females. I've always loved watching the fireflies light up summer skies, but never before have I seen them in such numbers." He paused and looked over at her. "Have you never seen fireflies before?"

Sara shook her head. "I've heard of them, of course, but I think…" She furrowed her brow at the distant, hazy memory. She racked her brains to retrieve it. "It's difficult to remember, but I think I've lived my whole life in big cities. Before today, I had never seen a firefly." She grinned at the sight above her. "They're beautiful."

Israel nodded, the smile still on his face as his eyes remained fixed on the sparkling sight above them. "Once, when I was younger, my brother Jae and I spent an entire evening out in the summer fields, laying in the grass and watching the fireflies flash. We caught a few of them that came close as we talked the night away, but we took care not to harm them. Once we had gathered enough, we let them all go, creating a cascade of light all around us as they took to wing. It was a marvel."

"I didn't know you had a brother."

Jae blinked at her. "Yes, I don't suppose I ever told you about him."

Sara was interested to learn more about Jae, but she could tell by Israel's quiet reservation he didn't share the desire. They stood in silence for a while, marveling quietly at the wonder and beauty up above them.

"Sara, I want you to know I'm sorry." Israel's words came out softly, barely louder than a whisper, as he looked up at the tree boughs.

She frowned at him. "For what?"

"For capturing you, for keeping you as a prisoner, for forcing you to work for me." He at last looked at her. "I'm sorry."

Sara blinked in surprise at the random topic. "Israel, that's nothing to be sorry for. You were in the right to do as you did. You prevented me from aiding Laughing Coffin another day, from indirectly leading to the deaths of more innocents. I was your enemy."

His beautiful cobalt eyes studied her with resolute, hawklike determination. "But not anymore. Not for a long time now. You're my friend. It's wrong of me to continue treating my friend like my enemy. I should've done this weeks ago. Months, even."

He was starting to worry her. "Done what?"

"I'm giving you your freedom, Sara." Israel said in a voice filled with resolve, even if it betrayed undercurrents of sorrow.

She wasn't sure what to think, what to feel. "Freedom?"

He nodded, forcing a smile that he tried to make look genuine. "As my friend, I can no longer keep you as my prisoner, force you to fight my fight. You are free to leave the Treehouse and never return. I beg your forgiveness for not making this decision sooner…"

His voice trailed off, along with his smile. He looked over his shoulder.

Sara knew Israel well. His natural awareness, no doubt made keen by months spent hunting orange players in dark woods and the dead of night, was rarely wrong. To see his demeanor change so abruptly from apologetic and sincere to suspicious and wary was alarming, and the edge in his look as he turned made the hair at the back of her neck stand on end.

"Israel? What-"

A quick finger to his lips silenced her as Israel peered back behind them, his fiery cobalt eyes flaring. "I heard something."

Holding out his arm to keep Sara back behind him as he narrowed his gaze and peered deeper into the dark trees behind them, Israel dropped a hand to the hilt of his sword. Aside from Apocalypse at his hip, he looked extremely vulnerable. At that moment, Sara found herself wishing he was wearing his armor and steel fist. She looked ahead and saw the Treehouse looming about fifty feet in front of them. Moments before, she had thought them practically home. Now the bark walls seemed frighteningly far away. She wished they were safely inside.

Israel's head snapped to the right, then to the left. Sara felt his grip on her arm tighten as his eyes widened.

"Pull out your teleport crystal." Israel whispered in a tone of such urgency and alarm that Sara felt the blood rush from her face.

Without thinking, she opened her menu and withdrew a teleport crystal, feeling the weight of it as it materialized in her hand. Israel already had his held above him.

"Repeat my location. "Teleport, Sunlit Forest!"

Sara was about to repeat the phrase when she realized with growing concern that Israel was still standing beside her. Nothing had happened.

It made no sense. Both of them had teleported from that very spot often enough. Teleport Crystals would only ever fail within an Anti-Teleport area, and this wasn't...

 _No._

She lifted her crystal above her head to try again.

"Teleport-"

Seizing her hand, Israel yanked her forward as he bolted to the right, away from the Treehouse. Whatever it was he was sensing, he was trying to lead the danger away from their home, keep the enemy from knowing where they lived. A second later, he stiffened and turned to the left instead. Before they had gone five steps, he halted again and cursed under his breath. He whipped around, appraising everything with a shocked look. He looked like a caged animal. Gripping her hand tighter, Israel sprinted for the Treehouse. At the same moment, the entire forest came alive with the sounds of a multitude of crashing feet and enraged battle cries. The air whistled as darts zipped by. One hit Israel, but he ignored it and kept running. Sara knew what it was: a paralysis dart. Fortunately, he had long ago taken to drinking the Immunity Potions she made at intervals throughout the day, nullifying the effect.

Glancing back behind her as she and Israel ran, Sara had to duck another dart before looking back up to gasp at the sight; a hoard of Laughing Coffin members were charging towards them from all sides from out of the depths of the forest. Their black hoods hid their faces. Their ragged black cloaks billowed behind them, giving them the appearance of otherworldly wraiths gliding on the wind as they came to reap the living. Distant commands of attack were shouted from further back into the forest, but one in particular, though too far to make out the words, made Sara's stomach knot in complete, unbridled terror.

It was PoH's voice.


	91. Chapter 90

90

January 8th, 2024

Floor 39, Atwold Forest

Bursting through the hidden doorway, Sara wasted no time and threw her hand up onto the gnarled bark button embedded on the inside of the tree beside the door. Israel flew in past her and added his hand to hers, pounding on the button in a futile effort to speed it's closing. The thick slab of bark that made up the door grated as it slided forward, moving at a snail's pace in Sara's mind. Without waiting for the door to finish closing, Israel opened his menu and began swiping through screens as he searched his inventory. An instant later, his legendary steel fist appeared over his right hand, quickly followed by his masterwork red and black brigandine armor.

As the door continued to close, Sara gazed out at the ever shrinking forest ahead in pure horror as her heart galloped within her chest. There had to be over a hundred men from Laughing Coffin charging straight for the Treehouse, steel bared and cloaks billowing behind them as they surged forward, pressing in on each other as they neared the doorway. She knew they wouldn't reach the door before it closed, but the fact did nothing to quell her terror. Just as the last few inches of space disappeared before the closing door, Sara saw a flash of red eyes.

Xaxa was out there.

There was a lingering, distant groan as the foot thick bark door nuzzled itself into the rest of the tree, shutting out the hoard of enemies just beyond. Sara gulped down her fear as her brain tried to understand what was happening.

"Sara," Israel said as he heaved one of the bookshelves on the wall down over the doorway, sending dozens of volumes Sara had come to love sprawling out onto the floor, "Grab the potions I keep hidden under the stairwell. The door is locked, so you're going to have to break it down."

Before she could move an inch, Sara heard the sound of axes being used to chop at the tree outside.

"The tree," She said in a whisper. "Is it an Immortal Object?"

Israel met her gaze as he toppled another bookshelf. "No."

"How did they know we were here?"

"PoH no doubt has had men scouring Aincrad ever since I captured you. It was only a matter of time before one of them stumbled across us during our walks." He cursed under his breath. "I've been a fool. I should've known. I should've been more careful." He looked up at her. "Sara, please. The potions."

"Right." Making for the tiny room tucked underneath the bottom of the stairwell in the back of the living room, Sara was stopped in her tracks by the sound of breaking glass. Looking up, she was just in time to see a Laughing Coffin member clamor down the stairs from the kitchen.

"Israel!" Sara cried out in warning as she opened her menu.

Quick as lightning, Israel appeared beside her at the bottom of the stairs, sword in hand and with blue flames in his eyes. The LC member swung his sword at him as he charged down the stairs.

"For Laughing-"

Israel's red sword seemed to shimmer with delight as it exploded into the side of the man's head, sending bits of skull and brain sailing through the air for a brief second before they dissolved into pixelated shards. The man's body followed, shattering before it hit the ground.

There was the sound of more windows breaking and heavy footsteps from the kitchen above. At the same time, Sara heard the chopping of the axes against the tree abruptly cease. Instead, there was a loud click, and then the door began to grate as it slowly opened in on itself. They had found the secret button.

Without hesitation, Israel seized Sara's hand and bolted up the stairs, jerking her along as if afraid she wouldn't keep up. Opening her menu with her trembling, free hand, Sara searched her inventory for something she could use to fight with. They were after Israel. She had no intention of letting him die.

Emerging at the top of the stairs in the kitchen, Sara and Israel were greeted by three men, two on the right side of the room and the third on the left. The kitchen was a mess, with the windows on either side smashed inwards and various kitchen utensils littered all over the floor. The three men faltered for a moment in surprise and fear as Israel made straight for them, having no doubt expected to come upon the Shadow of Death distracted and with his back turned on the bottom floor of the living room. Having him descend upon them in his full wrath was another matter entirely.

Without so much as a grunt or curse, Israel swung his red sword at the nearest of the two men on their right side, cutting the warrior clean in half at the middle before he could so much as blink. The second man lunged at him, but Israel caught the blade in his steel armored hand. He squeezed and the blade shattered into pieces. The third man swung at Israel's exposed back, but Israel turned at the last minute and brought his blade up, blocking the blow. He counterattacked with a swing of his own, but the man parried and attacked again. The sound of clashing blades pierced the air and seemed to echo within the walls of the kitchen.

The second man, now absent his sword, sprang up with a cry as he drew a long knife from a sheath at his side. In the midst of battling the third man on the other side, Israel couldn't have done anything even if he knew what was behind him.

Throwing herself into the man with all her weight, Sara felt the breath rip from her lungs as the impact sent them both to the ground with her on top. The man's face twisted, first in rage, than confusion as he looked at her. She didn't recognize him, but it was obvious he knew her. All of Laughing Coffin did.

"Mistress Sara, what are you-"

With an angry cry, Sara tore a potion free from her pocket and smashed it against the man's face. By the bright light that emitted around his eyes at the contact, Sara knew it had been merely a blinding potion. She had hoped for something stronger, but hadn't exactly had time to check.

"You little bitch!" The man bellowed, clutching at his burning eyes with one hand while he swung out blindly with his knife in the other. "You're working with the Shadow!"

Snapping her face away from the sharp blade's path, Sara grabbed the man's hand with both of her own and ripped the knife from his grasp. Hesitating for only a brief second, she brought the weapon down, burying it in the man's heart. He went limp immediately, and a moment later, his body exploded into shards.

She had just murdered a human being.

"Sara, up!" Israel roared from somewhere above her.

Looking up, she was just in time to see him cleave the third man apart from his shoulder to his hip. Rising on shaky legs, Sara tried to keep the sudden nausea roiling in her stomach under control. A quick glance down showed that the knife, in her possession at the moment of the man's death, was still in her hands. She gripped it tighter as another Laughing Coffin member appeared outside the window, his hands cutting against broken glass as he tried to climb up and over. Israel stepped over and kicked his face in, sending the screaming man plummeting down the side of the tree to the ground.

"Come on," Israel panted as he pulled her up onto the stairs alongside him. "They're down in the living room, coming up the stairs."

As if on queue, Sara finally processed the sound of dozens of boots thumping up the stairs below them. At the same time, more faces appeared at the broken kitchen windows, followed by hands clamoring up and over. They were everywhere.

Sprinting up the final flight of stairs to the third and uppermost floor of the Treehouse where the bedroom- what had once been her prison- was, Israel surged ahead in front of her, his glistening, demon sword at the ready. He emerged at the top first and disappeared from view for only a second before Sara followed, her eyes taking in the wide bedroom and it's three windows on either side. On the left, the windows were as of yet unbroken, and no faces could be seen along the branches behind them. On the right, however, one of them had already shattered. A Laughing Coffin warrior sprang through it, landing on his feet inside. Covered in muscle and with a large, wide frame, the man was huge.

Israel lurched forward to stop him, but Sara was already moving.

"Block the door!" She yelled at him as she withdrew another potion, her Death's Touch, from the pouch at her belt and heaved it at the red player before them. "Do it now!"

Without hesitation, Israel turned to shut the door with his steel hand. With the other still holding his sword, he clutched at the top of the nearest bookshelf and heaved it in front of the door. The potion Sara threw hit the man rushing forward square in the chest, it's orange contents splattering all over his breastplate. Steam began to emanate from his chest as a wide, jagged hole began burning through the armor. A second later, he dropped his sword and started screaming. Backing up into a wall as the agony took him, the big man's hood came off, revealing a bald head and a horror stricken face as he clutched madly at the growing, gaping hole in his chest. His health hit zero long before the substance ate its way through to his back, and his ruined body shattered into a thousand shiny pieces. Only his screams lingered.

Turning to help Israel topple more shelves and dressers against the door, Sara stopped when he pointed to the windows.

"Board them up before someone else gets through!"

Turning on a heel to see it done, Sara seized one of the thick, heavy wooden chairs from the mahogany table in the corner of the room and wrenched it into the broken window frame as best she could, cutting her arm on some glass as she jammed it tightly in place. Ignoring the wound, she reached for another chair. At the same time, the unbroken section of window in front of her was smashed inward, sending sharp, jagged shards of glass flying through the room. Some of them hit her, creating more cuts. The pain burned and stung, making her eyes water, but she shrugged it off and lifted the chair. Just as the player's hooded face and black gloved hands appeared before the broken window, she swung with all her might. The chair exploded against the Laughing Coffin member's head, sending segments of frame and several broken legs tumbling down the side of the tree after him as he fell. She didn't need to look down to know that the fall had killed him. She herself had nearly died making the same descent, and that had been with the support of a Fall Resistant Potion.

After lodging what was left of the splintered chair into the window frame, Sara knocked the heavy mahogany table over onto its side and pressed it against the remainder of the section of window yet unbroken. It wouldn't keep the enemy out indefinitely, but it would slow them down long enough for either her or Israel to act. Just before blocking the last of her view, though, she looked outside.

Normally it would have been impossible to see anything out in the woods at this time of night, but the light from the fireflies had made the immediate area bright as day. Looking out in horror, Sara saw that the massive branches of the Treehouse, spiraling and jutting from the outside of the bark walls, were quickly becoming filled with men. Everywhere, ropes attached with grappling hooks had been thrown up from the ground. Hastily constructed ladders, a few still oozing sap from fresh axe blows, were slowly, and with great effort, being heaved up from the forest floor below by dozens of men. Soon, the branches leading up to the right window sectional would be crawling with Laughing Coffin members. Across the room, where all the windows were still intact, Sara could see nothing. The branches on that side were thinner, fewer, and higher up, no doubt making passage on that side far less appealing, but she held no illusions as to the fervor of Laughing Coffin, and the rage of PoH. If need be, and before long, that side too would come under attack, regardless of the risk to the men climbing it.

Scrambling to throw more and more large and heavy objects against the windows on the right side to prevent the more immediate, oncoming incursion, Sara heaved the bed sideways against the upturned table, followed by a bookshelf heavily laden with numerous volumes on the history of various cities within Aincrad. Israel took the other, heaving it against the door to the room even as it shuddered against the assault of the men on the stairs just beyond it.

Powered by fear and adrenaline, Sara felt no weariness as she ripped up loose planks from the floor, propping them against the barricades and tipping their ends into the holes created by their absence. With the planks at even intervals, they would provide additional support and distribution of weight against kicks or blows. As she worked, she began to hear violent pounding and hacking against the barricade. Heavy thuds from axe and sword blows rang in the air as the mahogany table, the first line of defense within her barricade, was hacked at and kicked. It held firm.

Satisfied that she had secured the right side, for a while at least, Sara was about to turn to close off the left with whatever they hadn't yet used when the front door was torn asunder by blunt weapons. Eyes drawn by the noise, Sara saw Israel throw himself against the bookshelves in an effort to hold them in place. When a violent, massed push by what had to be dozens of men in packed, single file sent him stumbling back, the bookshelves toppled to the ground. Readying her knife in her right hand, Sara snatched out another potion, this time from a pouch which contents she knew well.

Israel met the attack with his sword and fist as men charged up from the stairs, leaping over the fragmented door and knocked over bookshelves. Taking advantage of their subsequent bad footing and stumbling, he scythed into them with frightening brutality. Impaling the first man on the end of his red sword, Israel blocked the blow from another with his armored fist and smashed the man's hooded face into the bark wall, splattering his head like a watermelon. A third man swung an axe at his face, but Israel ducked it at the last second and swung his sword down, hacking off the man's arm at the elbow before finishing him with a lunge through the eye.

Pressing his attack, Israel parried a sword thrust from another player and brained him with a backhanded blow from his heavy steel backed fist. Dodging another attack, he was too slow to ward off a third strike aimed low at the same time by another man, and arched an eyebrow as a sword stabbed deep into his thigh. Pivoting on a foot, Israel brought his gleaming red and black sword around with a powerful swing, it's blade tip whistling as it beheaded the two men standing side by side.

The fight raged on. Though unable to push the Laughing Coffin members back down the stairs so he could again block the doorway with the bookshelves, Israel had the advantage of high ground and clear fighting space. At the same time, the staircase and doorway were narrow, preventing the use of numbers to overpower and forcing the red players to only come up one or two at a time, making it easier for Israel to defend the top.

All the same, the attackers didn't let up and continued to pour into the narrow breach, falling under Israel's sword or fist one after another, creating a thick mist of pixelated shards at the front of the room. Sara helped him whenever she could, throwing Poison and Splash Damage potions at the doorway and down the stairs. By the screams and cries of men that rang out as a result, she knew they were working.

Though he cut them down almost as quickly as they emerged, and Sara's potion support kept him from being overwhelmed, Israel began to slowly accumulate wounds from the never ending battle. Each time he was forced to take a step back in order to dodge an attack, or stumbled as a result of a stab on his leg or arm, Israel lost more ground to the press of men clamoring for his blood. He didn't feel pain, never grimacing or faltering in his attack whenever he suffered a blow, but his body was by no means immune to injury. It could only take so much.

Emptying her pouch of Direct Damage Potions, Sara was about to resort to impairment attacks when she heard a splintering of wood from her barricade in front of the right window sectional. Israel, his face contorted with effort and silent rage as he fought off two men at once, must have heard it too, for he called out behind him, "Don't let them get around us! I won't be able to hold!"

He needn't have spoken.

Clutching her knife tighter as a man's head and shoulder appeared from the splintered ruins of the end of the mahogany table and bed frame, Sara wasted no time and merely stabbed him in the base of the neck before he could emerge. When his body exploded and a sword jutted out from the breach where he had been to stab at her, she sidestepped away. A hand emerged from the hole, followed by another blind stab to keep her away should she try to stab at his arm. Seizing hold of a stunning potion, Sara tossed into the breach. When the man's hand and sword froze stiff, she bent down and stabbed at his face with the knife in rapid succession, once, twice, then a third time. He exploded into shards.

Quickly sealing the hole with slabs of boards from book shelves and another plank, Sara turned to help Israel again. It was then that she saw Xaxa.

Fighting at the doorway with men on either side and behind him, Xaxa grinned through his skeletal mask as he pressed his legendary Estoc against Israel's sword.

"I've been waiting for this," He said as Israel fought his sword away and they clashed again. "I finally get to fulfill my promise to you, _Shadow of Death._ "

With a grunt of effort, Israel fought him off, swinging his red sword in weaving patterns as the two of them engaged with blistering speed and unrelenting brutality. With a lethal flick of his wrist, Xaxa opened a gash along Israel's shoulder. Another blow snaked it's way past his defending fist, cutting at the brigandine plate over his heart. At the same time as he fought Xaxa, Israel also had to contend with the two men on either side of the red eyed demon, both pressing with fanatical hatred, hacking and slashing at him without respite. Just behind Xaxa and trying to get up the last stair stood Liam, eagerly awaiting his turn as he held his estoc ready. The young man looked leaner, faster, more deadly than Sara remembered him.

 _Israel won't be able to hold._

Bounding forward, Sara reached into her pocket to retrieve another Stunning Potion. Before she could take it out, a meaty hand clamped suddenly over her mouth from behind. At the same time, another yanked her hair back with terrible force, sending waves of hot pain down her scalp that made her eyes water. She felt another tug of her silver hair, and she was heaved back a step, away from the battle going on right in front of her. Hot, moist breath hit her left ear.

"First you're PoH's bitch," Came Braklin's treacherous, amused voice as he dragged her back another step. "Then the Shadow's. Seems you have a thing for dangerous men. But don't worry." He bit her ear so hard that she expected rivulets of blood to pour down the side of her face. "Once we're away from here, I'll show you just how dangerous I can be."

She struggled violently, twisting and lurching against him in an effort to break free, but he held her fast and continued to muscle them both back towards the left side of the room. She glanced over and saw that one of the windows was open. He must have picked the latch rather than smash it in so that he could sneak up behind her. That was why he had climbed up the left side; it was empty. With growing horror, she realized what he was doing.

"You have no idea how hard you made life for me back at Laughing Coffin." He whispered in a sadistic, hateful tone as he heaved them closer to the open window. "Ever since you rejected me, PoH watched my every move. He tripled my workloads and threatened to kill me if I ever looked at you again." He sounded beside himself with a mixture of rage and twisted pleasure. "But PoH isn't here to help you this time. Neither is the Shadow."

Her heart felt like it was careening out of control. She could hardly think amidst the pain from her head as he continued yanking her hair back with all his strength. It felt like her scalp was about to be ripped off. Eyes locked ahead of her, Sara watched with growing horror as Xaxa inflicted another wound on Israel, this time stabbing deep into his right shoulder. With a wild, desperate movement, Israel lashed out, cutting down one of the men beside him, but missing Xaxa himself. He was losing more ground, and Xaxa pressed harder.

In utter, hopeless terror as she watched the man she loved grow slower, his health falling into the red, Sara screamed within herself, screamed as she told herself to think. If she didn't do something now, Braklin would became her own personal hell, but worse, Israel would die. She couldn't let that happen. She had to do something. But she couldn't. Braklin had her firmly in his grip. She couldn't lash out at him, couldn't break free. In desperation, she tried to think of what Israel would do. Think of the solution, he always said, not the problem.

They reached the windowsill.

"You belong to me, now," Braklin went on as he urged her back. "I'm going to take you someplace far away where no one will ever find us. I'm going to tie you down and fuck you into the dirt, as you deserve, and then-"

Snapping her head back as hard as she could, Sara felt the back of her skull smash into his face. There was a sharp snap as his nose broke. Crying out in surprised pain, Braklin loosened his grip on her. Ripping herself away, she spun around with her knife held up, ready to bury it in his face. Before she could, he grabbed her wrist. With his other hand, he punched her hard in the gut. Fighting the urge to double over, Sara fought his attempt to twist her arm, refusing to drop the knife. She clawed mercilessly at his face with her free hand. The inside of her fingernails became packed with blood and flesh as she tore at him, scratching his eyes bloody and creating long, deep gashes down his face.

"You fucking bitch!" Braklin screamed out in pain, backhanding her with all his might.

Sara felt her jaw shudder from the impact. She heard a snap, and her cheekbones hurt something awful, but she couldn't let up. She had to fight.

With a cry of rage, Sara kneed him in the groin. Still maintaining his grip on her wrist with his left hand as he went dropped, Braklin forced her down on top of him. Clutching the knife in both hands, Sara forced it down with all her strength towards his throat. His right arm had pinned underneath him when they fell, but his left, still grasping her wrist, resisted the attack. But it wasn't enough. Slowly driving the blade down with both hands, Sara felt the skin of his neck give way as the tip of the steel began its descent into his flesh.

Braklin gasped in pain. Still pressing, Sara watched as the blade of the knife disappeared inside his throat, burying itself up to the hilt. His eyes were wide. His mouth foamed as he gurgled, trying to take a breath.

"That's the last time you lay your hands on me," Sara whispered through gritted teeth as they stared at each other.

Then Braklin's health hit zero and he exploded into a thousand pieces.

Wincing in pain against her injuries as she spun around, Sara bounded for the door. Israel looked to be on his last legs, desperately attempting to fend off Xaxa's lightning speed as he blocked with his fist and sword, trying to not to retreat. If he backed up another step, Liam and all the others would swarm up into the room.

Seizing a stunning potion from her pouch as she ran, Sara threw it at the doorway. Immediately, a clutch of men behind Xaxa and Liam went down, twitching in confusion. Throwing herself forward with both hands on her knife, she charged Xaxa's exposed side and buried the weapon in his ribs. She felt the tip glance off bone.

Lurching back in surprise and jolting pain, Xaxa was about to turn to see who had stabbed him when Israel screamed in fury, knocking the estoc from his hands with his red sword. Xaxa's legendary weapon clanked against the stairs as it rolled down to the lower floor. Disarmed, Xaxa attempted to take a step back, but Israel was having none of it and swung, slashing open a vicious cut along the man's chest. Still screaming, he lifted his sword for an overhead attack, the flames in his eyes fair to bursting with rage. Weakly lifting a hand, Xaxa attempted to shield himself from the blow. It would do no good. Israel was going to cut the man in half.

Just as Israel's sword came down, another estoc slammed into it mere inches above Xaxa's head, blocking the blow. Israel blinked in surprise. Liam, standing behind Xaxa at the head of the stairs, had just saved his teacher's life. Sara wanted to scream in rage.

The last two men around Xaxa squeezed past as Liam held the blow from behind, one going for Sara while the other swung his sword to finish Israel off. Israel didn't hesitate. With a roar, he raised his boot, kicking Xaxa square in his injured chest with all his might. Thrown from his feet, Xaxa flew backwards into Liam, sending both of them tumbling down the stairs to topple yet more men as they fell. At the same time, Israel raised his fist and punched the man swinging at him in the gut with such force that the player flew backwards into the far wall before crumpling to the floor, stunned and breathless.

Injured and out of potions, Sara stumbled back as the second man made for her, the murderous look in his eyes letting her know full well what was about to happen. Just before he reached her, however, Israel threw his sword like a spear. The gleaming red and black blade sailed through the air with the straightness of an arrow as it reached its destination, burying itself into the player's back and erupting from his chest even as he lifted his sword to cut Sara down. The man's eyes went wide, and then he exploded into pixelated shards.

With the area suddenly, temporarily, clear, Israel stumbled like a haggard old man as he made for the three stunned players on the ground, joined on the floor by the man he had struck in the gut.

"I'll handle them," Sara said between pants, stopping him. It hurt to talk. She knew Braklin's blow had badly damaged some part of her face. "You board up the doorway. Before they come again."

With a weary nod, Israel heaved the bookshelves and other obstacles back in front of the broken, shattered door. Sara made her way over to the downed men and, without ceremony or hesitation, slits their throats one by one. By the time she was finished, Israel had fortified the doorway as well as it could be fortified.

Israel dropped his sword to the ground, watching the steel hit the floor with a clank as he leaned his back against the tipped over, wedged in bookshelves. Letting out an exhausted breath, he allowed his back to drag until he was sitting down, resting his head against the bookshelf. Joining him, Sara sat down as well and allowed herself a breath as she leaned back. They waited for the sound of boots on the stairs behind them, but for the moment, none came.

They had beaten back the first assault of Laughing Coffin. Sara knew PoH too well, though, to give in to false hope or thought of victory. In the end, that man always got what he wanted. One way or another, he would have them both.


	92. Chapter 91

91

January 9th, 2024

Floor 39, Atwold Forest

"PoH, please," Xaxa pleaded in an impatient tone, "Give the order."

PoH, his back turned to the red eyed legend as he gazed at the battered, ruined Treehouse before him, shook his head casually. "No."

"I will bring you the Shadow's head," Xaxa implored through ground teeth at PoH's back. "I swear to you. Let me lead the attack once more with thirty picked men. He won't -"

"I said, no." PoH lifted his gaze to the blocked and boarded windows of the third story, his face blank. "Up there, the Shadow holds the advantage of narrow confines and high ground, not to mention stocks of advanced and deadly potions, judging by the report of some of the survivors from the first two attacks. No doubt he's been forcing Sara to utilize her skill set for him, the reason for his added trouble these past few months. Regardless, his position is too strong. Forty-eight of our men have already fallen. Forty-eight, Xaxa. For nothing. He's still alive. Sara is still in his hands. If I order another assault, more men will die. You yourself barely made it out of there."

A vein in Xaxa's forehead bulged at the slight. He looked like he was ready to break steel with his bare hands. "I nearly had him. We secured the first two floors, and I very nearly won us the third. He was as good as dead. I would've killed him with my own blade if not for that treacherous bitch, Sara-"

PoH spun around as he exploded on his Second in Command.

"I'll not hear any more of your fucking lies about Sara, Xaxa! Do you understand me!" He jerked his face close to Xaxa's as his hands yanked the man's collar. "Do you!"

Xaxa's red eyes seemed to lose their fire as he stumbled over his words. "Yes-"

"Yes, what!" PoH screamed, his face contorted with wild rage. The snake tattoo on his skin writhed, as if attempting to flee before the sudden cauldron of bubbling fury.

"Yes, Commander, I understand!"

With a shove, PoH released him and turned back around to look again at the Treehouse, his face set in brooding menace. In the eery, abrupt silence, Xaxa straightened his armor and cleared his throat. He didn't look like he knew what to do with his hands. In spite of the skull mask that always covered his face, it was obvious he was shaken. PoH had nearly infinite patience, but little tolerance. When he crossed that line, brutal, unrestrained violence usually followed. Xaxa seemed to know he had come frighteningly close to being on the wrong side of that line.

"Sara would never betray our cause." PoH said, his voice returned to flat indifference, his face again blank. "She would never betray me. Never."

"Yes, Commander."

"The plan remains the same. We need to free her. We have to kill him, too, but we _need_ to free Sara. As long he has her, he's using her potions to make him far too great of a threat. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Commander."

"God knows I would gladly cut down half of Laughing Coffin myself if it guaranteed her return to me, or his death, but wasting men to no result, with nothing gained in return, is foolhardy."

"Yes Commander." Xaxa shifted his weight as he looked down at his boots. "If I may ask a question, Commander?"

"Speak."

Xaxa cleared his throat again as he licked his lips, no doubt wondering how he could frame his words without incurring PoH's frightening wrath a second time. "How many Anti-Teleport Potions do we have left, sir?"

PoH exhaled, his grey raptor eyes still fixed on the top of the Treehouse. "Enough for our purpose. Enough to keep the Shadow from slipping through our grasp for another day or so, yet."

Xaxa red eyes betrayed his worry. "Only a day?"

"He'll be dead long before then. And Sara will be free."

Xaxa folded his hands in front of him. "With respect, Commander, how will we return Sara to you if attacking the Treehouse is no longer an option?"

PoH didn't seem to have heard him. Slowly, very slowly, he lifted a hand to his face, tracing the outline of the black snake etched into his skin.

"If we can't win one way, we have to win another. Sometimes, sacrifices must be made for victory." His words trailed softly, casually on the air, and Xaxa had to step up close behind him to hear. "As long as the Shadow lives, Laughing Coffin will continue to suffer. At this rate, we may even….He dies. Today."

Before he could say anything else, PoH's face and body began to shimmer and fade. A second later, Xaxa's followed suit. The forested area around the two of them also started to break down. A few seconds later, the earth dissolved, replaced by water's glassy surface.

Sara swiped at the small bowl of water as it returned to it's clear, colorless state. Small rippled emanated from the center of the liquid for a moment, then went still.

"What happened?" Israel asked as he peered into the bowl laid out on the floor before them.

"Scrying Potions only last for thirty seconds," Sara explained, leaning back against the toppled bookshelf that made up part of the barrier between them and the hoard of Laughing Coffin members waiting down in the lower floors of the Treehouse. "Time's up."

Israel sighed. "It sounded like he was thinking something up. Too bad we couldn't hear what it was. Typical." He added as an afterthought.

Sara picked up the bowl as she stood, making her way back to the center of the room. Her hastily prepared potion making station, now comprised only of her cauldron, some open books, an ingredient list, a few small bowls, various broken and unbroken utensils, and a flickering candle, looked a sorry sight. Sara remembered her tent back at Laughing Coffin, where she had been supplied with every type of tool or convenience she could have dreamt up. The thought infuriated her.

As she walked across the room, she took care not to trip over the spaces in the floor where she had ripped up planks to support the barricade. She hadn't used many on the right window side, but the left had required more. Some time after the initial lull in the aftermath of the first assault, a second attack, this time at the left windows where Braklin had emerged, had broken out. It didn't last long. Without as much purchase or stability among the thinner, higher branches emerging from that side of the tree, men stumbled and fell to their deaths before even reaching the windows.

Others made it up, but the branches, unable to support their weight, had snapped here and there, sending both them and the men atop them to the cold hard ground far below. The few fighters that did make it to the windows were summarily slaughtered by Sara and Israel before they could gain much of a foothold. The death toll blunted the momentum of the attack, and before long the men had again fallen back. In spite of the success, Sara and Israel knew they couldn't leave that side exposed again and had taken whatever remained in the room to block the window sectional up. Now, with everything stacked against either the ruined door or the two window sections, the room was stripped bare.

Sara peered inside the cauldron. As was always the case during this phase of the process, the contents had turned a bright, sky blue color. What would happen next, though, she had no idea.

After the first attack had faltered and the two of them had healed their wounds with the few health potions available within their inventories, Sara had immediately set up her station and gotten to work. Israel had asked her to make them more health potions, but she knew what she had to do. The tier breaker potion, the most difficult task she had ever undertaken in Aincrad, the same recipe she had attempted, and failed, to perform dozens of times in the course of the last month, was their only chance. At least, she hoped it was.

During the first hour, Israel had questioned her. After all, she didn't know for sure what the end result would be. There was no real way to be certain whether the potion would be what she hoped it was. After reading several volumes that hinted at it though, albeit vaguely, and knowing several ingredients within the recipe and what they were used for, she had enough leads to want to take the risk. She knew there was a chance she was right about it. Of course, she also knew that she could end up very, very wrong.

Israel trusted her, and though he still believed it might have been better to begin making more health potions, he didn't side against her. He too knew that her hope was the only chance they had at coming out alive. If they fought, they might win a dozen more assaults, but in the end, they would fall.

"PoH is either a fool," Israel spoke up quietly, watching her work, "or completely and utterly in love with you, to disregard Xaxa and the others and still believe you are with him."

Sara scoffed indignantly as she stirred the cauldron.

"PoH wouldn't know how to love someone if he tried."

"And yet, he isn't a fool either."

Sara looked up at him. If she didn't know infinitely better, she would've thought that he sounded almost jealous.

"PoH mistakes love for possession, for lust. He doesn't care about me, or anyone else for that matter. If there is one thing he does love, it is love of hatred." She shook her head angrily at her herself. "That truth was staring right at me the whole time I was with him, and I was too stupid and blind to even see it."

Silence enveloped them, but her words lingered on the air. Focusing on her work, Sara tried to ignore the sweat than began to drip from her forehead, to say nothing of the pressure. Israel did nothing to make her feel rushed or anxious, offering only smiles of pride and encouragement, but they both knew the consequences should she fail, or if her guess proved wrong. PoH would recapture her, and Israel would die. She vowed to herself that if it came to it, she would kill herself before falling again into PoH's hands, crafting him weapons of war.

A piece of bread waved in front of her brought her out of her thoughts. Sara looked up to Israel's small, sincere smile.

"Eat." He implored softly.

She shook her head. "I need to finish this before the next attack. I need to make this potion. I'm almost done. I've reached the final hour. I've never made it this far before."

Israel lifted her chin with his hand. The touch, light and formal as it was, still sent shivers down her spine as she looked into his gaze.

"You haven't eaten all day, or last night." He said, presenting the heel of bread to her again. "I can't have you passing out on me. Please, Sara, for me. Eat."

The fire in his eyes was gone. Without the flames, his sharp, cobalt eyes seemed to sparkle with intelligence, with sincerity. With care.

She took the bread from his hand.

Before she had taken a bite, Sara heard a rustle of movement from the stairs below. In a flash, Israel had drawn his sword. The two of them pressed themselves against the barricade blocking the door. The movement stopped about halfway up the stairs, and was replaced by PoH's clear, powerful voice as it rang out for all to hear.

"Shadow of Death."

It was as close to a friendly greeting as PoH could get. Israel and Sara exchanged a quick glance before he replied through the barricade, in a tone just as deadly.

"Prince of Darkness."

"I come in peace."

"I don't."

A chuckle. "You've already earned my respect. No need to embellish it with bold words."

"Somehow, I don't think all your men thought my attitude a mere embellishment as I cut them down, but feel free to send up more pigs for me to kill if you don't believe me."

The air seemed to crackle with tension as silence permeated the air. After a long moment, PoH's voice again rang out.

"I believe you. Which is actually exactly why I'm here talking to you. I've come to offer you terms."

Israel frowned over at Sara in puzzlement as he spoke.

"Terms?"

"Yes, terms." Sara could almost see PoH's smile. "You see, Spirit of Vengeance, you've proved to me that you're willing to die to keep me from getting Sara back."

"Who?" Israel asked with what sounded impressively like genuine confusion.

"My potion maker." Came PoH's growl.

"Oh yes, her. Go on."

"As I was saying, you've shown your readiness to sacrifice everything to keep her from me."

"Can you blame me? Her potions have been quite valuable to me, enough even to force me to keep her alive, in spite of all the trouble she's caused. She's not very cooperative."

"I don't blame you at all. I too, know her worth, which is exactly why I was willing to lose some men getting her back. You, however, have made things more complicated."

"Have I now?"

"As a leader, I must weigh the worth of certain risks, decide whether the end is worth the means. In slaughtering my men, you have shown that the means is too costly to make the end worthwhile. In that, you have made a serious mistake."

"Is there a point to all this, PoH?"

"You don't see it, yet? In displaying your strength and killing more of my men than was anticipated, you have made your one bargaining tool, your one bit of leverage, too highly priced. While Sara is easily worth the lives of a dozen men, maybe even two dozen, she isn't worth what I have paid. Having already exceeded her price, she certainly won't be worth more. Therefore, you force my hand." There was a pause. "Most of the trees in Aincrad are Mortal Objects, meaning they can be uprooted, trimmed, or destroyed if one so desires. No doubt this aspect of the game was to ensure that players who pursued the Woodcutting Skill as a career would have little problem collecting lumber. Did you know, Shadow of Death, that your little treehouse is a Mortal Object?"

Israel said nothing, so PoH went on.

"I'll take that as a yes. This tree is strong, I'll give you that. It's large. But it is still just that; a tree. I'm going to light this lovely place of yours on fire, Shadow. I'm going to douse the lower floors in oil and pitch and watch what happens when I throw a torch into the mix, watch as the flames leap and catch. I'm not sure exactly how long it'll take for the flames to devour the whole tree, but one of my men- perhaps you know him, his name is Xaxa- has wagered that it'll only take around eight minutes. Between you and I, I'd say he's a bit off. Still, I am curious to find out for myself. You're going to burn alive, Shadow, trapped in your barricaded little stronghold, an oven of your own making. If you try to escape out of one of the windows, you'll fall to your death. I've already had my men chop down all the branches. If you try to head back downstairs and by some miracle manage to survive the wall of fire, you'll be warmly greeted outside by Xaxa and a hundred men. So you see, boy, one way or another, you're going to die. There is no escape."

"If I die, Sara will burn with me. I can't imagine you want that, not after how eagerly you threw men at me in your noble attempts to free her."

PoH chuckled again. "Quite right, quite right, I don't want Sara to die. Given my own choice, I would have seen her freed, hence my initial assaults. However, as I've explained to you, you've already wasted that bargaining chip. You've killed far too many good men, and you're still alive and ready to kill more. Sara is no longer worth her cost. Therefore, and though it is, admittedly, with some regret, I am forced to let her burn right alongside you. It seems that your prisoner has just cost you your life."

Israel looked like he wasn't sure what to say. "So it does."

"You no longer sound as pleased with yourself as you did a few moments ago."

Israel sat in silence for a moment, then finally sighed. "It seems you have everything well in hand, PoH."

"I'm glad you see the truth of it. Now that we're both on the same page, though, I do have some good news for you."

"The terms?"

"The terms. You see, bad as this looks for you, there is still a way out."

"And what might that be?"

"As you said yourself, Sara is quite valuable. While I've accepted her death in order to bring about yours if all else fails, I'd just as soon get something out of all this. After all, I've lost a fair number of men already. Therefore, I'm willing to offer you a chance at life. In exchange for my men and I leaving this Treehouse and letting you go, you must hand over Sara. Unharmed. When she is safely back with me and my men, we leave. Simple as that. You keep your life, I get something in return for my losses. Everyone wins. Tomorrow, we go back to trying to kill each other."

Israel scoffed. "You think me a fool? Who's to say your men don't swarm me the moment I step down there?"

"I've already thought of that. The Treehouse will be cleared of men. Everyone will wait outside, on my order. You will bring Sara down the stairs to the first floor, in that nice living room of yours, where I will be waiting, alone. You hand her off to me, and I exit the house to teleport myself and all my men back to our base."

"No guards?"

"No guards."

"You would risk your life for one girl?"

"I'd hardly call it a risk. If you did kill me, my men would simply set fire to the house and you would die. I suspect you'd rather live. I suspect you will want to accept my terms."

Israel's lip curled into a bloodless, defiant grin as he opened his mouth. Before he could speak, Sara clutched his arm.

"Don't refuse." She whispered.

Israel looked dumbfounded. "What? Are you out of your mind? This is PoH we're talking about. I'm not returning you to his clutches. I thought you felt the same way."

She met his gaze. "Of course I do. But I also want you to live. If you die, who will lead the fight against Laughing Coffin?"

"I will not let him take you again-"

She shook him. "If you reject this offer, I will die, burning alive alongside you. Don't refuse."

Israel blinked at her in bewilderment. "The man is bluffing, Sara. He's obsessed with you. He would never-"

"He would, if it meant killing you. He tried freeing me the hard way. He lost, and badly. He has no empathy for his men, but he knows he needs them. It isn't love so much as cold calculation. He is done throwing the lives of his troops away. You've injured him too much. PoH may be a liar, but he never bluffs. I know him. Our resistance has forced his hand. However reluctant, he will go through with this to kill you."

Israel ran his fingers through his thick blonde hair. "I don't fear death."

She shoved him. "You're not thinking. If you die, who will defeat PoH? Who will stop Laughing Coffin? Have you forgotten Naomi?"

He flinched at the name as pain flashed into his eyes, but as much as it hurt her to see, Sara couldn't let up. She had to convince him.

"What do you-"

"Have you forgotten that it was Laughing Coffin who murdered the woman you loved?" She hardened her voice. "If you die, who will bring vengeance upon them for what they did to her? How will Naomi ever be able to rest in peace knowing her killers were never brought to justice? Who will be there to stop them as they murder a thousand more Naomi's? Who, Israel? Who?"

The fire was gone from his eyes. He looked down at his feet, sorrow and haunted torment creased into his face.

"Sara, please, I just don't want you to be trapped with that monster again. I would die before I sent you off to that fate, even if it did save my own life."

Forcing down her desire to throw her arms around him, to comfort him, Sara instead merely lifted his chin with her hand, forcing him to look at her.

"I know, Israel. I know you would never do such a thing to me. I trust you with my life. But don't you see? We must do this if we are to have any chance of survival. Only in staying alive can we continue to fight them. If we die, we're no longer any good to anyone. PoH still believes I'm on his side. When I am returned to him, I will be safe, at least for a time."

He looked up at her. "You can't fool me, Sara. You may be able to trick him a little longer, but not the others. They will kill you the moment they get a chance, and if they don't, it's only a matter of time before PoH realizes the truth. I won't condemn you to death."

"Just as I won't condemn you."

Israel threw up his hands in frustration. "Sara, PoH will never keep his word. Anyone with a brain would know that. The moment I hand you over to him, he'll send in his men, or torch the place, so long as he kills me."

Sara nodded. "Of course he will."

Exhaling through gritted teeth, Israel pinched the bridge of his nose. "Than why are we even discussing this?"

Sara smiled at him. "Because I have a plan. Maybe it works, maybe it doesn't. But if it does, we will both survive. I don't know about you, but that outcome, even though not guaranteed, is the only one worth pursuing in my opinion."

Israel's eyes searched her own, appraising them. "What is this plan?"

"Do you trust me?"

That brought a smile, wary though it was. "Of course I do."

"Than ask PoH for an hour to think over his terms."

Israel's face registered his acknowledgment as it dawned on him. He knew what she was doing. "There is not guarantee it's the one you want."

She shrugged. "It's the best chance we have."

With final, long sigh, Israel nodded. "What the hell, let's give it a shot." He turned to the bookshelf and raised his voice.

"PoH."

"I'm here."

"I'd like to think on your terms. Give me an hour."

PoH barked a laugh. "I don't think I want to wait that long. It's not a hard decision. You have twenty minutes. If you still haven't decided at the end of it, I'm burning this place down regardless of your choice. Make the right one."

Sara and Israel sat silently as they heard PoH's footsteps fade down the stairs.

 _Twenty minutes._

Without a second thought, Sara dashed over to her cauldron and started collecting tools.

"Can you finish in twenty minutes?" Israel asked quietly, watching her work.

She took a breath. "I don't know. But I have to."

Rising, he made his way over to her. "I'll help you. By dividing the tasks and working as fast as possible, we might have a chance. Just tell me what to do."

With a grateful nod, Sara wasted no time and immediately began giving him instructions. Though he was both intelligent and relatively accustomed to working with potions thanks to months of her light teaching, Sara knew that only she had a chance at successfully performing the more complex tasks. Therefore, she assigned him the more menial chores, such as chopping up various roots and grinding up the leaves in the powder bowl.

Without looking up from her work, Sara became lost in the tasks as her muscle memory and concentration took hold. With the skill and speed that only she possessed, she cut, mixed, stirred, powdered, and poured with methodical, surgeon like precision. She lost all sense of time, devoting herself completely, utterly, to her work. With less than twenty minutes to complete an hour long task, she had to push herself to her limits, going as quickly as she possibly could while still maintaining absolute focus and control. The concept of everything around her seemed to wither away. She put her all into each movement, sometimes not even daring to breath during crucial parts. This was the test of her skill, the most important potion she had ever made. She couldn't fail. She would not.

…

"PoH!" Israel called out loudly. "I accept your terms."

"A wise choice." Came the reply from down the stairs. "I've cleared my men out. I'll meet you down in the living room."

"If this turns out to be a trap," Israel shouted back through the barricade, "Sara dies first."

They listened as PoH's boots thudded casually down the stairs.

Israel turned to her.

"Do your best to make it appear as though we are still enemies once you're returned to him. Don't give PoH any room for suspicion. You'll be walking a thin enough line as it is."

She nodded. "I can do that."

He looked at her, concern creasing his handsome features. "There's still time to come up with something else. We can-"

"We're committed," Sara said resolutely. "And you know there is no other way. Let's go."

He dipped his head in a slow, sad nod. "Alright, let's get this done."

Together they removed the barricades from the ruined wooden door. Positioning Sara in front of him as if to use her as a shield, Israel kept his steel backed hand on her shoulder while, with his other, he laid his red sword across her throat for effect. Together, they descended the stairs.

Stepping down into the kitchen first, they both made a quick glance around. The place looked like it had been involved in a natural disaster. The counters had been hacked apart for spite, along with the working tables. All the cooking tools and utensils lay scattered on the floor. The broken glass windows let in a cool noon breeze. Reaching the kitchen stairs, they made their way down into the living room.

PoH greeted their eyes, standing alone in front of the open secret door. Behind him, just outside, stood Xaxa, Liam, and a horde of others. But for all their numbers, Sara would rather have faced them than their leader. His long black hair had grown, making him look even more roguish than before, but he still kept it orderly. His right hand rested on a black kitchen cleaver at his hip, while a sword hung from his other side. The snake tattoo on his face seemed to crawl up over his eye and forehead as his piercing grey eyes shifted, almost arresting her with their intensity. His lip curled into a tight, controlled smile just for her. His smiles always complemented his perfectly chiseled jawline. The muscles in his broad shoulders and powerful arms flexed as he took a breath of relief at the sight of her. He was one of the most handsome men she had ever met. He may as well have been satan himself.

"I'm glad you're unhurt." He said in a controlled, even voice. It was obvious he was trying to hide his affection for her in front of Israel. He turned his raptor gaze up to Israel, who met it with his own. Though standing in front of him and thus unable to see his look, Sara knew his cobalt eyes were afire. The two man stared at each other for a moment, each analyzing the man before them, the enemy.

"So," PoH said at last, breaking the menacing silence, "You are the man who has caused me so much trouble. We meet at last, face to face. I admit, I have been most curious to meet you. I don't like not knowing what my opponents look like."

"Nor do I." Israel replied. "The snake suits you."

PoH chuckled. "A reminder of foolish youth, nothing more." His face turned more serious. "You're not what one expects. Enemies though we may be, it is an honor to meet one as tenacious and determined as you. Before all this, I never would've believed one man could cause so much damage."

With a shove, Israel forced Sara forward into PoH.

"Pity I didn't get more time with her. I intended to torture her for quite a while longer yet before killing her."

Catching Sara gently in his arms, PoH's face twisted in rage. Bounding backwards through the door as he clutched her, PoH yanked her back behind him, but not before pressing the button to close the hidden door.

"Burn it down!" He screamed at his men. "Burn it all down!"

In a blink, two dozen men had surrounded the tree, each throwing torches in through the windows and door. By the way the fires ignited, snapping violently as they rose and licked the air, it was clear PoH had covered the inside of the house with pitch. A great whoosh rose from the inside of the living room, followed by furnace like heat as the walls and bookshelves caught, immediately turning the living room into a fiery hell.

And in the middle of it all, standing silently as he cocked his head in amusement, stood Israel.

Sara felt PoH stiffen in alarm and anticipation as both of them watched the Shadow of Death, standing amidst the roaring flames without a concerned look on his face, through the slowly closing door. Sara felt her heart pound in her chest. It took everything in her power not to dive into the flames and pull him out. She prayed that it would work.

Dropping a hand to his pocket, Israel withdrew a colorless liquid flask. Removing the stopper with a thumb, he put the bottle to his lips and upturned it, drinking down it's contents.

The flames seemed to pause for a brief moment. The air shimmered, as if some invisible wall had just dissolved. Israel's body began to glow a brilliant white.

"What the..." PoH exclaimed, drawing his cleaver.

The flames rose up, blocking Israel from their view. When they finally flickered away for a moment, he was holding a teleport crystal above himself. His mouth uttered the words. As he began to disappear among the flames, he focused one last grin at PoH.

"You'll see me again soon. Then you will know why they call me the Shadow of Death."

An instant later, he was gone.


	93. Chapter 92

92

January 9th, 2024

Floor 52, Corwell Mountains

"I want wolf packs searching for the Shadow of Death at all times," PoH said as his eyes drifted with deliberate care to each of the officers arrayed in front of them, "our best men, with a specialized tracker in each pack."

One of the older officers, a man named Stenor who Sara remembered as one of the first men to join Laughing Coffin, spread his hands tentatively.

"If you'll forgive me, Commander PoH, such an order will put a tremendous strain on our resources and manpower. In the month since our last official numbers report, the guild still has not gained any volunteers. Casualty rates among the guild proper, while small, continue to climb, to say nothing of the staggering loss of men during the siege of the Shadow's treehouse lair-"

"Which is exactly why I want him hunted down once and for all." PoH growled. "Our dead will be avenged." He cocked his head as his eyes took on a dangerous gleam that made Stenor back up a step. "Or are you suggesting, Officer Stenor, that we forget all those forever lost to us and permit the Shadow to continue killing at will? A wolf allowed to roam freely?"

The man shook his head fervently. "No, of course not-"

"Because it sounds to me," PoH's voice began to rise, it's deep power and intensity reminding Sara like nothing so much as a roll of thunder, "Like you've lost your spine. Like you've adopted the mindset of a bleating sheep."

Sweat began to bead Stenor's brow. His eyes darted darted around the room, first at Sara, than at the men beside him, a silent plea for help. Sara had no intention of ending the entertainment.

If pushed just a bit further, PoH could very well end up doing something he might later regret, causing even more division in the ranks. Sara kept her hands folded in front of her as she stood silently beside PoH, waiting for any potential opportunity to make things worse.

PoH leaned forward, his powerful arms tensing as he rested his knuckles against the table. "I don't like cowards. They are a blight to the cause. You're a coward, aren't you Stenor?"

Stenor licked his lips in quiet panic, searching for words that would defend him but also not oppose PoH in any way. Before he could speak, another man cleared his throat. Sara didn't recognize him. He must have been elected to an officer position sometime during her time with Israel.

"I think what Officer Stenor is trying to point out, Commander, is that if we divert our wolf packs from targeting…" He stammered for a brief second as his eyes shot briefly towards Sara, "from targeting the Justice guild, we'll miss many possible attack possibilities. That means a significant drop in the much needed loot we obtain- Col, gear, and such- hampering our fighting power. Simultaneously, less plunder will lower the men's morale-"

"Our fighting power has already been diminished!" PoH pointed to the rich black canvas on his right making up the wall of his tent. Beyond, Sara could hear the dull, faint clamor of human habitation from the Laughing Coffin camp- the inaudible drone of several hundred people conversing, laughing, or fighting, accompanied by the hammer of steel from the blacksmith tents and the screech of old wheels as wagons full of loot or tribute rolled through the man made paths. "The men's morale is already lowered because of what's out there! You can see it in every face, hear it in every nervous laugh! Because of the Shadow's continued existence and the spread of stories about him, we haven't gained any volunteers in months. Half of the vassal guilds are dead or in disarray, with a few in open rebellion as we speak! And if rumors spread of the Shadow of Death defeating nearly fifty Laughing Coffin warriors single handedly, we could begin facing desertion from within the guild itself!"

The Officers recoiled at the very thought. Sara had to suppress an amused scoff. Israel had hardly won 'single handedly.' If not for her standing alongside him, the fearsome legend of the Shadow of Death would have ended then and there. Still, it was just as well; it would no doubt hurt Israel's male pride to admit an untrained woman had saved his life.

 _Men and their testosterone; they always have to get the credit, or give it only to other men._

"There's no need for word of such things to reach public ears." Officer Talwin spoke up. "With Sara back on our side, it would be an easy thing to weave a more compelling tale- one that will raise much needed moral and keep our image high. In times like these, damage control is key. We cannot allow hiccups along the path to derail the Great Cause before it has a chance to come to fruition."

Sara remembered Talwin. Tall and thin, with cockroach colored eyes and a sly smile etched forever onto his bloodless lips, the man was one of PoH's Chosen- the fanatical zealots who followed PoH as if he were a saint and took his words as gospel. Few though they were, numbering only a few dozen or so from among the nearly three hundred of Laughing Coffin, the Chosen were a dangerous lot whose only loyalty was to their 'savior.' To gain such fervent followers, PoH had had to create his own philosophy, among other inventive ideas. Sara had never been allowed to see such writings; each time she had asked, which had been often during her belief in the man, he would merely chuckle and say that it was simply obscure thoughts on his beliefs in realism, then smoothly change the subject. The most Sara knew was that PoH's philosophy had something to do with the 'Great Cause.' She felt sick remembering that she had once believed in such lies.

"With Sara back as evidence," Talwin went on in his smooth, charismatic voice, "We can instead tell of how PoH bravely cornered the Shadow of Death and challenged him to a duel in order to rescue our...beloved...Potion Master. Daring not to face our leader, the Shadow fled-"

"There are over fifty men who were there, Officer Talwin," Sara said with a cold scowl. It was easy to make it look as damning as it used to, to so sound as sure of herself. "All of whom saw what really happened with their own eyes. You think that they will be pleased to be informed that their efforts in the battle were for naught, and that all credit will go to our guild leader rather than the men who risked their lives and sacrificed everything against the Shadow's wrath?"

"I've already taken the liberty of swearing the men to silence." Xaxa said in his usual lethal, thin voice as he peered at her through his red eyes. "No one has spoken of what happened."

PoH shook his head irritably. "Fools. Sara is right. You can't go around bending the truth. Talwin, you should know better. If anyone wishes to know what happened you will tell them. And Xaxa, you will lift the order of silence you decided to put on those men without my consent. At once."

His words sounded sincere, as they always did, but Sara knew the truth. He was simply putting on another show to make himself appear the hero in front of her. Out of the corner of her eye, she noted without surprise his slight, almost nonexistent nod to the two men whom he had just rebuked. No doubt Talwin's plans would be executed that very night.

"What we need," PoH went on, his eyes reviewing all the officers gathered once again, "is an end to the Shadow of Death. Once and for all. Though he could never defeat us alone, he has proven that he can wound. Now, those wounds have begun to fester. All of our current troubles have occurred as a result of his actions, his very existence. If we do not act and end this threat, that rot will be our undoing, inciting more rebellions from our vassals, and encouraging our enemies to search us out and eliminate us before we regain our full strength. What we need, more than anything, is his swift and timely death."

"I agree with you completely, Commander." Xaxa said, his thin, sharp words only slightly muffled by his skull mask. "Our highest priority from now on, even at the expense of our other ongoing operations, should be the Shadow's demise." He turned to Sara, and she could almost see the cold grin behind his mask. "To that end, there is only one person to which we can turn. Mistress Sara." He performed an elaborate, exaggerated, and deliberately malignant bow at the waist. "Our most beautiful Potion Master."

"Don't fill me with empty words, Xaxa." Sara scowled. "Get to the point."

He rose. "Gladly. You now know the Shadow of Death better than any of us. Given that he is now our greatest target and highest priority, what can you tell us about him that may help hasten his end?"

Sara shook her head. "He kept me locked up and chained in the uppermost room nearly the entire time I was his prisoner. I rarely saw him except for the times he came demanding more potions, or when he had me search the surrounding floors for ingredients I needed."

The only evidence of Xaxa's dubious frown was in the furrow of his eyebrow just above the top of his skeletal mask. "You were with him for over half a year, Sara. Are you saying that in all that time, you found out nothing of importance?"

"Did you not hear what I just explained to you? Yes, I know nothing."

"But you were his only prisoner."

"A fact for which I have you to thank."

The table creaked under PoH's fists. "Yes, I also recall _you_ being the reason for what happened, Xaxa. In spite of all your bold assurances."

Xaxa looked ready to spit fire at her. Sara had brought up the mark on his record on purpose to spark PoH's anger at him, and he knew it.

He dipped his head in a gesture of submission. "You are absolutely right, Mistress Sara, and I can never begin to apologize for failing you- both of you." He raised a finger. "And yet, I believe there is fruit to be gained from such unfortunate events, if you will but cooperate with me."

Sara raised her chin at him. "I already told you, I was kept chained to a wall in a room. I couldn't have gotten information about him if I tried."

"Yes," PoH said in a voice like bottled thunder as kept his menacing gaze on Xaxa while at the same time wrapping an arm around Sara's waist. "I remember well the few survivors from various vassal guilds who came to us. They told us everything they had seen: Israel had threatened to kill Sara lest she set to work making potions for him. She bravely refused, risking her life for our cause. In response, he acted on her weakness; the lives of those who follow our cause. He held a sword over their heads in front of her, forcing her to work. It is because of her selflessness and good heart that those men were spared."

Xaxa ceded the point with another dip of his head, but his red eyes didn't look at all dismayed as he looked up again at Sara just as quickly. She could see how badly he wanted to expose her treachery, see the restrained fury in his red eye as he prepared his words. If he acted or spoke too harshly, too openly, he would incite PoH's wrath. He was forced to be subtle, to engage in a verbal duel, to try to corner her into making some sort of mistake.

By the way the other officers looked at her with the same glare, she knew they wanted nothing better than to rip out her throat as well. Xaxa had no doubt told them all what he knew. They were a band of wolves, eagerly waiting for the chance to strike. Yet for all their hatred, all their power and influence, these leaders of Laughing Coffin were forced to retract their claws in fear of PoH's unpredictable behaviour and care for her. Sara thought it was ironic that the man who she wanted dead more than anyone else in the world was her only shield within the wolf's lair.

"Quite right, Commander. Sara is an inspiration to us all. Yet, you did say that the Shadow took you out to find ingredients for your potions now and again, yes? After all, our scouts seeing you and the Shadow walking together through the woods is what triggered the chain of events leading to the situation we now find ourselves in tonight.."

Sara tried to mentally scan his question for any sort of trap. She could find none. "Go on."

Xaxa spread his hands innocently. "Well, such time with him must have gleaned something, surely? Some word or phrase that might have given you a clue? Perhaps he has a second base of operations to fall back on? Does he maybe select his targets based on some hitherto unknown factor? Do you have any idea what his overall plan is, or where he might strike next?"

Sara sighed and rubbed her eyes. "I'm sorry Xaxa, but as I have now said multiple times, I know nothing beyond what you all do, except perhaps how many potions he goes through each week. And…" She paused for effect, hoping Xaxa would take the bait. He did.

"And?"

She cleared her throat. "One day, in a rage and out of spite, he told me that he plans to keep killing, however he has to, for however long it takes, until every last red player is dead and he has laid waste to Laughing Coffin."

She let the words ring out into the eery silence, all the while watching the faces of each man gathered there. She could almost see the doubt begin to take root in some of them, the fear. She had hoped for as much.

PoH straightened. "It's late. I want another war council held here tomorrow night-"

Xaxa raised a pleading hand. "One last question for her if I may, Commander?"

PoH looked from the red eyed demon to Sara, than consented with a flick of his hand.

Xaxa looked back at her.

"Just out of my own curiosity, Mistress Sara, and to help sate the confusion no doubt present in everyone else's mind, how was it the Shadow was able to teleport away from the Treehouse when the entire area was covered with Anti-Teleport fields?"

Sara didn't flinch from his gaze. "He used a Dispel Potion. Once taken, it removes all effects for the player who drank it, negative or otherwise. Once he took it, the Anti-Teleport fields had no effect on him, and he was able to flee."

Murmurs of unease and suspicion filled the ranks of the officers present, and even PoH adjusted his weight uncomfortably. Only Xaxa remained still, holding up a hand for silence as he went on.

"This is a new potion to be sure, and one far more advanced than anything the rest of Aincrad's population can concoct, to my knowledge."

Sara folded her arms across her chest. "Yes, I made it, if that's what you're driving at. I had no choice. Countless orange players would have died had I not done as he asked. At the time, I had no way of knowing what the potion would be either; it appeared to me as an unknown Tier Breaker until it's first successful completion."

PoH rubbed her back in a circular motion as he nodded to the men before them. "That's good enough for me. I expect it to be good enough for _all_ of you, too. Speaking of potions though, Sara, I have to ask that you begin doubling your traditional workload starting tomorrow. This is not out of any spite, but mere necessity. You see, I had the potion makers working almost without end in my desperation to be sure that once we found the Shadow, he would be stopped. It is because of their selfless work, and your recipe that they followed, that we were able to trap the Shadow in his Treehouse, leading to your freedom. Unfortunately, as a result of my harshness on them, many overworked themselves. Accidents occurred, some fatal. After all, you know better than anyone the risk of potion making."

 _You mean you killed them because they worked too slowly for you, you stupid animal._

Sara nodded somberly. "Of course, I understand. I will always remember them for their selfless sacrifice on my account. I'll get started at once tomorrow morning."

PoH returned his attention to the the men arrayed before them, than gestured casually at the open tent flap. "That'll be all for today's meeting. The council is dismissed."

Without missing a beat, the dozen men filed briskly out of the tent. Only Xaxa dared pause long enough to cast her a cold, vicious glare before following the others out. When they were all at last gone, Sara relaxed. An instant later, her hair stood up on end as she realized she was now alone with PoH.

He drew her tightly to him, wrapping his arms affectionately around her as his entire demeanor of stormy anger from moments before dissolved into desperate, tender care.

"Finally," He whispered as he hugged her, stroking her silver hair with a hand, "I can hold you again." He pulled back just enough to kiss her cheek, her forehead, than her lips. Sara had to force herself not to wince in disgust. She knew that this was just the beginning, that she would have to steel herself for what came next.

"Sara," He cupped her face in his hands, "Please, tell me that you forgive me?"

Sara frowned. "Forgive you?"

He nodded. "I know why you're being a bit standoffish; you're angry with me. I understand completely, but you have to hear me out, alright? I was bluffing when I made that deal with the Shadow. I would never have burned that place down with you inside. I knew the coward would suppose I was sincere in my threat, and that he would want to live. All I wanted was to get you back, and I knew that he would give you up if there was no longer any chance of success for him. Please believe me. I would never harm you, Sara. I would never-"

Sara silenced him with a kiss, pressing her lips against his with as much tenderness as she could bear. She berated herself for already having been noticed as 'standoffish.' She had to do better. She had to sell her devotion, her love. She wouldn't make another mistake. As her thoughts raced to preparing herself, Sara still managed to feel amused at the blatant lies he told her to her face. She knew without a doubt that he would've killed her to kill Israel. His hatred for his enemies knew no bounds, no limit. His fury exceeded even his lust.

She drew back for a breath, suppressing the urge to wipe all trace of him from her mouth.

"There is nothing to forgive, my love." She ran a hand along his chiseled jaw, feeling the stubble resist her touch. "I knew the truth before you even told me. I knew you'd see me free of that monster."

The snake tattoo on PoH's face writhed along his skin as he grinned. "I should've known better than to doubt you. You're the smartest woman I've ever met. I love you, Sara." He kissed her with passionate fervor. "Only you."

It was now or never. Sara had been waiting for this moment. She knew what had to be done. She hoped he wouldn't hear the deafening thumps of her heart as it careened within her ribcage. Gathering her courage, mustering her resolve, Sara pressed herself against him as she returned the kiss, except this time she forced her tongue into his mouth. She felt violated, dirty, and sick to her stomach, but she couldn't back down. This was the other half of the reason she had urged Israel to accept PoH's deal.

"It's been so long, PoH." Sara breathed, drawing away to lick at his ear. "Far too long." Her hand travelled down his shirt, feeling his stiff muscles as she eyed him. "I don't want to waste anymore time." Her hand found what she was looking for. She heard him stifle a gasp as she clutched him through his pants. "I want you inside me."

A look of frightening, animalistic lust flared in PoH's eyes as they gazed at each other, his pants bulging against her hand. Like a coiled snake, his hand darted forward and seized her hair, yanking her head back as he brought his mouth to her exposed throat. She felt his hot, moist kisses trail down her skin. With his other hand, he ripped open her fine black dress with one ferocious tug, sending various buttons flying out in all directions. Sara's breathing increased as she struggled to maintain her resolve, struggled not to let her disgust show.

His hands groped her exposed breasts gently, reverently, but at the same time with a palpable burning, barely restrained need. His wet kisses glided down as he took one of her nipples in his mouth, sucking like a starved newborn. Against her will, Sara heard a small, protesting noise escape her throat. Mistaking it for evidence of her pleasure, PoH sucked at her breasts with renewed vigor even as his hands began trailing along her thighs and hiking up her dress. As he worked, Sara tried to make it more bearable by imagining it was Israel who was kissing her, touching her. She tried to pretend that it was Israel's long blonde hair clutched in her hand rather than PoH's raven black. Try as she might, though, she couldn't fool herself. Somehow, she knew that every touch from Israel would have been bliss. All she had ever felt for PoH was either revulsion or indifference.

PoH's hand ventured up between her legs, fingers entering her. His puzzled gaze met her eyes.

"You're not very wet."

Reaching down with both hands into his pants as she looked at him, Sara groped his stiffened manhood with fiery determination.

"I have to have you." She whispered as she leaned forward, biting his neck. "Only having you inside me can give me what I want, what I need. Please Poh, I need you to fuck me."

That did it. Lifting her up in his powerful, muscular arms without a moment's pause, PoH carried her to the back of the room and through the entrance flap leading to his bedchamber. He set her down with the reverence of a servant to a queen, and then went to work. His head disappeared from view as he again trailed kisses down her throat and between her breasts, but this time he kept going. His wet hands hiked her dress up around her stomach as he travelled lower. When his mouth reached her most intimate areas, Sara had to clutch the bedsheets on either side of her to keep from killing him then and there.

She had wanted him to just get on with it, but he was nothing if not the gentleman. Having his tongue inside her felt somehow so much worse than sex itself, so much more of a violation. She wanted to kill him, but she had to school her emotions. She had but to wait a few moments more. She couldn't afford to make a mistake now. PoH was no Xaxa or Israel, but he was nonetheless a formidable and experienced fighter. On top of that, he had well over twice her strength and weight. If she struck out too soon, he would easily muscle her under control and her only chance would be gone. It had to be when he was having her, when his mind and body became absorbed and vulnerable. Only then could she kill him.

Before he could become too focused on what he was starting, and before he realized that she wasn't about to get wet for him anytime soon, Sara forced her hands down to tug at his pants. She knew PoH better than anyone. She could tell by the way his tongue paused, by the deep, guttural sounds rising from his throat, by the look in his eyes, that while her desperation and straightforwardness to have him take her was puzzling to him, it was also fanning the raging fire that was his lust.

When his pants were down to his thighs, Sara began tugging at his shoulders, silently urging him to mount her as she deliberately spread her legs. No longer able to contain his desire, he took the bait. Crawling into position atop her until their faces were parallel, PoH drew a hand down to direct himself inside her. Before he could, Sara had him in her grip, already bringing it closer to its destination. PoH growled with satisfaction and desire at her insistence, at her initiative. She too thought it was a nice touch; it kept his eyes and attention focused on the act about to commence while her other hand reached slowly, casually, behind her back.

Her dress was still on, but it was of little hindrance to her fingers. She felt the handle of the knife hidden between her shoulder blades. At the same time, her filled left hand brought him, warm and erect, brushing against her womanhood. She clutched the knife and took a breath in preparation. She was committed, her mind prepared for what was about to happen. PoH was going to die. She was so sure, so ready, that the murder may as well have already happened.

Which is why it came as something of a surprise when a panicked, urgent cry tore from the entrance to the bedchamber, stopping her in her tracks.

"Commander PoH!"


	94. Chapter 93

93

January 9th, 2024

Floor 52, Corwell Mountains

Sara, her left hand on the verge of steering PoH inside her and her right on the verge of steering steel inside of him, froze. She didn't know what to do. Impossible, random thoughts flashed in her mind. Had someone seen the knife? Did someone know? How could anyone know? There was no one in the room but her and PoH.

"I'm busy!" PoH growled menacingly from atop Sara, his snake tattoo twitching. "Leave, and pray I forget someone disturbed me!"

"Forgive me, Commander, but this is too urgent a matter to wait. Sub Commander Xaxa himself sent me."

PoH looked ready to snap the man's neck. He turned to glance at the entrance flap leading into his office. "I'll deal with Xaxa later! Leave, or you'll be very unhappy with what happens next!"

A throat cleared in raw panic. "I'm sorry, Commander, but Xaxa said that if I failed to deliver this message to you immediately, you truly would want to kill me."

That brought a pause, albeit a fuming one. PoH and Sara eyed each other as he sighed.

"What is your message then?"

"Sir, the vassal guilds in open rebellion against us have gathered their united strength and our now on the warpath."

Now PoH was the one who froze.

Sara had to suppress a sigh of relief at the confirmation that she hadn't been discovered.

"Where are they bound?" PoH asked.

"They march as we speak to seize our outpost at Invernas Valley, and the garrison there is begging for help in the defense."

Cursing under his breath, PoH drew back from Sara as he began to sit up. She hooked her legs around him.

"Don't go." She whispered urgently as she arched her back, brushing herself against him. "Don't leave me."

The desire still burned in his eyes as he struggled inwardly. She rubbed herself against him, and he began to lower a few inches back down on top of her.

"Send Xaxa and fifty of our best. Go!"

"Sir, Xaxa and all of the officers agree that you must be present for this battle! They say the other vassals are watching, and will doubtless throw their lot in with the rebels if you do not head the force yourself. Worse, scouts report the rebel numbers to now be over seventy men."

PoH's eyes widened as he gazed down past her. "Seventy…"

Sara wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close.

"Don't do this to me, PoH. Not tonight. I need you."

His eyes focused on her. He shook his head apologetically.

"That outpost is our largest armory- some of our best unique items and gear is stored there. If the rebels take it…"

With a hand, Sara searched their intertwined bodies for his manhood. She couldn't let him leave. If she got him started, he wouldn't be able to stop.

Before she could grab him, PoH snatched her hand.

"Sara, stop. We can't, not until this situation is resolved. Depending on what happens this night, the rebellion will either be crushed, or grow too strong for us to hope to defeat. I have to go."

He pried himself from her legs and and arms, all the while looking none too happy about it. Her mind scrambled for something to say, for some way to stop him. She came up blank.

"Tomorrow night, I promise you," He pulled up his pants, "We will be together again at last. Can you wait that long? Please?"

Sara blinked. She forced a smile. "I guess I'll have to."

Beaming at her, PoH bent down for a quick kiss. "You're like no other woman on this earth, my love."

He swept out of the bedchamber, closing the entrance flap as he did. Sara heard him order the messenger to show him the way. As his voice grew fainter, she heard him call some men to arms behind him. And then his voice faded as it was drowned out by the din of the camp.

Sara sighed in frustration, then cursed under her breath. She had lost her chance to kill the leader of Laughing Coffin.

Although, this presented an opportunity.

Rising from the luxurious bed of sheets, pillows, and animal skins, Sara fixed her dress as well as she could. The lost buttons showed more of her chest than she would've liked, but at least it closed.

Opening the tent flap, Sara peered out to be sure no one was in PoH's office, then stepped outside. Wasting no time, she made straight for the table. Maps, notes, and written orders of all kinds littered the top, but she wasn't interested in the mundane. She suspected PoH had a great many far more valuable secrets; documents and records that he kept in the cabinets below the table. No one was allowed to open his cabinets but him. The punishment for such a trespass was death, and everyone knew it.

For that reason, nearly everyone in Laughing Coffin felt uncomfortable when in PoH's command tent, always keeping their eyes from the table even though the papers kept in plain view were harmless and unimportant. When people could help it, they avoided the command tent altogether. Only Sara, Xaxa, and a few select others were allowed to be inside when PoH was not not. Only Sara slept in PoH's bed. It almost angered her that he viewed her as so naive and harmless that he didn't bother locking the cabinets. Almost.

Upon opening the cabinets, Sara saw three stacks of papers. Some were inside of folders, others not. She had no idea what she was going to find, so she searched everything. All she knew was that she needed to find valuable information that Israel could use, something that could help bring down Laughing Coffin.

The first few papers she went through were useless- written records of past operations and wolf pack routines, among other things. Continuing through the stack, Sara found outdated maps pinpointing possible locations for the Shadow of Death, as well as written records of sightings. Recorded council meetings came next, held together by a crumbling folder. As the minutes ticked by, Sara remained wary, listening for any sign of PoH's possible return.

And then she saw a folder marked _Last Resort_.

Opening the folder, Sara was surprised to see that it was a single page, albeit one filled to the brim with writing in PoH's hand.

 _To be used only in the case of possible, extreme emergencies leading to the potential destruction of Laughing Coffin as follows;_

 _Exposure of HQ intel/location to all of Aincrad._

 _Unity of the Green Players against us._

 _Betrayal from among the faithful._

 _1\. All armories still secured will have full contents moved only by Officer Hedron, to Last Resort._

 _2\. All outposts, with the possible exception of Fravin Tower on Floor 39, will be evacuated and destroyed to avoid possible information leaking into enemy hands._

 _3\. All loyal vassals will be called upon at once for a code red mobilization to man established positions around the Last Resort to ensure the defense and survival of Laughing Coffin._

 _4\. All surviving and loyal Laughing Coffin members will flee to the Last Resort and there set up camp until such time as the code red has passed and we are again strong enough to emerge and prepare the Great Cause._

The next few steps were simple troop movements and possible candidates for emergency authorized leadership positions (with PoH of course remaining primary commander), so Sara quickly skimmed these. She stopped when she found what she needed to know.

 _9\. Last Resort: In the event of any of the above listed catastrophes, and Laughing Coffin's possible demise, the chosen place for our Last Resort, a refuge to live in and hold up for as long as needs be, can and will only be Alamut Dungeon._

Sara's eyes widened. She now knew the location of Laughing Coffin's final holdout, should such a place ever be needed. While it looked like such a desperate, back-to-the-wall refuge was highly improbable for the empire that was Laughing Coffin, Sara knew that to have such information could one day be of use if she and Israel ever managed to bleed the red players enough.

After studying the page a bit longer just to be sure she hadn't missed anything else of importance, Sara placed it back in the folder exactly how it had been. As she put it back, she saw another folder. One that certainly caught her attention.

 _The Great Cause_

Opening the folder, Sara saw a small stack of papers ranging from old and worn to fresh and with ink still dripping. As she began reading the papers, her eyes widened in growing horror.

Though she had to skim many areas and piece together what she saw from different pages, Sara quickly began to understand it all. Her eyes felt like they were being opened for the first time to the greater picture.

The Great Cause, as PoH called it, was the final conclusion to his philosophy of death and dictatorship, to his ideals of reigning supreme- almost godlike- in Aincrad forever after. PoH's vision, as Sara read it, was to subjugate all of Aincrad to serve him, and kill any who posed a threat to that, be they red or green players. The greatest goal of the Cause was to wipe out the entire Assault Team, as they now stood the only organized threat to Laughing Coffin's domination, both in their ancient dreams of clearing the Death Game, and due to their power.

As the backbones of the Assault Team, the three main guilds; the Army, the Knights of the Blood-Oath, and the Holy Dragon Alliance, were the primary targets. With their fall, the documents read, the Assault Team, and the entire player base, would crumble. In the wake of the bloodshed and chaos, the remaining players would quickly be brought to heel by wolf packs acting as police forces. PoH would reign supreme over his own world apart from reality, forever unchecked.

And that goal appeared far closer on the horizon that Sara had expected. She read of spies and scouts having already been embedded deep within each of the three major guilds, double agents acting as PoH's eyes and ears. These infiltrators reported constantly, their written report letters and messages filling most of the folder. Such an old fashioned method of communication made sense: the infiltrators could never risk friending PoH or being official members of the guild in case they were ever found out. Left with no way to easily communicate their reports, the infiltrators had to send handwritten messages. Through these letters, Sara quickly realized that the spies did more than just act as information suppliers to PoH- they were moles, waiting for the day when PoH sent them letters of his own, letters instructing them to sabotage, weaken, and prepare the three main guilds for the day of annihilation.

 _Who knows how long they've been weakening the Assault Team from the inside, or how many player deaths and guild problems have occurred at their hands. Who knows when they will be ordered to strike next?_

Sara scanned the letters for any names, hoping that she might be able to uncover some of the identity of some of these deadly spies. She found none. In place of names at the end of each letter, the papers instead merely read,

 _Your Chosen_

That the spies were Chosen- members of PoH's fanatical zealots- spelled only further doom. Such men would wreak untold havoc if given the word, without a care for their lives. If caught, they would reveal nothing, even on pain of death. PoH had chosen his moles well. Worse, he had put all of his tactical genius into the Great Cause. His plan, ambitious and terrifying as it was, was no idle dream. The freshest letters showed that the spies, whoever they were, were still very much active and in full preparation for the next step in their master's plan. A few of the letters contained replies to orders; men acknowledging their instructions on who to kill or what to destroy within the month. Judging by the specific time limit placed on those orders, Sara feared that PoH was nearing the execution of his plans.

 _This could mean the end of Aincrad as we know it. Thousands will die._

Sara trembled slightly as the sheer, inevitable horror of it all sparked frantic scenes of red player domination in her mind. All this time, Israel had believed he was slowly but surely destroying Laughing Coffin. He had no idea that if they reached the point of executing their plans, all of Sword Art Online would _become_ PoH's.

 _Israel has to know. Everyone has to know._

And then she heard the tent flap open behind her.

Spinning around, Sara found herself staring at Officer Talwin. He was staring right back.

"Well, well. What are you doing, Mistress Sara?" The man asked, his face contorting with righteous rage. "Searching through our great Commander's plans? I wonder why you would want to do such a thing."

His eyes glanced down at the folder in her hands. His lips curled into a bloodless grin as his hand dropped to the sword at his side.

"I see you've discovered the glorious future in store for Aincrad. Only PoH's Chosen were allowed to know before the time came. A shame that your traitorous bitch fingers have stained the prophecy of the Great Cause."

Sara knew she had to act. She had to get out of Laughing Coffin's camp. And she had to do it right now.

Seizing the knife from its location at her back, Sara made for him.

Talwin drew his sword.

Before they reached each other, Sara withdrew one of her few remaining potions- Blinding.

She heaved it at him without ceremony or hesitation as she continued her advance. He flinched, but before he could dodge, the glass vial shattered in his face.

"You vile, treacherous bitch!" Talwin screamed as he clutched at his eyes and swung his sword.

Sara dodged the wild flash of steel without much effort and drove her knife towards Talwin's skull. He jerked his head at the last moment, and rather than killing him clean, the knife buried itself into his blinded left eye.

Talwin screamed at the top of his lungs as he hurled himself away from her.

"Someone! Sara's a traitor! Sara's a traitor! Kill Sara! Kill-"

She brought her knife down into his skull.

Pixelated shards burst apart around her as she bounded back to PoH's table. She didn't have much time. Seizing the paper and folders that she had looked through, she quickly returned them to their proper places as best as she was able so as not to tip PoH off that she had looked through anything of worth. The less he believed the world knew, the better.

It took only a handful of seconds to return the papers precisely as she found them and close the cabinet, but by that time, Sara was already hearing shouts and cries as the area of the camp around the command center went into an uproar. Many had heard Talwin's last screams. She needed to get out.

Not daring to exit through the entrance flap, Sara instead returned to the bedchamber portion of PoH's tent and sliced open the black canvas. She emerged onto a mud covered track that appeared relatively empty and raced across it until she was back among the tents. Everywhere she looked, men and torches flashed by as the search grew with each passing minute. No one seemed to be asleep. It seemed the officers left in the camp had been preparing for some sort of an escape attempt out of her.

After locating a straggler from the back of one of the lines of searching men, Sara quickly and quietly brought her knife around and slit his throat from behind, but not before taking his Laughing Coffin cloak and hood. Men heard and saw the explosion of shards, but by that time Sara had slipped away, her hair and dress covered by black cloak.

Now relatively safe from being identified, Sara quickly made her way out of the rest of the camp, avoiding officers she knew and keeping her head down as she bypassed contingents of torch bearing soldiers. She made good time, only being forced to stop and kill someone who spotted her twice before exiting the chaotic and angry camp full of killers. As soon as she had cleared the last line of tents, Sara darted away into some nearby trees leading into a small forest. She had hardly made it past the treeline proper when she found her feet knocked out from under her. As the ground rose up to meet her, she saw a Laughing Coffin cloak billow out onto the midnight breeze. A second later, before she could rise, she felt steel press against her throat. She could faintly make out the outline of a hooded head above her. She had been caught.

"Sara?" Came a familiar voice from the hooded figure.

Sara blinked. "Israel?"

The steel withdrew from her neck, and Sara found herself grinning like a schoolgirl as Israel helped her up and held her to him for a hug. She returned it fiercely. After a wonderful, perfect moment, they drew away. It was then that Sara made out the mask, along with his fiery cobalt eyes.

"Sara, what are you doing here?" Israel asked in bewilderment.

She brushed herself off. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm escaping. What are _you_ doing here?"

"I came to rescue you."

"Well, you took too long. I had to do it myself."

Israel cast her a scornful look, but she could just make out the grin on his face. Shouting suddenly carried through the trees back towards the chaotic camp, forcing both of their glances off towards the hundreds of tents and flashing torches. Israel crossed his arms at the sight.

"I leave you for one day and you go and stir up the whole hornet's nest." He paused. "Why is the entire camp awake? It doesn't take many man to pursue one person. Honestly, you'd think PoH just got assassinated or something."

Sara exhaled irritably under her breath. "Don't remind me. I almost did just that, but the man wouldn't get into bed with me."

Israel choked. "What-"

Angry voices rippled out from the trees around them, followed by the flashes of torchlight. Israel withdrew a Teleport Crystal from his pocket.

"Come on, follow my location."

"If I had a crystal, I doubt I would've stumbled through an entire camp full of men trying to kill me."

Israel chuckled and handed her one.

"Teleport, Helow Heights."

There was a blinding flash in front of her, sharply contrasting the pitch black dark, as the crystal activated and engulfed Israel. Sara blinked away temporary blindness and lifted her crystal overhead.

"Teleport, Helow Heights!"

There was another blinding flash, and then she was gone.

When she reappeared, it took Sara a moment to adjust to the change of surroundings as she looked around. Israel stood in front of her, and they were both standing among scattered birch trees high above the ground, on the flat top of what appeared to be a hill or plateau. The night sky was a far cry clearer than it had been at the Laughing Coffin base, allowing moonlight to bathe the ground in a faint, pale glow.

"So," Israel said as he lowered his hood and took off his mask, "What was that you were saying about sleeping with PoH?"

Once again, Sara got the strange sense that, if she didn't know any better, Israel sounded almost jealous.

She rolled her eyes at him. "I was trying to kill him, but I couldn't do that unless he was…"

"Mounting you?" Israel asked.

"Distracted." She corrected. "Anyway, it's not like it matters now. I didn't get him because he wouldn't sleep with me. Honestly, at this point I'm starting to think I've lost my touch."

Israel cleared his throat uncomfortably. "So, you didn't get him. Why the uproar in the camp, then?"

"I had to kill one of the officers. He was something of a screamer. But while I didn't get PoH, I did manage to get something else entirely."

Israel frowned suspiciously. "What do you mean?"

She scowled up at his beautiful blue eyes, jabbing him with a finger. "First, you tell me what the hell you were doing coming after me and how you found the camp."

He scowled. "You know I wasn't about to let you stay trapped in the midst of that lion's den. I started looking for you the moment I teleported out of the Treehouse. Finding the camp has always been difficult, but around late afternoon I got lucky and found a Laughing Coffin scout force sent out ahead of some wolf packs. I killed them, but not before persuading one to give me the HQ location for the night. I came straight here and was studying the perimeters to figure out some way in when all the commotion started happening. At first I thought someone had found me and reported it."

"Then why didn't you leave?"

He met her glare. "I told you back at the Treehouse, I would never leave you to the mercy of that pig. If you hadn't gotten out, I would've found a way. I suppose I should've guessed you had it all under control though, given your impressive record of being less than cooperative."

Sara was angry that he had been about to throw his life away in a suicide attack to free her, but she decided to let it go. There were far more important matters to address now.

"Israel, I discovered something terrible. Something that we need to stop as soon as possible."

"What is it?"

"PoH intends to wipe out the three major guilds of the Assault Team and use the power vacuum to take over control of Aincrad."

Israel looked skeptical. "What? How?"

"He's already well underway. He's got infiltrators in the three guilds, keeping him informed on everything they do and say. Worse, they're also there to assassinate key leaders and sow discord among the Assault Team. When the time comes where they are sufficiently weakened, and it will be soon, PoH will begin his war on the Assault Team based on the information given by his spies and guaranteed victory due to their sabotaging."

Israel rubbed his eyes in disbelief. "You have proof of this?"

She nodded fervently. "I saw letters, hundreds of letters, written by various infiltrators to PoH as part of their weekly reports on the size, strength, leadership, and anything else important about the guilds they are embedded in. They're double agents in the guise of the guilds they are members of. There were no names on the letters. It would be next to impossible to identify and expose these moles. But we have to find a way. We're the only ones that know. We _have_ to do something. Those infiltrators are PoH's gateway to domination of all of Aincrad."

Israel shook his head in confusion. "But they're weak. Laughing Coffin is weakened and battered. They haven't had reinforcements in months. Their numbers are lower than they've been for half a year. For Christ's sake, there's even a rebellion among their vassals they have to deal with-"

Sara waved away his words. "It doesn't matter. PoH is bold, and lives for the unexpected. You may have weakened Laughing Coffin through your efforts, but don't be so foolish as to believe that they are now incapable of action. PoH no doubt knows that if his operation is successful, all of the harm you have caused will no longer matter. He won't need volunteers; he'll have slaves. He won't need to worry about vassal rebellions caused by you; his power will be unquestionable. Not even including the vassal guilds still loyal to him, there are still nearly three hundred members of Laughing Coffin ready to fight for him, ready to die for this coming slaughter. That's more men than the Holy Dragon Alliance and the Knights of the Blood Oath combined."

"But not the Army." Israel pointed out. "The Army now stands at over two thousand strong-"

"You know as well as I, as well as everyone, that the Army's numbers mean nothing. In all that two thousand, there's barely a hundred veterans from their time on the Front Lines. The rest are common players- civilians."

"Even civilians can fight fairly well these days," Israel protested, "If provided updated gear and-"

Sara put a finger to his mouth, forcing him to stop.

"Israel, I understand why you find this threat difficult to believe, difficult to accept. But you need to look past your pride and your hopes. Even were PoH down to only fifty men because of you, he would still be a threat. With as many as he has, and with the infiltrators he's already prepared, he can win this before it even starts. With his spies telling him of every troop movement, every plan of action, conducted by the Assault Team, his advantage will be enormous. It won't be a war. It'll be butchery. He knows that such a victory would completely derail and annul every wound you've managed to inflict upon him. Don't turn a blind eye to this threat. I saw it all. I read it all."

Israel appraised her eyes for a long moment.

"How soon do you suppose all this would occur?"

"I give it two or three months more, at most."

Israel seemed to weigh her words. After a tense period of quiet, he sighed and finally nodded.

"You're right. Something needs to be done, and soon."

Sara spread her hands helplessly. "I don't know what there is we can do. It may already be too late. With the infiltrators in place, there is little room with which to manoeuvre and prepare. We will tell the Assault Team-"

Israel frowned down at her. "Absolutely not."

"What?" Sara was dumbfounded. "Why not?"

"You think they would believe us, Sara? Two red players? To say nothing of the fact that one of us is the Shadow of Death and the other is the famed Potion Master of Laughing Coffin? They'd imprison us on the spot, or worse. They certainly wouldn't take anything we had to say seriously."

Sara blinked as the truth in his words sank in.

"You're right. But, but, if we can't warn them, what are we to do?"

Israel's eyes seemed to search for something far off as he gazed out beyond the plateau where they stood. She followed his eyes. From their vantage point, Sara could see the dark forests and plains far below, broken now and again by ridges and hills. In the far distance, she could even make out thousands of concentrated tiny lights that could only mean she was staring at a town. Above, the stars twinkled humbly in the sky. The full, pale moon put them all to shame.

"There are a few things that can be tried. I'll see what I can find out about these infiltrators. If I can, I'll eliminate them."

"You mean _we_ will eliminate them."

Israel glanced down at her and slowly, sadly, shook his head.

"Sara, I didn't come to try and save you just for you to die."

Sara didn't like how this going. Not one bit. "What are you talking about?"

"I've been thinking about what happened at the Treehouse, as well as what almost happened. You almost ended up dying there because of me. And now, both because of your escape and your murder of Laughing Coffin members within the camp, you've proven without a doubt, even to PoH, that you are indeed a traitor to his cause. He'll want your blood as much as he wants mine from now on, maybe even more so."

"All the more reason for us to stay together and-"

"No. He's going to be looking for us both with everything he has, hunting us down without end. We have to think in the bigger picture now. You and I are the only ones fighting PoH, trying to put an end to him. Even more important, we are the only people who know of what's coming, the only ones who can try to stop it. If we both die, all hope dies with us. All hope, Sara. For the thousands of people who will either die or be enslaved by PoH. It is paramount that one of us stays alive now to finish the job and thwart, and one day even eliminate, Laughing Coffin. We increase the odds of that survival by splitting up."

Sara shook her head as she blinked away tears. "I just don't think...I just don't see why we have to..."

"You know we do. You know I'm right about this. You made me accept the truth a few moments ago. Now you need to do the same. With both of us being hunted, we have to do what we can to stay alive until this mad plan of PoH's is undone. If we stay together, we're simply giving them an easier target. We have to go our separate ways, at least for now."

Sara looked away from him, unwilling to let him see her cry.

"Alright. We will go our separate ways."

"We can both still work towards finding out more about these infiltrators; they are the biggest threat and must be stopped. We should...we should message often, whenever one of us has uncovered a possible lead." He lifted her chin, forcing her to face him. To her surprise, tears trickled down his face.

"It won't be forever. I promise. Just until we have stopped this impending threat."

Sara swallowed past the lump in her throat. She wanted to kiss him. Instead she forced a smile.

"Sounds like a plan, Shadow of Death."

Israel looked at her in silence for a moment, then abruptly leaned forward and kissed her cheek. Sara didn't know what to say, didn't know what to do, so instead she drew him in for a hug. He returned it fiercely.

"I just want you to know…" He whispered through his silent tears, "in case we don't live to take another walk through the woods together...I just want to thank you. Your friendship has...you have...my time with you has been the closest thing to peace, to joy, that I've known since...since Naomi was taken from this world. I thought I'd never come close to feeling anything beyond torment, misery, and death for the rest of my life. Thank you."

"We'll beat PoH." She whispered as she laid her chin on his shoulder, her fingers trailing through his thick blonde hair. "We'll stop Laughing Coffin."

Israel nodded, sending his own tears trickling down onto her stolen Laughing Coffin cloak. "We will. Stay safe Sara."

He pulled away. She watched in silence as he withdrew a teleport crystal and muttered the words. And just like that, right before her eyes, he was gone.


	95. Chapter 94

94

February 2nd, 2024

Floor 38, Castellan Keep

Vivienne yawned and rubbed her eyes as she stood beside Jae. Garbed in his magnificent custom made blue and silver plate armor, with it's shining _SC_ insignia engraved on both the chest and shoulder plates, as well as the newly engraved _Hero of Floor Twenty Five_ title on his left shoulder (Taylor had taken the liberty, much to Jae's irritation), complete with his polished and plumed Commander's Helm, her husband looked like a mythical hero come to life; a commander of kings.

As he spoke to the men assembled in front of them, he too paused to yawn. Neither of them had gotten much sleep the night before, and her thighs were sore as as a result. She had never known being sore could feel so good. The delicious thought warmed her body.

Jae was in the middle of preparing picked men for his shift at the Labyrinth. Normally, he simply used squads that had already gone through their rotation of rest, but this morning, Vivienne could tell he was feeling enthusiastic about finding the next Boss room. He wanted to ensure the safe and successful drive through to reach the next Floor as soon as possible.

Vivienne had already considered going along, but she knew she couldn't. As an Officer, she had her own responsibilities to see to. She hated desk work, but she supposed it had to be done. She also hated letting Jae go off into danger without her, but she knew he had his responsibilities as well. Besides, he could certainly take care of himself. So long as he made sure not to enter the Boss room without her if he did find it, that was fine by her. Though she would've preferred a hundred Boss fights, she had paperwork to get done, not to mention a visit to the guild shops to conduct the bi monthly report on profits and expenditures.

Vivienne sighed. It was going to be a long day.

"Aranal, is your squad up for a fight this morning?" Jae called out loudly, bringing Vivienne out of her reverie. She faced forward and saw the big bear of a man, fully clad and equipped for war, with a massive double sided hammer at his back, grinning as he made his way past the countless trestle tables lining either side of the Grand Hearth.

"Always, Jae. They had yesterday off besides, so they've had plenty of rest time."

Jae nodded. "Perfect. I want you and your squad to lead left flank today."

Aranal nudged his wayforward into the midst of the small crowd before them, much to the playful looks of annoyance from David, Meifan, Avari, and the two dozen other fighters who all had to move to accommodate the big man as they stood ready for the day's orders. Vivienne noted that Avari and Meifan both looked exhausted; they had already been up most of the night on their own shift.

"Left flank?" Aranal scratched his thick red beard. "That side is normally reserved for tanks during normal Labyrinth runs."

"I don't intend to spend the day grinding." Jae explained with a wry smile. "After yesterday's push and thanks to Avari's new map information from her shift last night, I believe we're close to the Boss Room. I intend to have a clear route made for the next Boss fight by noon. We're pushing through to the next Floor today."

Avari arched an amused eyebrow, hiding it behind her thick bangs. "You're awfully cheery this morning. You and your wife must've gotten a good night sleep."

Vivienne could almost feel the delicious soreness in her thighs worsen. She flicked some hair behind her shoulder. "Actually, we didn't get much sleep at all."

Avari grinned at her like a schoolgirl eager to exchange the latest gossip.

Jae cleared his throat uncomfortably as his gaze swept between the two of them. "Can we focus on the task at hand, please?"

Vivienne smiled at him coyly. She always found Jae's shyness about such talk amusing. "Of course, dear."

Avari shrugged nonchalantly. "Fine by me." Suppressing a chuckle, she winked conspiratorially at him, like a sister who enjoyed teasing her brother. It was clear she found flustering him just as amusing as did Vivienne. "Well done, _Hero of Floor Twenty Five._ I don't think I've ever seen Officer Vivienne looking so satisfied."

Jae's face went crimson at the same moment the double doors leading out to the grounds of Castellan Keep swung open, diverting everyone's attention and saving Jae further embarrassment.

Sunlight streamed into the Grand Hearth, blinding Vivienne for a fraction of a second before the doors slowly closed again.

"Everyone!" Ryan called out in excitement. "Where's Jae?"

Lifting his arm high, Jae waved it above the parting throng of players gathered in front of them. Standing on her tiptoes, Vivienne was just able to make out Ryan's square jawed, stubble covered face as he made his way through the other players.

"Good morning Avari, Vivienne," Ryan said pleasantly before turning his attention back to Jae. "I'm glad I found you so quickly."

"As am I. Since you got the day off yesterday, I was about to send someone to look for you to join in the raid group I'm heading-"

Ryan waved a hand as he shook his head. "Maybe later, but we can't go on this raid just yet."

Jae frowned through the gaps in his imposing helm. "Why not? Is something wrong?"

"No, quite the contrary," Ryan said with a triumphant grin as he leaned in. "I found something."

Do you intend to stand there all day and have us guess for prizes?" Avari asked sarcastically, "Or are you going to tell us?"

Ryan cleared his throat. "Right, sorry. While I was on the way back to Castellan Keep this morning from breakfast in Zumfut, I discovered a questline. One that hasn't been discovered yet by any other player."

It was Vivienne's turn to frown in confusion. "How could you know that?"

As if expecting the question, Ryan lifted a finger as he smiled. "The NPC quest giver warned me that after I accepted the quest- which will be timed, by the way- there would be no way of repeating it. He would die."

"Die?" Meifan repeated from further back.

"NPC's have been known to respawn before." Jae offered. "There's no reason to assume-"

"That's not all." Ryan affirmed. "A warning sign appeared in my face after he finished talking, telling me that the quest I had found was a 'Silver Quest.'"

"I haven't heard of those before." Jae admitted.

"I have." Vivienne said, meeting her husband's eyes. "Silver Quests are dangerous, timed quests that can only be done once. Because of the difficulty and the mortality of them, silver Quests offer remarkable rewards to the players lucky enough to find them. At least, that's the rumor that sprang up when info brokers read a few books hidden down in one of the early Floor Labyrinths. As far as I know, no one has ever found one."

Ryan looked like he was having a hard time trying to suppress his triumphant pride. "Until now."

Jae was silent for a moment as he thought it over. "If this really is a Silver Quest, than you've found something well worth looking into, Ryan. Thank you for bringing this back to the guild."

Ryan scoffed. "No thanks required. I wasn't about to go in there alone. If the rumors are to be believed, we'll need to advance with speed and caution."

Jae nodded. "And we will, after today's Labyrinth raid."

Ryan stopped short. "What?"

"Jae thinks that he's close to finding this Floor's Boss Room." David explained.

Ryan looked from him to Jae in obvious disappointment. "Alright, and we have all the time in the world for that, but a Silver Quest-"

"I take it this NPC Silver Quest giver was difficult to find, yes?" Jae asked.

Ryan nodded. "I wasn't looking for him, but he would certainly have been hard for me to find. He was hidden behind thick bramble and trees, just off the main road leading through the wood. People don't usually have reason to go off-road in the forest. On top of that, he was wearing lincoln green. I didn't even see him until he was standing right in front of me. Scared me half to death until I realized he was an NPC."

Jae nodded. "And since he's there, we can obviously conclude that no one else knows of him, for now. So long as no one in this room talks about him, he'll still be there when this next shift is over."

Ryan scratched the back of his head. "Not to start an argument here, but I don't think putting this off is the best call. Why try our luck? Your shift won't end for hours, and if a Boss does get involved, that's the whole day. This is a Silver Quest, Jae. Yes, it was hard to find, but I stumbled on it by accident. Anyone else could do the same. You also have to take into account that my Detection skill is relatively low. Say an info broker or some other high stealth geared player goes walking through those woods. They have a good chance of finding my NPC and stealing the quest from us."

David leaned in. "I think Ryan has a point, Jae. We have a Labyrinth raid to do, yes, but this is a rare opportunity to further strengthen the guild. I don't think we should try our luck. I think we should act quickly and lock this Silver Quest down."

Jae lifted a hand for silence, instantly gaining the full attention of the two men, as well as the rest of the small crowd. By that simple gesture, and it's response, Vivienne couldn't help but wonder, somewhere in the back of her mind, at the leader her Jae had become.

She was proud of him.

"I understand where you're coming from," Jae said to the two men before him, "and what you say makes sense. But you're both distracted from our real goal."

Ryan frowned. "Distracted?"

Jae nodded. "We're the Holy Dragon Alliance- the hope of all of Aincrad lies with us, as Assault Team fighters, to one day clear this game and get everyone back home. These past few months, our progress in the frontlines has been slowing to a crawl. Soon, if this continues, we'll grind to a halt and join all the other guilds and players who lost momentum or simply gave up trying to clear the Floors."

"We cleared the last Floor only a few weeks ago." David pointed out.

Jae nodded. "And it took us over two months to do so. The common players are depending on us, my friends. Their faith in us, their hope, lessens more and more with each passing day. Our own ranks are no exception. Morale is crucial to keeping a fighting force intact. If we lose sight of our job, of our duty, than the Holy Dragon Alliance will lose it's way, just as the Aincrad Liberation Army lost theirs. I believe I can find the Boss Room today. Clearing two Floors within the same month will boost the morale of our men just as it will uplift the spirits of all the other players in this world. This Silver Quest is something I take seriously, I promise you, but I believe it can wait a few more hours."

By the look on Ryan's face, as well as of several others, it was clear to Vivienne that not everyone thought so.

Ryan cleared his throat. "I just don't think-"

"The solution is simple." Vivienne said, crossing her arms beneath her breasts. "I can get a squad together from whoever you leave here and deal with the Silver Quest while you deal with finding the Boss Room."

Jae shook his head. "No. If the rumors of it's danger level are true, I don't want you going in there without backup."

Vivienne felt her neck stiffen in distant irritation. "Backup, as in you?"

"Viv-"

"Jae," She leaned in. "We've talked about this before. I'm fully capable of getting my hands dirty. I'm just as much a fighter as you. I'm also an Officer. You can't give me special treatment just because I'm your-"

"It's not about that." Jae insisted. "I don't want _anyone_ starting that quest unless I'm there." He looked over his shoulder at the small group of players gathered around them. "Is that understood? No one attempts the Silver Quest, on my order, until I lead it."

Firm nods came in response, along with the occasional fist clapped to a chest.

Jae offered Ryan a smile. "You look tired. Get some food and rest, and either tonight, if things go well in the Labyrinth, or tomorrow, we'll get that Silver Quest done. Fair?"

Though he still didn't look entirely satisfied, Ryan dipped his head in resignation and returned the small grin. "Fair."

"Alright then." Facing the rest of the group, Jae gestured at the entrance doors out ahead of them. "Everyone, with the exception of Avari, Meifan, and anyone else who just had last shift, let's get formed up outside and head over to the Labyrinth."

A small clamor arose briefly as the crowd broke, with two or three breaking off individually to enjoy their day off while the main group continued outside as per Jae's command. David kissed Avari goodbye, and the two exchanged a few soft words that Vivienne couldn't hear but could easily guess. Once he and Aranal said their quick farewells and strode off with the rest of the raiding party, Avari, Meifan, and Ryan broke off to head in the opposite direction. Each was stopped short, one by one, when they noticed Vivienne's quick, subtle glances, just before Jae enveloped her in a hug.

"Stay safe." Vivienne whispered in his ear. "And don't you dare enter the Boss Room without me."

Jae chuckled against her. "It will be as you command, my lady."

He kissed her, but pulled away far sooner than she would've wanted and spoke softly as he studied her eyes.

"And you won't try to take on this Silver Quest without me, correct?"

Vivienne sighed. "Yes, yes. I'll avoid any and all danger just for you. But only because it's you."

He beamed at her. "Thanks."

After pulling her in for one last quick kiss, Jae adjusted his helmet and followed after his contingent of fighters already exiting the Hearth through the doors. Vivienne watched him go, waved when he turned and blew her a quick kiss, and then turned to face the three players who stood quietly watching her after he was gone.

"Alright, who's coming with me to get this Silver Quest done? Besides you, Ryan."

Avari grinned. "Yes."

Ryan hesitated. "What?"

"You're the only one who knows where that NPC is to activate the quest." Vivienne explained. "I'll need you to lead us anyway."

Ryan glanced at the closed double doors, as if expecting Jae to come charging back in at any moment.

"Jae just ordered us not to act on this quest without him."

Vivienne scoffed as she let her right hand drop to rest on the pommel of her saber. "Jae sometimes has trouble remembering that his wife is more than just his wife. He would never have given the order not to engage in the Silver Quest if I wasn't involved. His concern for my safety is sweet, but it gets old. I'm not about to let it cost us the reward of the first Silver Quest in Aincrad as well."

Meifan cleared his throat. "Vivienne, I'm all for taking on this Silver Quest sooner rather than later, but Jae is still the Second In Command. His orders-"

"And since when do you follow every order, Meifan?" Vivienne asked with a sly smile. "I seem to recall a few incidents of rebellious behavior out of you back when I was your squad leader."

Avari barked a laugh. "I tell you, Vivienne, if not for us women using our brains, men would fail at everything. Jae's smart, and I'd die for him, but sometimes the things he says just baffles sense." She opened her inventory and began checking on her potions and durability. "Gear up, boys. I have a few men who were off duty last night, I'll order them out and ready and than we can go get this quest done."

Meifan sighed and began adjusting the huge tower shield on his back. "Well, I can't very well let you girls have all the fun. Let's get the men together and get going."

Vivienne glanced at Ryan. "Will it take long to reach the NPC from here?"

"About a half hour, if we use the two teleport portals in between." Ryan hesitated again. "Vivienne, you know I want to do this, but I'm just not sure if going against-"

"Do you want to get the reward for this Silver Quest, Ryan?" Vivienne asked. "Or do you want some lucky info broker to find it and spread the news all over Aincrad?"

Ryan seemed to think it over for a moment. At last, he shook his head. "No. I wanted us all to go and beat the quest as soon as possible."

"Which is exactly what we're doing. If it becomes too dangerous, or someone gets hurt, we'll initiate a full retreat and you can tattle on me to my husband to your heart's content."

That brought a chuckle from him. "One thing I never do is snitch on my friends. I'll lead the way."

…

"How much further?" Meifan complained, his thick, heavy plate mail clanking together as he walked along beside them. "I'm roasting in my armor."

Wiping sweat from his brow, Ryan scoffed. "What happened to not wanting the girls to have all the fun, Meifan?"

"If I remember correctly, that was said around the same time you neglected to mention the fact that we'd be marching into a furnace."

Avari gestured up towards the thick interlocking tree boughs above them. "This wood must work something like a rainforest, trapping in heat and humidity to keep a high temperature in spite of the shade."

"Remind me never to visit a rainforest in the future." Meifan grumbled. He attempted to wipe sweat from his face with the back of his gauntlet, only to end up smearing it.

"I can see the next bend just ahead a ways," Vivienne said. "Ryan already told us the NPC would be just off the road up there. I'd say a half mile left at most. Stop complaining Meif-"

A faint, distant sound, like a metallic scrape, stopped her from finishing her sentence. By the way the others continued to plod on ahead, she guessed she had been the only one to hear it. Vivienne tried to connect the sound with what it could have been, but it had been too quiet, and faded away far too quickly.

"You alright, Vivienne?" Avari asked, glancing over at her from the right.

Vivienne could just make out the creases of concern on Avari's forehead past the bangs now plastered there due to the sweat. Avari's armor, always immaculately polished, reflected the few, thin rays of sunlight that managed to pierce the tree boughs and reach the forest floor. The woman's greatsword, a monster of a weapon that Vivienne couldn't imagine using in battle, was strapped securely on a sheath at her back, it's golden hilt emanating a faint glow.

"Fine." Vivienne replied. "Just thought I heard something, is all."

"Did it sound like an animal of some sort?" Ryan asked curiously as they marched. "These woods are supposed to have a high chance of spawning animals with S-class food drops."

"No, not like an animal."

Vivienne glanced back over her shoulder. Meifan was starting to fall behind the three of them, and would soon be overtaken by the four other HDA soldiers- Avari's men- taking up the rear. All of them looked fed up with the heat and humidity, to say nothing of the bugs that relentlessly besieged them within their armor.

Behind the last of the silver and blue clad men, the worn dirt road seemed to stretch endlessly back the way they had come, bordered on both sides by thick expanses of trees, brush, and bramble. Hedgerows past the treelines on either side altered the forest floor, making the terrain appear to rise and fall and making the woods even more difficult to peer into. Whatever she had heard, it had been from behind one of them.

"We have to stop." Vivienne said abruptly as she halted in her tracks. She couldn't ignore the sound. It simply made no sense for scraping metal to be located in the middle of an uninhabited wood. She hadn't heard wrong. Had she?

"Vivienne," Ryan said in a more alert, worried tone as he stopped and stared at her. "What's wrong?"

Then, from all sides and all at once, the forest came alive as swarms of darts shot past the trees, each one zipping furiously through the air as they reached Vivienne and her friends.

Vivienne knew immediately what the darts were, and who was firing them.

"To arms!" She cried, tearing her razor sharp saber from it's sheath. "Red player ambush!"


	96. Chapter 95

95

February 2nd, 2024

Floor 30, Southern Forest

"Move!" Vivienne yelled, jerking herself out of the way of several incoming paralysis darts as they sped past. "Get to cover!"

"Make for the treeline!" Avari roared from on her left as she dropped into a roll towards the trees on the left side of the road. Unsheathing her greatsword as she sprang up in one fluid motion, the relentless woman sped forward to further close the distance between herself and the cover of the trees. Before she had gotten a step, three darts tore out of the woods, each aimed at directly at her and forcing her to abandon her advance lest she be struck down.

A cry of surprised pain from behind told Vivienne that at least one of their soldiers had already been paralyzed. On her right, Ryan, sword in hand, was desperately attempting to dodge the hail of darts by side stepping hard right and towards the trees. He evaded one, than two, and then he went down, his chest plate pincushioned with them.

Forcing herself forward in spite of the countless darts zipping past all around her, Vivienne ducked, dodged, and flung herself towards the closer right side of the road not five feet away. If she didn't make it to the treeline, she had no chance.

Another surprised cry filled the air, and out of the corner of her eye Vivienne saw another HDA soldier go down, stunned and paralyzed. The remaining two had split; one was sprinting through the darts coming from the left, while the other, a tank named Carim, raised his small buckler high in an attempt to ward off the missiles as he advanced right. An instant later, a foot of steel erupted from his chest.

Carim's eyes went wide with horror for but a brief instant, and then he exploded into a thick mist of pixelated shards. In his place now stood a player garbed all in black rags, hood, and cloak, with an orange cursor above his head.

Vivienne had never before seen a player killer, let alone a member of Laughing Coffin. For over a year, the whispered stories of them, of their dark attire and menacing visage, had created an image in her mind that she hoped she would never have to behold. To see one of the red players in person, though, was far worse than she had anticipated.

Then she saw all the others.

In a blink, the forest came alive a second time, this time seeming to turn dark as Laughing Coffin members emerged from both sides of the forest, their overlapping black cloaks billowing out around them in such a way that made it appear as though the wood, unable to contain it's burden any longer, had belched forth a shifting, shadowy monster. As they emerged, some continued to shoot darts through long hollow tubes held up to their mouths. Others drew wicked looking weapons and advanced with lethal intent. Somewhere in the back of her mind, in spite of everything happening around her, Vivienne's tactical instincts noted with one quick look that there were perhaps a dozen red players now surrounding them. Not that it made much difference; they may as well have been an army.

"Vivienne!" Meifan shouted from somewhere behind her.

Turning, Vivienne was just in time to see three darts making straight for her at such speed that she knew she wouldn't be able to evade them. Once she went down, she would be helpless.

With a deep, powerful roar of effort, Meifan hurled his tower shield just as two darts struck him in the back, dropping him to his knees. His shield shot through the air with remarkable speed and accuracy, passing right in front of her just as the darts reached their destination. Half a dozen metallic thuds rang out as the deadly steel bolts embedded themselves into the stout shield. Unperturbed, the Laughing Coffin members closed in.

Avari let out a fierce cry from on her left and a second later the clash of steel rang out across the roadside as the woman engaged three of them, swinging her greatsword with such ferocity that it forced the players to retreat a step. At the same time, two of the nearest red players darted for Vivienne.

Without hesitation, Vivienne met their advance with a charge of her own, her saber glinting in the morning light. She knew full well that her only chance at survival, slim though it was, would be in defeating as many enemy players as possible before they had time to support each other and use their numbers to bring her down. At that moment, the lives of her friends hung in the balance. If the few of them still standing were defeated, all hope was lost.

Darting underneath the first red player's swing, Vivienne retaliated with a withering storm of jabs and cuts, each intended to break down her opponent's guard. At the same time, she sidestepped away from the other player killer in order to prevent him from interrupting her assault. Her plan was flawless, her execution perfect. Which is why it caught her completely by surprise when everything went wrong.

With a lazy twist of his hand, the Laughing Coffin member she had targeted easily parried her first blow, than followed up with a strike of his own at the base of her blade that left her arm so jarred from the painful vibration, to say nothing of the loss of momentum, that her entire assault was stopped before it had even begun. At the same time, the second man darted towards the exact position she had sidestepped towards with an easy, knowing grace. Now past her guard and just beside her, he reached out and seized her sword arm, pinning it in the air before she could get in another strike.

Vivienne blinked in utter shock. She knew full well, as did most of the Assault Team, that her skills in battle were superior to the majority of players. Veteran of a hundred battles on the frontlines, she had survived dozens of hopeless encounters. More than one Boss had met its end at her hand. Yet for all that, these two men had just disabled her in a matter of seconds, and with little effort. It made no sense. It was as if they had read her mind, as if they had known exactly what she would do before she did it.

And then she understood.

She was fighting as though her opponent were a mob- a product of the game, a simulation of life given built-in attack patterns, perceptions, and fighting styles. To defeat such artificial foes, all one had to do was learn the timing of their attacks, learn their moves and skill sets, and strike at the pre-programmed weak points. But she wasn't fighting an artificial intelligence. She was fighting human beings. Worse, she was fighting humans with a wealth of knowledge and experience at fighting others like her. They knew she would fight in the same way mobs did. They no doubt saw that type of combat as predictable, simple, and easily crushed. The images of countless other players that had no doubt already fallen to these murderers' swords for that very same mistake filled her mind, threatening to make her panic.

But she did not. She knew who she was. She knew what she had to do. Their mistake had been in not killing her the moment they had broken her attack. In attempting to render her helpless, they had given her her only way to beat this new foe was to fight like them. To be unpredictable.

With a cry of rage, Vivienne snapped her elbow back with all her strength, ramming it into the second red player's hooded face. The sound of snapping bone filled her ears as he cried out and lost his hold on her, and she yanked her sword arm free. She was an Officer of the Holy Dragon Alliance. Her duty was to keep her men safe. She would fulfill that duty, or die in the attempt.

With a lightning fast swing, she hacked off the sword arm of the player in front of her, causing the limb to shatter into pixelated shards before it hit the ground. Another swing as she turned, and she bashed the second man's already injured face with the pommel of her saber, knocking him clean off his feet and into the dirt where he lay unmoving.

"You bitch!" The first man shrieked at her as he clutched madly at his stump, the pain dropping him to his knees. "You stupid bitch!"

Before Vivienne could decide whether or not to kill him, four more Laughing Coffin members, each of whom had been preoccupied kneeling over the paralyzed green players all around and looting them, rose in a rush straight for her.

"Vivienne!" Meifan cried out from the ground behind her, his voice slurred from the paralysis. "Run! Get away!"

Bracing herself amidst the chaos and impending violence, Vivienne stood her ground as the four red players closed in. The first to strike her launched a vicious overhead blow with a bastard sword. Darting past the attack, she forced aside all remaining reservations and lunged for his heart. She had to end the threat.

Before her blade could make contact, another of the men caught the tip on his own longsword and parried the blade away. At the same time, the third slashed at her with a wicked looking falchion. Vivienne jumped back, narrowly missing the strike, and lashed out wildly with her saber in the hopes that one of them made the mistake of closing with her again. The first three managed to dodge it, but the fourth man caught the razor sharp edge of her saber on his leg, hobbling him.

That was the last time Vivienne drew blood.

All four descended on her with a vengeance, each of their weapons a blur as they unleashed a flurry of attacks intended to cut her down once and for all. Heart pounding in her chest, Vivienne called upon all of her experience, all of her skill at arms, just to stay alive. She parried a lunge, ducked a beheading blow, deflected a cut and all but hurled her saber above herself to stop an overhead attack that was about to cut her in half.

She was fast, and her swordsmanship was easily a match for any of them alone, but she couldn't stem the onslaught now upon her. She warded off the blows again and again, determined to maintain her guard as she sidestepped, pivoted, parried, glanced, and blocked over and over. More than once, her superior footwork led one or two of the men to mistime their attacks and overexpose themselves, but she could never follow up; the others were always on her, always pressing. In the midst of desperately fending off what felt like a hundred flashing blades, one got through, piercing her hip down to the bone.

An involuntary cry left her throat. The sharp explosion of pain was mind numbing as it lanced up her body, but Vivienne couldn't afford to stop. One wrong move or mistimed block, and she was dead.

Sparks flew as she caught a falchion on the end of her saber before it could hack her in two, and than another blade swept past her exposed guard, carving a bloody gash down her side. It felt like someone had taken a red hot iron to her skin.

Gritting her teeth against the torment of her wounds, Vivienne gripped her saber tighter in her sweaty hand and blocked another blow before pivoting her body to the side and kicking the red player nearest her hard in the chest before he could strike at her, her armored boot sending him toppling backwards. Jerking back around, she lashed out once more. Before her saber had travelled more than a foot through the air, the man with the falchion slammed his blade into hers, stopping her strike cold. A second later, another blade pierced her shoulder plate armor and buried itself just above her armpit. A tingling sensation travelled down her arm, and than her sword hand went numb.

Her prized saber fell from her fingers.

A woman's cry rang out from the left side of the road, and Vivienne was just in time to see Avari: surrounded by a half dozen red players, more than one of whom's health was in the red, the ferocious woman was covered in wounds and had at last suffered a blow she couldn't withstand. On her knees as her already slim health bar continued to deteriorate, Avari nonetheless struggled to maintain the hold on her greatsword as two of the men yanked it away from her. Peels of laughter rippled out from among them at the sight.

Tears stung Vivienne's eyes.. She knew what was about to happen. Avari wouldn't want anyone to see her so vulnerable, not even in death.

"It's over, you dumb bitch." One of the four men in front of Vivienne growled, returning her attention to them. "Since you made this difficult for us, I think we deserve a little compensation for wasting our time, wouldn't you say?"

Facing her four monsters, Vivienne ignored the urge to collapse and instead clenched her good hand tightly into a fist, dropping her left leg behind her to solidify her fighting stance. She wouldn't last long at all, she knew that. But by God, she would hurt at least one more of them before they killed her.

The red player with the falchion rested the sword atop his shoulder as he laughed through his dark hood. "You really are stupid, aren't you? We're going to enjoy-"

At that moment, an enraged roar from an unfamiliar voice tore out from somewhere just up the road. "Assault Team, attack!"

Jerking around in surprise as their cloaks billowed out around them, the Laughing Coffin members froze. Vivienne stared past them in disbelief. There in front of them, charging forward out of the bend in the road like a force of avenging angels, their blades and polished grey plate armor gleaming, came over thirty members of the Aincrad Liberation Army.

"Put those criminals in irons!"

Without a second thought, the dozen or so red players bounded away from the roadside, splitting apart as they took to both sides of the woods, their black cloaks and hoods quickly disappearing amidst the ominous tree boughs and branches. There was a brief clash of steel as one or two Army members in the vanguard managed to close with the rearmost Laughing Coffin members as they made for the trees, but the red players quickly disengaged and ran for their lives. In the woods to either side, Vivienne heard the telltale whooshes of air that meant teleport crystals were being used. The red players were retreating.

After hastily retrieving her saber from where it had fallen, Vivienne immediately made for Avari. Opening her menu with her good hand as she ran across the body strewn road, she withdrew a health crystal and held it over Avari's head. The woman was in the beeping red.

"Heal!"

"I'm fine!" Avari panted as she struggled shakily to her legs. "Tend to the others, Vivienne, please."

Vivienne pulled out another health crystal without hesitation."The others are fine, just paralyzed."

"And they'll be more than that if those bastards return before we've recovered. Your health is dangerously low as well. Your arm…"

"Avari." Vivienne stated flatly, "I'm _not_ moving from this spot until you're recovered and healed, so there's really no point in protesting."

Avari shot her a grudging scowl, but made no further attempt to argue. While she focused on stabilizing Avari's health, Vivienne saw one of the grey clad Army players order the other men to begin applying Antidotes on the downed HDA players. While the rest of the Army force were covered in plate armor, he stood out in a light grey trench coat. Vivienne tried to recollect ever having seen him before, but he was unfamiliar to her.

After she was healed, Vivienne helped Avari to her feet.

"What are they doing here?" Avari asked in hushed concern.

"Saving our lives, apparently." Vivienne handed Avari several Paralysis Antidote potions from her inventory.

"Let's help them get our men up."

As Avari moved to assist Ryan, Vivienne made for Meifan. The big tank was laying face down in the dirt, his head and arms twisted at an odd angle. Still as stone, he almost appeared dead but for the steady rise and fall of his back. When she knelt beside him, he squinted up at her awkwardly. It was then that she saw the tears.

"Vivienne…" He smiled through watery eyes. "I'm so glad you're alright. I thought all hope had disappeared. I thought you were going to die, and that all I could do was watch. I'm so happy you're alright."

Vivienne returned the smile as she unstoppered an Antidote potion and held it to his lips. "If not for you watching my back the way you did, I would be. It was only because I wasn't paralyzed that I was able to fight them along with Avari. Had I gone down, Avari would have been overwhelmed even sooner, and we would all be dead right now. Thank you, my friend." She paused long enough to arch her eyebrow at him. "You never told me you had the Shield Throwing skill."

Meifan chuckled as he drank, his bushy eyebrows furrowing together as the lines on his forehead creased with effort. After taking a few gulps of the potion, he stopped drinking and glanced up at her, a proud smile on his face.

"I saw the whole thing, Viv. I saw you fight them. You took them all on fearlessly. Jae would be so proud if he had seen."

Vivienne grinned. "I think furious would be nearer the mark. I'm already dreading his upcoming lecture on how I should've listened to him when we get back."

"It's me he'll be angry at," Meifan chuckled as he began to sit up. "For going along with you against his orders."

Ryan appeared beside them, along with Avari and the only remaining soldier from her squad.

"I think I'll be catching a good share of the blame as well." Ryan said. "But I'm just glad you lot made it." He looked down at his boots shamefully. "I'm sorry I got taken down so easily. I should've tried harder. I was useless to us all." He paused and glanced out at the treeline. "How the hell did Laughing Coffin know where we'd be? They were waiting on both sides of the road, in perfect ambush position."

"How indeed." Vivienne said, more to herself than to the others. That mystery was one she had no idea how to even begin to solve. Rising to her feet, she saw the Army player who had been giving orders approaching her. Sheathing her saber, she closed the distance between them. All around, grey clad warriors were scouring the treeline and surrounding roadside for any trace of the player killers.

"Are you the commander of this detachment?" The player asked courteously. With thick brown hair, brown eyes, and a kindly, mature face, the man looked friendly, but also firm and capable of command.

Vivienne nodded. "I am Officer Vivienne of the Holy Dragon Alliance. I'd like to thank you for coming to our defense."

The man smiled. "Guild Commander Thinker of the Aincrad Liberation Army, at your service. I'm glad we were here."

"Guild Commander?" Ryan asked from behind her. "I thought Kibaou was the leader of the Army?"

"Kibaou and I are co-leaders." Thinker explained. "Technically, neither of us has more or less power than the other. We run the Army together." He focused his attention back to Vivienne. "Not to be rude, but I don't think we should spend much more time here than we already have. There's no telling whether the red players will come back in greater force. I would advise you to return to your base at Castellan Keep and urge any other small detachments of HDA members to do the same. Don't leave the confines unless you have a large force, fully prepared for battle."

"What?" Vivienne blinked. "Why? Stopping an entire guild's operations- hundreds of people- because of one rogue attack from player killers-"

"It wasn't a rogue attack," Thinker interceded. "At least, I do not believe it was. Especially since it was Laughing Coffin."

"How could you make a conclusion like that?" Avari asked suspiciously. "How did you know we were under attack?"

Thinker glanced over at her. "I didn't."

"Then what are you doing here?" Vivienne asked. "Don't mistake me, I'm grateful to you for coming to our aid, but you're awfully far from home, aren't you? The Army lives down on Floor One."

Thinker held up a hand so that he could speak. "In the last two hours, as far as we know, over a half dozen Assault Team guilds have been attacked- by Laughing Coffin."

Vivienne was dumbfounded. "What?"

Thinker nodded. "From the limited information that we've pulled together from the attacks, we suspect that these incidents were all planned and coordinated to occur on this day, at this very time. Why, we aren't sure, but-"

"Have you been able to identify casualties?" Vivienne asked, struggling to come to grips with this sudden news. How had they not heard about these attacks? "How many have died?"

"It's difficult to know for certain until more reports come out and the other guilds tell us exactly what happened, but the current estimate is around thirty green player deaths- all from guilds either on the Assault Team now, or with a past on the frontlines. Among those numbers are a dozen officers and several guild leaders." Thinker paused. "One of my personal captains and several other Army players are among those killed. They were in a party led by Kibaou in the catacombs underneath Floor One's desert area, following a questline, when red players ambushed in an attempt to eliminate him. Far as we can figure, that attack was the first. Next came the Fuurinkazan-"

"Klein's guild?"

Thinker nodded. "Two of his men died, and a large amount of gear and items were lost, but Klein managed to lead a quick retreat and the rest of them got out. Before I left the Black Iron Palace, the only Assault Team guilds yet to be attacked had been the Knights of the Blood-Oath, and you, the Holy Dragon Alliance."

"This is madness." Avari exclaimed bluntly. "News of something of this scale and magnitude would have spread like wildfire throughout all of Aincrad within an hour."

"She's right." Vivienne said. "No one in the Holy Dragon Alliance knows anything of this. There has been no news."

"Kibaou's doing." Thinker replied with a bitter nod. "Since neither your guild nor the KoB have yet been attacked to his knowledge, Kibaou suspects that either Jae or Heathcliff have hired out Laughing Coffin as assassins to eliminate him and any other potential rivals among the Assault Team guilds, whether prior service or current. As far as he's concerned, it may be both of them."

"What?" Vivienne forced herself not to scream at the sheer lunacy of it all and instead took a breath. She shook her head in dismay at the never ending idiocy that was Kibaou. "That madman's ravings have cost us lives before. The blood of those lost here is on his hands."

"I agree, and I'm so sorry I couldn't be here sooner. Kibaou used the power of the Army and his position to coerce the newspaper guilds and info brokers into remaining silent. He didn't want you or the KoB warned, saying that one of you were the reason for the attacks. Most of his hatred was clearly bent on your Second in Command, Jae. I protested, but he wouldn't back down. Unfortunately, and shamed as I am to admit it, Kibaou carries more weight and influence than I due to his past on the frontlines. When I couldn't reverse the demand, I took a detachment of my own men- players that have been with me since the start of the game rather than Kibaou- and set off from the Black Iron Palace to warn the two remaining guilds."

"Kibaou must have been furious." Avari observed.

A small smile twisted it's way onto Thinker's features. "He certainly was. He just learned the hard way that while he's a guild leader, I stand equal still and can do as I please. My men and I used Corridor Crystals to travel most of the way, but these upper Floor maps are largely unknown to us, so we've had to march a goodly distance since the last known teleport gate. That was when we heard the sounds of battle from up behind the bend in the road. We came as quickly as we could." He looked down at his boots. "I only wish we had arrived a few moments sooner."

Resting a hand firmly on his shoulder, Vivienne lifted his chin and shook her head. "Don't blame yourself for the deaths that couldn't be prevented here, Guild Leader. Blame the red players that caused them."

He dipped his head gratefully. "Wise words, Officer Vivienne. I'll be sure to remember them. Thank you."

Straightening, Thinker barked a few quick orders for his men to fall back into marching order. Immediately, the thirty odd men fell in behind him with speed and discipline easily rivalrying the HDA, though Vivienne would never have voiced such a thing aloud.

"I go now to alert the Knights of the Blood-Oath." Thinker said with renewed determination. "Hopefully I can get there before any more blood is spilled."

"Vivienne," Avari suddenly spoke up as she pointed. "What are we going to do with him?"

Following the woman's finger, Vivienne saw the red player she had knocked unconscious with the pommel of her saber during the fight. Even now, he lay unmoving on his back in the dirt, his black hood still concealing most of his face. She had all but forgotten about him.

"I'm not sure." Vivienne replied. "We can't bring him to Castellan Keep; there's no holding areas."

Thinker rubbed his jaw thoughtfully. "The Black Iron Palace is the largest structure in Aincrad up to this point. Many parts of it are uninhabited, including the huge prison located down below the cellar."

"A prison?" Vivienne asked.

He nodded. "When we first explored the place, I saw firsthand the level of security throughout the area. There is a key for every closed cell. We also discovered, by accident, that the whole prison area is an anti-teleport zone." He shrugged. "Seems as good a place as any to keep prisoners. From there, we can interrogate him at our leisure. With a bit of luck, we might just be able to find out why these attacks are happening. With a lot, we might uncover even more. Since he's your prisoner, I can see to it your guild be given the only key to his cell if you would prefer such measures to be taken."

"I have no interest in such petty concerns," Vivienne replied. "We green players are allied in this and will withhold nothing from each other, no matter what Kibaou says or does. I think the prison in your Palace will work perfectly. I'll hand the prisoner off to you and inform my superiors about his holding. I only hope you're right: that maybe we can find out more, before other lives are lost."

Thinker held out his hand in respect. "I'm glad to have met you, Officer Vivienne, and I am relieved to have been of some assistance here today."

Vivienne clasped his hand in equal respect. "Thank you for your help here, Guild Leader Thinker. I am in your debt. It lifts our spirits to know there is someone good helping to lead the Army. You are a far better man than Kibaou. It for that reason that I must warn you, please, be wary of him."


	97. Chapter 96

96

April 9th, 2024

Floor 58, Yirgota Wood

Gliding silently through the dense trees and eery fog around the western perimeter of the camp as he watched, Israel counted two more sentries making their rounds.

 _That makes eight, all told._

Halting once he had made a full circuit around the outpost, Israel knelt down behind a gnarled oak just beyond the layer of guards and out of their peripheral vision. Though he was already shrouded by the fog and the trees, it wouldn't do to grow careless. Eight trained sentries, all posted in pairs and set at deliberate points to provide overlapping fields of view, would be difficult to deal with without alerting the whole camp.

Too many times now, outposts of red players had broken and fled the moment the alarm was sounded and they realized they were under attack from the Shadow of Death. Each time, Israel had been forced to hunt down every individual runner. Some had teleport crystals ready and used them, but most never escaped him.

Still, far too much time had already been wasted due to such cowardice. Anyone who escaped became a loose end further complicating matters. It had taken almost two months since he and Sara had split up just to obtain a lead on the Infiltrators, or the 'Chosen,' as they were called. Several weeks after that, after countless attacks on Laughing Coffin bases and long 'talks' with important red players he did manage to capture, and he was finally nearing that lead. Inside the armory base in Yirgota Wood- his various prisoners had unanimously sworn to him- was based the Captain of the Chosen: the only red player besides PoH who was sure to know the names and location of each and every Infiltrator.

Besides the obvious problems of first confirming the lead, then tracking down all fleeing red players along the way to prevent word of his whereabouts or plans from spreading, than obtaining information on the location of Yirgota Wood and the camp within it that he needed to find, Israel had also had to constantly stay one step ahead of the relentless wolf packs searching for him, all of whom were pursuing him as if their lives depended on it. Knowing PoH, it was probably true.

So far, none of them had caught up to him, but one mistake on his part, or well concealed trap on theirs, was all it would take to seal his fate. He had slept little, eaten less, and moved constantly in order to both stay out of PoH's grip and close in on his lead before anything changed.

Now, when he was at last practically within sight of his prey, Israel was being forced to wait. With the way the camp had been set up, he would have almost no cover from which to slip past the sentries and reach the captain's tent unnoticed. Furthermore, all four pairs of sentries themselves, whom he quickly noted were disciplined, trained, capable looking players, would be impossible to eliminate before one of them discovered the attack and sounded the alarm. The moment he lost the element of surprise, he had almost no doubt the captain would teleport out. If the captain managed to escape, PoH would no doubt ensure that Israel would never again be able to find him. This was his only chance. He knew what he had to do.

Irritated, Israel drummed his fingers along Apocalypse's pommel. His best chance would be to wait until the sentries, who were wide awake and on the alert, were relieved of their posts. All camps had lists of watch times, and when the current guards' sentry duty was up, they would be replaced by others who had taken this time to sleep. The changing of the guards would mean that the new sentries would be temporarily groggy, slow, and mentally unprepared for an attack.

Their hampered reactions and preoccupied thoughts would give him the time he needed to approach the camp and eliminate each pair before an alarm could be raised. Once clear of guards, he could approach the captain's personal tent and teleport them both to a more secure area. It was a solid plan, but Israel hated waiting. Especially when months of work and countless lives were involved. With his luck, it would be hours before the changing of the guards.

And yet, he knew that it was the only way.

Sighing, Israel turned away from the camp and sat down against the gnarled oak that sheltered him, leaning back as best he could against the twisted stump in order to get comfortable. Though he might miss spotting the guards when they changed, he knew his Detection skill was more than high enough; he would hear when the time was right.

For the first few moments, Israel was tense and uncomfortable. Impatient, he continued to tap the hilt of Apocalypse with the steel covered fingers of his right hand as he listened for any sound of the changing of the guards. The thin, metallic clanking produced by the action hung on the air for only a moment each time before being drowned out amidst the dense fog all around, only to then be replaced by another clank.

When a half hour had passed, Israel gave up hoping for a quick end to the wait and instead lazily raised his steel covered arm, only half focused on examining the masterwork quality of the steel plate and mesh. When he grew bored of that, he let his arm drop and simply allowed his eyes to wander the endless tracks of foggy woods. Time seemed to slow to a crawl, but strangely, it also seemed to loose meaning as his mind drifted off into other thoughts.

Loneliness struck him. Seeping slowly, subtly, into his furthest recesses, Israel almost didn't notice the feeling until it was already upon him. He hated it, but at this point it was an emotion that followed him no matter where he went. Loneliness, along with misery, despair, and rage, had been with him ever since Naomi's death.

For the longest time, only pain, both his and the people he inflicted it upon, could make the feelings go away. Only in the heat and fury of battle, that strange place between worlds where time stilled and neither the past or future existed, would loneliness and the others lose their grip on him. Violence and pain had been his mind's only salve, the only things keeping him from drowning in the depravity that gnawed at him. But then he had met Sara.

Israel missed her. At times, he was almost shocked he felt so...absent...without her near, but then he thought of their time together and wasn't in the least bit surprised. Though he hadn't realized it before, Sara had brought more than just good company during her time with him. He remembered looking forward to returning to the Treehouse any time he was away, oftentimes pushing himself to get back sooner so that he could just talk with her about any trivial subject that caught their fancy. Sara's sharp mind, natural intelligence, and dry humor made talking with her entirely too entertaining.

Her kindness and understanding, on the other hand, sometimes made conversations too difficult to endure, and yet each time, Israel felt as though he wanted to tell her more.

He also wanted to know more about her. The way she thought, or talked, or moved, or laughed, or smiled, had all intrigued him constantly, making him want to get to know who she was underneath it all, to piece together the inner workings of someone as rare as her. Her love of nature, her appreciation for the complexity and beauty of the world, was a thing of beauty all its own. Her empathy and care for life, and her noble determination to see it preserved, was a thing to be marveled at. Sara was special, that much he knew without a doubt. Why, or how he knew it, he hadn't the faintest idea.

But he knew. Only when he was with Sara did the loneliness, the pain, really go away. Granted, each time he wasn't with her, the emotions had always returned. But whenever her presence filled a room, or a cavern never seen, or a forest never walked, and he was there, the feelings would always be lifted from him, like a great burden that he had been shouldering so long he had nearly forgotten its weight.

Yes, when he was with Sara, he had come to feel almost at peace. Almost whole. Almost like the world was still a place to cherish, love, and uphold. Almost…

He missed her so.

He also missed Jae.

Israel blinked at the sudden thought of his brother. It had been so long since he had seen him. He tried to think back, to the last time they had spoken. It was difficult, and when he did find the memory, he immediately regretted the search. Jae had looked so hurt, so betrayed, when Israel left. Teleporting out before he could be restrained, Israel had only been able to see his brother's face for a brief instant before he was sent far away in more ways than one, to the start of a long road slick with blood. That face had shown it all. And Israel had been the cause. He had split them up.

Israel was just about to decide that Jae no doubt despised him for what had had happened when he realized with profound sorrow that, most likely, his brother was long dead. It had been well over a year since the last time they had spoken or seen each other. In Aincrad, a year of constant fighting for survival may as well have been a lifetime.

Israel remembered Naomi once mentioning the Monument of Life. A tall, thick wall of somber grey stone located in front of the Black Iron Palace and just behind the Central Plaza in the Town of Beginnings, with the names of all the players killed since the start of SAO permanently engraved into it, the Monument was the only way to know for sure. As a red player, and therefore not allowed to enter towns, Israel nonetheless wouldn't have gone to see it even if he could. Why go to confirm something he already knew in his heart? Why make it so much harder, so much more final, when he could just forget? Visions of his brother's name etched beside Naomi's on such a death list was enough to make the feelings intensify. The pain. The loss. The guilt.

He didn't want to believe that he was just like the other red players, not since he had come to know Sara, but it now seemed like he had been living a mere daydream. A fantasy. With such feelings eternally bound to him, beacons of truth come to bring him back to reality, how could he be any better than the others? He was a killer. All he did was cause harm. He had hurt Naomi before she died. He had hurt Jae, who, though he didn't want to believe it, was probably dead as well.

At that moment, he wished more than anything that he could've spoken to his brother one last time.

" _I tried so hard…"_ The words, hushed and faded, came without thought or action from Israel's lips. " _And got so far…"_ The echo of two voices singing as one filled his mind. A small, sad smile came over him as he continued, his voice gaining in strength, but only just. " _But in the end, it doesn't even matter."_

Their favorite song. When all else went awry, one could start singing and the other would always join in, their quarrels and arguments instantly forgotten.

" _I had to fall, to lose it all…"_ The words seemed to make more sense than they ever had before. It was almost as if, after everything, they had taken on new meaning. Perhaps such a thought wasn't a good thing. Perhaps the realization was some sad, pathetic irony. But it didn't matter. The words meant more than that, conveyed more than that. To him, they were a last link to his brother.

" _But in the end, it doesn't even…"_

Israel's voice trailed off as the sounds of movement from back towards the camp stiffened him. Footsteps, slow and weary, travelled lightly on the air as the next watch of tired sentries approached their posts. The current guards, eager for the chance to finally get some rest, paced or plodded expectantly. A few voices exchanged tired words in greeting, and than more footsteps as the newly relieved made for their tents.

Israel hadn't seen any of it, but he had heard it all. This was it.

Dislodging himself silently from the tree as he turned to examine the new men and their positions, Israel waited only until he knew who would die first, and who would die last. Then he was moving.

Approaching calmly, quietly from out of the fog on the eastern side of the camp first, he made straight for the first pair of exhausted sentries. Small, barely noticeable orange cursors hovered over their heads. Garbed in the usual black hoods and cloaks of Laughing Coffin, complete with the guild tattoos etched on their arms, the men looked no less menacing than any of the others he had seen and killed. Their weapons, a shortsword and one handed longsword respectively, were sheathed confidently at their belts, hidden every now and then by a movement from the cloaks.

He wasn't interested in fighting them.

He just wanted to kill them.

Emerging from the fog in one swift movement while their attention was drawn elsewhere, Israel descended upon them. A flash of red lit the night air in front him as Apocalypse came down on the further of the two men, cleaving his head and chest nearly in two. Before the pixelated shards had even begun to explode outward, Israel pivoted and brought Apocalypse up smoothly, severing the second man's head from his shoulders before he could so much as blink. The on death explosions sent a shower of shards outward in all directions, but Israel was already back in the fog and making for the next pair of sentries.

Wasting no time, Israel picked up the pace until he reached the next two red players, than dispatched them without ceremony just as he had the first pair. Disappearing again into the gloom as the pixelated shards burst apart around him, Israel held his breath briefly when one of the third pair of sentries turned and peered randomly in his direction. Only the fog prevented the player from seeing the shards.

Emerging from the trees in front of the third pair, Israel saw their surprised expressions for only a moment before he cut them down without mercy. The brutality of what he was doing, the violence of it, sent a surge of adrenaline in him that expelled the torturous feelings within him, albeit temporarily. He noted with no small amount of worry that it had taken the death of six people to kick in. His mind had been gradually growing numb to the pain he had been for so long inflicting, to the people he killed. He was beginning to fear that at some point in the future, not even the heat of battle would keep the misery away.

Closing in on the last pair of sentries, Israel was about to eliminate them when he suddenly noticed a third player behind them. Unarmed and with sleepy, red rimmed eyes and a yawn still etched onto his face, it was clear the warrior had just woken from sleep and come over to these two to talk. And then the three of them noticed him.

"What the-" The first guard exclaimed, his hand only just beginning to drop to his sword as Israel ran him through.

Pixelated shards burst apart, lighting the night air once again as the second guard slashed at Israel with sword in hand. At the same time, the tired third man who know longer looked so tired bolted deeper inside the small camp.

"To arms!" He screamed as he ran. "To arms! The Shadow of Death is here!"

Cursing under his breath as he dodged the wide slash from the second sentry, Israel went to yank Apocalypse from the still whole body of the first man only to find that it was lodged firm amidst bone and muscle. The second guard attacked again, this time roaring as he unleashed a powerful overhead blow.

Releasing the pommel of Apocalypse, Israel sidestepped the attack just in time and, curling his steel backed hand into a fist, punched the red player directly in the sternum with all his strength. The guard gasped as his chest imploded with a sickening crunch, the top of his ribcage caving in alongside it. Eyes wide, he staggered back briefly before his health hit zero and he shattered into a thousand pieces.

Quickly seizing hold of Apocalypse again, now on the ground due to the first sentry body's finally shattering, Israel shot forward at full sprint towards the command pavilion at the center of the small outpost even as all hell broke loose around him.

With the alarm now raised, weather worn tents shook and tumbled over as startled, half asleep players proceeded to either arm themselves or escape the camp as quickly as possible. The uproar of numerous cries, both confused and panicked, broke the silence of the foggy night as fires and torches came roaring to life throughout the outpost. Israel, eyes glued to the pavilion directly up the dirt trodden path in front of him, ignored the fleeing red players all around as he sprinted onwards.

Every now and then the occasional hero would attempt to engage him, but he rapidly dispatched them one by one as he ran without slowing, determined to reach the captain lest he slip away. One he cut down with Apocalypse, another he brained with a backhanded strike of his armored fist, while a third he had to kick away to make space before hastily running him through.

Emerging from the confused chaos that was now the the rest of the small camp, Israel was just in time to see the captain through the open tent flap of the pavilion. Standing at the back of the room, just in front of a wooden beam propping up the back end of the command tent, the red player's pale face was illuminated by the bluish, digital light of his open menu. Israel knew at once what he was doing.

Before he could take a step, Israel was stopped short by three red players as they charged him from the sides of the pavilion, blocking his way inside. Even as they closed in around him, he saw the teleport crystal materialize from the captain's inventory into his uplifted hand.

"Teleport-"

Hurling Apocalypse like a spear with all his strength, Israel watched as the weapon shot into the pavilion at lightning speed before burying itself into the captain's upheld forearm and pinning itself and the rest of his arm against the wooden beam. The teleport crystal fell to the floor as the captain screamed in pain.

The three red players charged forward, and Israel, now absent his sword, barely managed to sidestep away in time as one of them, armed with a spear, lunged for his heart. The second man swung his sword, and Israel desperately twisted away, but not before suffering a wicked looking cut along his side. Without conscious thought or effort, he drew the pain eagerly into himself, using it as timber to stoke the flames of his rage. By the time the third man brought his own blade down for the killing blow, Israel had had enough.

Raising his steel covered right arm horizontally above himself, Israel blocked the oncoming sword. The ring of clashing metal rang out sharply into the night at the impact. Pivoting to the left before his attacker could draw his sword back for another swing, Israel kicked his attacker square in the chest, knocking him from his feet.

Spinning around, Israel ducked the second man's swing as he closed the distance between them and, gripping his head in both arms before he could dart away, snapped his neck with one firm twist. Letting the corpse go limp as the player's health bar drained away, he quickly took up the dead player's sword and, after another dodge, ran the third man through.

By the time the warrior he had kicked down had gotten back to his feet, both of his comrades had shattered into pixelated shards. With fear in his eyes, the man nonetheless held his ground, quickly taking up a small wooden shield from the ground in his offhand as he advanced. The man's courage was wasting too much time.

Parrying the red player's opening jab with his newly acquired sword, Israel launched his armored fist. Seeing the attack coming, the player lifted his shield. Fragments of wood and metal studs splintered outward in all directions as the shield exploded against Israel's fist. There was a loud pop as the man's arm broke from the impact, but by the time he opened his mouth to scream, Israel had already buried his steel in his heart.

Wasting no time as the shards formed a thick mist around the outside of the pavilion, Israel raced inside. The captain, still shaking in pain as he attempted to open his menu with his other arm, went pale with fear as Israel stepped in front of him.

"I'm not in the mood for games," Israel said coldly through the mask that covered his mouth and nose, "you know who I am. You _will_ do exactly as I say, or I promise you, I'll make you regret being born before this night is over. Do you understand?"

The captain looked on the verge of tears as he nodded against the pain of his pinned arm.

"Anything. Please. What is it you want?"

"Delete your friend list and quit Laughing Coffin. Now."

With trembling fingers, the captain hastily obeyed. Though his black hood was still on and partially covering his head, Israel could see enough of his terrified, tear stained face to know that he looked about the same age as him, maybe twenty-one or twenty-two.

 _Not much of a captain._

As soon as the man had finished erasing all traces to PoH and Laughing Coffin, Israel yanked Apocalypse free of his arm and unceremoniously bashed the pommel against his head, knocking him unconscious. Opening his menu with his right hand, he withdrew a corridor crystal and activated it beside them. Dragging the captain behind him, Israel stepped through the portal.

…

"Hurry up!" Israel roared into the captain's ear as he searched through the man's inventory. "How long does it take to write a few names?"

Tensing against the chains that bound him to the makeshift table, the captain's teeth chattered loudly as he attempted to write faster. The quill in his shaking hand was rapidly creating a pool of dripped ink over the paper.

"Faster."

"I'm sorry!" The captain exclaimed, "I'm writing as fast as I can, but there are dozens of names to write down!"

"And their locations. Don't forget that."

The captain hesitated. "I don't completely know their exact-"

Israel rolled his eyes as he continued scrolling through the man's inventory in search of anything useful. "Their guilds, you idiot! Write down their guilds and their positions within-"

Israel froze, his finger halted in midair before the name of the item he was seeing in the captain's inventory:

 _Divine Stone of Returning Soul_

Returning Soul. He had heard of that somewhere once before. Racking his brain, Israel dimly recalled one of the volumes in the Treehouse, the place that had once been his and Sara's home. The book, filled with fantastical lore on Aincrad just like all the others, had mentioned a myth about a goddess or elf creating a stone that could resurrect the dead. It had been called the Divine Stone of Returning Soul.

Israel mouth went dry as visions of Naomi flashed in his head, her laughter ringing faintly in his ears. His heart twisted in agony at how much he missed her. How much he wanted to bring her back. Could it be real?

Could he save her?

Selecting the item with trembling fingers, Israel stood still as stone as he watched the rock materialize in his hand. Oval in shape, and with a thin metal wire frame bordering it's every edge, the Divine Stone fit almost perfectly in the palm of his hand. It almost seemed to emit a faint bluish glow, though it could also just as easily be the stone's natural bright color. Gingerly turning it over, Israel saw an engraved phrase written in a flowing script:

 _For those loved, and lost to us_

He remembered waking up beside her on those warm Floor One mornings, her luxurious hair in perfect disarray as she smiled at him through sleepy, gorgeous eyes. Her beauty had never failed to astound him. Her special smile, the one that she only ever gave him, could have turned winter to spring.

Tears stung his eyes, watering his vision as he stared at the stone in his shaking hand. He wanted her back so badly.

"Where did you get this?" Israel managed to ask through gritted teeth, forcing his voice to remain indifferent.

The captain's quill stopped moving the moment he looked over his shoulder.

"That...I…"

" _Where_?" Israel asked, more sharply this time to voice the unspoken threat.

The captain looked down at the paper before him in fear. "During an ambush. The Infiltrators answer to me. I coordinated the first wave of attacks against Assault Team targets. The wolf packs, though not under my authority normally, served in my operation and therefore reported back on both targets eliminated and any loot obtained-"

"Who had it?"

"A man named Klein. He, he is leader of one of the lesser Assault Team guilds called the Fuurinkazan. The wolf pack sent to eliminate him conducted the attack at his camp, and much loot was obtained in spite of the failure of the primary goal." The captain hesitated. "Once they brought it back, I saw to it that it was confiscated-"

"You mean you took it for yourself." Israel snapped darkly. "Can't go wrong with a little extra safety insurance, right? You probably would have cut your own men's throats in order to have this stone safely in your inventory. You have to be one of the most cowardly Laughing Coffin members I've met thus far, you know that?"

The captain, head hanging limply, wrung his hands in silence.

Turning his attention back to the stone as Naomi continued to dance in his vision, Israel forced himself to take a breath. Was it possible? Was he about to see the woman he loved again? What would he say? What would he do? What would she say to him? His pounding heart threatened to careen out of control.

Opening his menu to read how to use the stone, Israel's eyes became suddenly drawn to the description written below it.

 _Revive a fallen Player, but be warned: the Divine Stone of Returning Soul can only be used once. Must administer to affected Player within ten seconds of death._

Israel's hopes shattered in his chest, his heart dropping.

 _Within ten seconds._

There was no saving her. He should've known.

Naomi's heartbroken face, the last time he had seen her, wouldn't leave Israel's eyes. Her distant crying from the other side of the door in his ears threatened to destroy what remained of his soul. He wished he could obliterate the stone in his hand.

"Did you write down all the names?" Israel asked quietly, his eyes still focused on the cursed thing in his hand.

"I did, every Infiltrator. I swear."

Israel nodded. "Good."

The ring of steel echoed around the rock wall of the cave as Apocalypse cleared it's sheath.

"No, please-"

One swing, and Israel severed the red player's head from his neck, sending it toppling to the ground. Just before landing, it shattered into pixelated shards along with the rest of his body.

Standing amidst the floating shards, Israel forced his eyes closed, banishing the visions from his sight.

"Shut up."


	98. Chapter 97

97

May 12th, 2024

Floor 1, Black Iron Palace

"Why did you attack our column?" Vivienne asked for what felt like the hundredth time as she stood above her prisoner.

He remained silent, as he usually did when not spouting curses. Virtually the only information she had gotten out of him since his capture was his name: Ryn.

"Before these attacks started, Laughing Coffin never caused problems for the Assault Team. Why are the frontline guilds now being targeted so aggressively?"

Gazing up at her past long strands of filthy brown hair, Ryn answered only with a leering grin.

Chained to the seat he was in and bound from the ankles up in rolled metal links made by the Army's blacksmith, the red player looked no better than the last time she had come to visit him in pursuit of answers. Without his signature cloak or hood, he no longer appeared as inhuman as when she had first seen him, but in his eyes remained the chilling look of a predator.

Accustomed only to death and the suffering of others for his own benefit, it was clear that whatever he had been before Aincrad, Ryn was now as much a beast as he was a man, if not more so. Whenever he looked her body up and down with those lurid glances of his, Vivienne felt her skin crawl in violation. Each time he saw that his unspoken thoughts had been noticed by the look of disgust on her face, he would wink or grin in silent promise.

Vivienne shook her head at him in bewilderment. "Are you too stupid to realize that by not cooperating, you only make this worse for yourself?"

Ryn barked a laugh, pounding the palms of his chained open hands on the table to emphasize his amusement. "Worse, eh? Even if I believed you green players had the mettle to try and make me talk- which I don't- I'm ready to die in service to Laughing Coffin."

Vivienne flashed a mocking smile. "Words of bravery are always a coward's first gambit-"

"Shut up and stop wasting my time, you filthy whore."

Striding forward from Vivienne's left without hesitation, Avari backhanded Ryn's face with her mail backed hand hard enough to send him reeling back into his chair, his filth streaked hair whipping around his face and a long string of blood trailing across his cheek from his mouth as he cried out in surprise.

"Avari…" Vivienne whispered in quiet authority.

Ignoring her, Avari waited for Ryn to get his bearings back before speaking in a lethal tone.

"If you don't start watching your mouth when you speak to her, you really will end up dead."

Unperturbed, and with hot rage now brimming over in his predatory eyes, Ryn shot Avari a truly menacing glare.

"Go on then, bitch. Kill me. Send me to whatever afterlife might be in store for us at the end of all this. It'll be so worth it to see the look on your faces when you all wake up right there beside me." He leaned in, a smile stretching it's way onto his mud caked features. "I won't be waiting for you long."

Avari tensed, but before she could strike again, Vivienne laid a gentle hand on her shoulder, urging her back. She gave way grudgingly and stepped slowly back beside David and Thinker, both of whom stood silently in the back of the tiny cell with their arms folded in worry across their chests. Meifan stood quietly in the corner, leaning against his tower shield as he watched as intently as a mother hawk.

Focusing his attention back to Vivienne, Ryn continued his narrative.

"No, I won't be waiting long at all. Then, when we're all frying in the same pan, and you don't have your friends to protect you or that flimsy sword of yours, I'll be sure to pay you back double what you owe me. After I've finished pounding your face in and breaking your spine so you don't squirm, I'll spread those pretty legs of yours and fuck you raw-"

In an instant, Vivienne's saber was out of its sheath and pressed against Ryn's throat. It's razor edge gleamed in delight as it caught a small trickle of blood, causing his health bar to dip ever so slightly.

Slowly, calmly, Vivienne leaned in until their faces were only inches apart. She could see the reflection of her quiet fury in his eyes as he watched her.

"Go on," She whispered, "don't stop your sweet talking on my account." She pressed the blade harder as her voice took on an icy edge. "I dare you."

Ryn studied Vivienne's gaze as a heavy silence descended over the small, filthy cell. Behind her, Vivienne could hear the tense breathing of Avari, David, Meifan, and Thinker all behind her. Ryn's own breath smelled like fetid meat as he inhaled and exhaled with calm, calculated intent.

At last, after a long moment of invisible battling, Ryn broke his gaze and backed off from both her and her saber, leaning back in his chair as he ran his fingers through his hair with both hands.

"You want me to tell you what I know? Fine, I'll talk. It won't help you any, though."

Vivienne scowled. "I'm in no mood for riddles."

"It's no riddle. You see, I'm just a grunt. I follow my orders and kill who I'm told to kill. In exchange I get a percentage of the loot from every corpse I leave in my wake. Best job I ever had, but it doesn't exactly come with much prestige. The inner circle is beyond my pay grade. Hell, I could serve a hundred years and never even meet the high ups, let alone PoH."

Vivienne frowned. "PoH?"

Ryn waved away the question nonchalantly with his bound hands, the chains clanging softly. "He's the leader of Laughing Coffin. The mastermind behind our whole operation. Now PoH, he doesn't like giving intel over to just anyone. He's incredibly secretive. Only a select few, his inner circle sworn to silence, are informed of his plans, and even they don't know everything." He brought up a dirt and grime covered finger, a small grin lighting up his face. "But as I'm sure you know, rumors have a way of getting around in guilds."

Vivienne leaned closer. "What rumors?"

Ryn shrugged. "Like I said, I'm just a lowly foot soldier. We don't get told the specifics. Hell, we don't get told anything for fear of our capture or betrayal. But what I do know? PoH's planning something. Something big. Right under all your snub noses. Which can only mean that every one of you is going to die, and sooner rather than later." He started chuckling, his eyes taking on a sadistic glow as he peered at her. "And you want to know the best part? None of you are even going to know what hit you."

Straightening as she withdrew her sword, it was all Vivienne could do not to run him through where he sat as his chuckling grw louder, each dreadful laugh bouncing off the moss covered walls of the cell as he stared at her with his unblinking, terrible eyes.

Closing the cell door behind her once the last of them had stepped out into the dark, narrow hall lined with hundreds of other, identical cells, Vivienne sheathed her saber and glanced to Thinker.

"Which is the way out?"

"You want to leave?" Avari asked in disbelief. "He just started talking for the first time since the Army brought him back here-"

"He was telling the truth." Vivienne said calmly. "He's a nobody among the red players. He told us everything he knew, and even that was just speculation and rumor."

David frowned. "How can you be sure?"

Vivienne shrugged. "He didn't want to die. He covered it well, but when he fell for my bluff and believed I was prepared to kill him, his final gambit was to tell us whatever he had heard, paltry though it was."

Thinker nodded. "I believe Vivienne is correct. After all, what kind of guild would risk sending anyone of importance to a potential fight? This Ryn is a pawn, just like the others we've captured and brought here since the attacks started. Laughing Coffin must have made sure to only risk those who were expendable, those who knew practically nothing."

"And those who knew well how to kill." David noted. "Like dogs."

Thinker nodded in agreement. "It seems this PoH is no fool. That makes Ryn's revelation, rumor though it is, that much more of a viable threat."

Meifan ran a hand through his hair in restless anxiety. "Rumor or not, I've got chills running up and down my spine after that."

Grabbing a torch from off a dusty, rusted iron sconce on the wall, Vivienne held it aloft to better light the hall as she started back the way they had come. "I know exactly how you feel."

Taking the lead once they reached the first intersection, Thinker guided them back through the maze of dark, menacing corridors that made up the prison beneath the Black Iron Palace proper. They had already been in the prison several times since Ryn's capture, but navigating such depths was no easy feat.

Torches lined the walls at regular intervals to illuminate the place, but many weren't lit and those that were seemed to be fighting a losing battle to keep the dark at bay in such a vast place. Hundreds of cells, each sealed by a door made of iron bars, lined both sides of each corridor. As they walked, Vivienne mentally noted that though the vast majority of the place remained empty and forlorn, the prison was slowly, inevitably, beginning to fill with killers.

"Have any of the other red players you captured said anything of worth?" Vivienne asked Thinker in hushed tones as their little column plodded on through the halls.

The guild leader sighed and shook his head, his grey trench coat billowing out behind him as he walked beside her. "Nothing. The more I come in contact with them, the more I begin to see the level of sheer fanaticism within their guild. They are killers who believe killing to be their calling, their gift. All practically worship their guild leader, PoH. They would sooner die than betray anything about him or Laughing Coffin, even if they did have information valuable to us" He paused. "Some of my men believe that they are too far gone, that nothing short of death will ever change them at this point."

"They might be right." David said quietly.

Turning a final corner, Thinker gestured to the closed door that greeted them, guarded on either side by a towering Army soldier, both covered from head to toe in grey plate armor.

"That's the door we came through. Remember? Past it and down the hall is the teleport gate I showed you last time."

"Thank you, Thinker." Vivienne said, handing the torch to him as he held his hand out. "You're staying here?"

"For a little while longer, yes. There's a prisoner my men captured in the most recent ambush that I haven't yet interrogated." He shrugged. "Who knows, maybe I'll get lucky and he'll have something useful to say. Now then, you should probably leave. You never know when Kibaou could be snooping-"

As if on queue, the mighty oak door swung outward as Kibaou and a half dozen other men, officers by the looks of them, entered the dungeon. Taking them all in before him, Kibaou's face changed in a blink from somber and serious to the brink of murderous rage.

"What luck." Avari muttered under her breath.

"What is this?" Kibaou exploded. "Holy Dragon Alliance bastards in my headquarters? But not just any HDA scum, oh no! What, did you think you could hide away down here? Appropriate accommodations for you lot, I'll admit, but that doesn't make this any better! This is an act of spying! That's hostile behavior and as such, fair grounds for open warfare between-"

"Kibaou," Thinker interrupted, clasping his hands behind his back as he stepped forward, "They aren't spies. They are here at my invitation to help interrogate the prisoners-"

"You dare!" Kibaou shrieked, the vein in his forehead bulging violently as his voice echoed down the dark corridors. "You dare to defy another one of my orders and bring _Holy Dragon Alliance_ members here, into _my_ base? You dare to bring none other than Jae's personal bitch to our home-"

"You forget yourself, Kibaou." Thinker declared sternly. "You are not sole commander of this guild. I am not beholden to your orders, just as you are not beholden to mine."

Silence permeated the room for what seemed like an eternity as Kibaou stared in silent, seething rage at Thinker, who maintained a composed, albeit heated, demeanor as he stared right back. The half dozen officers behind Kibaou all had hands to swords. Though she wasn't looking behind her, Vivienne already knew that her friends were ready to clear weapons from sheaths as well. Green players had never before crossed blades against each other with lethal intent, and she hoped they never would, but at that moment, it seemed far too likely. If the situation escalated any further, they risked a potential bloodbath right there at the prison gates.

As much as she hoped the dungeon was within the safe zone restrictions like the rest of the castle, Vivienne doubted her luck.

"You would do well to remember that you no longer hold the higher number within this guild, Thinker," Kibaou growled. "And your supporters continue to dwindle. Soon, I will have enough power to do as I wish, regardless of your decisions."

"I find that hard to believe." Avari sniped from Vivienne's left. "Considering you're just about the stupidest human being I've ever met."

Kibaou yanked his sword clear of it's sheath.

Avari grinned devilishly as she reached for the greatsword at her back, but Vivienne jumped in between them with arms extended. She wasn't about to let all hell break loose on her watch.

"Kibaou," she said with grim authority. "You know me from your time on the frontlines. I didn't come here to provoke you. Since you are clearly not happy with us being here, my men and I will be leaving immediately, and no HDA member will return again without first obtaining permission from _both_ guild leaders of the Army. You have my word."

The tension seemed to visibly ease as Kibaou hesitated, than slowly returned his longsword to the sheath at his side. He smirked at her.

"Thank you, Officer Vivienne. The next time I'm in need of a whore, I'll be sure to give you my personal permission."

Like lightning, Avari made for Kibaou's throat. Vivienne knew that this time, she wouldn't be able to hold her back. Before the rampaging woman had taken two steps, however, David yanked her back around, forcing her to face him as he took her hand and whispered something in her ear. Avari nodded grudgingly, then grew still.

"Let's go." Vivienne said at once as she started past Kibaou and his men. She wasn't about to risk another close call.

Once they were on the other side of the door, Vivienne wasted no time in shutting it behind her to add a further buffer between her friends and Kibaou. Gesturing for them to follow, she made her way to the teleport gate in the center of the room, it's base and sides thrumming with light and energy as it expanded and contracted, almost like a sentient being. In spite of her own heated blood, she looked over her shoulder at David and Avari holding hands and grinned.

"You two are just the cutest."

David blushed in embarrassment. Avari's face went red for an entirely different reason.

"How can you make a joke right now? We should be going back there and hacking off that little shit's testicles for what he said to you."

Vivienne shook her head as she stepped onto the platform leading to the base of the teleport gate. "That would cause far more harm than good. Besides, we have bigger problems right now. Much bigger, apparently."

Stepping up beside her as the four of them squeezed their way into the teleport gate, Meifan offered a small, proud smile.

"You handled that well, Viv. I was sweating there for a moment."

"You and me both."

"Good thing Jae wasn't here," he remarked, "Or a war would've just broken out."

Vivienne arched an eyebrow at him as she smiled slyly. "Why do you think I didn't bring him along?"

…

Dodging Jae's swing, Vivienne caught a brief glimpse of Starfire's blue tinted blade end as it pierced the air where she had been standing half a second ago. Without hesitation, she followed up with a relentless advance, letting loose a flurry of blows as she forced herself forward. He had the advantage of reach, but if she managed to close to the distance and break past his guard, his double bladed staff would become his doom.

Planting his feet in a determined stance, Jae brought Starfire up with remarkable speed, twirling it in his hands with deadly grace and skill as he deflected her attacks one after the other, each clash emitting a sharp clang as his metal coated staff struck the razor edge of her saber. With her screen of safety now gone and exposed to his staff at close range, Vivienne watched as he slashed out with both blades of the mighty weapon, changing his hand position constantly as he showered her with blows. Using the speed of her saber, Vivienne fended off his initial assault with glancing blocks and rapid counter lunges, but these measures quickly began to fail and she knew she couldn't hold off the full power of his barrage. She saw the expectant look of triumph on his face as he closed for the kill.

Pivoting on her heel just as he committed to a heavy attack, Vivienne darted to the side, away from the onslaught and forcing him to reface.

Pausing to collect her thick mane of brown hair that had come undone from it's braid during the bout, Vivienne planted her sword in the ground and looked past Jae to the large crowd of HDA members filling the Castellan Keep courtyard, their silver and blue armor glinting in the noonday sun as they watched, transfixed.

"Mobs have patterns," she said loudly so that all could here, "algorithms. By learning those algorithms, we grow accustomed to planning when we can take our breaks; catch our breaths, or heal." She shook her head. "That kind of thinking is death against other players. You will not get a break. You will not get any time to heal. Your opponent will be upon you at all times, at every moment. In his determination to kill you, he will keep the pressure up until you make a mistake and are at his mercy."

Stepping up beside her, Jae planted one of the bladed ends of Starfire into the dirt. Sweat beaded his brow, but his breathing remained level as he gaze out at the faces assembled before them.

"I hope you all paid close to attention to what Vivienne did there: in disengaging, she saved herself from what otherwise would have been sure death. In side stepping to my side, she brought the battle back to even conditions for both of us. All the ground I had gained, the momentum I had secured, was stolen just-" he snapped his fingers- "like that. Never forget that should the battle be going poorly, you may need to to do just that rather than try to hold your ground."

The crowd nodded collectively as they listened.

"The red players are ruthless." Vivienne continued for him without missing a beat. "Brutal. I saw them, saw what they can do. I fought them in battle, as you all know. They are fearless, strong, and deadly in combat. Their objective in a fight is simply to eliminate, by whatever means necessary. To crush whatever resistance they face. They will not hesitate to kill any one of us, and to do it as quickly as possible. Confident in the knowledge that they understand player versus player combat better than anyone else in Aincrad, they expect you to fight as though you were going up against mobs. Should any of you ever come face to face with one of them, you cannot afford to make that mistake."

"With that in mind," Jae said, "It's time to start today's session of training. Split off into pairs and practice attacking and defending against one another, applying various levels of force. At all times, remember that you are facing a foe without a set pattern of attack. A foe that will gauge what you can do over time and use that knowledge to his or her advantage. Always keep your guard up in preparation for a counterattack, do not overextend yourselves, and no matter what else happens, do not use your sword skills."

Springing to action at his command, the crowd hastily split up and began assembling into two long lines of paired warriors. When everyone was in position, the mass of duels commenced, filling the air with the inundating ring of steel and din of battle as sword clashed against sword, spears and axes thudded against shields, and maces and flails smashed into plate armor.

Standing silently together before the conflagration of violence, Jae and Vivienne watched their men train.

"How did the trip to Army HQ go this morning?" Jae asked above the clamor without looking over at her.

Tying her hair back into it's braid at her back, Vivienne shrugged casually.

"Same as usual. A waste of time."

Jae sighed. "You know, they say honesty is the most important part of a healthy relationship."

"Really? I thought it was the sex."

Jae rounded on her with arms crossed over his muscular chest. "Something happened with Kibaou. You hiding it means it must not have been good. What did he do?"

Vivienne blinked at him. "How did you know?"

He waved a hand irritably. "It wasn't hard to piece together. You come back on edge, Avari looks ready to spit fire, and even Meifan was clearly heated by the look on his face. The only times I've known him to get angry are when he thinks you're being mistreated or in danger."

Vivienne raised her eyebrows. "I like this sleuth side of you. It's very attractive."

"Vivienne." Jae said through ground teeth.

She raised her arms in annoyed surrender. "Alright, Kibaou was being Kibaou and got angry when he found out we were there. He muttered the usual filth to try to work us up, but Thinker and I kept things under control and we left. Nothing happened. It's alright, I promise."

Jae got quiet as he looked back out over the crowd of fighting men, apparently mulling over the answer in his mind.

"Sorry."

She smiled over at him. "Nothing to be sorry for. You were worried, is all."

"Did the prisoner say anything new?"

It was Vivienne's turn to sigh as she returned her gaze to the fighting men and women stretched across the courtyard before them. "He doesn't know anything important. He's a grunt, expendable, just like the others that have been captured since then." She paused, lowering her voice as her mind became taken with dark thoughts. "But today, he confirmed my suspicions."

Jae turned to face her. "And what suspicions might those be?"

Vivienne took a breath. "I fear the Assault Team has made a grave mistake in ignoring the red player threat, and that now things have gone beyond our control." She met his gaze. "I fear that we may have spelled our own doom."

…

"I'm not calling it that." Israel said resolutely as he sat down opposite Tristan.

"Oh come on," the shop owner implored, though his attention seemed more riveted on the golden colored cat Companion walking along his shoulder as it purred. "Simba's a great name for him. In fact, if I can get my hands on a fashion item seller NPC back in one of the towns, I'm sure I could find a little mane for him and-"

"Can we please get back to the matter at hand here? I just don't have much time to waste and, seeing as this tavern in the middle of nowhere isn't color restricted, I'd rather not overstay our welcome."

Straightening in his chair, Tristan gently took hold of his cat and set it down in the chair beside him. Unperturbed, and still purring, the animal began rubbing it's head enthusiastically against his thigh.

"I just don't see how I could be of any help in identifying these Infiltrators."

Israel leaned forward over the table laden with roast mutton and mugs of beer, pleased to be back on track. "Not so much identifying them- I already have their names."

Tristan frowned. "Sure, but you've never seen them before. How will you know what they look-"

"Sara was with us for quite some time. I learned a trick or two from her. In this case, Scrying Potions. With them, all I would need to do is utter one of the names from off the list and the potion will show me not only what they look like, but also their immediate surroundings for thirty seconds."

"I see." Tristan paused to give his cat a scratch behind the ears and toss it a piece of mutton. "I don't imagine Scrying Potions are easy to make, though."

Israel dipped his head with a dramatic sigh. "I'm afraid not. Very few potion makers beside Sara are advanced enough in levels to make them."

"Which, naturally, means that I somehow need to get involved?"

Israel tore off a chunk of mutton. "I knew you were the right man for the job."

Tristan stopped petting his cat and shook his head as he leaned back.

"I can acquire some Scrying Potions through trade and barter, sure, but it would be more time effective- and less costly- to just ask Sara to make a batch or two for us. Why don't I message her-"

"No." Israel said at once. "Tristan, Sara is one of the most wanted people in all of Aincrad now. Laughing Coffin wants her head at least as much as they want mine. I suspect PoH wants to punish her- personally- in ways I don't want to even begin to contemplate. There are wolf packs after me every moment of every day. The whole reason I left her was because I wanted to keep her as safe as possible. If she's with me, her life is at risk."

"Her life is at risk anyway." Tristan argued softly. "They're after her too. All alone, who knows what could happen to her-"

"She's still safer alone than with me." Israel said sternly. "We aren't dragging her into even more danger, Tristan. I'm not changing my mind."

Tristan studied his gaze for a moment, than sighed and returned to petting his cat.

"Alright, so you want me to help by gathering up some Scrying Potions for you. That it?"

Israel took a swig of beer. "Not quite."


	99. Chapter 98

98

May 13th, 2024

Floor 55, Granzam Castle

"Get your items, gear, and weapons right here for a limited time only!" Tristan said cheerily as he pushed his heavily laden cart forward through the outer gates of the mighty castle of Granzam. "Your favorite shop is now portable, and brings with it new deals and bargains!"

Here and there members of the Knights of the Blood-Oath, most still garbed in their battle colors of white and red in spite of the fact that they were within their home, glanced his way curiously as they walked past. Most, however, didn't seem to notice him.

Stepping out from the shadow of the thick stone outer wall now behind him, Tristan pressed on into the outer courtyard, or as the KoB liked to call it, the Castle Grounds. Despite the fact that he had seen it several times already on previous mobile trading expeditions, the place never ceased to strike him with its unique beauty.

Though there was little greenery or flora in the fortress, or perhaps because of it, the Castle Grounds boasted a far more fascinating environment. Dozens of trees, each made of expertly hand carved stone and brought to life with the meticulous details and characteristics that only masters could emulate, lined the steel riveted pathways leading through and around the metallic courtyard.

Everything, from the jagged bark to the split branches to the decadent and innumerable leaves composing the boughs, though it had been crafted with such skill that it appeared almost alive and real, was nevertheless pure stone in all its forms, from granite mixed with limestone to travertine lined with veins of slate. The mixture of stone provided a slew of colors to gaze upon, all swirling and coalescing up the trunks. It was a marvel.

Crowded around the base of each tree, like an eager audience awaiting some leader's speech, were positioned hundreds of stone and metal flowers, with petals so thin and delicate that Tristan almost believed he could crush one between his thumb and forefinger. Though all seemed to stand proudly and with purpose, no two flowers appeared to be the same: every kind he had ever known existed, from roses and buttercups to irises and gladiolus, had a spot among the host of still, unmoving floral statues.

Whether it was a celebration of craftsmanship, or an appreciation for nature in the midst of a small world of steel and metal and rock, Tristan had no idea. Truth be told, there was little he enjoyed more than pondering the answer each time he arrived here.

"Aren't you based down in Army land, Master Tristan?" One big man clad in white and red armor asked as he paused in front of Tristan's cart.

Tristan smiled. "Greetings, friend. My central shop is located on Floor One, yes-"

"Then what brings you all the way up here?" The man's expression darkened. "They pay you to spy on us, too?"

In his peripheral vision, Tristan could see that a few KoB members had halted to witness his reply to the not so subtle accusation. He wondered if any of them were the two he was after.

"I'm flattered you think me daring enough to pull off such a roguish job," Tristan began with a grin, "But to tell you the truth, my day to day activities are nowhere near as exciting. No, I'm just here to do my part in supporting our brave forces on the frontline." he leaned in over his cart confidentially, but he kept his voice loud enough for the growing crowd to hear him. "And to see for myself if the women of the KoB are as beautiful as everyone claims."

The small crowd chuckled in amusement as one or two of the men turned to jab playfully at their blushing female companions.

The big man's suspicious gaze dissolved into a good natured grin as he stepped forward.

"Well, my good man, I'm afraid you'll have to get in line. I'd say every woman in this guild is drop dead gorgeous, but there are only five of them, and each is unfortunately taken."

"Even your Second in Command? The famous Lightning Flash Asuna?"

The man laughed as he clapped Tristan on the shoulder. "You dream big, don't you, shopkeeper?"

"Only where women are involved."

That brought another laugh from the crowd, now two or three dozen strong. Tristan was surprised; he was attracting even more attention than he had hoped for. With luck, at least one of the two Infiltrators would be among them.

 _I should be an actor._

"Don't give the poor man false hopes now Mark!" One of the men in the crowd shouted as he laughed. "Let him down easy."

Mark nodded mournfully. "Right you are, Godfree. You see, my friend, our Second in Command isn't exactly the type interested in a relationship. Frankly, you'd be lucky to get out of there without a slap in the face. She hits harder than you'd think."

Tristan made a show of mulling the information around in his mind before clapping Mark on the back with a bold smile. "Well, I suppose I'll just have to see for myself when I work my way over to your Citadel, won't I? Who knows, perhaps I've got something you big strong Assault Team fellows don't."

Mark laughed. "I don't think you've got much of a chance, Master Tristan, but I admire your bravery and wish you the best of luck."

"Thank you very much, my friend. Since it appears the odds are against me today, what say you lend a friend a hand and purchase some of my wares? If all goes as you predict, I'll need at least enough in my pockets to drink away the harsh sting of rejection."

"What kind of person would I be to deny a fellow man our greatest solace in life? Show me what you have."

Quickly removing the lids from several boxes atop the cart, Tristan wasted no time in venerating and appraising the contents of his wares, showing Mark and the crowd everything from the newest swords he had obtained to various reptiles and rodents needed to feed Companions. As he spoke, he made sure to constantly mention new deals and bargains made exclusively and only once in a lifetime for the KoB, as he always did when working around a guild of some sort.

In short order, money began to flow from his pockets as Tristan enthusiastically plied his wares to the crowd he had obtained, showing them some of his rarest items, listing prices, and haggling deals all while ranting about some story or another to keep them entertained and, more importantly, distracted from those listed prices. He had just been leading up to a particularly scandalous- and almost believable- climax about a time he had found himself on trial within the Keep of the Holy Dragon Alliance for purportedly sleeping with a married guild member, who had actually orchestrated the whole thing as retribution for his 'high prices,' when a message notification from Israel appeared at the top right of his vision. That was what he had been waiting for.

Turning briefly away from the crowd around the cart as they examined and probed his wares happily among themselves, Tristan opened the message and read it quickly.

 _The black haired girl walking by in uniform and wearing a shortsword to your left. She's one of two stationed here. Name is Abbey. The other is male, named Ohtar. Remember, you have to sell it. Be tough._

Closing the message at once, Tristan wasted no time and began pulling the cart along behind him as he spoke to the gathered Clearers.

"Sorry, everyone, but I can only spare so much time here and I need to make sure I reach every major area of Granzam before I leave. If you still wish to purchase something, meet me at the Inner Gate, for that is where I am headed next."

"But Tristan," Mark complained, "you didn't finish the story!"

"I'm afraid the ending is too mature for one of your years, young man. I'll return to finish it when you're older."

The crowd laughed heartily at the joke, as did Mark, before finally departing to go back about their business.

Pulling the heavy cart faster behind him as he picked up the pace, Tristan looked around until he at last caught sight of the girl. Her long, jet black hair contrasted sharply with the female version of the KoB armored uniform she wore, flowing down past her shoulders as she moved casually against an updraft breeze, probably on her way to the living quarters within Granzam. A short sword was sheathed at her left side, and a small metal buckler was strapped to her back. A green cursor hovered quietly above her, along with her full health bar and guild insignia.

 _One really has no way of telling who they might be._

"Excuse me, miss," Tristan called out pleasantly as he closed the distance between them, his cart rumbling loudly behind him along the steel walkways. "You look like you could use some new-"

"Save it shopkeeper," she replied curtly without looking back, "I'm in a hurry and I don't have any interest in buying right now."

Forcing himself not to hesitate in playing the part, Tristan released his cart and reached out, grabbing her hand.

 _Be tough._

"You're going to have an interest in what I have to say."

Spinning around aggressively as her face contorted with rage, the young woman yanked her hand away.

"Lay a hand on me again and I'll cut it off, you-"

"Since you don't know who I am, I'll let the threat go this time. But if you speak to me like that again, you'll be very sorry you did, _Abby._ "

In the midst of fury, the woman blinked in surprise . "What...how do you know my-"

Tristan leaned close. "Don't bother me with stupid questions, girl, I don't have time for them. I'm here to deliver a message to both you and Ohtar as the two Chosen working here."

Abby froze in her tracks. All anger fled her expression as she studied Tristan's eyes with newfound caution. "A message? From who?"

Tristan cocked his head. "Who do you think might want to reprimand his underlings for their poor service?"

The color drained from Abby's face. "You mean...the Captain-"

"You want to get us caught?" Tristan hissed as he gestured at various KoB members walking past on their own business. "You want your guild to discover who you really are?"

Abby shook her head.

"Then stop talking and listen carefully, for I will not repeat myself." Tristan lowered his voice and scanned the area around them for effect as he spoke. "The message I am to deliver is that you and Ohtar are ordered to report to the Parched Grove precisely one hour from now. He will meet you there and give you your newest instructions on your job here- after your punishment."

Abby shook her head in shock as her eyes darted about.

"Punishment? But, but what for? We haven't-"

"You think you know better than your commander, Abby?"

She took a worried breath. "No, no, it's not that-"

"Than stop jabbering and remove yourself from my sight before people begin to grow suspicious of something. And next time you see me, I expect to be called sir as befits my rank among us."

Tristan took a step back, but just as he made to turn and return to pushing his cart, Abby caught his arm in a desperate grip.

"Sir," she urged in a low, panicked voice, "I'm here only to obey, but to do this, to up and leave Granzam on such short notice...there are complications-"

"What complications?" Tristan growled. "You'll only be gone for a few hours."

Abby began rubbing her temple with two fingers as she spoke. "Well, for one, Ohtar is scheduled to take part in the next rotation shift in the Labyrinth with Commander Heathcliff within the hour."

"He'll have to run late. Help him come up with some excuse if you have to." Tristan paused when he saw her hesitate. "What's the other complication?"

Abby shifted her weight uncomfortably. "My fiance is expecting me at his place within the Citadel for dinner, sir."

Tristan raised his eyebrows. "Your what?"

"It's a ruse," Abby quickly explained. "I don't care for him. I did it to help secure my cover here. He's an important officer here among the KoB, and I figured it would be beneficial if I got close to him: it would be easy to eliminate him or obtain vital information should such orders ever come through."

"I see." Tristan exhaled. "Well, I have to say, I'm impressed with your dedication and foresight."

"Thank you, sir, but there's still the matter of-"

Tristan threw his arms angrily into the air. "Cancel the dinner. Stand him up. I don't care what you do. I don't care what complications you face. You and Ohtar _will_ obey your orders. Am I clear?"

Abbey nodded. "You are, sir. I will see it done. We will be there in an hour."

With a dip of his head, Tristan turned back to his cart and began pulling it along past the stunned and worried woman standing before him.

"Get your items, gear, and weapons, right here!" He called out cheerily from side to side as he smiled amicably at passersby. "Your favorite shop is now portable, and for a limited time, half price on all items for Assault Team members!"

…

Israel heard them coming long before he saw them.

Trampling through the half dead shrubbery and trees that made up the Parched Grove as they were, stomping carelessly over dead branches, brown pinecones, and rotted leaves, a deaf man could've tracked them. As it was, Israel's detection and honed awareness within wildlife surroundings made it almost impossible for anything to wander the vicinity without his knowledge.

Even then, as he heard and watched the two KoB Infiltrators approaching the meeting place Tristan had sent them to, he could also make out the faint shrieking of two squirrels having a heated argument some three hundred yards behind him, the ruffle of leaves as a snake slithered through some sort of clearing far off ahead, and the quiet, purposeless footsteps of a mob as it wandered passively through the dense and dying undergrowth some ways off to the right.

He could also hear the clanking of armor from a third player some distance back from the two Infiltrators, and drawing closer.

Israel frowned. Could it be that the two Laughing Coffin moles suspected something, and were trying to spring a trap?

 _No. If they expected a fight, they would've brought more than one player as back up, even if they didn't know it was me waiting for them._

Closing his eyes to better take in the noises that travelled the stuffy, humid air, Israel craned his ears to make out the sound of any other players nearby. There were none.

He frowned again. Who was the third player? It wasn't Tristan, that much was obvious by the weight of the steps. Beyond that, though, he had no idea.

"Punishment for what?" The man, Ohtar, spoke up as the two of them drew closer. "For doing our jobs?"

"Does it look like I know the answer?" Abby snapped irritably. "I told you already, he didn't explain and I wasn't about to ask for an elaboration."

"Well, you probably should have." Ohtar muttered back. "I mean, a _shopkeeper_ \- and one who's been to Granzam several times before in the past without ever speaking to us, mind you- comes up to you and tells you to come here, and you just up and believe him? I would've pressed for some answers, but I guess that's just me."

"Don't mock me, Ohtar." Abby said through gritted teeth. "He knew everything. He knew both our names. He knew our jobs. He's probably a high end spy working for the Captain, or maybe even PoH, by the way he was talking."

"Alright, but telling us to meet him here? About some punishment?"

Abby cleared her throat. "We both know we've been slacking in our duties lately. I should've known the high ups would place spies to keep tabs on us. If we are about to receive punishment, we deserve it and I for one will not complain."

Ohtar opened his mouth to reply, but must of thought better of it, for he instead sighed anxiously and kept walking.

The two of them were past the spot he had prepared to eliminate them, and were drawing closer, but Israel hesitated. The third player, still closing in from just out of earshot, was beginning to pick up the pace behind the two. Though he couldn't see him past the dead vines and dense, rotted boughs, Israel could hear his footsteps crossing over the same path the two infiltrators he was following had taken.

Israel couldn't attack now. An unknown factor such as this was not something one ignored before a potential fight.

 _He's closing the distance. I'll just have to wait and see if he catches up to them. If he does, I'll eliminate all three-_

"Wait." Ohtar said in alarm as he tensed less than ten feet in front of Israel. His head began to turn.

Abby drew up sharply beside him. "What is it?"

"I think there's someone watching us."

Israel blinked in surprise as Ohtar took a step closer towards him, eyes focused right on the vines hiding him.

 _Just my luck for him to have a good Detection skill level._

Abby's hand dropped to the pommel of a short sword at her side. "Maybe it's the Captain?" She didn't sound like she believed it. "Ohtar?"

Ohtar's freckled face suddenly paled. "It's him! The Shadow! Teleport out!"

With the option to wait now lost to him, Israel emerged from the vines and flew forward like lightning. The ring of steel filled the night as Apocalypse emerged from its sheath. The two infiltrators made to draw their weapons, but it was much too late for that.

Powering his swing as he descended upon them, Israel saw their eyes fill with terror for the briefest of moments. Slashing into them with a mighty horizontal slash, he watched as if from a world apart as Ohtar's body was hacked clean in half from the waist down. Another swing, and Abby's head sailed into the air.

Coming to a stop as the two bodies exploded into pixelated shards behind him, Israel sucked in a breath to slow his heart rate. He had spent a good deal of energy in dispatching them before they could fight back.

"No!" Came a shrill, heart wrenching scream from deeper in the undergrowth behind him.

Spinning around to deal with the new threat, Israel paused when he saw a KoB member charging straight for him, tears of rage and horror brimming over in his eyes.

Backing up as the warrior advanced, Israel blinked in sudden realization: the man was probably Abby's fiance.

Having scried on her while Tristan spoke to her in Granzam, Israel had heard her mention the fiance, and the dinner she was on the way too. It appeared the man hadn't taken the sudden cancellation of their date well, or maybe he had been suspicious of an affair. Either way, he had followed her and Ohtar. He had been the third player.

 _I can't kill him. He's a green player. He never knew about her, who she was._

"You murdering monster!" The man screamed as he rushed upon him with sword held high.

Turning on a heel, Israel sprinted back into the rotting trees. The player gave chase, but Israel had no trouble gaining distance on him. When he was far enough away and hidden behind trees, he took out a teleport crystal and held it above his head.

"Teleport, Shore's Edge!'

As the world dissolved and all turned to white around him, Israel heard the player scream once more as he attempted to find the man who had just murdered his fiance.

"You red son of a bitch! You won't get away with this! You're going to die!"

And then he was gone.


	100. Chapter 99

99

July 1st, 2024

Floor 67, Labyrinth

Pixelated shards sailed through the air in a fine mist all around him as Israel drew to a halt and sheathed his sword. Apocalypse's bloodred edges gleamed with menace as the steel was forced away, as if not satisfied with so brief a bout of violence.

 _Three more down._

He checked his health, and was surprised to see that it had dropped down into the yellow.

The Infiltrators, all three of whom had been embedded within one of the lesser Assault Team guilds called the Born Legends, hadn't gone down easy. Tristan had convinced them that he was a representative from the Captain, just as he had for so many others in the past month, but these particular three had been suspicious and worried from the start. Israel suspected that PoH had sent letters warning them of those who were going missing. By the time they arrived at the meeting place Tristan had ordered, they had weapons to hand and Paralysis Immunity applied.

Israel had learned quickly that Infiltrators generally tended to have high levels in Detection, as his positions were almost always spotted when they came near. The fact was inconvenient, but not impossible to work around. These days, whenever they were within killing range, he simply descended upon them and cut them down in close combat.

These three had been no different, but they had sold their lives dearly. Another thing Israel had had to quickly grow accustomed to was the increased difficulty in dealing with this new enemy: knowledgeable in player versus player fighting due to their real identities, the Infiltrators also had the superior levels of Assault Team members, and the gear to boot. The combination was impressive when brought to bear against him, but these three he had just defeated had been particularly skilled in working as a team.

Supporting each other and attacking as one, they had managed to not only survive his initial rush, but also force him back several steps with the power of their joint assault and the wounds they inflicted on him. Recovering from the offset, Israel had then attacked with everything he had, his sword and steel fist a blur as he obliterated all three.

Stepping out of the chamber, Israel started up the blackened staircase that led back towards the entrance of the Labyrinth, his footfalls echoing faintly off the stone. As he walked, avoiding roaming monsters here and there and staring off down the dimly lit, winding corridors and chambers that split off confusingly in all directions, he was reminded of the times he and Jae had fought together, back to back, in halls much the same as this. They had almost died on numerous occasions during such trials, but Jae had always insisted that they return to keep aiding the Assault Team. Even when Israel had stopped fighting to clear Floors, Jae had continued to fight alongside them, alongside the fools who mistook vanity for heroism.

 _I wonder what he'd think now, if he were alive to see that it's been almost two years and still, we aren't back in the real world._

Israel frowned at the thought. The real world- home- now seemed more like a childhood dream than reality. At times, when he was alone and awake in the silence of the night, he found himself questioning whether or not the real world had ever even existed in the first place.

A message notification appeared in his upper left vision, forcing him from his estranged thoughts. Quickly cutting a corner at the top of the staircase where it was dark and uninhabited by any mobs, Israel opened it.

 _HDA routine patrol just entered the western portion of the Labyrinth on a new shift. Two of them are Infiltrators._

Closing the message, Israel wasted no time and headed back down the stairs he had just finished ascending. The western side of the Labyrinth was nearly a half mile behind him, so he would need to hurry if he wanted to catch them without having to use a Scrying Potion to pinpoint a new location. As it was, he was down to only four left in his inventory; he and Tristan had used dozens of the hard found items in the past couple weeks, and he wasn't sure how long it would take to get a hold of more. Most of the names on the list of Infiltrators had been crossed out, but there were still a few remaining, burrowed safely within their guilds. Once the word had been no doubt given to them by PoH that some of their number were going missing, the spies had begun watching their backs more carefully, and only exposed themselves when Tristan made contact with them, or when their guilds forced them to play the part and go on farming runs or Labyrinth raids.

This particular pair of Holy Dragon Alliance infiltrators were low in rank and had been difficult to coax out, costing several Scrying Potions just to truly know what they looked like and what positions they held within Castellan Keep, so Israel knew he had to seize this opportunity at once.

Picking up the pace as he cut through various halls and anterooms leading back to the western fringes of the Labyrinth, Israel did his best to stay far out of the way of the powerful mobs. Though they were AI enemies, and thus still easier to defeat than real players, Israel had quickly come to learn that the attack patterns, gear quality, and aggressiveness of these high level monsters had risen dramatically, making fights with even one an arduous task.

 _No wonder the Assault Team are so high leveled. And to think that these monsters are only Floor sixty-seven difficulty...they'll never be able to beat all one hundred Floors._

Halting behind a stone archway leading into a cross chamber that served as a shortcut to various sections of the maze-like Labyrinth, Israel caught his breath as he listened for the patrol. He didn't have to wait long.

Heavy, metallic clanking echoed out from one of the tunnels as the squad of HDA members neared his position, their steel boots pounding down on the darkened stone floor. Israel guessed their party size stood around a dozen- more than he had anticipated. Thinking themselves all under attack, the entire squad would attempt to fight him off if he came in head on targeting the two Infiltrators. Against such odds, he stood little chance. He would need some help.

Hurriedly retracing his steps back to a previous room, Israel quickly drew the attention of whatever skeleton mobs he could find. It wasn't hard; with farther ranging aggression targeting than any monsters he had seen before, it took only a moment before he managed to attract six heavily armed and armored skeletal warriors to aid him. The lead mobs screeched angrily as they pursued him, swinging swords and halberds in a desperate bid to strike at his back as he ran. Wearing less armor, and naturally faster, Israel easily kept himself ahead of them. His only worry as he led them back to the cross chamber was that they might overpower the green players among the squad.

Just before crossing the open archway leading straight into the band of HDA members, Israel peeled off from the path and flung himself against the dark corner wall as he wrapped his cloak around himself, blending perfectly into the shadows.

Right behind him, the half dozen skeletal mobs hesitated in confusion as they stumbled on through the archway, skulls darting from side to side as they searched for their target. Even as they scanned the area, they spotted the HDA players.

Emitting shrill shrieks that reverberated through the halls, the skeletons charged forward as they brandished their weapons.

"Formation!" One of the HDA members shouted confidently.

In a blink, the party of Clearers had formed a two layer wall of steel in preparation for the attack, with the front row presenting a barricade of overlapping shields, and the second bracing with spears, lances, and swords above it.

Impressed by the unflinching discipline of the players before him, Israel nonetheless began moving. He had expected a pitched, chaotic skirmish, but this would do just fine.

Staying in the shadows against the walls of the cross chamber as he entered, Israel skirted the ensuing battle and made his way around the back of the formation. After a quick look at the faces of the patrol, he pinpointed the two players he was after. Both stood in the second row, but while one was on the right flank of the line, the other stood in the center.

The sounds of battle rang out around the chamber as the skeletons smashed into the shieldwall with relentless fury, only to have their advance quickly checked by the lunges and slashes of the second row of HDA players bringing their weapons to bear. In the midst of the fighting, two skeletons exploded instantly into pixelated shards, and another two were fast approaching the red in their health bars.

Streaking out from the shadows as he descended on the back of the first Infiltrator, Israel wrapped an arm around his throat to draw him in and, with the other, ran him through. The tip of Apocalypse erupted out of the man's chest before he could cry out, and his health bar emptied as he exhaled in shock.

"Madock! No!" The player beside the now dead infiltrator screamed as he spun around to deliver a slashing blow. "Behind us!"

Ducking underneath the attack, Israel used the flat of his steel hand to shove the green player back even as several other HDA members split off from the formation to face him. He tried to disengage and disappear back into the shadows, but the Clearers attacked almost simultaneously, hacking and slashing with their swords and lances as they tried to cut him down. He dodged a spear thrust, parried a sword with Apocalypse, and blocked a vicious overhead mace attack with his armored fist as he moved, desperately trying to break away from the fight he now found himself engaged in.

Several times as he fought, Israel saw openings in the players' assault that could have ended most of them if he were fighting to kill, but he refrained from launching counter attacks and instead kept defending as he gave up more ground. Twice he was cut, both of which could've been avoided had he forced himself on the offensive. Drawing the pain into himself out of habit, Israel ignored his slowly decreasing health bar.

Putting himself at even more risk, Israel dared to sneak looks past the men attacking him whenever he could; the sooner he could locate the final Infiltrator, the sooner he could eliminate him and get out of there before he ended up killing a green player- or before one of them killed him.

Narrowly warding off a fresh barrage of attacks with Apocalypse as another player joined the fight against him, Israel blinked in surprise as the edge of a blade shot just past his face, creating a long gash along his cheek. Turning his eyes to the source of the attack, he saw the man who had nearly killed him so sneakily. The second Infiltrator.

Named Stein, the man's pale face betrayed his fear, hidden beneath a veil of desperate anger: he knew Israel was after him. After all, of all the players in the patrol, it was his partner who had just died. It seemed he had waited for Israel to be caught up in the fight against the true HDA members before making his move in a desperate bid to kill him. Instead, he had sealed his fate.

Kicking the nearest attacker away from him and knocking aside several more attacks with Apocalypse, Israel reached out to seize hold of Stein. Stumbling back in panic, Stein attempted to retreat behind the other members of his party. Having none of it, Israel dove forward through the blows and, with a cry of effort even as he was pierced in the side by a spear and slashed across the chest by a sword, beheaded Stein with one focused swing of Apocalypse.

Pixelated shards filled the air, only to be scattered throughout the room as more and more of the party of HDA members joined the fight and attacked with everything they had. More cuts pierced through Israel's brigandine armor, slowing him as he tried to fight the green players off.

"Drop the sword!" One of them shouted as Israel's health reached the red bar, forcing him back another step.

"If you don't surrender, you'll-"

Lashing out with every ounce of strength and speed he had left, Israel swung Apocalypse in a wide arc in front of him, forcing the group of players back and injuring two. Without waiting another second, he took his chance. Pivoting on a heel, he tore away from the fight and sprinted out of the cross chamber as fast as he could go.

He heard them give chase briefly, but it didn't take long to lose them in the maze of corridors and anterooms. Only when he was sure they were no longer a threat did he dare take a health crystal and teleport out.

 _All this trouble to save a group of people who want to kill me nearly as much as PoH does._

…

It was quiet in the hall, and not the good kind.

Sitting silently beside Lind (who was wearing only slightly less foppish robes than usual for the occasion) at the head of the table in the regal, specially reserved seat that symbolized his status as Second in Command, Jae could sense the awkward tension that filled the grand room. It made the very air seem stuffier than usual.

In fact, the few sounds that did manage to temporarily break the onerous silence, from the quiet footsteps that echoed lightly off the marble floor as the last of the dignitaries and guild officers arrived to take their designated seats before the opulent mahogany table- Lind had sworn up and down he had only used his own funds to purchase it- to the occasional cough of one of the men sitting down silently, to even the hushed whispers exchanged confidentially between guild leaders and their aides, all served to only deepen the sense of forced civility.

Though his memories of the real world had largely dimmed and faded, the whole scene reminded Jae instantly of Christmas Eve dinner. At the same time, he wondered if this was how it felt to be a member of the aristocratic class back in the old days- the facade of importance and prestige masking the bog of resentment and hostility lurking just behind. The thought amused him.

Almost the entire upper strata leadership of the Assault Team had shown up, from Klein, head of the tiny but elite Fuurinkazan, to Tanya, commander of the lesser but still quite capable Fists of Iron, to Heathcliff and Asuna, Guild Leader and Second in Command of the Knights of the Blood-Oath, respectively. As he gazed around the table, Jae even saw one or two seats occupied by faces he didn't know- commanders whose guilds, though not part of the Assault Team, had nonetheless been among those attacked by Laughing Coffin and then, later, by the Spirit of Vengeance, and hence the reason for their invitation.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as the minutes dragged on amidst the awkward silence permeating the splendidly adorned chamber. In anticipation of the event, Lind had set aside and overseen the preparation of the room himself, all the while practically cursing the names of the people he was readying comfort and luxury for. Jae had no doubt that the entire way over, most of the guests had muttered similar words about him amongst themselves.

It was almost baffling to Jae how a group of people who had time and again fought side by side against countless Floor Bosses and Labyrinth mobs, could be so cold and unsure of each other. On the other hand, it didn't surprise him in the least. For nearly two years, after all, the Assault Team had been subject to constant conflict between guilds, ranging from petty rivalries to near open hostility, and everything in between.

"It's good to see you again, Second in Command Jae." Heathcliff said as he cleared his throat in an attempt to break the awkward silence. "And off the battlefield for once. A rare sight. I'm telling you, you work too much."

Jae smiled back sincerely. "That makes two of us, Commander. I don't know how you manage to keep your guild running so smoothly while spending so much time tearing through enemies with that Divine Blade skill of yours."

Heathcliff chuckled. "That's easy; I have Asuna here to keep my head on straight. If it weren't for her, the Knights of the Blood-Oath would be a mess, to say the least."

Asuna, sitting straight, dignified and beautiful beside him, rolled her eyes. "He's exaggerating. How's your wife, Jae? We heard she was among those ambushed during Laughing Coffin's attacks."

"She is well, thank you. Takes more than a few red players to stop her. To tell you the truth, part of me thinks she should be here in my place. Between the two of us, she's the brains of our marriage."

That brought a few smiles to the table, even a few good natured chuckles, but the threat of silence quickly began to creep in once again.

"Commander Lind," Heathcliff said with a dip of his head as he attempted to stave off the awkward tension. "Thank you for the invitation. I don't think we've ever had a chance to meet in person."

"We haven't, no." Lind replied in a businesslike tone. "Running a ... a larger guild...takes considerably more effort and time than one of your size, I'm afraid. I envy you, being able to fight alongside your men on the frontline as often as you do, but alas, someone has to keep the Holy Dragon Alliance afloat."

"I'm sure." Heathcliff said with a nod, though Jae almost thought he could make out the slightest hint of sarcasm. "Well-"

With a groan, the double doors leading into the room swung open, cutting Heathcliff off as Kibaou and Thinker, both in full dress uniform and closely followed by four Army officers, strode into the gilded, torchlit chamber.

"Commanders Kibaou, Thinker," Lind said with a nod as the two Army leaders approached the table. "I'm glad you both made it. We were worried you might not come."

Thinker smiled. "Thank you for extend-"

"Of course we came." Kibaou spat. "This is our problem just as much as it is yours. I know how the rest of you view me and my guild, ever since I left the Assault Team. I also know that since this meeting is being headed by you and your lapdog-" He smirked at Jae. "-the Army would be considered last and least among your priorities if Thinker and I didn't show up to represent and ensure fairness." His eyes met Jae's. "Isn't that right?"

Jae shrugged, his masterwork polished armor clanking together against the movement. "No point in me saying anything."

"And why's that?"

Jae leaned back in his chair casually as he smiled up at Kibaou from across the table. "Because you're going to continue to be as stupid as a rutting pig no matter what I do or say, Kibaou."

"You son of a-"

Heathcliff cleared his throat deliberately.

"We all know that many of us here have had problems with each other at some point or another in the past. Infighting has infected the Assault Team just as thoroughly as any other group of players in SAO. We are a group of people who, by and large, aren't exactly fond of each other. Even those guilds among us that don't consider ourselves enemies can scarcely call each other friends, seeing as the only times we work together are during Boss raids, and even then, petty rivalry runs rampant." The KoB guild leader landed a fist firmly on the decadent mahogany tabletop. "For the purposes of this gathering, that rivalry, that open hostility between the strongest players in Aincrad, needs to end at least for now.

"No matter our differences, everyone here showed up of their own volition, and for one very serious reason: we have bigger problems than each other."

Lind nodded. "Which brings us to the very point of this meeting: the Shadow of Death."

Klein looked up. "The same Shadow of Death who is also called the Spirit of Vengeance by more than a few green players out there, and is seen by those same people as almost a vigilante hero?"

Jae shook his head. "In targeting and killing members of the Assault Team, the Shadow of Death has revealed what he truly is: a bloodthirsty murderer, worse even and more dangerous than Laughing Coffin themselves."

"That's right." Lind said with a nod. "Over the past weeks, directly in the aftermath of the first wave of Laughing Coffin attacks, this Shadow of Death has ambushed and murdered our own. Men and women from each and every guild present here today are dead at his hands. Dozens of eyewitnesses and survivors from among our troops have confirmed, again and again, that it is without a doubt this man, and that he is targeting us. From this point on, we need to move forward having put to rest the idea of the Spirit of Vengeance, and any whimsical vigilante justice that name carried with it, and we need to embrace the truth: that he is indeed the Shadow of Death, and that he must be stopped."

Silence hung heavily in the air for a brief moment.

"You mean to kill him?" Kibaou asked curiously.

"We are not red players," Lind answered. "If killing him is the only way to stop him, than yes, but I would see him imprisoned rather than dead. It is the right thing to do."

"Speaking of red players," Heathcliff spoke up, "What of Laughing Coffin? What good is hunting down one murderer when we have an army to contend with, and one that has shown us their specific interest in killing us all?"

Jae stood up. "Laughing Coffin taught us a hard lesson. They showed us, first and foremost, that we were fools not to be wary of them, not to prepare for the inevitability of contact between our organization and theirs. They also showed us that we are far less powerful than we foolishly believed ourselves to be. Each time they struck, we were caught completely unawares and unable to effectively resist them. Those that weren't paralyzed were easily beaten in the all too brief melee that followed. Not accustomed to fighting against other players, against real people, our warriors- the best in Aincrad- were cut down like children. Only those that fled managed to survive." He pointed to his chest. "My own wife, who many of you have seen in action in the frontlines over the course of these nearly two long years, was very nearly among those slain, and it is only because of Commander Thinker and his brave men that I am able to see her face when I wake up every morning." He bowed his head to the man. "For that, you have my eternal thanks."

Thinker bowed his head in kind. "I would do it again in a heartbeat, even if I knew it would cost me my life. At the end of the day, we green players are allies in this struggle to make Aincrad a safe place to live, to make it home, rather than allow it to turn into a nightmare."

"I'm confused." Kibaou stated flatly. "You and Lind called this meeting to, as your letter put it, talk about dealing with the new threat posed to us all by this Shadow of Death. I'm here, but all I hear you talking about is Laughing Coffin, when their attacks stopped well over a month ago!"

"It could very well be," Heathcliff offered as he leaned forward in his seat, "that the Shadow is working for Laughing Coffin. Perhaps they hired him to-"

"That doesn't make any sense." Klein interrupted from across the table. "The Shadow is a mystery, an enigma, to us, but we do know that he and Laughing Coffin are far from friends. For the past year, any time he showed up in the papers of Aincrad Today, it was with the accompanying news that he had wiped out another nest of Laughing Coffin members or affiliates. It just doesn't make sense for him, or possibly her, to be suddenly working with them now."

"With all due respect," Thinker said, "I think the larger problem here, and the one we should be addressing, _is_ Laughing Coffin. I've interrogated many of the prisoners our guild holds within the Black Iron Palace dungeon, and though I haven't managed to get much out of them, what I have heard terrifies me. I fear that another attack from them could be imminent."

"They are already attacking us, you idiot." Kibaou snapped. "By using their own personal bloodhound; the Shadow of Death."

"I don't think-"

"Quiet!" Jae said as he stood up boldly, the clarity and command of his voice demanding to be heard above the others. He waited until all eyes were on him, than began.

"Whether the Shadow of Death is working with Laughing Coffin is irrelevant. The attacks we suffered at the red guild's hands are in the past now, and even if they launch a new attack in the future- which I do believe will happen- the fact of the matter is that right now, today, they are not attacking. Therefore, they are for the moment irrelevant. The only relevant thing is what is happening now, and the repercussions of that. What is happening now? I'll tell you.

"We are being bled, bullied, and made to look as weak and powerless as children by one-" He held up a single finger- "man. Just one. Every day that the Shadow of Death continues to kill one or two of three of our men at his own leisure, is another day that we show ourselves weak, vulnerable, and incapable of defending ourselves. How can we expect to prevent Laughing Coffin from striking at us again in force when we cannot even handle one man? How can we expect the civilians who depend on us for order and safety, who look to us for hope, to continue to believe in and support us if we cannot stop this single threat from killing us all one by one?"

Jae shook his head as he gazed at the faces of the most important people in Aincrad all staring back at him, waiting for what he would say next.

"Brothers and sisters of the frontlines, we are bound together by what we have been through, by the blood we have spilled to get us where we are now. We are better than this. Lives are being lost. Assault Team lives. The only reason we are the ones gathered in this room is because our soldiers chose us to lead them, to get them through this world. We have been failing them.

"We were unprepared when Laughing Coffin launched their attacks. Many among us died, and the criminals responsible never received justice. Now we are under attack by one man. Are we still unprepared? Are we unable to deliver justice to _one man_?"

Heathcliff interlaced his fingers diplomatically as he exhaled. "What do you propose we do, Hero of Floor Twenty-Five?"

Kibaou's face twisted in surprised anger. "You're asking _him_?"

Heathcliff raised an eyebrow at the Army Commander. "Of course. I'm assuming the main reason Jae called us here was to share with us his plan of action on stopping this lone killer." He glanced at Jae. "Am I correct?"

Jae nodded. "You are, Commander."

Heathcliff glanced back to Kibaou. "I'm not sure if you knew, Kibaou, but Sub-Commander Jae's plans are something of a legend among us Assault Team members, and have saved the lives of more than a few of us standing here at one point or another. I don't know him very well, but I wouldn't hesitate to listen to whatever he had to say to me on a battlefield, under any circumstances. In fact, I believe that out of every player in this room, he might just be the only one capable of dealing with this enigma known as the Shadow of Death." He cocked his head. "So yes, in answer to your question, I _am_ asking him, and I will certainly be listening as well. You might want to take notes." He glanced back to Jae and nodded ever so slightly. "Please, Jae, go on."

Suppressing the urge to laugh at the top of his lungs as he saw Kibaou's face twist in fury and humiliation, Jae instead maintained his composure and clasped his hands behind his back, his armor clanking behind him.

"As Commander Heathcliff has guessed, I do have a plan. If half of the tales we've all heard about the Shadow of Death are true, he is an elusive, cunning, and deadly enemy. Having successfully evaded Laughing Coffin for over a year, when I'm sure they were searching behind every rock in Aincrad for him, means that he knows how to do what his enemies least expect, how to stay one step ahead. Therefore, we are going to need to be one step ahead of him."

"How?" Thinker asked.

Jae smiled grimly. "By thinking like him. By doing the unexpected. Intelligent men like him do their homework; they watch, they listen, they conduct research. They take their time getting to know the victim, understand the victim, in order to more efficiently kill. He knows us. He knows how we think, how we act, what we will do in any given situation. That is why we must do what he would never suspect: we must best him at his own game, and we must do it by working together."

"What is it you mean to do, Jae?" Heathcliff asked.

"By this time tomorrow, I mean to lead a united force of the best trackers and fighters in the Assault Team, soldiers from amongst all of our guilds, and with them I will stop the Shadow of Death."


	101. Chapter 100

100

July 2nd, 2024

Floor 38, Castellan Keep

"All right, time for a final equipment check." Jae said as he finished buckling the straps of his polished steel bracer to his forearm. "Get those inventories open."

Lined up directly in front of him and garbed in their full battle armor as well, Aranal, David, and Ryan all opened their menus. Walking along the line to review each inventory, Jae made sure he spotted every item each of them would need- everything from extra Teleport Crystals, to enhanced Health Potions, to reserve rations of food and water enough to last three to four days.

Satisfied, Jae nodded to the three men and quickly checked the time.

 _Three minutes._

"Right," Jae said as he began heading down the carpeted walkway leading to the Grand Hearth entrance doors. "It's about to be time, so go ahead and drink your first Immunity Potions. It took a heavy toll on our resources to have twenty of these made and purchased for each of us, so we must use them sparingly. Keep track of your back ups and remember to keep an eye on your timers to see when the paralysis immunity effect ends. Starting now, we should all have around an hour before it comes time to re-apply the next potion to keep up our immunity."

"Jae." Aranal said quietly from beside him as the big man look back over his shoulder. "Looks like you might be in trouble."

Slowing to a halt, Jae turned and looked past the others. When he saw who approached, he sighed.

"I had hoped you'd stay asleep until we left."

Closing the distance between them with that regal, purposeful stride Jae knew and loved so well, her silver and blue armor clanking softly with each step, Vivienne scoffed irritably at him.

"Wishful thinking will get you nowhere, dear."

Jae crossed his arms across his chest. "Viv, we already talked about this."

Vivienne nodded. "We did: I already told you I was going. Did you not think I was serious?"

"I could order you not to come, you know."

Vivienne met his gaze resolutely. "You could do that, yes, but it wouldn't change anything. You can order about the Officer as much as you like, but not the wife. As such, it's my responsibility to make sure you don't get yourself killed because of this mad plan of yours that you're so determined to put yourself at personal risk over."

Jae's brow drew down. "You know as much as I do that I was going to lead this mission regardless of whether or not I volunteered. The other guilds would never grant operational command of their men to anyone else, and even with me it took a good deal of heated debate and assurance."

"Of course I know that, just as you should know that for something as dangerous as this, I'm going with you whether you like it or not."

Grinding his teeth, Jae was about to make a retort when Ryan, standing on his left, nudged him gently with an elbow as he grinned apologetically.

"Look, Jae, as your friend, I feel obligated to tell you that you're about to find yourself battling a storm here. She's coming no matter what you do, the only question is whether or not she'll be furious at you every step of the way. As a potentially innocent bystander who's about to be trapped in an awkward husband-wife war for the duration of this mission, I'm begging you to let her come."

Leaning in on Jae's left, Aranal grinned. "The man speaks for all of us. There is no worse form of torture than being the friends caught between relationship troubles. Please, Jae, if we mean anything to you, save us from such a fate."

"Besides," David added from beside Aranal, "we can't go wrong with another sword at our side for this. We'll help make sure nothing happens to her, you know that."

The other two nodded fervently.

Jae rolled his eyes. "You three just want more company."

Ryan scratched his head. "Well, you _are_ a bit moapy whenever you and Vivienne aren't together-"

"Alright, that's enough." Jae turned to Vivienne and raised his hands in frustration. "I guess I should've known better than to try and stop you. I just want you to be safe."

Tugging the top of his chestplate as she pulled him towards her, Vivienne gave him a quick kiss.

"Just as I want you out of danger. Let's keep each other safe, and that way, we both get what we want. Deal?"

In spite of his worry, Jae couldn't help but grin. "Deal."

Turning back around as Vivienne fell in beside him and the others followed behind, Jae finished the walk down the length of the Grand Hearth and pulled the heavy double doors open. Early morning sunlight streamed in, basking them in it's warm glow.

"Avari will be furious that she got left behind." Vivienne noted as they stepped out onto the paved road.

"She was." Jae and David both muttered at the same time.

"I would've loved to have her greatsword with us in this," Jae explained, "But someone needed to stay back and keep the Labyrinth patrols in order while we're gone."

"I thought Meifan was heading patrols today?" Vivienne asked.

Jae shook his head. "I asked him to take the day in order to train our newest heavy tank Officer, just promoted yesterday."

"Oh yes, I remember him when he was squad leader for one of the tank defense units. His name is Schmidt, right?"

Jae nodded as he opened his menu. "He can be a little...jumpy...at times, but he's a brave man and possesses a marked ability to effectively lead tanks. I think that with a little training in his new capacity, he will be quite an asset to the guild. Anyway, Vivienne, you're going to need Paralysis Immunity potions if you're coming with us. Here." Selecting five or so of his potions, he handed them over to her. "The rest of you, give her four of yours. That way we'll all have a roughly even share of potions."

"And less reserves to call upon later." David noted as he handed over several of his potions to Vivienne. "Which means we'll need to make sure we use our time wisely."

Jae nodded. "The sooner we catch the Shadow, the better."

Retrieving his specially made Corridor Crystal from his inventory as the others fell in behind him, Jae brought the cold, blue stone to his lips.

"Activate Teleport Link."

Before his eyes, the blueish color peeled away like burned parchment. In its place, a purple hue shimmered and swirled around the crystal.

Opening his messages, Jae selected the group message option that he and the officers of the four other guilds involved had agreed to communicate with, and began writing.

 _Greetings everyone. From this point on, all communication goes through here. If any of us are in the dark at any point in time, lives could be the cost. Any and all updates that occur during this mission are to be brought to my attention immediately, no exceptions. My Linked Corridor Crystal is now active, so if you haven't activated yours yet, go ahead and do so now. Remember, these Crystals are the only way to ensure that when one of our groups finds the Shadow, all other parties can teleport instantly to that location and help subdue him, so keep them active and in your hands at all times. Furthermore, be sure to keep a close eye on your men's reserves of Paralysis Immunity, and on your own. Should you run out of the potions at any point, and the effect wears off, you are to abandon the mission at once, no exceptions. Does everyone understand my orders?_

Within seconds, two messages appeared in reply, one from the KoB Officer leading a squad of his fellow Knights on the opposite side of the Floor, and the other from the Army Officer leading a slightly larger group of his guildmates on Floor Twenty-Nine. Before Jae had begun to read either, another two came through from the last of the groups involved in the operation, all saying about the same thing: That they understood all orders given, that their crystals had been actively linked, and that they were moving out.

Satisfied, Jae decided to send one last message.

 _Remember, everyone, we are the bait. The whole reason we are separated from one another is to increase the chance that the Shadow goes for an ambush against us. Though we are obviously seeking him and marching toward the locations he was last sighted, at the end of the day, we are mostly depending on him finding us. That does not mean that any one squad is to take him on alone. Attempt such a thing, and you risk your lives and the lives of the men under your command. The man we hunt is one of the most dangerous players in Aincrad, and you_ will _treat him as such. The moment he takes the bait, it will take all of us to bring him down without endangering any of our men. We will descend upon him through the link of our crystals, and we will put a stop to the Shadow of Death._

Closing his menu, and knowing that he had said everything he could say to ensure the success and safety of the mission, Jae set his mind to the task at hand. Fastening the legendary Commander's Helm on his head, it's blue plume ruffling proudly on the morning breeze as the cheek and nose guards covered his face and narrowed his vision, Jae led his friends proudly onward into danger's dark maw.

…

Thin, long flames licked the air, flickering angrily in the breeze as the small fire, contained only by moss covered stones and jagged rocks caked with dirt, crackled and popped loudly. At least, when compared to the dark silence of the woods he was so accustomed to, it seemed loud. Israel had made countless campfires on chill mornings like this, to the point where the task felt just as natural and inevitable as the sun coming up each day, and yet no matter how many times he did it, the vocal disturbance of fire forever seemed obnoxiously loud to him.

Sitting just beyond the glowing embers, with his knees drawn up under his chin and his arms outstretched in front of him so that his hands might feel the comforting warmth, Israel studied the ever moving flames. Darting to and fro upon the air in wild, unpredictable, and violent fits of movement, Sara had once said that the flames reminded her of the human soul- a source of pure light and warmth that burned and fought unceasingly in it's never ending attempt to stave off the dark.

Before that, Israel would never once have imagined or entertained such a thought, but now, he found her words profound and beautiful. Part of the reason he had made the fire this morning- going out of his way to do so in a forest containing little dried wood or stones- had been because of those words. Yet, it wasn't the human soul that the flames reminded him of. It was Sara.

Opening his menu for what felt like the hundredth time that morning, Israel again swiped through screens until he reached his friend's list. Two names were written there, but it wasn't Tristan's Israel's eyes were trained on.

He missed her. Would it be so terrible to send her a message? To ask her to meet him at the foot of one of their old woodland tracks, or perhaps their favorite lake, to walk with her again and simply enjoy her company as his friend?

He berated himself. Of course it would. To be near her meant even more threat to her life. PoH would never stop hunting him.

But perhaps, even if he couldn't see Sara, perhaps he could just message her?

 _Don't be a fool. Contacting her would only make it harder not to ask-_

Israel froze as the distant sound of a half dozen footsteps reached his ears. The approaching players were far off and were walking at a relatively slow and leisurely pace, without any trace of hurry, so it was possible that they didn't know he was there. Even if that were the case, Israel wasn't about to trust his luck- wolf packs always moved with deliberate and slow intent as they crept towards their target.

Rising to his feet and checking to be sure Apocalypse was clear in its sheath in one rapid movement, Israel quickly put out the fire and waved away the smoke. By the time he was done, the footsteps had become slightly louder. Though still far off from his position in the woods, he calculated that they had closed the distance by perhaps twelve feet.

Darting away from the little makeshift camp and into the trees, Israel paused behind a gnarled yew tree as he listened. Now close enough to hear more fully, the footsteps were coming heavy, broken, and slow, and were accompanied by the loud crunch of leaves or the snap of twigs every few feet. Even live branches, which made a far sharper noise when broken than dead wood, were being brushed aside and snapped frequently. A deaf man could've heard such an advance coming.

Whoever was approaching, Israel knew without a doubt that they were no wolf pack. Red players were typically expert woodsmen and quite difficult to hear approaching, though Israel always did. These players on the other hand, were something else entirely. Stumbling along as they were, liable to wake up the entire forest, he could almost picture a band of exuberant and energetic children dancing carelessly through the woods.

Yet, whoever they were, Israel could hear them drawing closer.

Cutting back through the trees, Israel decided to see for himself what he was facing. He moved quickly, with an easy and fluid grace that betrayed no sound or disturbance as he streaked through the dense trees, making a wide circuit around the campsite so that he might come upon his pursuers' backs.

Summer was coming, but in this particular forest, it seemed that autumn had an eternal hold, for the boughs of the trees remained a swirl of browns and reds, identical in color to the half dead grass and shrubbery that covered the forest floor. Against such a vibrant backdrop of color, Israel had to take extra care to be sure that he remained hidden as he moved.

Slowing to a halt as he finished his circle and caught sight of the backs of the players advancing towards his campsite, Israel frowned in confusion.

 _Army members?_

Clad in various shades of dark grey plate armor backed with chainmail, the half dozen or so green players marched in pairs of two, except for one who led from the front, whom Israel guessed was the Officer or squad leader.

It didn't make any sense. What would Army members be doing on this Floor, and in the woods far from any dungeon besides? The answer was quick in the coming: they had to be looking for him.

Though he wasn't interested in the Aincrad Liberation Army- he had killed every Infiltrator within their ranks- Israel knew that something more was going on and decided to follow after them. It was unlikely that a single party of green players would be attempting to hunt him down alone- unless of course they were friends to one of the Infiltrators he had killed.

As he drew closer, Israel's eyes caught on the lead player's hand. Clasped tightly in a fist at his side, the officer was clutching what appeared to be a Corridor Crystal, though it had changed color to purple rather than blue, meaning that it had been linked to another.

Israel brow drew down. He wondered who could be waiting on the other side of that linked crystal.

After trampling the woods for another ten minutes at least, and with Israel following curiously behind them, the group of green players finally emerged at the tiny campsite he had set up the night before. A few of the players exchanged hushed, cautious words, but Israel couldn't hear them and his attention was fixed on the man holding the crystal. Hushing his men as the grip on his linked crystal tightened, the officer opened his menu and began hurriedly typing up a message.

It was much too far away for Israel to make out the words, but he didn't need to. As far as he was concerned, he had just found out what he needed to know. He didn't have time for this. There was still one Infiltrator left that he needed to eliminate, one last name on the list that needed to be crossed out. Besides, he was already being hunted by a far more dangerous enemy. If a wolf pack chasing after him happened upon these men, they would tear them to pieces.

Determining to leave the Floor as soon as his job was done in order to ensure the safety of the green players pursuing him, Israel stopped following after them and quickly took out a Scrying Potion- his last one. He would ignore this mad hunt being led by ignorant green players and deal with the last target before the day was done, then disappear and lay low for awhile until the Assault Team gave up whatever it was they thought they were doing.

Retrieving a bowl from his kit, Israel poured the Scrying Potion into it, watching as the water began to shimmer and glow. As he peered into the water to espy the Infiltrator, Israel's eyes widened in surprise.

His prey was part of the little hunt, and coming straight to him.

…

"Any update on the Army detachment?" Vivienne asked quietly as she stepped up beside him at the head of the group.

Brushing aside low hanging branches as he walked, Jae shook his head. "Not since they found the campsite. There's a good chance it could be the Shadow's, but it might also belong to someone else. Either way, I told them to follow the tracks and keep us informed if anything happens. If it is the Shadow they are nearing, we have to keep our heads; we can't teleport there too soon, or he won't show himself to attack."

Vivienne nodded. "Makes sense. I just hope those men don't get themselves killed."

"You and me both." Jae glanced back behind them. "Viv, could you conduct a quick check on everyone's Paralysis Immunity supply? We're about to hit the fourth hour out."

With a quiet grunt of acknowledgement, Vivienne turned to see to the task. Turning his attention back in front of him, Jae focused on dodging more branches as he marched onward.

Sweat from the summer heat trickled down his forehead, and in spite of his helmet, every now and then a drop would make its way into his eyes, blurring his vision and burning something fierce. Gnats and other insects clouded around him, their incessant buzzing giving him a headache as he forced his way past thick bramble and around dense clusters of trees. It had been some time since he had been in a forest, and he didn't miss the experience. Having spent so much time indoors since joining the Holy Dragon Alliance, Jae had come to prefer stone walls and clear air over humid heat and arduous treks. He supposed it didn't help that he was wearing such thick armor.

Footsteps picked up from behind, and than Ryan fell in beside him, his handsome, rugged face covered in sweat as well.

"You look terrible." Jae said with a smile as they walked.

Ryan scoffed. "You probably look worse beneath that helmet plastered to your face."

"Ah, but as long as I keep the helmet on, no one can see how bad I really look. Why do you think I wear this thing?"

Ryan's eyes widened in mock amazement. "Genius. I should've thought of that ages ago."

They chuckled together for a moment, the sound of their laughter mingling with the buzzing of the gnats, the crunch of the leaves under their feet, and the occasional snapping branch. Then they grew silent.

Though much of the sun was blocked out by the tree boughs above them, enough of it's rays still managed to break through and increase Jae's discomfort with their merciless heat. He guessed it was the same with everyone else, so he didn't complain.

"Jae, can I ask you a stupid question?"

Jae glanced over his shoulder with a grin. "The last time you asked me that, you had just slept with Renar's girlfriend while he was passed out in the next room."

Ryan scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. "In my defense, it was the night of your wedding and I had gotten rather drunk."

Jae laughed. "That didn't stop you from meeting her again a week later just before your shift at the Labyrinth, if I remember correctly. What's her name again?"

"Alice." Ryan replied with a shameful smile.

"Ah yes, Alice. Well, at least you told Renar in the end." Jae arched an eyebrow. "So, what have you done this time?"

Now that you've reminded me of Alice, I'll have done something later for sure." Ryan joked. Then his face turned more serious. "But right now, nothing. I just wanted to ask you something that's been weighing on me. If you promise not to tell anyone."

Jae fixed him in a serious gaze. "Ryan, you're like a little brother to me. Along with Vivienne, David, Aranal, and all the others, you're family. You can tell me anything and I swear, the secret is safe with me. What's wrong?"

Ryan turned his gaze ahead as they walked. "Do you think it's wrong of me to think that the Shadow of Death isn't actually all that evil?"

Jae frowned in confusion. "What leads you to think that?"

Ryan shrugged. "I mean, past the all the titles and the legends, he's really just another player like you or I. He's probably got friends or family back in the real world. When I think of that, I just can't picture him as another one of the monsters we take down during Labyrinth raids."

They were both silent for a moment, but then Ryan said, "I'm scared."

Jae cleared his throat. "I am too-"

Ryan waved an arm. "No, not of fighting the Shadow. I'm...I'm scared that by the time we get back to the real world, I'll have completely forgotten it. It won't be home anymore. I feel like the longer we're here, trapped in Aincrad, the further we drift from reality. I fear that by the time we get back, if we ever do, we won't belong there anymore. Do you ever feel like that?"

Jae blinked, unsure how to answer.

"I…I guess I'm not sure-"

Stepping down into a bed of leaves, Jae gasped in surprise as his foot slipped straight through them, sending him and Ryan tumbling down headfirst into the ground. A thin layer of branches that had been intertwined just beneath the leaves to keep them propped up snapped apart as Jae and Ryan crashed through the trap with all their weight, sending bits of twig and bunches of leaves soaring into the air above them as they fell.

Instinctively putting his hands in front of him to brace for when he hit the ground as he descended, Jae blinked in confusion when he and Ryan instead fell through a sheet of blue light. Instantly, the sensation of falling was replaced by the brief, familiar feeling of timeless rapture as the world turned white. The last thing he heard before all noise was erased from the universe was Vivienne's panicked voice.

"Jae!"

Before he could so much as blink, the white faded and the world reappeared around him as noise returned, sending the thin whistle of a distant breeze softly into his ears.

Slowly rising to his feet as he looked around at the thick, dark trees surrounding them, Jae glanced briefly over at Ryan. On one knee as he tried to regain balance, the man looked more than a little confused.

"You alright?" Jae asked.

Ryan nodded slowly as he glanced behind them. "What the hell was that? Did we get teleported? Where are we?"

Keeping his eyes on the trees, Jae reached carefully behind him, his hand fastening onto Starfire at his back. With his other hand, he slowly began raising the hand that contained his own linked crystal, only to find that his hand was empty. He realized that he must have dropped it during the fall. Fear inched its way up his spine.

"We did get teleported. It must've been a Corridor Crystal, already active underneath that false bed of leaves we stepped on. By the looks of things, it was linked to take us here, to this clearing. We need to find my Corridor Crystal and get out of here."

Sensing the caution in Jae's tone, Ryan's hand dropped to his sword. The ring of steel being drawn echoed briefly around the small clearing before fading away within the darkness of the trees.

"At least none of the others fell into this trap-"

Ryan's words were cut short as the sound of a crystal shattering rang out from somewhere behind them. Jae knew at once what had just been destroyed: his dropped Corridor Crystal.

A streak of red suddenly lit the air between them. Spinning around in alarm, Jae was just in time to see Ryan's head, face still etched with worry and confusion, topple down the length of his body as his health bar drained itself empty. Just before hitting the ground, the head shattered into a thousand pixelated shards. An instant later, his carcass followed suit.

"No!" Jae screamed in rage and grief as the shards billowed out around him. Behind the glittering, glassy fragments that had once been Ryan, standing face to face with him, stood a man garbed in an inky black cloak and hood, with a mask that covered the bottom half of his face. A bloodred sword hung gracefully in his left hand, while his right was empty and covered in a steel gauntlet. The rest of him was hidden. Only his eyes, two pools of cobalt blue flame, revealed the monster beneath.

It was the Shadow of Death.

With a cry of fury, Jae made for him, Starfire's bladed edges scything through the air with lightning speed. Without even bothering to lift his red sword, the Shadow turned and ran.

The famed and feared Shadow of Death _ran_.

"Don't you run from me, you fucking coward!" Jae roared, leaping forward with all his strength as he lunged with Starfire, it's blue edges shining as it sped towards its destination.

The Shadow picked up the pace in an effort to avoid the blow, but Jae was too quick. Still screaming as he continued the stab, Jae felt clothing and armor give way to flesh as he pierced the Shadow's back, his blade only stopping when it rammed into the man's shoulder blade, deflecting off the chipped bone and dropping his health down significantly, almost to the yellow and green borderline.

 _You're not getting away from justice this time._


	102. Chapter 101

101

July 2nd, 2024

Floor 38, Fallen Forest

Stumbling forward as the sudden weight of the bladed staff knocked him off balance, Israel drew the pain into himself without a thought. He was already annoyed at being called a coward by the man he was trying hard not to kill, and now he had just been stabbed in the back. Focusing his thoughts on avoiding a fight, he jerked forward. All he needed to do was create some distance from the green player, and he could teleport out.

Just as he put his foot down to set off running, however, Israel felt a tug as the Second in Command of the HDA yanked on his staff, ripping Israel's already pierced back muscles and forcing him back a step.

 _I need to get this bastard away from me._

Gritting his teeth in irritation, Israel spun around with lightning speed, his black cloak billowing out violently behind him as he turned to lash out in a wide arc with Apocalypse, more to scare the man and send him back a few paces than actually harm him.

Rather than step back, however, the green player darted forward underneath the blow, ducking down just low enough to keep himself from being hit, though Apocalypse's edges did catch the ends of the blue plume atop his magnificent helmet. Snapping himself upright as the sword swept past him, the green player swung his bladed staff. Without hesitation, Israel dodged the attack, only to gasp in surprise as a fist slammed into his gut.

Falling back a step, Israel was just in time to see the staff again slicing through the air and only just managed to lift up Apocalypse in time. The clash of their weapons as they crossed sent a muted thud around the clearing as the vibration from the blow lanced painfully up Israel's arm. Rather than disengage to strike again with his staff, the green player instead pressed forward, using brute strength in an effort to knock aside Israel's sword.

Again drawing the pain into his mind, Israel saw the hint of a smirk from the Second in Command's lips as he struggled to keep Apocalypse from faltering against the staff's push.

Anger surged though him. He was done being nice. The green player had shown his determination to fight, and Israel knew now that he couldn't simply disappear into the trees. The man before him was fast, and difficult to shake. If Israel tried to run, as he had before, he would be hit again from the back and lose even more health as a result. No, his only option now was to fight the green player, disable him, and knock him unconscious.

To that end, it was time to give the Second in Command of the Holy Dragon Alliance a rude awakening.

Bringing the full force of his strength to bear, Israel slammed Apocalypse forward with such power into their crossed weapons that both the staff and the man wielding it were knocked off balance and sent stumbling back a half dozen steps, though it was to the man's credit that he managed to keep his feet. Recovering quicker than Israel had anticipated, the green player spun his staff around him with impressive balance and grace, gathering momentum as he brought the weapon around for a deceptively quick blow, it's bladed end whistling as it flew through the air. Israel saw it coming, however, and immediately threw up his steel coated right arm.

A sharp clang rang out across the clearing as the staff crashed against the steel gauntlet, followed by a violent rush of wind as it tried to keep up with the speed of their movements. Seizing his advantage, Israel slashed out with Apocalypse, it's bloodred edges gleaming with delight as it slammed into the Second in Command's exposed shoulder. The thick plate armor covering the green player was more durable than Israel had expected, for most of the power of his swing was absorbed by the polished steel pauldron, though he did manage to pierce one of the steel plates and deliver a small cut to the man's upper arm. A sliver of health disappeared from the green player's health bar; not nearly enough to bring them to an even amount.

Sidestepping away before Israel could deliver a follow up attack, the Second in Command glanced at his light wound through his helmet in what looked like surprise. Clearly, he hadn't expected to be injured.

Driving forward with all of his speed and strength, Israel began his onslaught.

…

The clearing resounded with the shrill, grating sounds of battle as Jae fended off the Shadow's assault, sparks exploding all around them each time his staff met the man's sword or fist. Spinning Starfire in weaving patterns before him, Jae deflected blow after blow, utilizing every inch of his staff for coverage in order to conserve energy and keep up his defense. The wind had turned into a gale around them as they fought, attempting in vain to keep up with the speed of their strikes.

At first, Jae merely held his ground, waiting for the Shadow's assault to break once his energy and momentum were expended. As the seconds turned to minutes, however, and the red player before him continued to strike with just as much power and speed as he had when he started, Jae began to worry. His arms began to feel jarred and numb from the neverending hail of blows, and sweat began to trickle down his face more profusely.

 _The man's relentless. He attacks like a hurricane._

Though he managed to stave off almost every single blow, Jae soon began to feel sharp stings of pain as small cuts began to appear on his arms and legs. His health was still well above the Shadow's thanks to the wound he had inflicted earlier, but if he didn't do something soon, he realized that he could lose the fight.

 _If I lose, I'm going to die here. The Shadow won't hesitate to kill me. Capturing him is no longer an option. He needs to die. I need to kill him._

Parrying a lunge, Jae seized the opportunity and tore forward, launching his own attack with Starfire so quickly and with such power that he broke the Shadow's onslaught before the man could adjust. One swing, and he had cut the Shadow's exposed leg. Another swing, and a gash appeared down the red player's arm. Not slowing down, Jae closed for the kill.

To his surprise, the Shadow didn't go down. Whipping himself upright against the turn of events, the red player dodged one lunge, deflected another with his armored fist, and attacked with his red sword all at the same time. Both of them were trying to force the other onto the defensive, and neither was backing down. The real battle had finally been joined.

…

Panting from the strain of his exertions as his heart galloped in his ears, Israel forced himself not to slow down. They danced up and down the clearing without end, the sharp, loud clash of their weapons drowning out all other sounds as they fought on. Here and there amidst the blinding flurry of blows both given and and received, Israel dealt out more minor injuries, damaging the green player's perfect armor and further diminishing his health. For every wound he inflicted, however, he received one right back.

The Second in Command was just as aggressive as him, and it was clear both of them were fighting with everything they had. All thoughts of disabling the man before him were now gone: though it had taken some time to realize it, and part of him still couldn't fathom the fact, Israel knew that they were, somehow, evenly matched in almost every way.

Each had already lightly wounded the other over a dozen times, and blood was starting to soak through Israel's black cloak just as much as the Second in Command's polished silver armor, but thanks to the treacherous backstab he had received at the start of their fight, Israel had less health remaining than the man before him. He knew that that was all the green player needed to gain the edge.

Israel hadn't wanted to kill a green player. In fact, he still didn't, but he knew now that there was no other way. The longer the fight dragged on, the more it became clear that only one of them was going to make it out of the clearing. Visions of Sara danced suddenly in the back of his mind.

 _I can't let him kill me. I need to live, to spend a day out in the woods with her again._

The bladed ends of the staff came at him again and again, and several times it was all he could do to block the lethal blows before they reached him. The green player fought with remarkable skill and strength, knocking aside Israel's fastest attacks and cutting through gaps in his guard that no one else, save maybe Xaxa, would have seen. Skilled as he was though, the Second in Command was also clearly struggling: Israel could see fatigue begin to slow the sweeping movements of his staff as the fight dragged on, as well as wincing pain each time Apocalypse dealt another cut, or his fist pounded against the green player's armor.

Blocking blow after blow, Israel counter attacked whenever he could, only have his own blows deflected in turn and find himself momentarily on the defensive again, and on and on it went as both of them began gasping desperately for breath. The grass of the clearing beneath their feet was long dead, trampled again and again as the two of them advanced, disengaged, sidestepped, pivoted, and darted backwards. Israel's ears were numb from the clash of steel.

 _I have to end it. I have to win._

…

Staggering back a step as the edge of the red sword laid open the bottom of his cheek, Jae forced himself to suck in another breath and fight on. His arms felt like lead as he swung to keep the Shadow back, his staff moving significantly slower than it had at the start of the fight. Just as slowly, the Shadow threw up his fist, glancing aside the blow. Checking his health, Jae gasped as he saw that he had now entered the red. He had brought the Shadow to that point several moments earlier, and he still maintained the higher amount, but the difference between them no longer felt like much of a safety margin.

Exhaustion narrowed his vision. With each breath, his ribs burned. Feeling had long since fled his arms. Pain from a hundred wounds clouded his mind and made his whole body ache. Jae had been through more battles than he believed most people had a right to survive, but this one was, without a doubt, the hardest one he had ever fought. Even in spite of his small advantage in health, and after what felt like an eternity of endless fighting, he still had no idea which of them was going to triumph.

They disengaged briefly, each taking a step back at the same time in anticipation of the next attack. It wasn't the first time they had been strangely in sync; Jae had noticed their similarly executed movements several times throughout the fight, from their shared style of footwork to their pattern of attack. As hard as he tried to overpower or outmaneuver his way to victory, Jae couldn't seem to avoid the fact that they were evenly matched in skill.

The Shadow lunged with his red sword as slowly as if he were underwater, but Jae only just managed to block it in time with one of Starfire's blades. He counter attacked, slicing open the red player's exposed lower leg, dropping him to a knee. Before he could take launch a killing blow, Jae felt pain explode in his side as the Shadow's armored fist slammed into his side.

Stumbling several feet to the left, Jae had to lean on Starfire to keep from falling. The crippling pain in his ribs brought tears to his eyes, but he forced himself to keep breathing. The punch had been slow, and far weaker than some of the earlier swings Jae had been forced to carefully avoid, but he was sure that at least one of his ribs was broken.

By the time he regained his balance, Jae saw that he had lost his chance: the Shadow was back on his feet, albeit shakily. By the way he standing, not favoring his good leg or even seeming to notice his injured knee, Jae suspected that the Shadow had taken some sort of pain reduction potion before the fight.

 _If that's true, than very soon it won't matter that I have more health than he does; I'll be too incapacitated by my injuries to fight back. I'm barely able to stand any longer as it is._

With a blink, Jae realized suddenly what he had to do. Though they were evenly matched in skill, speed, and even strength, the Shadow was somehow able to fight more effectively despite his injuries. The only advantage Jae had left was in the difference between their two health bars. With more health at his disposal, he could afford to trade solid blows at least once, while the Shadow couldn't. If he launched one last strike, one last blow, deliberately exposing himself in the process, the Shadow would take the bait and attack in turn. Both of them would be struck, and only one of them would survive.

It was the only chance he had. If things continued as they were, Jae would shortly be unable to continue fighting at all. The Shadow was near that point as well, it was true, but he was still managing to function as if he wasn't as gravely hurt. The result, long though it might take to occur, would be death for Jae.

 _I can't keep this up any longer. I have to end it right now, or sooner or later he will win. I have to do it._

Committed, Jae took a final breath in preparation. Images of Vivienne flashed in his eyes. It was for her that he needed to live. It was for her that he had to do what must be done.

With a savage, defiant roar, Jae powered his limbs to move once more. Calling upon every last reserve of strength yet within him, every fiber of his being, Jae took hold of Starfire and lunged, aiming the frontal blade straight at the Shadow's heart. He moved faster than he believed he had been any longer capable of, gaining momentum as he tore through the air, closing the distance between them.

Reacting as Jae had expected, the Shadow raised his sword and tore forward, a terrifying streak of black and red that moved with all the inhuman speed and implacable determination of a nightmare come to life.

The climax was at hand.

…

Calling upon every last ounce of of strength yet within him, Israel darted forward with all the speed he could muster to meet the attack, his eyes fixed on the gap in the Second in Command's guard as the green player charged straight for him- a mistake that was finally about to cost the man his life.

Apocalypse weighed more now than it ever had before, but Israel needed it's fury for but one last swing. The bloodred edges gleamed with delight as the blade whistled through the air, as if knowing what was about to happen.

And then, much to Israel's surprise, he noticed that the green player's eyes were fixed, not on the location of his attack, but on Israel's sword.

The world seemed to slow as Israel frowned in confusion. Suddenly, with a blink of realization, he understood: the Second in Command was deliberately trading blows, no doubt knowing that his health advantage would allow him to survive the exchange.

Israel had been set up. He had been tricked into defeat.

 _No, I can still defeat him._

Altering the trajectory of his sword as it sped through the air, Israel threw himself into the blow as he aimed for the Second in Command's head, adding all of his body weight into the last attack. Holding nothing back, and moving as fast as he could yet manage, Israel ignored the snap of his black hood falling back off of his face against the wind, instead watching as his sword passed by the bladed staff making straight for him, and neared its destination.

…

Even as he surged forward to deliver the death blow, Jae's scream died in his throat. His eyes blinked, unable to comprehend what he was suddenly seeing. The black mask still hid the lower half of the face, but as the hood was swept away, knocked back by the speed of the movement, Jae knew without a doubt who it was.

His attack grinded to a halt. Starfire faltered in his hands.

And then the red sword crashed into his head.

Bursts of white light exploded in Jae's vision against the impact, his brain screaming against the ringing in his ears even as it tried to comprehend the exquisite agony that surged through him. The world upended in one sickening movement, and he felt himself slam backwards into something hard and cold.

Just as his vision began to return, more white light exploded before his eyes, and suddenly his helmet, his legendary Commander's Helm, was gone. Through half blind eyes, Jae looked up, and was just in time to see a streak of red as it cut through the mist of little white lights and made straight for him.

He was going to die.

 _I'm sorry, Vivienne._

…

Driving Apocalypse through the thick mist of pixelated shards that had a moment before been the Second in Command's magnificent plumed helmet, Israel braced to feel the impact of bone and brain shattering against his blade, as he had so many times before. The bright white shards began to disperse before his cutting blade, and suddenly he saw the face behind them.

Apocalypse froze in his hand.

It wasn't possible.

"Jae?"

The word came out slow and stammered, as if he had half forgotten how to say it out loud.

A face that Israel knew better than any other blinked up at him from the ground in total bewilderment.

"Israel?"

Israel opened his mouth, but no words came out. He had no idea what to say. He had no idea what to think. Unable to move as he stood there above Jae, who sat awkwardly on the ground as if he didn't know how he had gotten there, with Apocalypse frozen in the air inches from his head, the two of them stared in stunned confusion at each other.

Unable to think of anything else, Israel lowered his sword, and then brought his hand up to remove the black steel mask that covered his lower face. He nodded.

"Yes. It's me."

Jae blinked in astonishment, and for a moment, Israel thought he saw a tear well up in his eye. "You...you're alive?"

Before Israel could answer, Jae's face transformed before his eyes, changing from complete shock and disbelief to twisted, bitter rage. The single tear was gone.

"You...you're the Shadow of Death?!"

"I…" Israel tried to talk, but found himself unable to get anything out.

Struggling to his feet as he gasped in pain from his wounds, Jae staggered forward threateningly.

"You killed dozens of innocent people, people under my command! You just murdered my friend-"

"He was a member of Laughing Coffin." Israel said flatly.

Jae looked ready to strangle the life out of him. "What?!"

Israel glared at him. "That man was a spy, an Infiltrator sent by Laughing Coffin to-"

"You have no idea who the fuck he was!" Jae screamed hoarsely. "He's been in my guild for over half a year! He's one of my closest friends! His name was-"

"Ryan." Israel finished for him. "I know."

Jae opened his mouth in surprise, than closed it again and glared suspiciously. "How did you-"

"I just told you. I know the names of every spy Laughing Coffin embedded here among the Assault Team. I know details and records on most all of them as well. You met Ryan last year, on June sixth. That's when his mission as a spy began. He didn't join any guilds right away, but it didn't take long before he was a member of the Holy Dragon Alliance. If he was your friend, than I assume his personal mission was to spy on you in particular, to get close to you until he could aid in your death."

"You don't have a fucking clue what you're talking about!" Jae spat. "The day I met him, Ryan saved my life!"

Israel cocked his head angrily. "What better way to get close to the Second in Command of the Holy Dragon Alliance? Back then, Laughing Coffin wasn't marking people for assassination so much as keeping tabs on them, and on the big guilds that ran the Assault Team."

Jae shook his head in rage. "I can't believe what I'm hearing. Oh wait, I can. This sounds just like you, Israel. Never wanting to admit that you are the one in the wrong, always believing that everyone else is the evil one but you. All this time, and you haven't changed. When is it going to get through your head?" He leaned close, his face the picture of hatred. "You're a murdering fucking monster. You're deranged. You lost Naomi back then and lost your mind along with her ever since."

Israel felt the blood rush to his face. There was a time, once, when he would've proceeded to attack Jae for saying something like that to him, or even just scream in rage at him until both of them were near to blows, but that Israel had died long ago.

"I don't need to hear this from you. You're a clueless child who knows nothing of what's going on out there. I just saved your life. Because of what I've done these past few months, I've saved the lives of everyone in your precious little guild, and the entire Assault Team along with them. That man, Ryan, if he wasn't assigned to kill you already, would've been given the job soon enough. Why do you think the attacks made by Laughing Coffin stopped the way they did? You think that the red players just up and left you ignorant fools alone out of the kindness of their hearts?"

"You're one of them." Jae growled through gritted teeth. "You tell me."

Pangs of hurt lanced through him, in ways Israel had almost forgotten he could feel. He nodded silently.

"Go back to the safety of your fancy castle. I would say goodbye, but I'm sure I'll see you again soon, at the head of another hunting party trying to kill me."

Taking out a teleport crystal as Jae stared at him, Israel held it up above himself. He didn't care if Jae heard his location- he was just going to use another one the moment he arrived anyway, and at that moment, all he wanted was to be the Shadow of Death again.

"Teleport, Wivern Fields."


	103. Chapter 102

102

July 6th, 2024

Floor 38, Castellan Keep

 _Four days and still no word from him,_ Tristan thought in worry as he closed his messaging screen, his own message to Israel still unread. _And worse, he's gone and restricted his location._

"Your cat is adorable!"

Turning to the source of the outburst as Simba stretched lazily across his shoulders, Tristan saw a young woman clad in the usual HDA silver and blue themed armor smiling excitedly as she watched the cat in rapt attention.

Tristan beamed at her.

"Thank you so much!" He leaned in conspiratorially, cupping a hand to the side of his face nearest Simba as the cat nuzzled into the crook of his neck. "He certainly looks the part, but between you and me, he's got quite the attitude when I don't let him lounge on me while I work."

As if on queue, Simba yawned casually, showing off his deadly rows of sharp teeth.

The young lady, an HDA member who Tristan dimly recognized as a previous customer during his last business trip to Castellan Keep, giggled in delight.

"What's his name?"

"Simba."

She laughed approvingly. "The perfect name. Is it alright if I pet him?"

"Of course, go right ahead."

Leaning in to accommodate her as the young woman extended an arm and began running the back of her armored glove gently along Simba's golden fur, Tristan smiled when he heard the purring start.

"He likes you."

Her smiled widened as she began scratching Simba behind the ears. "He probably just knows how to put on a show in order to get attention, but he's perfect anyway." She paused, glancing at Tristan. "Are you a beast tamer, Master Tristan?"

Tristan laughed good naturedly. "I'm afraid I wouldn't have the skill or the levels to tame a cricket. I found Simba half starved and wandering the streets one day as I was selling my wares down in the Town of Beginnings. He came when I called and, well, we've been inseparable ever since."

"You're a good man, Master Tristan. Just for that, I'm going to have a look at your wares. I also wanted to thank you for the potions you sold to me last time you were here. They served me well when I needed them."

Careful to make sure Simba didn't fall from atop his shoulders, Tristan gave an appreciative bow. "I'm very happy my items could be of service. Thank you so much, miss…?"

"Oh yes, I'm sorry." She extended an armored hand. "I'm Stella."

"A beautiful name."

Tristan shook her hand before gesturing to the large cart before them, complete with display shelves and extension rungs, all neatly laden with various items, potions, crystals, and the like. "For someone as kind as you, half price on whatever you purchase." He paused. "Stella, may I ask why it's so quiet and empty out today?" He gestured around at the vacant greenery around them as the sound of the water fountains broke the brief silence. "Normally, Castellan Keep's courtyards are filled with HDA guild members and, more importantly, my rival merchants and traders, but today you're the only person I've seen since entering the grounds."

Stella's smile withered, her interest in his goods gone. "That's because most of the guild is inside the Grand Hearth right now, all pressed against the doors leading to the Enclave Chamber trying to hear the proceedings."

Tristan frowned in confusion as he glanced up the path to the closed double doors that led inside the Grand Hearth. "Proceedings?"

Stella's face seemed to grow sadder by the moment. "You haven't heard? Our Second in Command is under inquiry by the leaders of the Assault Team."

Tristan blinked, unsure if he had heard correctly. "What? Jae? Under inquiry? Under inquiry for what?"

"Isn't it ridiculous? I can't tell you how many times he's saved my life, the lives of my friends. If it weren't for him, the Holy Dragon Alliance would have fallen apart long ago. I doubt he'll get in any trouble, but it's the fact that they're doing this at all, you know? It's shameful. He's our Second in Command, for god's sake-"

Tristan clasped Stella's shoulder pauldrons with both hands. "Stella, please, can you tell me what he's under inquiry is for? Your Second in Command is an old friend of mine."

Stella nodded sadly. "Sorry. The inquiry was called to investigate the failure of the mission to catch the Shadow of Death, and to that end, address Jae's admittance that the Shadow is his own brother."

Tristan opened his mouth, but no words came out.

He had just forgotten how to breath.

…

"Thank you everyone, for being here today." Lind announced formally from his seat at the table. "I know that it is difficult to forego the administrative responsibilities and needs of your own guilds, but as this is a matter that involves all of us, and comes as a result of our collective decision at the First Enclave, I knew that we should all be present to carry out this inquiry."

From where he stood in the hollow circle at the center of the round table, surrounded on all sides by the most important men and women in Aincrad, Jae resisted the urge to snicker.

The last thing Lind had wanted was to make what he believed a private guild matter into a public trial. Had it been up to him, Lind would have merely given Jae a reminder as to where his duties lay, and then gone back to his decadent, carefree lifestyle within his chambers. As it was, he had been pressured by the other guild commanders until he gave in to their demands for a public inquiry. It hadn't taken long for him to cave.

"Thank you, Commander Lind." Commander Heathcliff said with a rigid nod. He shifted slightly in his seat, his red and white robes looking every bit as commanding and stern as his battle armor. "Now that we are all here, I propose we hold off on the more immediate questions within all of our minds and instead begin by asking Second in Command Jae for an official summary of the events that transpired the day of the mission. Having clear knowledge of everything that occurred as it unfolded will aid in better understanding what happened. Does anyone disagree?"

"Lind's dog isn't on trial for wandering through the woods all morning." Kibaou snapped from behind his desk. "He's on trial for failing the mission, getting one of his men killed, and saying that he's the brother of the Shadow of Death! That's what we should be talking about here."

"First of all, Kibaou," Klein spoke up irritably, "Much as we all know you would wish it, Commander Jae isn't on trial. He's not on death row here. This is only an inquiry, a means of getting some needed answers. I agree with Commander Heathcliff; we should start knowing exactly how things got to the point they did."

There was silence for a moment as the rest of the guild leaders nodded their heads in agreement. Jae knew how much weight Heathcliff's words had among the rest of the Assault Team. Besides the fact that he was fast becoming known as practically the strongest player in all of Aincrad, the KoB Commander had also gradually come to be seen as the unofficial and unspoken head of the Assault Team due to his guild's strength and prestige. Not even the Holy Dragon Alliance, with over three times their numbers, had been able to maintain quite the same level of influence.

Jae gave a brief nod to Heathcliff before speaking up. "When I first returned from the mission, I gave Lind an official report of the details. I will be happy to repeat it for the Enclave, but for the sake of Kibaou's particularly short attention span, I'll keep it brief." He cleared his throat, not bothering to look Kibaou's way.

"In accordance with the orders created during the First Enclave meeting, I set out to capture the Shadow of Death at eight in the morning, together with four HDA members in my immediate command, six Army soldiers, five Iron Fists, four Knights of the Blood-Oath, and five Legend Braves. With our Corridor Crystals linked and in constant communication, I led my own party to sighting location number four, while the other groups covered the remaining sighting locations.

"Exactly four hours in, I was in the lead of my party alongside Guild Member Ryan when we both fell into a trap that the Shadow had set up. The trap contained a Linked Corridor Crystal that had already been activated, teleporting Ryan and I to a clearing in the Forest of Wavering Mists. It was there that the Shadow attacked us, killing Ryan from behind before either of us knew he was there. I engaged him and we fought to a standstill until, in the midst of the fight, his hood was flung back and I saw that it was my brother Israel, who I hadn't seen up to that point since February of last year. I foolishly hesitated, and because of my hesitation, he managed to get an attack by me and destroyed my helmet, thus leading him to recognizing me as well before he ran. I couldn't pursue him-"

"That's all I need to hear," Kibaou snapped as he looked at the seated guild leaders all around him. "And that should be all you lot need to hear as well. By openly admitting that the Shadow of Death is his brother, our Hero of Floor Twenty-Five must be officially suspected of being in league with the red player, and maybe even Laughing Coffin as well. He probably knew who the Shadow was all along. Who's to say he hasn't been helping his brother this entire time, telling him where to strike at vulnerable parties of our troops? If the Shadow is a member of Laughing Coffin, or just a freelance hired by them, than most likely Jae is as well."

"I disagree." Thinker said, his voice ringing out across the room as he faced Kibaou beside him. "I don't know Jae well, it's true. In fact, I probably know him less than most everyone here, seeing as I've never been on the frontlines. But I do know his wife. Officer Vivienne has shown her readiness to fight and die for the Assault Team time and again. I witnessed first hand her resistance against the members of Laughing Coffin that attacked her, and I've also seen for myself how devoted she is to keeping players safe. I can't even begin to imagine she would marry someone of differing intent, or that she wouldn't discover such ulterior motives in her own husband if they did exist."

"We're not talking about his wife," Kibaou said bitterly. "We're talking about Jae-"

"Furthermore," Thinker went on, "and more in my area of expertise, I know the men under my command. The Army contains more than a few veterans of the old Aincrad Liberation Force, which was run solely by Kibaou as a Clearing guild before he merged with mine after the disaster of Floor Twenty-Five. I've heard those veterans tell plenty of stories since I've gotten to know them, stories about their battles on the frontlines, and about the Second in Command of the Holy Dragon Alliance, who saved a good many of their lives during those violent and terrifying times.

"If Jae were in league with the Shadow, or Laughing Coffin for that matter, he would not have a record filled with the lives he's saved and the times he's risked his life for the Assault Team. As far as I'm concerned, this inquiry is foolish and unnecessary. We cannot blame Jae for the actions of his brother. As leaders, we all know, or should know, that punishing someone for actions not their own is not only immoral and foolish, but will also lead to more trouble than it's worth. If anything, we should be praising Jae for choosing to tell us such a personal detail, when he could just as easily have remained silent about the Shadow being his brother. That's all I have to say."

There was silence for a moment as several guild leaders began nodding their heads in approval.

Kibaou cleared his throat. "Be that as it may, we cannot ignore-"

"I agree with Commander Thinker." Heathcliff said. "I've seen Jae on the frontlines many times. I've had the honor of fighting with him on a few occasions. He is, by and large, one of the bravest, most honorable, and most dedicated leaders in the entire Assault Team. Both his reputation and his record show a man willing to do whatever it takes to save lives and get to Floor One Hundred so that all of us can get back to the real world.

"As for hesitating and letting his brother go, Jae found himself in an incredibly unfortunate situation, and one that he had no idea he would find himself in. The shock of the moment, of discovering that the enemy being faced was at one point a loved one, would most likely drive any of us to the same hesitation and uncertainty."

"I too can attest to Jae's loyalty," Lind spoke up. "But more than that, I can draw upon personal experience to further reveal the truth of this. I met Jae's brother, Israel, a long time ago, back on Floor Two. From the short time I spoke to the man, I could tell immediately that he was nothing like Jae; even then, his evil and hatred shown through. A hateful, violent, selfish, and cowardly man with a reckless and wanton disregard for others that chilled me to the bone, Israel was the polar opposite of his brother, even then."

Lind continued speaking, but for a moment, Jae didn't hear him: he found himself almost angry that Lind would speak about his brother in such a way. Israel was no coward, that much was for sure, nor was he selfish. It had been Israel, after all, who had patrolled entire floors just to find players in need of help back in those days. The memory of his brother's selfless courage and hopeful idealism, nearly forgotten in his mind, almost made Jae smile.

"It was Jae who stood against Israel in the Boss Room of Floor Two," Lind went on, "when his lunatic brother all but drew a sword on me as he raved about the evil of the Assault Team. It was Jae who warned his brother not to draw his sword. I was there. I can tell you all with supreme confidence that Jae has been, and always will be, on our side."

"I move to declare Jae innocent of any possible charge." Heathcliff said, seizing the momentum. "What Lind has just revealed has made it even clearer to me, as if it wasn't clear enough to begin with, that this Enclave would be better served standing by Jae and using him rather than trying to have him arrested. I also move to release him of any possible affiliation with the Shadow of Death, and any other red players out there."

"I support." Klein declared.

"I support." Thinker and Lind both said.

"I support."

"I support!"

"I support." The phrase echoed off the walls as several dozen voices spoke, one after the other supporting Jae. Only Kibaou remained silent.

"The Enclave has reached a majority." Lind stated as he rose. "Therefore, I declare Jae, Second in Command of the Holy Dragon Alliance, free of all allegations. This meeting is adjourned."

Upon exiting the chamber, Jae was just in time to see at least a hundred HDA members scatter across the Grand Hearth as they tried their best to make it appear as though they hadn't been listening.

As he walked by them, however, they made no attempt at hiding their feelings. Nearly every single one of them beamed from ear to ear as they cheered for him, clapped him on the back, and announced that they would've defended him to the end had things gone poorly.

"Jae!" Vivienne shouted as she weaved her way through the dispersing crowd and rushed to meet him. Right on her heels, Avari, David, Aranal, and Meifan were all smiles as they picked up the pace to keep up with her.

In spite of the dark thoughts and memories of seeing Israel again, of the words they exchanged, and of Ryan's death all swirling through his head, Jae still managed to smile at the sight of her. "Were you eavesdropping? That's a breach of protocol, Officer Vivienne."

Vivienne waved an arm. "Oh well. It was ridiculous having the inquiry conducted in the first place. Still, I'm glad those fools came to their senses and supported you."

"It was thanks mostly to Heathcliff and Thinker." Jae explained. "They defended me from the start, and their talking points prevented Kibaou from gaining any traction among the others."

Avari tossed her head, adjusting her bangs as she offered Jae a sincere grin. "You're lucky things went well in there, or I doubt I would've been able to hold Vivienne back from entering the chamber and lopping off a few heads."

Jae snorted. "Knowing you, you'd probably have been in there lopping off heads right beside her."

Avari blinked at him as if he had just announced that rain were wet. "Of course; that's why I would've been too busy to stop her."

Jae knew what Avari was doing: she was trying to lighten the mood to keep him from thinking about Ryan. The fact that she was doing it for him alone, when he knew without doubt that all of them were just as filled with sorrow over Ryan's death as he was, made Jae want to pull her into a hug.

"Lind is coming." Aranal warned under his breath.

Turning to face the Guild Commander as Vivienne and the others deliberately fell in beside him, Jae dipped his head respectfully.

"Commander, I wanted to say thank you for standing by me in there. I am in your-"

Lind lifted a hand, his gem studded satin sleeve rolling back to his elbow. "No need to thank me, Jae; I but spoke the truth. Unfortunately, I doubt this will be the end of it."

Jae frowned. "What do you mean?"

"My husband was just declared free of any and all charges." Vivienne said suspiciously. "If there was going to be any trouble, it would've been at that inquiry."

"Not necessarily." Lind intertwined his hands as he met Jae's gaze. "We both know Kibaou fairly well. He hates you even more than he hates me. He isn't a very wise person, but he is as cunning and resourceful as they come. What transpired between you and the Shadow, and your public admittance that he is your brother, is the perfect opportunity for Kibaou to try to do you- and by extension, the guild- harm. He tried to have you punished today, but just because that failed doesn't mean he's going to let it all go. This issue is far too fragile and strained for him not to try and capitalize on it any way he can."

Running a hand through his hair in worry as he considered, Jae sighed. "You're probably right. I wouldn't put it past Kibaou to do everything he could to turn this into something he can use to hurt me. At best he might just try to damage my reputation and influence, but at worst, he could try to have me exiled from the Assault Team, or even put in prison. What would you suggest we do to prevent that from happening?"

"I have a number of ideas," Lind said, "but my first and foremost would be to deny that you and the Shadow are brothers. Honestly, I don't know why you decided to let the world know in the first place."

"Because I knew the moment Ryan was struck down that some form of investigation would occur." Jae replied bitterly. "And that that investigation would include the heads of every guild. I'm not a liar, Lind; had I made the admission public or not, I would've told the Enclave, and they in turn would not have kept it a secret. It would've come out eventually."

Lind sighed in exasperation. "I suppose. Regardless, I think you should publicly announce, both to the press and the Enclave, that you made some kind of mistake. Explain that you were wrong and that the Shadow of Death is of no relation to you."

Avari scowled. "All of Aincrad would see right through such a bald-faced lie in an instant. Whatever hit to his prestige Jae has taken in admitting that the Shadow is his brother will be nothing compared to what happens if he lies so openly after the fact. Use your head, Lind."

Lind's face twisted in anger, but before he could begin shouting at Avari, Jae cleared his throat.

"Commander, Avari isn't wrong. Even if I were content to lie about this, which I'm not, it's simply too late now to attempt damage control."

Lind took a breath. "Maybe you're right. In that case, the best way to assure everyone that you aren't in league with your brother would be to-"

"The Enclave just announced that he isn't!" Vivienne exclaimed. "Jae has nothing to prove- he convinced them in spite of Kibaou's efforts to twist the truth."

"Yes," Lind ceded with a nod. "He convinced them all today, but what about tomorrow? What about when Kibaou starts whispering into all of their ears that Jae can't be trusted to lead Assault Team forces any longer, that he can't be trusted in a position of such power?" He paused for a brief moment, silently challenging Vivienne to give him an answer before picking up the thread of his narrative. "As I said, our goal is to prevent Kibaou from potentially taking advantage of this situation. Now, I believe that the next best thing we can do to achieve that is to organize another mission, headed by Jae, to this time capture the Shadow of Death. Success will erase any doubt Kibaou might have been able to foster, and-"

A familiar voice, thick with anger, suddenly cut Lind off before he could finish.

"You're a liar!"

Blinking in surprise as he saw the man storming through the crowd straight towards him, Jae stepped forward.

"Tristan? What are you talking about?"

Stopping directly in front of Jae, and seeming not to even notice Lind, Vivienne, or anyone else staring at him, Tristan shook his head in fury.

"Don't act like you don't know! I heard you in there! You said you didn't know why Israel did what he did. You said that after recognizing you, Israel ran without a word! I don't need to have been there to know that that is a stone cold lie. If he recognized you, Israel would have spoken to you. He would've explained. I know he would have."

"Shopkeeper," Lind said in a tone of warning. "You had best be mindful of what you say to the Second in Command of the-"

"I know very well who he is." Tristan bristled. "I knew Jae long before any of you did. And I know that you-" He pointed to Jae- "lied inside that chamber."

Lind stepped forward. "Eavesdropping on Assault Team business is liable to get you cut off from trade with my guild for at least-"

Jae raised a hand, his eyes remaining fixed on Tristan as anger began to surge through him. "Commander, it's alright. Tristan, I know that you and Israel were friends once, just as we were friends, but those days are long-"

"Stop avoiding the truth." Tristan snapped. "You lied about Israel in front of all those people! Admit it!"

"How would you know what happened between Israel and I in that forest?" Jae asked defensively. He could feel his blood beginning to rise. "You weren't there, Tristan. You have no idea what went on-"

"I know that you chose to omit some details." Tristan snapped. "Don't attempt to lie to me, too, Jae. I want you to tell me why you would make your brother out to be some kind of mad killer! I want you to tell me why you wouldn't tell that Enclave what he said to you when he saw your face. Don't play dumb with me! Why didn't you tell them-"

Jae exploded. "Because I will die before I tarnish Ryan's memory with the words of a fanatical red player! Do you understand me, Tristan? I will die before I allow that!"

Tristan looked angrier than Jae had ever seen him. "So now we get to it! You don't like what Israel told you, so you choose to-"

"Ryan was more a brother to me than Israel ever was!" Jae roared. "Ryan was family! Everyone here knew him for the good man that he was! And you know what Israel did? He hacked his head off from behind before Ryan even knew what was happening. He would've killed me too had I not fought him off-"

"That's a lie as well." Tristan hissed. "And you know it."

Jae had to resist the urge to knock the frail shopkeeper to the ground as he stepped forward.

"And how is it you know so much about what's true and what's not, Tristan?" He snapped. "You knew me and my brother almost two years ago and now you think you're an expert on everything that goes on between us? Who the hell do you think you are? What makes you think you know so damn much about him?" He sneered, his words taking on a mocking tone. "What, have you been checking in on Israel every few months since he turned red? Have you been having weekend hangouts with the Shadow of Death, picnicking in the woods and watching as he slaughters innocent people?"

"I've done more than watch." Tristan said defiantly. "I've helped him do it."

There was a brief moment of silence as everyone stood stunned.

"You...you've been aiding the Shadow of Death?" Lind asked in shock.

"You're his spy aren't you?" Vivienne asked, her tone one of dangerous accusation.

Jae blinked, still unsure if he had heard correctly. At that moment, Vivienne and Lind and all the others may as well not have existed as he focused his glare on Tristan, the implications of what he had just heard filling him with cold rage.

"Do you mean to tell me that you've known Israel was the Shadow of Death, that he was alive, all this time?"

Tristan didn't back down, his gaze matching Jae's without fear as he nodded. "Yes."

Jae had to struggle to keep himself from strangling the shopkeeper right where he stood. Memories of all the times he found himself at the brink of depression over Israel's disappearance, and over the death Jae had forced himself to assume had occurred, flooded back into him. He had suffered in silence, missing his brother, dreading his fate, replaying their parting and Naomi's death in his head, for so long, only to now learn that the shopkeeper had known the truth all along. His world felt like it was falling apart around him.

"And you know what, Jae?" Tristan went on. "Contrary to what you tell yourself at night, Israel is no monster. He's no red player at heart. In fact, he's the one who deserves to be called a hero, not you. I'm alive because of him. You are too. And while we're at it, so is most of the entire Assault Team. If it wasn't for Israel's efforts in eliminating their eyes and ears, Laughing Coffin would've launched a war against the Assault Team, and they would've laid waste to you all. He told you who Ryan really was. Guess what? He was telling you the truth. Your friend Ryan _was_ an Infiltrator. I saw the list of names myself."

"Infiltrator?" Lind asked suspiciously as his gaze switched between Tristan and Jae. "What's an-"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Jae asked quietly, though he could hear the lethal rage in his own words. "Why didn't you tell me Israel was alive? You've been here on your business trips many times over the past year. You knew I was here. You knew I thought he was dead." He stepped closer, barely noticing his knuckles turning white as he balled his hands into fists. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I didn't trust you!" Tristan shouted. "And it seems my fears were warranted. You act like I'm the one to blame, that I'm in the wrong for not telling you where he was all this time, but it's all because of you. I knew if I told you, you wouldn't want to find him. No, all you'd want would be to capture him, maybe even kill him. I was right. Today you had the chance to let the world know who Israel really is, but instead you chose to lie, to push him away and feel sorry for yourself. You're a fool."

Jae didn't know what to say. He wanted to beat Tristan to a pulp. He wanted to kill Israel. He wanted his friend back. But he could no longer keep Israel's words out of his head. Doubt was beginning to creep into his mind. He didn't know what to believe. He didn't even know what he _wanted_ to believe.

"Master Tristan." Lind said in disgust. "For admitting that you have aided the Shadow of Death, a red player, in orchestrating the deaths of innocent people, you are banned from Castellan Keep, and from doing business with any of our trade networks ever again. Before the day is over, I will have sent messages to every newspaper company in Aincrad, requesting them to publicly report your treachery. You will never have another customer as long as you live. Your shop is as good as dead. Be grateful I'm not having you thrown in the Black Iron Palace dungeon."

Tristan, the man who had spent years struggling to build up his business and run his shop, merely shrugged. "I've had about as much as I can stomach from you lot anyway. " He turned on a heel and took a step, but then paused to glance back over his shoulder at Jae.

"If you truly believe that Israel is what they say, if you can't find it in yourself to remember who he is, who he has always been, you don't deserve to call him your brother."

Without another word, Tristan grabbed hold of a cart filled with items he had been trying to sell, a cat curled up and sleeping in one of the empty display cases, and made his way out of the double doors of the Grand Hearth.


	104. Chapter 103

103

July 14th, 2024

Floor 22, Lake Outside Coral City

Israel heard her coming.

Not bothering to look behind him as he sat with his knees drawn up under his chin, gazing out at the tranquil, calm lake's glassy surface as the water lapped lazily along the bank before him, Israel chose instead to remain still and keep his sudden smile to himself.

In his mind's eye, he could see her perfectly: she walked calmly, evenly, with that determined stride he had come to know so well. Her footfalls were light and elegant, as was usual for most women. The ends of her black dress ruffled slightly against the movement of her feet; another telltale sound that revealed who it was. Her legs were long, and she was tall, so her steps were farther apart than most other females. As she drew closer, and Israel caught the scent of her, he remembered how much he had missed it. With hair that smelled of freshly crushed pine needles and skin that seemed to emanate the soft, sweet, crisp fragrance of honey suckles, Sara's presence never failed to remind him of spring.

"You know," Israel said as he continued staring out ahead at the lake and basking in the warm glow of the sun, "I had a feeling when I restricted people on my friends list from seeing my location that it wouldn't stop you. I'm not at all surprised you found me."

He heard her pause behind him. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised either that you heard me coming, but I tried really hard that time."

She sat down on the grass beside him, an image that to Israel felt somehow wrong as he glanced over at her. Beautiful as she was, with her long, thick silver hair cascading regally down her shoulders and back, her gorgeous dress of black satin looking like it had been painstakingly made to complement her body's feminine curves and graceful stature, and the proud, almost royal bearing that never left her face, Sara looked like she belonged on a princess's velvet throne in some grand castle. Yet there she was, not even caring as she dirtied her dress and leaned back on her arms, allowing her hair to tumble down into the grass and dirt. Somehow, the sight only made Israel like her more.

"It was well done." He admitted as he smiled over at her. "You took care not to step on any leaves, branches or pine cones, and your footsteps remained level and fluid even as you descended down to the bank. I'm quite impressed."

Sara rolled a shoulder nonchalantly at the praise. "I had a good teacher." She frowned. "If I did so well, how did you know I was coming?"

"There were small factors in what I could hear that aided my conclusion, but mostly, I sensed your presence."

Sara looked at him in disbelief. "What? You sensed me? How?"

Israel shrugged playfully. "Another lesson in wilderness living I would've been happy to share had a certain someone not left to go visit her ex."

Sara scowled at him. "If I remember correctly, I saved the day, and your skin, doing that. Besides, it wasn't me that later said-" She deepened her voice sarcastically- "'We can't afford to stay together any longer, Sara. I have an image to uphold.'"

Israel scratched his stubble covered jaw. "I somehow the feeling you might be ever so slightly misquoting me, but I can't for the life of me figure out how."

Unable to go on any longer, both of them dissolved into easy laughter. The sound of Sara's instantly banished the dark thoughts Israel had been enshrouded in for days, and he couldn't stop smiling. He didn't understand how she managed to make him happy at even the worst of times.

"I missed you." Israel said meaningfully when their laughter had died down.

Her eyes seemed to sparkle. "I missed you too."

The world seemed to slow to a halt as they sat there, two friends each wordlessly expressing the sincere joy they both felt at being in one another's company again. At that moment, Israel didn't care in the slightest that by being near him Sara was placed in even more danger. For once, he was happy, and he wanted to relish the feeling, brief though he knew it would be. After a long, quiet moment, Israel forced his eyes back to the lake.

"So, how did you find me? Scrying Potion?"

Sara shook her head as she too gazed out at the beautiful display of nature before them. "No, it was easy. This is our favorite lake. We spent more time here than anywhere else back when we lived in the Treehouse. I figured that after what happened, you'd be here."

Israel hesitated as he glanced over at her. "After what happened?"

Sara met his gaze with a soft, worried look. "Tristan messaged me yesterday, worried sick about you disappearing without a word these past few days. He told me what happened with your brother."

Israel nodded irritably as he picked up a loose pebble covered in dirt and tossed it into the lake, shattering the glassy surface for but a brief second before the water returned to its state of rolling calm.

"I figured that he'd find out sooner rather than later, seeing as he spends a lot of time near the Assault Team and Jae. I should've known he would talk to you after he discovered what happened."

"To be honest, I'm surprised you didn't ask him not to."

Israel shrugged. "Tristan is my friend. I don't tell friends what they can and can't do." He took a breath. "He's sent me several messages asking me to talk to him, but the other day he told me how he found out, thinking I should know what's going on, I suppose. He told me that he was on another one of his business forays at Castellan Keep, the HDA Capital, when he saw all the commotion. Apparently my...my so called brother...was more or less interrogated by a committee of Assault Team leaders to find out what happened. Apparently the whole place was abuzz with the gossip of what transpired, some of it factual, but most of it a twist on the truth. All of it made me look the monster, and Jae the hero." He scoffed bitterly. "The irony really is something. Then again, they aren't wrong."

"Don't say stupid things like that." Sara said as she watched him. "Of course they're wrong. The green players have no idea who you are, or what you've done for them all."

Israel shrugged. "At the end of the day, it doesn't really matter."

Sara looked like she wanted to argue, but instead she shifted her weight and turned her gaze ahead.

"What are you doing here, Sara?" Israel asked quietly. "You should be far away from me."

"I'm here to make sure you're alright."

"I'm fine."

"The entire time I lived with you, you only ever mentioned your brother Jae once, and that was on accident and you immediately changed the subject afterwards. Up until now, I didn't even know he was in SAO with us."

Israel ripped up a patch of grass by his feet. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about him, Sara."

"I don't want an apology."

"Then what _do_ you want?"

Reaching out abruptly, Sara seized his hand between her own as she met his eyes with a fearless, determined gaze. He could see the conviction that powered the intensity of those sky blue eyes, as well as the riveting intelligence that made them shine. It occurred to him suddenly that her eyes reminded him of Naomi's.

"I want you to be alright. There is too much pain inside you as it is, too much guilt and hurt. The last thing you need is more on top of it all. I don't want what happened between you and your brother to hurt you inside."

"Sara, I'm not hurting-"

"I know you too well for you to fool me, Israel. You love your brother, I can see it in your eyes. The other day, when you saw him again, he must have done something to hurt you, or said something, to make you want to disappear for awhile. Now, you don't have to tell me about what happened if you don't want to; that's your right. But I will not allow you to believe that you are evil, that you deserve all the hurt you willingly shoulder on yourself."

She sounded determined. She looked even more so. Past the iron in her sky blue eyes, though, Israel could see the worry she felt, the fear for him.

He sighed, forcing a small, sad smile before freeing his hand from her grip and staring back out ahead at the lake.

"Jae and I grew up together. We spent nearly every day going on adventures, fording rivers and marching into unknowns. In school, we defended each other from anyone who tried us. When people made fun of him for being different, I was there at his back as we started swinging. When I would get made fun of for being a Jew, he would leap into the fray, ready to crack skulls without a thought. Outside of school, we deliberately sought out obstacles to overcome together. As kids, we often confided in each other that it felt as though we were meant to go through life together. There was even a time, when we were very young, that we both promised to name at least one of our future children after the other.

"He was my shield brother, my greatest source of strength. I loved him, for he was the one constant in my life, the one person I could always depend on no matter how bad things got. He had but to say the word, and I would gladly have died for him, just as he would gladly have died for me. I remember Jae and I purchasing our two copies of Sword Art Online together. I remember our excitement, not so much for the game as for the chance to experience a new world together, side by side with blades in hand. On release day, we were ecstatic; we were about to live our greatest dream.

"From the first day we found ourselves trapped in Aincrad, though, division began slowly tearing us apart. We did our best to support each other and stay by the other's side in spite of it, but some things just don't go the way we would like them to. By the time…" Israel closed his eyes as the pain and misery washed through him at the memory. "By the time Naomi died, Jae and I had lost all sense of unity. The first man I ever killed was a member of Laughing Coffin, a father of several children who was merely doing what he could to survive and get back to them. I killed him without hesitation, and I did it right in front of Jae. He told me that he needed to take me in, and I teleported away.

"I dedicated my life to vengeance, to hunting down and destroying Laughing Coffin and everything they stand for. Jae would never have done something like that: he was always the noble one between the two of us, the hero. To this day, I can still see the look of betrayal in his eyes as I teleported away from him, ending our brotherhood once and for all.

"At first, I didn't care about leaving him. I didn't care about anything. All I could think about was killing the men responsible for taking Naomi from this world. As time went by, though, I began remembering the times we shared together, remembering how much I missed him in spite of everything. As the months past, I brought myself to believe that he was dead. After all, death is just another part of life in Aincrad. Why allow myself such wishful thinking as to believe that he was still alive?

"So when I discovered that the Second in Command of the Holy Dragon Alliance, the man who hadn't let me escape and who I had been trying to kill in that little clearing, was my brother Jae, I didn't know what to think. Part of me wanted to be happy. I wanted to tell him how grateful I was that he was alive after all this time, how happy I was to see him again." Israel shook his head at the absurd irony of it. "I even considered telling him I was proud that he had risen so high.

"But he reminded me of the difference between us. Of what I am. I'm no hero, Sara. I'm a killer. Blood and death are all I know anymore. The look of hatred in his eyes, the disgust...it...it hit me harder than I thought it would. I had to take some time to think. I'm still not even sure what it is I'm feeling."

Scooting up beside him, Sara gently rubbed the small of his back. When he tried to look away from her, she cupped the side of his face, her velvety soft hand urging him to face her.

"What you feel is your love for your brother, and the pain that same love brings because of his words. Israel, I understand your hurt, your pain, as a result of the things he said to you, but you must listen to me now. Jae hasn't been with you all this time. He hasn't seen what you've gone through, or what you've done to make Aincrad safe from PoH. you must remember that in spite of everything you have shared with him, both you and your brother have changed. Whether it's for better or for worse is irrelevant; all that matters is that you are no longer the same people you once were. Jae knows you no better now than the green players that trade idle gossip about the Shadow of Death simply to pass the time. You must understand that."

"But I'm called the Shadow of Death for a reason, Sara." Israel said. "I'm not like Jae, I'm not-"

"You've done more to save lives than anyone else in Aincrad. You saved my life too, and in more ways than one." She smiled sadly at him. "You are a very rare person, Israel. And don't you dare forget it."

Touched by her words, and not wanting to argue with her after having not seen her for so long, Israel took her small, dainty hand in his own and squeezed to convey his appreciation.

"Thank you, Sara. You've cleared some of the fog that clouded my mind. You're right. As much as he meant to me once, as much as he still means, Jae's words aren't the truth just because they're his." he smiled at her. "Though you don't know it, you reminded me not to forget a very special rule: passion rules reason. Thank you."

She pulled him in for a quick hug. Though it only lasted a brief moment, Israel felt something in the contact between them, a connection of such profound meaning and sincerity that it could only be described as affection in the purest sense of the word. It was the warmest, most wonderful thing he could remember feeling.

Sara pulled away first, and much to Israel's surprise, he wished she hadn't. The sounds of nature peacefully enveloped the two of them as they sat quietly by the edge of the lake. Blue warblers and brown robin birds chirped cheerfully from up in the treetops that crested the bank, their morning songs mingling with the gentle lapping of the water and the cackle of a family of geese as they paddled along the surface. Israel had always loved being at the center of the harmony of nature, of being surrounded by it's tranquility. It was like a second home. Having Sara beside him to share in it made it even better.

Sara raised her arm abruptly, her finger pointing off to the right. "Time to see if you've been slacking. Do you remember what that plant is?"

Israel squinted past the morning sunlight as he got a better look. He scoffed.

"Too easy. That's the Cornelius Rexima, used for it's stem which contains the hormone melatonin, aiding the potency of sleep potions."

Sara arched an eyebrow. "Sounds like someone's getting a bit cocky. Alright, how about you make me a quick potion-'

Israel threw up his arms. "Let's not get ourselves, Sara. I'd rather not set fire to your dress today."

They both chuckled, until at last Israel forced himself to address the elephant in the room.

"Sara, being able to see you has made me happier than I've been since we parted ways, but you know that we're putting ourselves at risk-"

"I know, I know." Sara sighed. "As much as I wished you would forget about that, I suppose it's for the best if I leave now before-"

"Would you stay and have breakfast with me?"

Sara frowned. "What?"

Israel gestured at the open expanse around them. "It's too open here. We could be spotted by a blind man." He pointed to the edge of the forest not for behind them. "I set up a concealed camp in there last night, hidden from view. It'll be considerably safer for us. Besides, it's past breakfast time, and I'm hungry. Would you like to eat with me?"

She eyed him suspiciously. "What happened to us needing to part ways?"

"I still believe we must. Right now, however, we are here together, even if temporarily. I for one would like to enjoy that a little while longer. We've spent this long just lounging out in the open already, so I doubt another half hour in a concealed position will do us any harm. After breakfast, we can part ways again." He felt his smile fade as she squinted at him. "Unless of course you don't want to. It's fine if you-"

Sara swatted his shoulder. "Don't be ridiculous, of course I want to eat breakfast with you. I'm just surprised you're not being stubborn as a mule for once. Well done."

Israel hesitated. "...Thank you?"

She set off up the slope towards the woods, leaving him behind her as she replied, "your welcome," in a cheery voice.

Once back at Israel's meager camp, which consisted merely of a stone ringed campfire and a small tent in the midst of the woods overlooking the lake below, both of them quickly set to work. While Israel gathered deadwood and tended to the fire, Sara took out some rice and beans that she said she now always kept with her on her travels, and began boiling them in a small pot she hung above the fire. Recalling some bushes of nuts and berries he had seen as they entered the wood, Israel took a bowl and gathered some to add further variety to their meal. When he returned, he found Sara tending to a rabbit roasting on a spit as the beans and rice boiled.

"Since when have you been able to hunt?" Israel asked in impressed surprise as he sat down by the fire and began dishing up their food.

"What, not happy with a woman providing our meat?" She asked with a sly grin.

Scooping up a spoonful of rice and beans, Israel took a bite as he nodded somberly. "Quite. Why, it upsets the very order of nature as we know it. Next thing I know you'll be telling me to wait inside when a pack of wolves show up."

"Technically, I would be more adept at dealing with such a threat than you."

Israel scowled as he chewed. "At fighting off wolves?"

She removed the cooked rabbit from the spit. "Of course. I'd wait for them to get close and then toss a splash damage potion to the ground in front of me, or better yet a stun. As they lay there, I use my knife to finish the job." she shrugged triumphantly. "Easier than swinging a sword around at one while the rest gnaw on you from all sides."

"Nonsense. Wolves travel in large packs. You wouldn't be able to stun them all. My sword, however, can take down several at a time _and_ keep them out of reach in the right terrain." Israel made a show of jabbing the air with his spoon to prove his point. "I'm afraid there's no question: I'd be the one adeptly dealing with the threat."

Sara scoffed. "Tell that to Xaxa."

Israel choked on his rice and beans. "Hey now, that isn't fair-"

A shriek pierced the woods just ahead of them, and before Israel could reach for his sword, a huge praying mantis, standing well over six feet tall, came tearing out of the trees as it made straight for them.

Darting in front of Sara without hesitation, Israel was just in time to block the first attacking limb with his steel covered fist, the impact sending tremors up his arm. Surprised by its strength, Israel shoved the monster's powerful limb away and drew his sword. The metallic sound of Apocalypse being unleashed rang out around the woods even as the red blade flew through the air, it's bloodred edges gleaming with delight as it cleaved straight threw the monster's extended front leg. Pixelated shards lit up in front of them as the dismembered limb shattered into pieces.

Shrieking in rage and pain as it recoiled against the blow, the mantis changed it's course and lashed out with it's other leg before Israel could react, while at the same time slamming into him and knocking him from his feet. He was up again in an instant, but by that time the monster had retargeted, it's beady eyes focused on Sara as it plowed forward.

"Sara, get back!" Israel shouted as he charged after it.

Slashing at her with it's remaining front leg before she could fall back, the mantis redoubled the speed of its attack. Jumping backwards, Sara avoided the main force of of the blow, but the sharp tip of the monster's leg caught on the front of her dress, ripping open some of the laced cords of her bodice and loosening the neckline.

Not letting up, the monster brought its front leg down in an overhead attack meant to impale her where she stood. Darting numbly to the side as her hand disappeared into the small pouch at her side, Sara withdrew a small glass vial and threw it at the mantis' face before it could escape.

Scrambling backwards in confusion as the potion splattered into its beady black eyes, the monster shrieked and began rubbing desperately at it's face with the remaining limb.

"Now!" Sara yelled over at him. "Kill it!"

Without hesitation, Israel closed the distance, swinging Apocalypse with lethal intent as the monster continued to flail. A sickening crunch filled the air as his sword exploded into the mantis' head, sending chunks of boney, exoskeletal flesh outward in a spray of gore. A second later, both the mob and it's remains shattered into a thousand pixelated shards.

Israel and Sara stood panting for a brief moment as the adrenaline from the sudden encounter continued to course through them. Israel gazed out deeper into the trees for any further sign of threat, but found none.

"I wonder how you didn't hear that thing coming?" Sara asked, her every breath making the rise and fall of her breasts significantly more noticable now that her bodice had been partially undone, creating a large amount of cleavage. He knew she had to have seen it.

Israel sheathed his sword. "The praying mantis is known for its ability to hide in plain sight until it is ready to move or strike, as well as for it's utter silence when approaching prey. I imagine these higher level ones have increased resistance to detection and the like."

Closing the distance between them until he stood just in front of her, Israel said nothing as he carefully took the loose cords lacing her bodice without touching her exposed chest, drew them up tight, and retied them.

Sara stood with her hands at her sides, her eyes fixed on his the whole time he did it.

At that moment, it seemed significantly warmer out to Israel than it had been before.

"Thanks." Sara said once he had finished. "I hate bugs."

Israel cleared his throat, then turned back to the campfire. "We should finish our breakfast before it gets cold."


	105. Chapter 104

104

July 14th, 2024

Floor 63, Boss Room

"Jae!" Vivienne screamed behind him in terror.

Invisible tendrils snapped in his mind as he was ripped from his thoughts and forced back into reality. Glancing up in surprise, Jae was just in time to see the column of liquid fire as it belched forth from the dragon's mouth, lighting up the entire Boss room and melting the surface of the blackened stone floor as it sped towards him.

Jumping back in a panic, Jae twisted around and started running even as the conflagration began searing the air just behind him. He saw the raid group, a mix of HDA and KoB members, bunched together as they clung to the back wall, safely out of range of the inferno that was about to fill the room. They were only about twenty feet away from him, but in that moment, it may as well have been ten miles.

"Faster, Jae!" Aranal's deep, panic stricken voice boomed as he struggled to break free from several HDA and KoB men holding him back.

"Run!" Vivienne screamed again, her fierce green eyes glued to his even as she violently fought against the players holding her as well.

For all Aranal's size and strength, Vivienne looked more of a struggle to restrain than he did. Jae was happy that they were being held back from rushing in to help him: they would only be throwing their lives away for nothing.

Sweat dripped down from his forehead and blurred his eyes as he ran faster than he ever had before, but Jae could feel the heat beginning to burn through the armor on his back as the flames closed the distance. He wasn't going to make it.

Exquisite pain shot through him as the searing heat made it through to his skin, scorching the length of his back, but there was nothing he could do. He simply couldn't outrun the flames.

Throwing himself to the ground in a last ditch effort to survive, Jae curled himself into a tight ball, presenting his blistered back to the encroaching fire. His only hope was that maybe, just maybe, if the front of his body was spared the worst of it, his health bar might not drain completely.

Deep down, he knew that it was a mad hope.

The roaring pillar of flame reached him, all but blinding his watching eyes with the force and purity of it's light, but just as it was about to engulf him, a flash of red leapt in front of it.

Jae saw at once who it was, and almost couldn't believe his eyes.

Plunging the bottom of his huge, cross shaped tower shield into the charred, half melted ground before them with a grunt of effort, Commander Heathcliff rolled his shoulder forward against it, bracing with all of his weight just as the column of flame crashed into them, the power of the impact all but ripping his white cloak from his shoulders. A deafening boom lit the air around them, rattling Jae's eardrums as the full force of the fire broke against the massive shield. The edges of Heathcliff's magnificent armor ignited from the heat, sending flakes of red hot steel flying out around him. The shield itself shook from the sheer violence of the force it was taking. Heathcliff grunted in pain, but didn't give a step.

Some of the concentration of fire split around the shield, rolling just past both Heathcliff and Jae as it sped past, flames surging onward like an ocean's mighty wave. For a brief moment, the two of them were completely alone in their own tiny world, cut off from the rest of the universe by an impenetrable space of light and heat.

And then, just as quickly as it had appeared, the fire was gone, dissipated within an instant as the dragon closed it's huge jaws.

Jae gaped at the man who had saved him.

"Commander Heathcliff-"

"On your feet, Jae." Heathcliff said as he yanked his shield up from the ground and brandished his legendary longsword. "We still have a Boss to defeat."

Jumping upright, Jae gripped Starfire tighter in his hands as he nodded.

"Tanks!" Heathcliff called back to the raid group as they rushed forward. "Keep it distracted as best you can! The Boss' health is nearly gone! We need to finish it with everything we have!"

"DPS units," Jae shouted as he began running, "with me!"

With a shout, the two raid parties surged forward in an effort to overtake Jae and Heathcliff, who advanced at full charge.

Ducking under the red dragon's huge, man sized claws as it swiped viciously at him, Jae closed the distance but was only able to get one stab in with Starfire before the Boss forced him back with a snap of it's jaws.

Furious at the delay, Jae again advanced, this time only just missing the dragon's brutal attacks as it lashed out in a blood frenzy. He lunged with his staff, piercing the dragon's side and sending gouts of black blood flowing down it's red tinted scales. Knowing the boss was about to strike out again at him and his men, Jae nonetheless continued his assault, screaming in rage as he hacked and slashed at the monster's hide. He saw the Boss's final health bar beeping red and nearly empty as he fought with everything he had.

Swinging around, the dragon lashed outwards with it's powerful, muscled tail, bowling over Jae and nearly a dozen other DPS players beside him before he could order a fall back.

Ignoring the pain in his head as he struck the ground, Jae forced himself upright. Just as he managed to get back to his feet however, he saw the dragon's jaw swing open, revealing row upon row of huge, sharpened teeth as it snaked it's head towards him and his fallen men.

With an angry roar, Aranal and David leapt into the fray, blocking the dragon's path as both of their weapons glowed with golden light. Unleashing a sword skill, Aranal swung his huge warhammer with all his might, smashing into the Boss' lower jaw and sending dozens of shattered dragon teeth out into the air.

Right on his heels, David unleashed his own sword skill, his scimitar gleaming as he slashed outward, completely severing the dragon's right claw.

Vivienne came next, darting gracefully underneath both teeth and claws as she made her way underneath it and began ripping open the dragon's soft underbelly with her saber before it could strike at David and Aranal.

Staggering back from the ferocity of the attacks, the dragon flapped its wings as it reared up on its hind legs, creating a gale of rushing wind that sent Vivienne, Aranal, and David all flying backwards. Before it could make another move, however, Heathcliff appeared in front of it, his gleaming white sword already moving. Activating his Divine Blade unique skill, the KoB Commander shot forward with inhuman speed, his sword coated in hues of red as he lunged, piercing the dragon's scales and stabbing it in the heart.

There was a final shriek as the Floor Boss's health bar emptied completely, and then the Red Dragon burst apart into a thick mist of pixelated shards.

 _Congratulations,_ said the sign that appeared above their heads as it always did. This time, however, no one was cheering.

"Jae!" Vivienne shouted in raw anger.

Wincing in pain as he fastened Starfire back into the latches at his burned back, Jae turned to face her.

"Vivienne, please calm-"

"Don't you dare tell me to calm down!" She exclaimed in a rage. "What's wrong with you? You almost got killed! You almost got our men killed!"

Jae looked away from her, to the faces of the HDA members as they leaned on their weapons or sat down on the blackened floor in exhaustion. He returned his gaze to her.

"I made a mistake, I know that. I'll do better-"

"Jae, look at your health."

Though her voice has softened somewhat, Jae could plainly see that she was livid- not with hateful rage, but with anger born of cold fear. He glanced up to the left corner of his vision where his health bar stood. It was in the beeping red.

His eyes widened in surprise.

"I...I didn't even realize…"

Drawing close, Vivienne lifted his head with an armored hand, forcing him to look into her eyes.

"Jae, what's going on? You've never made such critical mistakes like that before. You're not thinking. First the fire, and then the sweeping tail attack? You knew his patterns just as well as the rest of us."

She was right. The pillar of flames- the Floor Boss' third phase AoE attack- had a wide range of effect and had proved to be certain death to anyone caught within it, but it was easy to see coming and had a long cooldown. The tail sweep had been done multiple times during the first and second phases of the monster's health bars, always following the claw swipe. Jae had known it was coming, but hadn't called for his DPS units to fall back. Such a mistake might have cost them their lives. Jae berated himself for his foolishness.

Heathcliff emerged beside them, the edges of his armor still frayed and burned. His shield looked worse.

"Second in Command," the KoB Commander said with a weary nod, "You alright?"

Jae returned the nod as he extended a hand in gratitude. "Thanks to you. You shouldn't have risked your life for me like that."

"I'll be sure to remind you of that the next time I catch you in the act." Heathcliff lowered his voice as his face creased in confusion. "What happened back there, Jae? Did you not see the rest of us falling back as he prepared to breathe his fire?"

Jae didn't know what to say. He knew the answer, but he just couldn't believe it. He could feel his cheeks flushing with the shame creeping over him. "I...I'm not sure…"

"You were thinking about what happened with your brother and Ryan, weren't you?" Vivienne said.

Jae spread his hands in resignation. "I can't get it out of my head, Viv. I can't focus. I can't believe what Tristan and Israel said, I just can't, but I can't stop feeling this...this doubt gnawing at me. I can't clear my head. I didn't even know the dragon was about to breathe it's fire back there."

"Jae," Aranal said softly in his deep, weathered voice as he and David fell in beside them. "Please don't take offense to this, but you need to let it go, for your own sake. I'm worried about you."

"A wandering mind is the biggest danger of all." Heathcliff put in with a nod of agreement. "You need to put what happened behind you, or you it will be the death of you."

Vivienne crossed her arms underneath her breasts as she turned her gaze to the men around her. "You can't ask him to just up and forget seeing his brother again, like that, after all this time-"

"No, Vivienne," Jae said softly as the realization flooded through him. "They're right. If it were just my life on the line, I wouldn't mind so much, but I'm responsible for our men. I almost got two DPS squads killed because I ignored the dragon's third hit with its tail. I knew it was coming, but I just didn't think about it." He shook his head shamefully. "I can't start exploring the next Floor with you all like this."

Vivienne blinked. "What? Jae, don't tell me you're about to relieve your command-"

He waved away her fears. "No, nothing like that." he turned his attention to Aranal and Heathcliff. "You're both right. I need to let it go, but I can't until I know for sure what the truth is."

David frowned. "What are you going to do?"

Heathcliff tugged some of his loose hair back behind his ears. "I would suggest a day or two of leave. Take some time to yourself, to come to grips with what happened with your brother."

Jae nodded to himself as he thought it over. "That's a good idea. I need to take some time to figure out the truth."

"What truth?" Vivienne asked cautiously.

Jae met her eyes. "The truth about Ryan, if there is some to be found, but most importantly, the truth about my brother, the Shadow of Death."

"Jae," She said slowly, "I think a day off might be good for you too, but digging deeper into something that can only bring more pain and doubt is not the way to heal this wound. There's no feasible way to even begin to find out if what your brother and the shopkeeper said is true. I don't want you to torture yourself like that, with visions of the past."

Jae gripped her shoulders in silent assurance, his conviction strengthening inside him with each passing moment. The answer had been right in front of him for days, a lifelong lesson very nearly forgotten: think of the solution, not the problem.

"I have to do this. I have to know. I just need one day, Viv. I can find out."

"How?"

Jae smiled sadly. "By digging up the past."

…

The town of Waterrun looked just as Jae remembered it. Located on a branch off of the Keriag River, and built atop a massive platform of wooden planks and beams lashed tightly together with rope and glue to prevent any water from getting through, the town looked like a burly frontiersman's dream. Hundreds of log cabins lined the wooden streets, interspersed here and there with a smattering of shops and stores, all built to match the woodland theme. A thick, heavy sheet of acrid smoke- the result of several hundred old fashioned chimneys- hung contentedly just above the thatched roofs, casting a shadow over the entire town.

As he stepped off the teleport gate and set out at once for the town gates, a tremor from the river's tide shifted the logs beneath his feet. Tensing in familiar unease, Jae picked up the pace, all but running as he made his way down the street.

 _Living on water is still the stupidest idea ever._

He had no love for the place, but it had been on the road just outside of Waterrun that he and Vivienne had first met Ryan, right as Jae had been about to fall to his death at the hand's of a trap, one that Ryan claimed afterwards was well known and quite dangerous along that road. In his search for answers amidst the rubble of the past, this seemed the best place to start.

As he neared the front gate, Jae kept his eye out for player merchants or traders. Such men were sure to travel the three mile stretch of road between Waterrun and Castellan Keep often, and thus would be sure to know the answers he sought. The populace of Waterrun was small- there were probably less than a hundred players who lived there- so he doubted it would be very difficult.

Spotting an older looking player garbed in a merchant's attire and buying some goods at a leather tanner shop as he turned the corner, Jae proceeded up to the man.

"Excuse me, sir, do you happen to-"

"Can't you see I'm busy over here, son?" The man replied curtly without turning around, his gaze fixed on a sheet of oiled leather in his hands. "It takes time to proof the quality of leather hides."

Jae was taken aback; it had been some time since he had been spoken to in such a way. He cleared his throat.

"Sorry, but if I could just have a moment of your-"

"Do you not understand the meaning of the word 'busy?" The man snapped as he spun around. "Exactly how stupid-" the blood drained from his face. "Hero of Floor Twenty-Five…" Wringing his hands together in a fret as his eyes darted everywhere but to Jae's, the man transformed into the picture of panic. "I'm sorry, sir, I didn't know you were-"

"It's fine," Jae said quickly, though he was unsure how the man had caught on: he had taken off his armor and put on traveling clothes for just this reason. "Again, I'm sorry to bother you, but if you would-"

"Please," The old man said in a fright as he threw up his hands to ward off the notion, "no need to apologize! I'd be more than happy to help with whatever-"

"Perfect." Jae was in mood for flattery, he just wanted answers. "Do you travel the road between here and Castellan Keep often?"

"I do indeed, sir." The old player smiled as best he could. "Trade with your guild is what keeps me going, so it does. I can't tell you how grateful I am to be allowed to ply my wares in your Keep as often as I'm able-"

"Please, sir-"

"Call me Harun."

"Alright, Harun, I just wanted to ask if you know of any traps that exist along the road between here and there."

Harun blinked. "Traps?"

"Yes. Game-made, preprogrammed traps. Particularly one that opens up a hole in the earth underneath passersby for a short amount of time."

Harun shook his head hesitantly, as if afraid that his answer would anger Jae. "There are no traps along that road that I know of, sir."

Jae had feared that was going to be the answer. He rested a hand on the man's shoulder. "You're sure? In all the times you've travelled that road, you've never heard about or seen such a trap?"

Harun shook his head.

Jae gestured out at the rest of the town. "Do you think it might be possible that anyone else might have stumbled across that kind of trap, or heard about it? Do you think it might be possible that you were just lucky?"

Harun again shook his head, more firmly this time. "If such a trap existed along such a vital road, sir, everyone in Waterrun, and beyond, would know of it. As it stands, that road is widely considered one of the safest avenues of travel, and has been since this Floor was opened long ago." He scratched his weathered jaw. "Are you sure you're not thinking of the Quicksand Potion, sir?"

Jae blinked. "The what?"

"The Quicksand Potion. It's described to have an effect just as you described: upon smashing it onto an area of ground, it creates a gaping hole in the earth for around two minutes. Could that be what you're speaking of?"

"I've never heard of such a potion."

Harun shrugged. "That's no surprise. Hardly anyone knows about it, even among potion users. It can only be obtained as a reward for a one time quest, you see."

"A quest." Jae repeated flatly.

Harun nodded. "I'm not sure what the quest was called, but I remember reading about it in the local newspapers put out on Floor Thirty-Five, where it was located. I lived there for a time."

"Do you have any idea why it would've been in the local papers there?"

The old man nodded again. "Most likely because it was rumored by the inhabitants of that Floor that Laughing Coffin had been the ones to beat the quest and gain the reward. Being one of the unrepeatable quests, many were angered by the news, but many more were fearful of why Laughing Coffin, of all people, had taken the time to beat it."

Jae knew exactly why.

"Thank you, Harun." Jae tried to sound sincere, but the words were hollow in his throat. "You've been a great help."

Making his way back along the streets, Jae spent the next twenty minutes asking other players, most of whom were either inhabitants of Waterrun or traveling merchants who used the road to ply their wares at Castellan Keep. It had been Jae who had pressured Lind into creating a Merchant's Square within the grounds of the Keep, as such hospitality and convenience to traders would only increase the wealth of the guild in the long run. As such, he was widely considered a hero to many of the merchant class.

To his annoyance, nearly everyone he talked to recognized him and treated him accordingly, making his inquiries take longer and drawing attention he would otherwise have avoided. After the fifth man recognized him and took to the usual babble of compliments and stammering, Jae asked irritably what had given him away. As it turned out, it hadn't been his Second in Command armor that he was known by; it was Starfire, latched onto his back.

Every answer was the same: there were no traps along the road to Castellan Keep, and if there had been, everyone in Waterrun would know of it.

Each time his fears were confirmed, Jae felt as though a piece of his memory of Ryan shattered within him. Try as he might to find someone who might present a different answer, Jae found himself unable to escape the merciless jaws of truth slowly crushing him. In place of doubt, anger began to surge within him.

 _Ryan set the trap himself with the Quicksand Potion. He was just waiting there all along, watching Vivienne cry as she lost her grip on me. He put her through that, and nearly let me die, just to worm his way into my confidence._

Shaking in cold rage as the words of truth echoed again and again in his mind, his fists clenched tight enough to turn his knuckles white, Jae sank to the ground against the side of a log cabin.

 _That bastard. That fucking snake._

Visions of Ryan's cheerful smiles, of the adventures and perils shared, of how happy Jae had been to welcome the man into the HDA, all seemed to turn to ash in his mind, leaving a bitter taste in his mouth as a storm raged within him.

Wincing in disgust at himself, Jae recalled what he had said to Ryan the day Israel killed him. " _Ryan, you're like a little brother to me. Along with Vivienne, David, Aranal, and all the others, you're family."_

Gritting his teeth with enough intensity to lock his jaw painfully, Jae remembered Israel's words to him:

" _What better way to get close to the Second in Command of the Holy Dragon Alliance? Back then, Laughing Coffin wasn't marking people for assassination so much as keeping tabs on them, and on the big guilds that ran the Assault Team."_

Israel had been right. Israel had been telling the truth all along.

Blinking in horror as the full implications finally became clear to him, Jae recalled the day Vivienne had been attacked by Laughing Coffin, back when the red player attacks first started.

 _Ryan had wanted me to come with him to that Quest Giver NPC. He had been adamant that I lead the mission. After I left for the Labyrinth, he tried to convince Vivienne not to go. She wasn't his target. She wasn't the one the ambush had been set for. It was me. The ambush had been prepared to kill me._

Jae had to force himself to take a breath as the rage blurred his vision. At that moment, he wished more than anything that Ryan were still alive- so he could kill the bastard himself.

" _Because of what I've done these past few months,"_ Israel had said, " _I've saved the lives of everyone in your precious little guild, and the entire Assault Team along with them. That man, Ryan, if he wasn't assigned to kill you already, would've been given the job soon enough_."

The anger dissipated. In its place, Jae felt the crushing weight of guilt descending upon him.

 _Israel killed the Infiltrators to keep the Assault Team safe, the Assault Team he always hated, that wanted him imprisoned. The attacks stopped because he halted Laughing Coffin's intelligence and rendered them blind. Who knows how many he saved?_

A single tear made its way down his face as unexpected pride surged through him.

 _He's a hero._

Wiping the tear from his chin, Jae forced himself not to trade his new found reality with wishful thinking. After all, he couldn't ignore the flip side of the coin: Israel was still the Shadow of Death. As a red player, he had killed untold numbers of people that should instead have been locked up. Without a care in the world for justice or what it stood for, Israel had spent the past year soaking himself in blood. Stories of his frightening brutality, too, made their way to Jae's mind.

 _Killing just for the sake of vengeance is bad enough as it is, but torture? That's even worse. Such actions prove that he is no better than Laughing Coffin, don't they?_

Slamming his head back against the wall in hopelessness, Jae felt torn. Israel had been right, and in some ways, he _had_ proved a hero. That was the Israel he remembered: the selfless, courageous man who put his life on the line to protect those who couldn't protect themselves. That Israel believed with all his heart in preserving life, at any cost. Jae had always admired and looked up to him for that.

But at the same time, Jae couldn't ignore or forget the Shadow of Death. It was like a blight on the name of the brother he loved, the dark side that accompanied the light. The horrific things the Shadow had done, and was no doubt still doing, surely had to be answered for?

"I don't know what to do…" Jae whispered to himself.

…

Though Jae walked in total and controlled silence as he walked down the dirt road that led to the tiny village of Trevica, the raging turmoil within him was more deafening than the loudest war drums.

Every now and then as he walked the eerily familiar road, Jae's attention was caught by the little things he remembered from that time, long ago, when he and Israel had lived there. The dry, grassy plains remained the same as they had always been. The single bent, gnarled tree that shadowed the roadside was still as crooked and dark as always. The mobs that roamed the area were the only thing that seemed different; Jae recalled a time when he had thought the Goblins and Flower Bugs dangerous, but now, their health bars were so pitifully small that he was almost sure a strong breeze would wipe them out.

Emerging at the old fork in the road that had once nearly led him and Israel astray, Jae caught himself smiling ever so slightly at the memory. Forcing indifference back across his features, Jae ignored the fork and walked straight ahead.

He wasn't exactly sure why he had come back to Floor One. He had already found the answers he had been searching for in Waterrun. He now knew the truth. Instead of making things easier, however, that truth seemed to have only made things more complicated instead. Knowing what he knew, he still wasn't sure what to make of Israel; whether to love him, hate him, or just forget him. Torn as he was, something had begun drawing him to want to go back to the beginning. Perhaps there, he reasoned to himself, he would be able to find some kind of answer, some kind of hope. It was logic born of desperation.

As time wore on, the rolling hills that Jae remembered had been located near Trevica's outskirts began springing up along the slim, weathered little road, turning the path into a miniature valley. When he came upon a large boulder some feet in front of a dark entrance nestled into the side of the hills, Jae paused mid-step.

He had nearly forgotten about that boulder.

Memories of he and Israel straining with all their might in a hopeless effort to move the huge rock the scant few feet to the cave entrance flashed before his eyes. They had struggled for a good twenty minutes that day, using every ounce of strength they possessed, and still failed to move the boulder by so much as an inch.

Stepping off the road, Jae approached the massive boulder. Twice as wide as the largest man, and coming up to his chest, it was undeniably large. Without bothering to lean forward or brace himself, Jae merely laid a hand to the side of the massive stone and, with an easy nudge, sent it rolling across the grass until it crashed against the entrance to the cave. The hills seemed to rumble slightly as small clouds of dust rose around the boulder and loose dirt and rocks came tumbling down the steep slope.

Jae was unable to contain the small smile that came over him.

 _How weak we were, back in those days. It truly was a lifetime ago._

Continuing on his way, it didn't take long before Jae emerged from the steep hills and found himself gazing upon a familiar sight: the sleepy little town of Trevica, complete with it's shabby stone huts and houses, the ancient, weathered tavern that dominated the landscape around it, the incessant ring of steel from Norran's hammer as the NPC blacksmith worked through the day, and the half paved, rocky streets that crisscrossed all the major buildings, almost looked like a real life, primitive barbarian village from the Dark Ages.

Having spent so long living in massive, glorious castles and beholding magnificent labyrinth towers and fortresses, Jae had almost forgotten ever having lived anywhere else. It was the strangest feeling; to be so familiar with a place, and yet so entirely unfamiliar at the same time.

Without so much as a wooden palisade perimeter around the town, Jae felt almost naked as he strode in along the roadside, passing by the outer huts and thatched lodgings that looked like little more than the remnants of a follower's camp. Looking around as he made his way to the tavern, Jae saw no players, and even the NPC's seemed scarce. It didn't surprise him; even back when every player in Aincrad lived on Floor One, most everyone had avoided the small towns and villages, and instead stayed at the heavily populated cities, like the Town of Beginnings and Tolbana.

Upon reaching the tavern, Jae didn't bother going inside the bar and instead continued along the molded wall where the doors to several rooms were located. The doors all looked exactly the same, but Jae remembered without a doubt which was the one he sought. Making his way to the last door down, Jae unlatched the lock and stepped inside.

The door creaked as it swung inward, even wobbling a bit until he let go of the handle and stepped inside as sunlight streamed in curiously behind him. The place looked like it had been involved in a hurricane.

The small, single bed had been smashed to pieces against the wall and was now little more than a splintered tangle of wooden boards and broken planks. The little round work table and two chairs had also been demolished and now lay scattered across the floor like the wreckage of a once proud ship. The single lamp that hung above the bed had been shattered, the broken glass littering the bed frame now the only evidence that it had ever existed at all.

It all remained exactly as Jae had left it.

Thinking back, the whole act had been quite childish, but Jae had been too angry at the time to care. He remembered his fury, his rage, at Israel for lying to him about putting his stat points into Strength. When he confronted him, his brother had been just as quick to lose his temper, and the two of them had very nearly had a falling out right there on the spot.

Glass and wood crunched beneath his leather boots as Jae stepped inside the small room. It was hard to believe he had ever been able to stay in such cramped quarters, to say nothing of the fact that Israel had lived there with him.

Though the contents of the room were now little more than debris, Jae could still see how it had all been in his mind's eye. Looking at the spot where the table had been, he remembered coming home at two or three in the morning from nights of Labyrinth raiding with the newly formed Assault Team and his own party, Group H, and finding Israel hunched over in his chair as he scribbled away on maps, data sheets, and the like.

He remembered his surprise, and Israel's face, when his brother had returned to apologize for what he had done, and to ask for his help in winning Naomi back.

Jae closed his eyes painfully at the memory. Israel had loved Naomi more than his own life. When Jae had led him to the dungeon containing the two rings, his heart had been so full of joy for his brother. Israel had said he was going to ask Naomi to marry him, and he even begged Jae to be his best man. Jae had never felt so honored in his life.

And then, just like that, Naomi was taken from the world.

Withdrawing into a bleak, sullen depression, Israel had, for a time, seemed more dead than living. In fear that his brother might commit suicide, Jae had tried to stay close to him, as he once promised he would.

Jae blinked. The world dissolved as realization cut through him like a knife.

He had promised to Israel that they would always be a team, that they would always count on each other. He had told Israel that he would always be there for him.

 _And when he needed me most, I abandoned him._ Jae realized with horror. _I wasn't with him when he first turned into a red player. He tried to count on me, he needed help, but I turned against him. I tried to bring him in to the Assault Team. I didn't even try to help him._

Israel had often begged Jae not to join a guild, begged that the two of them stay together and protect each other from whatever happened next. Jae had failed in both regards.

 _I failed him. And then, when I finally get a chance to see him again, to try to be the brother I'm supposed to be, I drive him away with hatred. He tried to tell me the truth of what was happening, of what Ryan was, but I drove him away. I turned aside not only the truth in favor of a lie, but I turned aside my brother as well._

Standing there, in the center of a shattered room in an empty, old town, Jae suddenly knew exactly what he had to do. Clarity, more than he had ever felt before, filled his being.

He was no longer torn.

 _I will not fail him again. I swear it._


	106. Chapter 105

105

July 14th, 2024

Floor 1, Trevica

Pacing the tent in restless repetition as he waited, Jae decided to open his menu and check again. Perhaps it was possible he had failed to send the request.

Swiping screens aside until he again reached his friend list, Jae stared at the friend request he had sent- and checked- at least a dozen times already.

 _Is he ignoring it?_ Jae fretted as he returned to his hopeful pacing. _No, he wouldn't do that. Maybe he's just busy. The Shadow of Death sounds like a pretty time-consuming identity to keep up. He probably just doesn't have time to check his invites yet._

As he paced, Jae began to feel fear creep it's way into his mind. He hoped it wasn't too late to make amends. He had to believe Israel would forgive him. He had to believe he wasn't the only one between them who wanted his brother back.

Going to his messaging screen, Jae quickly made up his mind and began typing. Israel hadn't accepted his friend request yet, obviously, but he reasoned that that might be because Israel feared that he was only trying to access his location. After all, the last thing Israel had said to him was that he believed Jae would return at the head of another hunting party. He had to let his brother know what he meant, what he wanted to say.

 _Israel_ , he began, only to pause and, after a moment of contemplation, backspace the word and start again. _Brother, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for everything that has happened. You were right about Ryan, and about the Infiltrators. I see that now. What I said to you when we fought that day was wrong and I want you to know that I take it all back. I am truly sorry for not being there for you as I once promised, but I am hoping that you will let me try to make it right. Please, contact me so we can meet._

Scanning the message several times until he was sure he had said what he wanted to say, Jae took a nervous breath. He brought his hand up to the send button that was located just below the message, pressed the button, and watched as the message disappeared from his draft screen and into his outbox.

Exhaling as the feeling of a great weight being lifted from him brought a smile to his lips, Jae thoughts were suddenly interrupted when he heard an angry yell, followed by the unmistakable ring of steel being drawn from somewhere nearby.

Jumping over the debris that littered the floor of the room as he started outside, Jae turned left up the street where he had heard the source of the sound. Taking care to move quietly in order to avoid falling into a situation he wasn't prepared for, Jae stepped quickly and lightly over the gravel and rock filled street. As he neared a corner, he made out a woman's rage filled voice, followed by the coarse laughter of several men.

Emerging from the corner and out into Trevica's small village square, Jae blinked in surprise. He had thought the town empty and uninhabited, but now he saw nearly a dozen players- civilians, by the looks of their cheap, low level attire and gear- cowering in fear as they stood in a loose line with their backs to the wall of one of the shabby stone houses. A tall female Army Officer stood protectively in front of them, her unblinking eyes fixed on four big, burly men in front of her- Army soldiers, all clad in their grey battle armor. All wore their helmets except for the soldier in front. Long, greasy blonde hair trailed down his face and shoulders, fitting perfectly with his unkempt face and mocking grin.

With long black hair pulled back in a single braid behind her, a naked one handed longsword held tightly in her grip, and garbed in a weather worn, dusty version of the ceremonial Army Officer's medal studded dress uniform, the woman looked like she meant business.

Gazing out with obvious disgust and anger at her four guildmates as they snickered and crossed their arms in amusement, the Army Officer's grip on her sword tightened.

"Maybe you fools didn't hear me the first time." She said in a tight, controlled tone coated with quiet rage, "I said, stand down."

The four men broke out in course, deliberate laughter.

"Lieutenant Rain," the one in front of the rest of his little group said when he had stopped laughing, "I think the heat has got you a little confused. Now, how about you stop wasting our time and be on your way back to the Black Iron Palace so we can finish our rounds?"

Starting forward casually, the four men's gazes made their way past the Lieutenant to the line of civilians behind her. Before they had gone a step, the woman assumed a fighting stance as she raised her sword threateningly.

"Private Wilfred," She hissed in quiet, coiled fury, "Talk to me like that again and I will personally make your life a living hell when we get back to base. All of you will stand down, right now, and return the money you started taking before I got here. Do you understand?"

"Now you're starting to get annoying." Private Wilfred said as he paused. Neither he nor the three men with him had their swords drawn, but Jae could see the amusement slowly giving way to anger on his face. "I stop being nice when I'm annoyed."

"Is that a threat?" Lieutenant Rain arched an eyebrow, as if daring him to confirm it. "Do I need to remind you that threatening an Army Officer is punishable by expulsion from the guild-"

"Listen you dumb bitch," Wilfred said in a low voice that was now absent any form of amusement. "If you think that was a threat, you've got another thing coming. Be a good girl and get the hell out of here. I won't ask again."

"You think you scare me, pig?" Rain shook her head. "I'm not letting you terrorize these people. You're done."

"Oh no, sweetheart," Wilfred said as a bloodcurdling grin made its way onto his face. "Now, I've only just begun. You're going to wish you had listened to me after I beat you the ever living shit out of you."

Wilfred and the other three men drew their swords and started forward towards her.

Starfire came twirling into Jae's hands.

"I think I've heard enough." He said as he strode calmly out into the square, making his way to Lieutenant Rain's side. "You know, where I'm from, we always make fun of you soldier boys for your lack of discipline, but this really takes it to a whole new level."

The four big Army men paused in surprise as they stared at him.

"Who are you?" Lieutenant Rain asked quietly when he halted several feet to her right, deliberately facing Wilfred and the others. She didn't take her eyes from the men in front of her.

"A friend."

Wilfred eyes lit up with recognition. "I know you. I saw you once when the Army was still at the front lines, during the Boss fight on Floor 're the Second in Command of the Holy Dragon Alliance."

Jae dipped his head in a mocking gesture. "And you're a coward who was about to kill a lone woman with three men at your back. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

Wilfred barked a laugh. "Kill her? I'm no red player. I'm just going to teach her a lesson, is all." He spat into the dirt in front of him as he pointed his sword at Jae. "Looks like I'm going to get to teach you a lesson today, too. And then, I think I'll take you back to Commander Kibaou-" His eyes shot meaningfully to Rain- "The _true_ leader of the Aincrad Liberation Army." He smiled scornfully at Jae. "He doesn't like you much. I think he'll be very happy with me for bringing you to him absent fancy guards and big castle walls, so you can answer for all of your past mistakes."

Jae gripped Starfire tighter in his hands as he planted his left foot behind him, mentally preparing for the violence that he was about to inflict.

"Come then. Let's see if you lot have what it takes to bring me down."

Brandishing their swords, the four Army men charged. Wilfred and another man made for Lieutenant Rain, while the other two closed on Jae, deliberately cutting him off from her. They had no intention of killing him, but Jae knew they would have no qualms with injuring him as much they needed to. Both were covered in the grey battle armor of the Army from head to foot, but while one had a sword and shield, the other wielded only a bastard sword with both hands. Advancing with bold, deliberate movements as they prepared to begin their attack, it was at once clear to Jae that these men were accustomed to muscling weaker people into submission with brute strength. He was about to give them a rude awakening.

Without bothering to wait for the two men to attack him first, Jae leaped forward, twirling Starfire in his hands as he cut into them. Careful not to hit vital spots that would prove lethal, he spun his weapon, rending open the first man's grey steel breastplate and slashing open a gash along his chest that dropped his health by a decent amount.

Sidestepping the blow of the second Army soldier who was trying to injure his right arm, Jae pivoted on a foot and leaped into the air as he lunged out in a downward stab with Starfire's blue hued blade end. Though he caught the point on his shield, the second man had not been prepared for the force of the impact and staggered backward into the first man as he lost balance. It looked like it was all he could to keep his feet.

Landing fluidly, Jae followed up with a wide, two handed swing, striking the disoriented soldier's dented shield with such force that it was ripped violently from his arm and sent flying across the square. Switching back to his normal grip of Starfire just as the first man lashed out with his large bastard sword, Jae easily batted away the attack and slashed the man's exposed leg. Before he could retaliate in full, the first soldier, now furious and in pain as he gripped his one handed longsword, lunged forward.

With a twirl of his staff, Jae deflected the stab and smashed the end of Starfire against the side of the man's helmet almost simultaneously. A harsh, deafening clang rang out as the force of his blow sent the helmet careening through the air and the man stunned and bleeding to the ground.

Turning on his heels, Jae was just in time to jump backwards as the fellow with the bastard sword swung his weapon at Jae's head with what almost looked like lethal intent.

Roaring in anger, the Army soldier continued his assault, swinging his heavy sword in both hands with all his strength as he attempted to cut Jae down. All pretense was now gone; not used to the humiliation of a losing fight, and now that his adrenaline and the pain of his injury had worked him into a blood frenzy, he was fighting to kill.

Knocking aside each strike with the length of his staff, Jae picked up speed, cutting and slashing with both bladed ends each time he warded off a blow. Covered in small cuts and with his health steadily declining, the soldier attempted to switch up his tactics and opened with a slash of his sword, only to switch his position at the last moment and instead go for an overhead blow.

Raising Starfire horizontally above himself with both hands, Jae easily blocked the attack. Vibrations from the blow lanced up his arms, but they weren't as painful as he had expected. Before the player could disengage, Jae kicked him square in his exposed chest.

Gasping in surprise and pain as the wind was knocked from his lungs, the soldier toppled onto his back.

"Stay down." Jae warned quietly. He could hear the rage of battle in his voice. At the same time, he also heard the clash of steel off to his left as Lieutenant Rain fought on against Wilfred and his remaining man.

Ignoring the advice, the man instead jumped to his feet and, with a vicious cry, activated a sword skill as he charged forward.

 _Idiot. He's probably never fought a player in his life._

Swinging his bastard sword at Jae as it became coated with a powerful golden hue, the Army soldier gave himself over to the system; once a player activated a sword skill, the game took over, forcing not only the weapon, but also the player, to follow a set path until the skill's action was completed. Such a move was the gravest of mistakes when facing another player.

Easily spotting the angle of attack long before it reached him, Jae twirled his staff and, with a sharp strike, knocked the blade out of the soldier's hands even as he was forced to continue moving forward. Allowing the man to come, Jae dropped Starfire into a stabbing position and lunged, piercing the player's grey armor and impaling his right shoulder. Jae could feel the point of his weapon bury itself in bone.

Screaming in pain as he dropped to his knees, the soldier clawed desperately at his shoulder in a futile effort to remove the steel. Jae decided to do it for him.

Ripping his weapon out of the wound, Jae stepped forward and punched the man hard in the face, stopping the screaming and knocking him unconscious.

From his left, Lieutenant Rain let out a sudden cry of pain.

Spinning around on his heels, Jae saw that she had switched sword arms- the right sleeve of her dress uniform was quickly becoming soaked in bright red blood that starkly contrasted the rest of the outfit. Both Wilfred and the other man were covered in sweat and looked injured themselves, but Jae could tell at once that they were better fighters than the two he had just dispatched.

Throwing himself into the fray just as Lieutenant Rain sent Wilfred stumbling back with a slash across his ribs, Jae seized the element of surprise and engaged him, knocking his sword from his hands and striking him across the face with the steel backed wood section of Starfire.

Cursing under his breath, Wilfred blinked away a trickle of blood now running from his forehead and eyed Jae for but a second before rushing forward in a mad effort to tackle his attacker. Jae struck before he could get close, tripping up his legs with a sweep of his staff and, seizing the Private's throat with his free hand, headbutted him.

Going limp as Jae released his hold, Wilfred hit the hard ground face first.

Turning to help Rain, Jae saw with surprise that she had already knocked her opponent to the ground with what looked like a bash to the head from the pommel of her sword. Stunned and in pain, the man groaned groggily as he crawled away.

"You alright?" Jae asked as he walked over to her.

She nodded. "Fine. The cut wasn't deep, and the system will heal it before long." Her eyes turned up. "Thank you. I wouldn't have been able to fight them alone."

"I'm just glad I was here." Jae frowned as his gaze swept the four men. Three of them were moving and would soon come to their senses, but Wilfred remained still where he had fallen. He noticed that the line of civilians had disappeared. They had no doubt fled the moment the fighting broke out. He turned his attention back to Rain, who was now pressing on her wound with her free arm. "What exactly were these men-"

"Sub-Commander!" Rain cried in alarm as her eyes jerked past him.

Spinning around as he lifted Starfire in his hands, Jae saw Wilfred running towards him with a dagger in his hand. Before he could move to disable him, Wilfred threw up his other hand, unleashing a small cloud of dust into Jae's eyes. The world went dark as Jae found himself go suddenly, painfully blind.

Stumbling back as he rubbed his eyes fiercely with his free hand, Jae heard Wilfred closing on him. Forcing his burning eyes open as best he could, and trying to make sense of the blurred world around him, Jae was just in time to see the dagger speed towards his heart.

With a fierce cry, Rain swept past him and brought her sword down with a powerful overhead blow, cleaving Wilfred's shoulder all the way down to his chest.

Wilfred's eyes went wide in surprise as he glanced down at his wound. Jae saw his health bar drain itself empty, and then the man before him burst apart, filling the air with pixelated shards.

There was a clang as Rain's sword fell from her hands and clattered to the ground. Her face had gone pale. Above her head, her cursor changed color from green to orange.

"I..." her eyes went wide as she stared at the mist of shards floating before them. "I killed him…"

Though his eyes still burned, Jae could no longer feel the pain as he rested a hand on her shoulder. "Lieutenant, it's alright-"

"I didn't mean to." She said, her words carrying the hint of full blown panic. "I swear I didn't…. I was just trying to stop him from hurting you. I didn't think-"

"I know you didn't." Jae said softly, trying to calm her down. "It's not your-"

"You killed him!"

Turning around, Jae saw the man he had stabbed in the shoulder staring in revulsion and shock. In his hand was a teleport crystal. It was then that Jae noticed another soldier also had a crystal in his hand. The third one was already gone.

"You'll pay for this, Rain." The second one said as he lifted his teleport crystal above himself.

"Teleport, Black Iron Palace!" both of the soldiers shouted at the same time. White light lit the air for a fraction of a second, and then they were gone.

"No…" Rain muttered under her breath as she drew to a halt and put both hands over her face.

"It's alright." Jae said softly. Clearly, the Lieutenant was still reeling from what she had just done. Her face had gone completely white. She looked in shock. But now she also looked ready to break down and cry.

"Lieutenant," He said, looking up at her. "It was self defense. You saved my life doing what you did. It wasn't murder."

Forcing herself to take a breath, Rain shook her head. "That doesn't matter now."

"What are you talking about?" Jae asked.

"I wanted to capture them."

"Capture them? Why? They're on the way back to your Palace. You can go back there and arrest them."

"You don't understand." Rain dropped to the ground in bitter resignation. "It's more complicated than that. I didn't want to capture them, but I thought it was the best thing to do. It was certainly better than letting them go. This will only make things worse."

Jae ran his hands through his hair in frustrated confusion. "Officer Rain, you're right, I don't understand. I want to help you, but I need to know what's going on. What happened here? Why were those men even in this town to begin with?"

She drew a deep breath in what looked like an effort to calm herself. "Those four were Kibaou's men."

Jae frowned. "Of course they were; they're Army members like you."

She shook her head. "Yes, but it's more complicated. There's a growing division in the Army, a rift between those who are loyal to Thinker and his ideals, and those that follow Kibaou and believe he should be in sole command. For a long time, Thinker maintained the upper hand, both in numbers and in power." Rain shook her head again in sadness. "No longer. Each day, Kibaou persuades or bribes more soldiers once on Thinker's side, to support him instead. His influence and power have been on the rise for months."

Jae nodded knowingly. "That's no great secret; the Assault Team like to keep an eye on the Army from time to time. We've seen the rivalry between Kibaou and Thinker."

Rain glanced up at him. "You don't know the full extent of it. There are over two thousand soldiers in the Army, not including our newest recruits that have yet to appear on our rosters. Of those, we estimate that at least thirteen hundred are loyal to Kibaou."

"We?"

Rain met his gaze. "I'm a follower of Thinker. He was my guild leader long before Kibaou and his Clearers merged with us, and he is by far the better man. Those of us who serve Thinker are desperate to keep him in command, to keep him safe from Kibaou's ambitions should he ever get out of hand, though Thinker himself doesn't believe Kibaou would ever attempt to stage a coup."

Jae scratched his jaw in thought. "How is it that Kibaou has amassed this kind of following within the Army?"

"Prestige, and money mostly. As a veteran of the Assault Team, Kibaou's words generally have more weight among the less experienced of us. It's easy for him to convince them to do things. When that doesn't work, he uses money. Though the Army has always kept out of debt and remains relatively well funded due to our domination over all of Floor One, Thinker has never cared for profiteering, or hoarding wealth. In short, we cut corners to keep everything running." Lieutenant Rain scowled as she stared off into the distance. "Many in the Army are unhappy with the lack of wealth we possess; they are weak and want to live in comforts and luxury. They aren't happy with Thinker's more Spartan policy of living. Kibaou, on the other hand, seems to have an endless stream of Col flowing out of his palms. He has bribed Officers into pledging their votes and allegiance at our Council meetings, Officers I once thought completely loyal to Thinker. And he's done it with sums of money greater than I've ever seen.

"Money doesn't just appear out of nowhere. Among the Officer Corp loyal to Thinker, several of us have been doing our best to track Kibaou's orders, as well troop movements. For weeks, we've begun to suspect foul play. When my commanding Officer told me today that she had heard a rumor of Army soldiers harassing the tiny populace here in Trevica, I was ordered to investigate and see if the rumor was true. If so, I was to order the men back and punish them accordingly. To be honest, none of us really believed it."

Jae frowned at her. "Then where would the rumor have come from?"

She shrugged. "People lie all the time for publicity, attention, money, or what have you. It wouldn't be the first time a civilian populace under our rule has stretched the truth about garrison behavior and the like. If your guild ruled over something, as we do, you'd understand."

"In my guild, we don't exactly care for the prospect of occupying and oppressing cities full of people." Jae retorted. Reminding himself to remain civil, he cleared his throat and changed the subject. "So, you came out here on orders and that's how you stumbled across those four?'

Rain nodded. "When I got here, I heard crying and screams. I ran to the main square and that's when I saw that those four- two of whom were veterans from the Assault Team and all of whom were known men in support of Kibaou- were doing."

"What were they doing to the people?"

"Bullying them, mostly. They had them lined up, as you saw, and were demanding that everyone pay several thousand Col. Anyone who resisted or argued, they threatened to beat or imprison in the Black Iron Palace dungeon. I ordered them to stop at once and return the money they had taken, but they laughed in my face. I reminded them that harassing civilians under our rule held strict punishments and that if they disobeyed me, I would only make it worse for them, but they told me that Thinker and his rules hold no real power anymore, that Kibaou's orders were what mattered. They said that it was by Kibaou's order, and their right, that they collect taxes from the players under our protection." Her face creased in silent fury. "And then they just kept on hurting those poor people while I was right there, as if I didn't even exist. I ran in between them and drew my sword to get their attention when you showed up."

"So then," Jae said as he contemplated her words, "This is proof that Kibaou is using foul play. He's oppressing the people. With this knowledge, you and the rest of those loyal to Thinker could seriously harm his influence and-"

Rain shook her head. "None of that matters now that I've killed someone and gone red. Now that those three have gotten away, it'll be their word against mine not only that anything I claim I saw is a lie, but also that I murdered Private Wilfred." She groaned in misery as she turned her eyes down. "I'm a known Officer loyal to Thinker. This will only hurt him, further damaging his prestige."

"I saw the whole thing." Jae reminded her. "I heard what those privates said to you. I'll go back with you and be your witness at the trial when it-"

"I appreciate your help," Rain said softly, "And please don't take this the wrong way, but that would makes things even worse. You're despised by most everyone on Kibaou's side, and that's the majority of the Army. Everyone on Thinker's side isn't as extreme, but you are still a foreign rival to them, and as such untrustworthy. The Army and the HDA have never gotten along, and you are widely known as the man who kept us from reaching the height of our power."

"I see." Jae raked his fingers through his hair in frustration. "So if I go and testify on your behalf, I'll only be hurting you, and by extension, Thinker. People will see it as him relying on someone from another guild to stand up for his men, and more will join Kibaou's side."

Rain nodded sadly. "Now you're getting it." She stood up. "I have to go. By now, those three will have already told Kibaou their own version of the story. I have to go back and await my trial."

Rising to his feet, Jae snagged her arm. "I don't think you should go back."

She frowned at him. What are you talking about?"

"You care about Thinker, don't you?"

She tried to wriggle out of his grip, but he held her firm. "Of course I do. Why do you think I'm on his side-"

"I don't know Thinker very well, but I know that he is a good man. He saved my wife's life, and he stood up for me before the entire Assault Team Enclave. If anyone's going to be in charge of the Army, it should be him. I believe that if you allowed yourself to be placed in custody for Wilfred's death, and went to trial for it, Thinker would vouch for you. Am I right?"

Rain stopped pulling away as she blinked in realization. "Yes. He would defend me without hesitation, no matter what I said to deter him."

Jae nodded. "If you go to trial, you're going to lose. It's the words of three against one, as you said. I can't help you. You also said yourself that Kibaou holds both the influence and the power. If he needs to, he can go further and bribe both judge and jury into aiding him. Kibaou isn't the kind of man to let this go. He won't care about the truth of what happened; he will only care about covering up what you discovered and blaming you for the death of one of his men. He'll see to it you are found guilty. You will receive the penalty for murder. Thinker will defend you, but that won't change the outcome. Instead, it will only lead to Thinker losing even more influence. Kibaou will ensure everyone in Aincrad knows that Thinker defended a killer to further his own agenda."

Rain's eyes widened at the implications. "That kind of blow could lose us the loyalty of hundreds of our men."

Jae nodded grimly. "It's exactly what Kibaou will want. If you go back, you'll be opening up the opportunity for him to play this to his full advantage."

"But..." Rain looked on the verge of tears. "If I don't go back, Kibaou will say that I'm guilty for sure and that I'm trying to evade justice."

"It doesn't matter: you are going to be found guilty either way. What's important now should be minimizing the control Kibaou can gain from this and protecting Thinker. If you don't go back to the Black Iron Palace, there can be no trial. If there's no trial, Thinker can't defend you and suffer for it. You'll be protecting him from certain political suicide."

Rain was quiet for a long moment. "You're right. I wish so badly that you weren't, but you are. I can't doom Thinker like this." she looked up at him through worried eyes. "But I can't just leave."

Jae pressed his hands to her shoulders in gentle assurance. "You have to."

"The Army is all I've known. I've never even left Floor One except to buy gear and items. Where would I go? What would I do?"

Jae thought about it for a moment. "You could come back to Castellan Keep with me."

Rain stared at him as if he were insane. "You're serious? I can't imagine your Guild Commander would appreciate an Army Officer in the middle of his headquarters."

"I can handle Lind. I know this is hard for you, Lieutenant, but I truly believe this is the best way for you to help Thinker. If you go to that trial, nothing good will come of it."

Pulling away from him, Rain crossed her arms beneath her breasts and began pacing the square as she thought about his words. He watched her in silence. Finally, she stopped and turned to face him with a nod.

"You're right about the trial. I can't turn myself in. I won't." she met his gaze. "But I can't go with you, either."

Jae took a step forward. "If you're sure, that's your decision to make, but may I ask where you will go-"

"I'm going back to the Town of Beginnings."

"What?" Jae exclaimed. "Lieutenant, I know this is hard, but-"

"I didn't say I was going back to the Black Iron Palace." Her face was stern and determined. She had made up her mind. "The city is large, I can easily avoid the Palace itself. I won't turn myself in, but I need to let Thinker know what I discovered. He may not be able to do anything about it, but at least he'll know. Who knows, maybe with that knowledge he can catch Kibaou's 'tax collectors' in the act sometime in the future."

Jae watched her eyes for a moment. "There's more to it."

She looked away from him. "You're a smart man, Hero of Floor Twenty-Five. Yes, there is more to it. I can't just abandon Thinker like that. Avoiding this trial means that I'm going to be expelled from the guild, and a fugitive on top of it. Just because that's true, though, doesn't mean I can just give up on the people I care about." She looked back to him. "Thinker is my friend. I would never be able to forgive myself if I left him like this, like so many others have, when he needs me most. Who knows, I might be able to help him as a civilian on the outside."

Jae smiled sadly. "I can't blame you; I'd probably do the same thing in your position. I'm sorry this happened to you, Lieutenant."

Stepping towards him with a smile, she extended a hand. "Thank you for saving my life, Hero of Floor Twenty-Five, and for helping me figure out what needs to be done. Maybe we'll run into each other again someday. If not, I should probably tell you now that you can call me Rain. "

Jae clasped her hand. "Only if you agree to call me Jae."

…

 _Brother, I just wanted to say that I'm sorry for everything that has happened. You were right about Ryan, and about the Infiltrators. I see that now. What I said to you when we fought that day was wrong and I want you to know that I take it all back. I am truly sorry for not being there for you as I once promised, but I am hoping that you will let me try to make it right. Please, contact me so we can meet._

Israel reread the message as soon as he was finished, and then a third time after that. Finally forcing himself to come to a decision, he drew a measured breath to slow his beating heart.

The message was a lie. Much as it hurt him to even consider that, and as badly as he wished the message were sincere, Israel knew he had to acknowledge the truth. Jae didn't care about him. Jae wanted him dead. He had seen it in his brother's eyes. He had seen the hate.

 _If it was true, he wouldn't be asking to meet with me like that. It's just another trap._ Israel swallowed past the bitterness of the thought. _Just another trap in an endless series of traps, hatched by everyone, because everyone wants me dead. Even Jae._

A single tear rolled down his face. Israel ignored it.

Hardening himself to what he had to do, he raised his finger and hit the red button on the screen, deleting the message.


	107. Chapter 106

106

July 27, 2024

Floor 11, Taft

Sara stood stone still as she peered out from behind the ruined wall, taking care not to put too much weight on any of the loose, rotting boards beneath her feet. Located just outside of the town of Taft, and with enough remnants left to piece together what it must have looked like in it's prime, Sara suspected that the ruins had once been a military outpost or lookout tower designed to help break up attacks on the town proper.

The wind picked up, emitting a long, low howl as it flung her silver hair into her face, impairing her vision. In irritation, Sara tucked the loose strands back behind her ears and brought her wary gaze back ahead.

The road, a worn but well paved track of bricks and cobblestones, had been cunningly designed with a raised center that tapered off on the sides, creating a downward angle on either end that kept water and mud from accumulating on top. Though it looked like it ended at the town gate about fifty feet in front of her, Sara guessed that, judging by the way the ground remained raised just inside, the road started up again past the gates and continued into the heart of the town.

The gatehouse, though little more than a raised thatch tower above the open gates, served its purpose well: located on raised ground, and propped up as it was by beams of wood, anyone in the tower would easily be able to spot and identify someone approaching from the north. Sara scanned the gatehouse carefully, and only when she was sure that no one was inside did she move her gaze to the walls, which looked even less impressive.

Consisting of hundreds of roughly hewn and only partially stripped logs of various sizes, all lashed together by rope and driven into the ground, the walls were really little more than a rough palisade. Still, Sara supposed it was better than no wall at all. Movement caught her eye on the left side, and she glanced up in alarm, only to realize that it was only an NPC town guard, armed with a halberd and wearing what looked like boiled leather armor to look official as he made his endless, purposeless rounds.

Confident that the area was clear, Sara wasted no more time. Turning back behind the ruined wall, she bent down and, with a grunt of effort, lifted up the heavy box until it was secure in her arms. The sound of glass clinking off itself as the vials struck against each other didn't stop as she started moving, but Sara wasn't worried; she had made sure to protect each vial with a layer of thick cloth, as she always did.

Leaving the cover of the ruined building behind her, Sara made for the open town gates. She walked slowly, not out of fear of damaging the contents of the box, but simply because of how heavy the thing was.

 _I definitely put too many in this one._

The going got a little easier when she stepped onto the road, but it was at that point that Sara forced herself to pick up the pace lest someone heading out of town spotted her. The last thing she needed was a mob of angry townsfolk chasing after her. Once she was within ten feet of the gate, she stopped and bent down, carefully lowered the heavy box to the ground. It was just past dawn- it wouldn't be long before the inhabitants of Taft awoke and discovered their gift.

Relieved of the weight, Sara straightened. Her black dress was scuffed and the ends were caked in dust, but it wasn't anything she couldn't fix once she was safely away. Pivoting on a foot, she turned to go.

"Stop!"

Sara froze in her tracks. The shout had been from a man's gruff voice, and it had come from just inside the gate. Cursing under her breath, she turned around. A green player stood in front of her, armed with a woodcutting axe and garbed in the usual civilian attire of a worn wool shirt and pants. Though a thin beard hid the lower half of his face, Sara could still see the lines and creases present there- evidence of years of hard work and labor. She could also see his hatred.

"Don't you move!" He shouted, brandishing his rusty axe to show her he meant business. "Don't you move or I'll do what I have to!" He turned his head back over his shoulder as he shouted back into the town with a loud yell. "To arms! There's a red player out here!"

Sara raised her open hands calmly. "I mean you no harm. I'm unarmed." That last part was a lie, but she didn't think telling him about her poison coated knives and lethal potions would help much in defusing the situation. The last thing she wanted was to harm a green player.

"All red players mean harm!" The man shouted back at her as he stepped warily closer. It was obvious that in spite of his rage and fury, he was more than a little worried about getting too close. "All red players want is to kill us!" He glanced back over his shoulder and continued shouting back into the town. "Someone! I need some help out here! I got a red player by the gate!"

A few dogs began to bark inside the sleepy town. Sara considered just pulling out a teleport crystal, but she could see the determination in the man's eyes: if she went for a crystal, he could easily close the meager distance between them and start swinging, or maybe even throw the axe at her if he figured he wasn't quick enough. If she didn't get away quickly, though, she would soon have a hoard of villagers to contend with. She would have to run.

"I need some help out here!" The man shouted again. "I got a red player by the-"

"Yoren," Came a familiar voice as a man came running out of the gate. "Be quiet man. You're going to wake the entire blasted town."

Sara blinked in surprise. It was Tristan.

"Shopkeeper," Yoren panted without taking his eyes off Sara, his hands tightly gripping his axe. "We need to wake all the men and get them out here! This red player planted some kind of trap by the gate! We need to contact the Assault-"

Tristan sidled up casually beside Yoren as his hand pulled something Sara couldn't see from his pocket. "No, I don't think we're going to do any of that. Corridor, Town of Beginnings."

A thin wall of bright light appeared by Tristan's hand, behind Yoren, as he held the Corridor Crystal up.

"Have a nice day, Yoren."

Before Yoren could back away, Tristan shoved him into the portal with his free hand. The light shimmered for a brief moment, then dissipated as the Corridor Crystal in Tristan's hand shattered into pixelated shards. He smiled over at her.

"It's good to see you again, Sara, but before I hug you, we should probably put some distance between us and Taft in case he woke anyone up."

Unable to restrain the grin that lit her face, Sara beamed at him.

"Tristan, that wasn't very nice. Does that man have a teleport crystal?"

Tristan scratched his jaw. "I doubt it. Looks like Yoren is in for a long walk back."

After teleporting to a nearby forest and emerging from their portals, Sara decided to beat Tristan to it and hugged him first. The man's long, black hair looked more disheveled than it usually did, and his face, though full of joy at seeing her, showed undercurrents of weariness and worry.

"How are you?" He asked after she pulled away.

Sara shrugged. "Fine. Busy these days, but fine."

"What were you doing at Taft? It's awfully risky for you to be so close to towns like that."

"I know." Sara said. "But I had to make sure the players there got the items I left for them."

Tristan smiled at her. "You made potions for them, didn't you? Enough to fill that whole box on the ground. Why?"

She pulled more loose hair back behind her ear as she shifted her weight. "I'm just doing what I can to make amends for all the harm I caused. I make simpler potions, these days, to ease the lives of all those living in the towns and cities. The green players deserve more, but that's all I can think to do to help." She paused and gestured to him. "I didn't know you had moved. Since when do you live in Taft?"

"I don't." Tristan sighed, turning his eyes to the trees around them. "I was banned from selling my wares at Castellan Keep by Israel's brother and his guild leader, Commander Lind about two weeks ago."

"What?" Sara asked in shock. "Why?"

Tristan took a breath, then smiled as he gestured at a small deer track leading out of the woods. "We should take a walk."

Falling in beside him as he set out, Sara waited for Tristan to elaborate. Though he still seemed very much himself, with the same easy smile, and still filled with the same kindness, compassion, and sincere care for others, he also looked tired and beaten, like a man who had fallen on hard times. By what he had just said, she feared the assumption wasn't far from the truth.

"I told Jae- Israel's brother- that Israel wasn't the monster they all think he is, among some other, harsher words just for Jae. I also admitted to working with Israel in eliminating the Infiltrators. Needless to say, that wasn't something the Second in Command and Guild Leader of the Holy Dragon Alliance wanted to hear. After the HDA kicked me out and spread the news that I had associated with the Shadow of Death, the rest of the Assault Team followed suit. Whatever the Assault Team does, the rest of the green players do.

"My shop on Floor One was destroyed by the townsfolk, and I was told by the Army that if I didn't leave the Town of Beginnings, I would be arrested and thrown in the Black Iron Palace prison. My business was ruined, so I decided to do what I could and travel to the more remote towns out there to get a new trade network established. Taft is the tenth town I've visited, and still nothing. Worse, I lost Simba somewhere in there. I don't know why, but…" Tristan's voice wavered for a moment, but he caught himself and went on. "He slipped out of my cart and just ran off before I could get him. I suppose he was sick of my company. I never did know much about how to care for cats."

They walked in silence for a moment until Sara reached for his hand. "I'm sorry about Simba, and your shop, Tristan. I know it meant a lot to you. What possessed you to say those things to such important people?"

"It had to be said. I was just so sick of how they talk about him, you know? Confronting them was so satisfying, as well. In spite of the repercussions, I don't regret it for a moment."

He shook his head, as if to banish the somber mood, then smiled up at her.

"Enough about me. I'm so glad you're doing well, Sara. How is Israel?"

Sara sighed, her eyes catching a suspicious squirrel with his tail puffed up as he sat frozen stiff in his tree, carefully watching the two humans walk past him. "Honestly, I'm not so sure. After you messaged me about what happened between him and his brother, I went and looked for him. When I found him, he seemed so...unsure of himself."

"Unsure?"

Sara nodded, visions of her conversation with Israel at the lake flashing in her mind. "For as long I've known him, Israel never seemed like the type to care of what others thought of him. He's so determined, so implacable, in everything he does. Trying to steer him from a course he's set on is like shouting at a tempest to calm itself."

Tristan chuckled softly. "You're right about that. That man could tell me that he was going to knock the sun from the sky, and I still wouldn't bet against him."

"But when I talked to him this time," Sara continued, "He seemed like he wasn't sure if he was doing the right thing, or if he should keep on fighting at all."

Tristan's eyes widened in surprise. "What?"

Sara nodded. "Worse, I think he felt that way because he started to believe what the green players say about him. More specifically, what his brother must have said to him."

"I guess I should've expected Jae to hurt him with such words." Tristan muttered. "But I at least thought more of him than that."

Sara thought it over a moment as silence again enveloped them. "Is his brother really that terrible? I can't imagine someone so close to Israel being so different."

Tristan barked a laugh. "In some ways, I doubt you'd ever find anyone as different as Israel and Jae. On the other hand," he lifted an arm, "in many ways they are extraordinarily alike. Those two are the bravest men I've ever seen. Both would willingly lay down their lives for anyone, even a stranger." He shook his head. "No, Jae isn't a bad person. He's a good man, just like Israel. These past two years have done much to change him though. When I first met him, there was nothing more important to him than his brother. Now, he's the Second in Command of one of the three great guilds of Aincrad, and I guess his responsibilities have molded him into fitting the position." Tristan waved a hand shamefully. "Anyway, I'm not exactly one to judge in the first place. Both of them are better men than me."

Sara touched her fingers softly to his arm. "That's not true, Tristan. I may not know Jae, but I know Israel, and I can say with complete confidence that you are just as brave. I recall a time when you strolled right into the midst of Laughing Coffin's camp and lied in the face of the two most dangerous red players alive." She arched an eyebrow at him. "What would you call that, if not brave?"

Tristan shrugged. "The result of too much alcohol?"

Sara shoved him playfully as they both laughed.

"I see your point though," Tristan ceded with a grateful nod. "Thank you, Sara. That was very kind of you to say."

Silence again.

They walked on for a time, and though no words were spoken, Sara was glad to be in Tristan's company again. They had been through much together, and his friendship was something that she cherished. She knew he felt the same about her.

"Tristan?"

He glanced over at her, but she didn't meet his gaze. "Yes, Sara?"

"Would you tell me a little about Naomi?"

He returned his eyes to the track they were following, his face unreadable.

"I'm not going to do that, Sara. The result would only bring you hurt and you know it."

Sara had expected his answer, but she wasn't ready to give up. "It's not for whatever reason you might think. I want to know because I want to know Israel. Naomi was, and still is, a vast part of who he himself is. He loved her more than his own life, and it was her passing that made him the Shadow of Death." She looked away. "Every time I look at him, I can see it in his eyes. I can see how much she meant to him. I can see his love for her, his pain." She glanced back over at Tristan. "I want to understand that part of him. I want to know who she was."

Tristan remained silent for a long moment as he considered her. Finally, after what seemed a small eternity, he spoke.

"Sara, you're right. Naomi was once everything to Israel. Her death hurt him more than you know. I remember who he was before that tragedy. I witnessed the change in him as a result of it. He loved her, yes, but it's more than that. The day of her death, Israel and Naomi had a fight. The last words he said to her are words that I know he feels great guilt over, great heartache. He's a tortured soul, and, though I hope otherwise, what happened between them may haunt him for the rest of his life." He looked at her meaningfully. "But I don't think it will."

She frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Sara, when I first reunited with Israel after Naomi's passing, he truly was the Shadow of Death: almost all trace of the man I once knew, the friend I had had, was gone. But ever since you came into Israel's life, he's begun changing for the better. You and I both know that he is far more than just the Spirit of Vengeance, or the Shadow of Death, or whatever people may call him. He's Israel. And that, that is because of you. Now I'll be honest, you will never be able to take Naomi's place. But I tell you now, as both her friend and yours, that she would never have been able to take yours."

"Tristan-"

"Sara. I know you're scared to think such things. You don't want to give yourself false hope. I understand that." Determination crept over his features. "But when I see you two together, talking and laughing and travelling those old wilderness paths together, I know you were meant for eachother. He values and respects you more than anyone, just as you value and respect him. He only ever smiles when you are near. You should see the joy light up his eyes when you're around. To be honest with you, I can think of no two people on this earth who were more made for eachother. He needs you, Sara. Maybe even more than you need him."

Sara looked away from him, her blurry vision fastening on the trees around them as she blinked away her tears.

"But Tristan," She said softly through the lump in her throat, "You're forgetting one very important thing: Israel doesn't love me."

Tristan shook his head as he smiled. "I think you're wrong about-"

Sara paused mid step as a strangely familiar feeling crept over her. Concerned, Tristan stopped alongside her.

"Sara? Are you al-"

Though she wasn't quite sure why she did it, Sara motioned for him to be quiet. Something felt vaguely wrong, like a distant sense of unease. Something she had felt before.

Blinking in shocked realization as it hit her, Sara felt cold dread tingle up her arms. They were standing on an area marked by an Anti-Teleport Potion.

 _Laughing Coffin._

She grabbed Tristan's sleeve.

"We need to get out of-"

All at once, the forest seemed to come alive around them as black phantoms emerged from every direction, their dark, ripped cloaks and hoods hiding their faces and bodies.

With their escape cut off, Sara knew there were only two options: fight or die. Reaching down, she pulled two knives from their places in her boots.

"Run Sara!" Tristan cried as he leapt furiously at the men nearest her, a thin short sword in his hand.

The clash of steel rang out into the woods as Tristan's sword was parried by one of the Laughing Coffin members.

"Run!" Tristan shouted again as he swung.

Clutching her poison coated knives in both hands, Sara made for him. She wasn't about to abandon him to the red players. They would fight, and die, together.

Before she had taken a step towards the fight, Sara felt an exquisite wave of sharp pain, more than she had ever felt before, explode in the back of her head. Gasping in agony as her vision flickered and stars appeared all around her, she felt hers knees buckle. The ground rose up to meet her faster than she anticipated, and she hit the dirt face first. The pain at the back of her head was so great that she didn't even feel the rough landing.

Moaning angrily as she fought the dazed feeling in her head, Sara forced herself not to pass out. She put her hands in front of her, and with great effort managed to force herself up on her hands and knees. She didn't know where her knives were. All she saw were pairs of black boots all around.

"Get the bitch up on her feet." Came a thin, harsh voice that Sara dimly remembered.

A sudden cry pierced the haze as hands wrapped around her arms and began hauling her up.

 _Tristan._

Ignoring the pain, Sara rolled her head around, searching with her eyes past the hooded figures all around her. Then she saw him.

Blood ran down the front of his tunic from a stab wound in his shoulder, and a long, deep gash covered his forehead, but Tristan didn't seemed to notice as he struggled against the three men holding him. His shortsword was on the ground, blood dripping from it's edge. It was then that Sara realized that the cry hadn't come from him.

"Fucking bastard." One of the men in the black cloaks muttered as he nursed his right arm. "He stabbed me."

"Stop crying, Redin." hissed Xaxa's thin voice again. His red skull mask appeared suddenly in front of Sara, but he kept speaking to the injured man. "Be happy I don't kill you myself for letting a mere shopkeeper disarm you like that." The red eyes flashed as his attention swept over her. At that moment, there was nothing else in the world Sara wanted more than to bash his head in, skull mask and all.

"So good to see you again, Sara. My luck today must be exceptionally good; you and the shopkeeper appeared almost right in front of us when you teleported out here. You don't know how much we've all missed you." He leaned forward, and she could see a cold grin stretch across his mouth. "I'm glad I chose to be patient and follow you for a time. I heard some very interesting things. Things that I suspect PoH will take quite an interest in."

"I'll still kill you before this is over, Xaxa." Sara said through gritted teeth as rage replaced the pain in her head.

He cocked his head in amusement, like a child who had just discovered a bug, but didn't reply.

"Let's get going."

"What about the shopkeeper?" Asked a man who Sara recognized as Liam.

Xaxa shrugged. "He's unimportant. Kill him."

Glancing back in panic as she heard the ring of drawn steel, Sara saw Liam, his estoc in hand, step in front of Tristan.

"No!" Sara screamed. "Stop! Xaxa, killing him would be a grave mistake. He knows more about the Assault Team than anyone else: he trades at all their bases and has access to each of their Headquarters. Now that the Infiltrators are all dead, you'll need him to fulfill PoH's plans of defeating them and dominating Aincrad."

Xaxa's red eyes flashed again as he chuckled. "Good effort, Sara. But you'll have to do better than that. Now that I know this filthy green player is important to you, I want him dead all the more." He turned back to Liam, dipping his head in approval.

Grinning, Liam readied his sword as he looked at Tristan. "Don't worry, shopkeeper, I'll make this hurt."

"No!" Sara screamed, flailing violently and with all her strength as she tried to wrench herself free. The men holding her didn't even seem bothered.

"It's alright, Sara." Tristan said calmly as he looked over at her, his face smeared with his blood. He smiled sadly. "It's alright. I'm so sorry I failed to protect you."

Tears blurred her vision as she continued to fight against her captors, but Sara refused to look away from his eyes. He didn't blink as he looked at her, still smiling sadly as his silent tears mingled with the blood on his face.

"It's alright."

With a bloodthirsty laugh, Liam lunged, driving his estoc with an easy precision into Tristan's chest and out the other side.

Tristan stiffened as he gasped in shock and pain, his health draining down to nothing. Still grinning, Liam twisted the blade ruthlessly.

Tristan's smile faded as his eyes finally closed, and he exploded into a thousand pixelated shards.

"No!"

Sara kept screaming as she cried, fighting against the men holding her with redoubled fury until one of them punched her hard in the gut, doubling her over and driving the wind from her lungs.

"Let's get moving." Xaxa said with enthusiasm. "PoH is going to be very happy about this."


	108. Chapter 107

107

July 27, 2024

Floor 50, Barren Ravine

Cold dread tingled through Sara as she beheld the Laughing Coffin camp again. Forced relentlessly onward by the men holding her, her hands bound, her potion satchel and knives gone, she felt helpless as every step brought her past closer to her. Her heart hammered in her chest. She knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that she was walking towards her death. PoH would be sure to make it slow and agonizing.

Xaxa took the lead as they entered the outskirts of the camp proper; no doubt enthusiastic about showing off his prize. Liam, though not one of the two men muscling her along with the rest of the group, remained deliberately close to her the entire way, his hand on the hilt of the estoc at his belt. From time to time he glanced over at her, grinning wickedly as his eyes made silent pledges of pain to come.

Sara didn't know Liam well, and in fact had only spoken to him once, and briefly, when he first arrived at the camp under orders from Israel to bear a message to PoH. Though a badly injured and terrified man at the time, even then his eyes had showed his burning hatred for the Shadow of Death. Before Sara's capture by Israel, Liam had requested a place within Laughing Coffin, in order to one day claim vengeance for the death of his guild and his humiliation at Israel's hands. PoH, sensing a use for the man's fervor and fury, had done more than just accept his request; he had instructed Xaxa to personally train him in the ways of combat. Sara would never have imagined back then how much she now wished Israel had killed the bastard that fateful day that he murdered the man's guild. Because of Liam's interference during the attack on the Treehouse, Xaxa was still alive. Now, on top of that, Tristan was dead at his hands.

Sara was no expert on swordsmanship, but she had been around enough master swordsmen to see the skill Liam now possessed, both by the way he had gracefully handled his estoc, and his fluid, balanced, and alert movements. His face and body were thinner as well, more in keeping with what a finely experienced duelist might look like rather than a warrior. The only thing that really remained the same about him from before was his eyes: the inferno of hatred within them still burned just as brightly as it always had. Liam had heard the words exchanged between Sara and Tristan just as well as Xaxa, and every other man in his wolf pack. Knowing that Sara loved the Shadow of Death had placed her in his sights.

Sara had to resist the urge to scoff at the young man's stupidity: even if PoH ever decided to allow such an unimportant and expendable pawn to lay his hands on his most treasured possession- which he wouldn't- there was nothing one as common as Liam could do that would hurt or terrify her more than what PoH was capable of.

As they past the first row of tents and stepped onto a trail that had become established by the boots of hundreds of men and the spokes of countless wagon wheels, Sara saw that the news of her capture had beaten them back to camp. A crowd of Laughing Coffin members, some garbed in their signature black hoods and cloaks while others wore their more casual camp clothing, stood mute on either side of the thin, man-made track as they watched the procession pass before them. More rushed up from the depths of the camp, thickening the crowd as they pushed past to see what was happening. Curses were muttered in her direction. Hushed whispers rose from amongst the dense throng; the traitorous Potion Master of Laughing Coffin, and PoH's personal woman and right hand, had at long last returned.

Every now and then as she and her captors marched on, making their way into the heart of the camp, individual players among the crowd would charge out, screaming a long strings of curses as they attempted to strangle her where she stood. Not in the mood for anything to happen to his prized captive before he got her to PoH, Xaxa made no effort to be gentle as he shoved and punched the zealous men away. When the attempts didn't cease, he snatched one of the players by the collar, snapped his arm back at the elbow until bone popped out and the man fell to the ground, and proceeded to kick and beat his head in mercilessly until the player at last went limp and passed out from the pain. No one dared try to get to Sara after that.

Though it felt strangely alien- and utterly terrifying- to be back, the camp itself looked no different than she remembered, though it was perhaps smaller and less populated. All around, the usual jumble of men, tents, campfires, equipment, and wagons rolling in and out, all seemed right at home to her. In the distance, back behind the crowd of players that watched her quietly, Sara could here the familiar din carry through the crisp morning air as players talked, laughed, and argued amongst themselves. Orders were shouted by annoyed officers and sergeants, steel clashed as men fought in the training yard, and hammers rang as the guild's smiths crafted weapons and tools without respite.

As she made her way past a line of wagons being loaded up with the day's spoils of weapons, gear, and quantities of Col, Sara spotted PoH's black pavilion. A single banner fluttered in the breeze above it, proudly displaying Laughing Coffin's sigil: a cruel, smiling face emerging from an open coffin. Without thinking about it, Sara found herself glancing to the same sigil tattooed on her arm. She had been a fool to think she had left that part of her life behind her.

Unlike the other tents that littered the camp, PoH's was not only larger and better made, with ample space around it to set it apart from the others, but was also surrounded by a ring of his most trusted and most fanatical fighters, their superior armor and weapons revealed every now and then as the wind lifted their heavy black cloaks and mantels. Aside from glancing at the procession approaching them while conducting their rounds, the red player guards didn't seem to mind the intrusion. They had probably been given instructions to let the group pass. Not that it wouldn't have mattered much either way; one look from Xaxa's red eyes would have been enough to make even these elite warriors blanch.

Xaxa reached the heavy canvas hanging over the opening first, but didn't hold it open for the rest of them as he stepped inside; that was for the lesser men to do. Liam stepped in ahead of her and, with a mocking smile, drew back the hanging for her.

"After you." He said in amusement.

A knot of anxiety twisted in Sara's stomach as she stepped inside, but she refused to allow herself to show fear. She would need all the courage she could muster for what lay ahead.

The aroma of food filled the outer room as Sara and the others made their way along the the carpeted ground, distantly reminding her that she hadn't eaten. Icy terror masked any sense of hunger she might have felt. Torches and lamps hung all along the walls, granting the huge tent a brightly lit, cozy warmth. It did nothing to flag her rising fear as her eyes reached his.

Sitting straight and proud at his table, still chewing on a bite of food from the now empty plate before him, PoH watched her. He looked even more handsome than she remembered; thick, jet black hair trailed down the sides of his tanned face, perfectly complementing his chiseled square jaw and piercing, intelligent, raptor grey eyes. The long, thin tattoo of a black snake on the right side of his face seemed to writhe along his cheek and forehead as he chewed his food, adding to his frightening visage. Thick, black stubble covered his chin and lower jaw, but rather than make him appear coarse or unkempt, it seemed to fit perfectly with his rugged charm and appearance.

"Commander," Xaxa said respectfully through his skeletal mask as he dipped his head, "I am very pleased to present you with our Potion Master, at long last returned to us."

PoH didn't acknowledge him; his iron gaze was fixed on Sara, his expression unreadable. Somehow, the silent anticipation was far more terrifying than what would inevitably follow. Sara knew PoH better than anyone. His unpredictable nature was one of the many reasons he made such a potent and efficient leader. At times, she had seen him explode into fits of rage and deadly violence over something as simple as a guild member dropping a single Col during the loading of the wagons. Other times, she had witnessed him go out of his way to casually help men pick up entire crates worth of spilled coins. That unpredictability was what made men fear to make any mistake, and pushed them to excel.

When he was at last done eating, PoH paused to wipe his mouth clean with a napkin before pushing his chair back and rising to his feet. He spread his hands in greeting as he circled around the table to stand in front of her.

"Sara. How wonderful it is to see you again." He smiled, exposing his pristinely white teeth. "You look even more beautiful than in all the dreams I've had of you since you left."

His gaze wandered the length of her as he let out a deep, long breath. Sara felt heat rush to her face as his eyes roamed, knowing that he was imagining every trace and curve of her body beneath her black dress. He knew her intimately; she doubted there was much he would have forgotten. She doubted also that there was much he wasn't going to do to her. She felt naked, vulnerable, helpless, violated. It took all of her willpower to remain standing tall and proud.

"You don't know how much I've missed you." He said quietly, sincerely.

He backhanded her with an abrupt, powerful swing of his arm that threw her from her feet and sent her crashing to the ground. It felt as though every muscle in her jaw had been torn and the bone shattered. The blow had caught Sara by surprise, but even if she had been prepared, the sheer strength of it would still have sent her flying. Her vision dimmed, but she scarcely noticed as the pain paralyzed her mind and locked her in a thick daze.

"Get her up on her feet." PoH commanded from somewhere above her.

Hands appeared and wrapped themselves around her arms, hauling her to her feet. The world spun in her vision, and she felt blood trickling down the corner of her swollen lip, but Sara forced herself to remain still and look PoH in the eye.

"Where did you find her?" he asked Xaxa, though his attention still seemed riveted on her.

"The forest outside of Taft, on Floor Eleven." Xaxa replied. "She was in the company of a green player merchant. They were..." He cleared his throat, seeming suddenly nervous as he went on. "They were discussing her feelings for the Shadow of Death."

PoH blinked.

One of the men, standing close beside Liam, barked a laugh.

"Not like it was much of a surprise. It was obvious how badly the bitch wanted to spread her legs for him back at the Treehou-"

In an instant, PoH was in front of him, gripping the man's throat with both hands. With a single, powerful twist of his bare, muscled arms, he snapped the player's neck, not bothering to stop until the loose head had been twisted completely around and the dead face was looking the other way. It had been done so quickly that the body went limp and hit the ground several seconds before the system finally caught up. The corpse burst apart into pixelated shards, filling the tent with floating fragments of light.

"Everyone out." PoH commanded in a calm, even voice.

No one needed to be told twice; without a second's pause, Xaxa, Liam, and the rest of the wolf pack filed quickly out of the tent opening, letting the overhang fall back into place behind them.

Sara was now completely alone with the most dangerous man in all of Aincrad- after Israel.

"So," PoH began casually as he returned to his place in front of her, "do you love him?"

Sara blinked. "What?"

PoH exploded. "What do you mean 'what!'" He backhanded her again, and Sara felt a string of blood hit her cheek as she staggered back. He caught her roughly by the neck before she could fall. "Don't you act like you didn't understand me you stupid bitch!"

He drove a fist into her gut, knocking the wind from Sara's lungs and driving a cry of pain from her throat. Her legs buckled, but she couldn't fall; his hand on her throat was now lifting her clear off the ground, preventing her from drawing a full breath. He punched her again, but this time, Sara forced herself to choke down her cry. The world was quickly dissolving into a spinning vortex of agony, but she knew this was only the beginning. She had to be strong for what lay ahead.

"Answer the question!" PoH roared into her face, so close she could feel his hot breath hit her cheeks. He began shaking her by the throat. "Do you love him!"

Sara could taste the coppery, warm blood in her mouth as she laughed in his face. "You sound like a jealous schoolboy. How pathetic."

PoH's fingers burned against her throat as he squeezed harder, cutting off the vital air she needed. Her head was already beginning to hurt from the lack of oxygen.

He struck her again, this time whipping her silver hair around and plastering strands of it onto her face. His eyes bulged with rage. "Don't play games with me, you little whore. I want an answer. Do-" He began hitting her with each word as he repeated the question- "You. Love. Him."

Sara's face was beginning to feel numb as she sucked in what air she could past his fingers on her throat. Blood from somewhere on her face began trickling down into her eyes, further blurring the already dim and hazy world around her. She spat blood into his face.

"Doesn't matter much now, does it?" She hissed through clenched teeth, gladly sacrificing what little air she had left to further vex him.

PoH must have seen then how close she was coming to passing out, for his grip on her neck softened. Sara gasped in relief as air again filled her lungs, clearing her head somewhat. The staggering pain from the blows, however, remained, and was more than enough to torment her. PoH wiped the blood from his face.

"Of course it matters," he growled, never blinking as he looked into her eyes. "You know it does. You know how much you mean to me, Sara. Don't pretend you don't."

"Oh yes," Sara drawled mockingly, the strands of hair on her face beginning to turn red from all the blood, "I can definitely see how much you care for me."

"You think I want to hurt you?" PoH snapped as he shook her. "You think I take pleasure in this? You bring this on yourself, both for your betrayal before, and your behaviour now. If you would just apologize for what you've done, and go back to being the Sara I know, then things could all go back to how-"

"You're putting me to sleep with your idiotic rambling." Sara said in an icy tone. "Stop talking and get on with the torture, or the rape, or whatever it is you want to do to me."

"Rape?" PoH's face twisted in genuine surprise. "How could you say such a thing? When was it ever rape? Was it rape all those nights you wandered into my tent while I was asleep, and woke me with your loving touch, desperate for me to please you? Was it rape each time you shamelessly begged for me to finish as our bodies lay entangled in rapturous bliss? Was it rape the night I rescued you from the Shadow, and you pleaded with me to stay with you even as vassal guilds were marching on our doorstep-"

"I was trying to kill you." Sara said angrily. "I had the knife in my hand, and I would've done it had not that messenger arrived and spurred you away."

"Trying to kill me." PoH repeated flatly. He searched her eyes, looking for any sign of a lie or bluff. When he found only bitter truth, he recoiled as if struck. "You were going to kill me? Even as I made love to you? What kind of treacherous monster are you?"

"One that has caused you more trouble than you realize, Guild Leader." She smirked through bloody teeth. "I made the Dispel potion that Israel used to break your Anti-Teleport zones laced around the Treehouse. It is because of me that he slipped from your grasp that day. You should have listened to Xaxa back then, you stupid fool."

PoH's face had gone scarlett, and the muscles in his jaw were so tense and strained that Sara could see every line of the bone underneath his skin. She hoped she had made him angry enough to kill her quickly. At this point, that was the only thing she could hope for.

"What about the cause?" PoH asked quietly. "What about bringing justice to Aincrad?"

Sara scoffed as she made a face. "I may have been a fool once, but don't make the mistake of thinking I am still as blind. Your cause was nothing more than a lie that you fabricated to convince first me, and then yourself, that you were some great, selfless hero. Israel opened my eyes to the truth: you are nothing more than a madman, soaking in the blood of all those killed for no reason or purpose."

PoH looked shocked by what she was saying, but said nothing.

"He is the Shadow of Death." Sara went on, trying to further stoke the flames of his wrath. "And though you don't yet realize it, he is far more than you can handle. He has already destroyed and broken what were once your loyal vassal guilds. He has foiled your plan on making war against the Assault Team. It's only a matter of time, now. He is going to kill you PoH. He is going to hunt you down and skin you alive for all your men to see."

PoH's eyes seemed to suddenly lose some of their rage as he cocked his head at her. A small, cunning grin stretched suddenly onto his face. That alone was enough to make Sara realize she had just made a mistake as cold fear sent a shiver up her spine.

"Is he now?" he asked in curious amusement. His grey eyes felt like they were boring down into her soul.

Sara forced her fears aside. Whatever he was trying, she wouldn't play into it.

"Are you so arrogant as to believe he's still no threat to you? That you can simply sweep him away like any of your expendable and unwanted subjects?"

"No, actually," PoH said with a shake of his head. "I never underestimate my enemies. I've learned enough about him to know that all that you say is true: I cannot defeat him." He paused, his smile widening. "Not alone, anyway."

Sara arched an eyebrow. "You think I'm going to help you kill him?"

"No. I _know_ you are."

Dread was quickly beginning to knot up inside her, but Sara maintained her resolve. She knew what he was thinking.

"Finding his location by accessing him on my friend list isn't going to get you anywhere." She said coldly. "Israel has restricted his map location to all friends of his-" she paused to look deliberately into PoH's eyes, allowing him to silently imagine what she meant as she finished- "and even those who are...more."

When his face turned scarlett again, Sara braced herself for another blow. Instead, PoH slowly set her down, releasing her when her feet hit the carpeted floor.

He smiled again as he shrugged. "No matter. If we can't go to him, we'll just make him come to us."

Sara frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Quick as a snake, PoH snatched her arms and roughly spun her around so that her back was to him. When she struggled against him, he drove a fist into her side, the impact nearly knocking her sideways. He hit her again in the same spot, and Sara heard a thin crack as agonizing pain exploded up her body. By the fresh wave of torment that lanced up her side when she tried to draw a breath, she guessed that at least one of her ribs was broken. Try as she might, the pain prevented her from putting up much resistance after that.

Binding her hands behind her back with what felt like rope, PoH didn't bother being gentle and tied hard enough for the rope to cut off all circulation in her hands.

"I'm going to murder the Shadow of Death in front of you, Sara." PoH whispered into her ear as he worked. "But not before he is tortured to within an inch of his life for all the damage he has caused, and most definitely not before I force him to watch me take you. Now, I'm not going to force myself on you because it's something I want to do, Sara. I'm no rapist. No, I'm going to do it because it's what you, and the Shadow, deserve. I'm going to spread those whore legs of yours, and take you. And then, I'm going to do it again." His voice lowered dangerously, "And again." His lethal, furious tone dropped to a whisper, causing the lurid, vengeful promise of what lay ahead to come alive in Sara's mind. "And again. And when I finally tire of plowing your broken, fallow body, I'm going to kill you myself."

Still behind her, PoH opened her menu and began swiping through screens until he arrived at her friend list. He selected Israel's name, followed by the message option. As he began typing, he called for Xaxa.

"Yes, Commander?" Xaxa asked through his skeletal mask as he entered, his red eyes only briefly analyzing what he was seeing.

"Aside from you, Liam, Midnight, and Officer Ulrich are the best fighters in the guild. Gather them, along with a half dozen other men of your choosing, and be ready to teleport with Sara and I in three minutes."

Xaxa's red eyes gleamed as he seemed to put together what was happening. By the time he responded, he was already halfway out the door. "Right away, Commander."

Silent tears rolled down Sara's face as she stood helplessly watching the words PoH was typing in front of her.

Israel was going to die, and it was all her fault.

…

 _Don't have much time. Need help. Wolf pack caught up with me. They were at my camp, I can't get to my teleport crystals. They're catching up to me, I have ten minutes at best. Please meet me, I'm in Cavalrin Forest on Floor Fifty-Four, where the river ends. I can't stay here long. Bring two teleport crystals quickly._

Israel was already up on his feet and moving before he had finished reading through the message. Checking to make sure Apocalypse was clear in its sheath as he ran for his pack by the campfire, he hastily withdrew a handful of teleport crystals and stuffed a couple in his pockets with his right hand while holding up another with his left.

"Teleport, Cavalrin Forest!"

Visions of Naomi's death flashed in his mind as the activated portal surrounded him, his mind in a place of dark dread even as he stood in a universe of pure light. The nightmare was happening all over again.

 _Please, not again,_ he prayed in desperation and fear as his body was whisked through space and time, _please, let me be there in time._


	109. Chapter 108

108

July 27, 2024

Floor 54, Cavalrin Forest

A pall of heavy dread weighed down Sara's forced steps, her feet dragging beneath it's oppressive weight as the two men holding her from behind plodded her on. PoH led the way in front of her, with Xaxa beside him. She didn't see Midnight or Liam, but she knew without a doubt they were close to her, watching. A half dozen Laughing Coffin members, the seasoned survivors of one of the most veteran wolf packs in the guild, formed the core of the little column, marching behind their leader with straight backs and high chins, proud at having been chosen for such an important mission.

Horror, a fitting companion for the rising dread within her, seemed only to grow with each step; they were getting close to the meeting place PoH had tricked Israel into heading to. Because of her, he was about to walk right into a trap. He was going to die.

 _Think of the solution, not the problem._

Sara could almost hear Israel saying the words to her, could almost see the resolute, grim smile he would give as his cobalt eyes blazed with the deep meaning behind the simple phrase: to pursue the solution, one needed the conviction to both give and take all from those who would form the obstacle, the determination to never allow the heart to rule the mind, and the strength of will to fight to the last breath, no matter what.

Sara's life was as good as over, she knew that. Israel's, however, still hung in the balance, albeit for only a few more moments. If she was to have any chance of saving him, she had to keep fighting. She had to buy herself enough time to message him. A few seconds only. She hoped she had it what it took. She hoped she could make a difference.

Gathering her strength as she examined the dense woods around them, Sara struggled to find some way of breaking off from the men holding her, and more importantly, putting some space between herself and PoH. She held no illusions: she had no hope of getting free. Even were she to somehow manage to slip away from the players all around her and disappear into the depths of the forest, the success would be short lived. Israel had taught her a great deal of forest living, from how to maintain a fluid, steady speed through treacherous terrain in the dead of night, to how to always judge what direction you were in based solely on the moss on a tree, but she was no match for the best trackers and man hunters in Laughing Coffin. No, there was no getting out this time.

The knowledge of her inevitable end no matter what happened next, terrible as it was, filled Sara with a strange, distant feeling of liberation. She no longer had to fear for herself; her fate was already sealed. A far greater feeling of determination to prevent Israel from reaching the same conclusion spurred her on. It was up to her now.

Up ahead, PoH and Xaxa paused for a brief moment before cutting right. Lifting an arm behind him as he moved, PoH gestured for his men to do the same. By the time the two men pushing her along urged her to change course as well, Sara saw the reason for the turn, and her solution: they were at the edge of a cliff. Buried as it was in the midst of the dense woodland, the dangerous drop off- which looked to be at least a hundred feet off the ground- was impossible to spot until the last moment. Down below, Sara could see the sprawling blanket of green that made up the rest of the forest as it continued unbroken past the drop in altitude.

As the men forced her onward, putting the edge of the cliff several feet to her left, Sara steadied her nerves. She knew what had to be done. She never would have believed it would end in such a way, at her own hand. Somehow, plunging headlong into death's grasp suddenly seemed far more terrifying than dying at the hands of someone else against her will and while fighting for her life.

 _Courage, Sara. Courage for the end._

This was the best chance she was going to get. If it worked, she would die quickly, and the man she loved would be safe. At this point, she couldn't ask for a better outcome.

Pivoting on her heel as she abruptly swung around and tore to the right, back in the direction they had come, Sara felt the men holding her loose some of their grip as her hair whipped around her. As the two stumbled to the right as well, attempting to muscle her back into submission, Sara pivoted again, even more sharply this time as she drove left. Both men, their bodies still in motion and still going right, found their momentum now against them. The first, a big man unable to cut direction as quickly as she with all his weight, skidded past her in surprise. The second man was quicker and managed to turn left with her, grabbing her shoulder with painful force as he put himself in front of her. He was now the only thing between her and the cliff edge.

Sara didn't hesitate.

Hurling herself into him with the full force of her weight and momentum, Sara felt him stumble back in surprise at the unexpected and suicidal aggression. Releasing his hold on her, the man's eyes widened in sudden fear as his body fell backwards over the edge, with Sara right behind him. Falling forward, she didn't bother fighting the momentum of her charge as it hurled her, too, over the edge. She saw the man flailing desperately as he sailed out into the open air, randomly reminding her of a fish suffocating out of water. Sara opened her menu, furiously swiping through screens as she felt herself begin to fall in earnest. She had to send the message before she died. She reached her friend list.

Searing agony shot through her head as something took hold of her hair, tearing her from her fall and causing her body to slam into the side of the cliff. An involuntary scream of pain tore from her lungs as her full weight now pulled against her hair. It felt like her scalp was being ripped from her head. Hot tears blurred her vision as the pain intensified.

Gritting her teeth, Sara forced herself to ignore the urge to reach up and push away whatever was stopping her fall and causing her so much torment. Instead, she brought a trembling hand to Israel's name on her friend list. One word was all she needed. One word to send him, to let him know the truth, to keep him safe. She had to tell him.

She selected the message option, and raised her quivering finger. One word.

Sara typed a _T,_ than an _R_.

Then she was yanked up with a powerful jerk, and found herself face to face with PoH. He was standing at the very edge of the cliff with a powerful arm holding her up by her hair, staring at her in cold fury as she dangled helplessly before him.

He cocked his head. "Did you really think such a simple attempt would work?"

Sara ignored him. She typed an _A_ , and then a _P._

With a grunt, PoH tossed her by her hair back over the cliff edge as if she were a rag doll. Sara felt her forehead hit something hard and sharp as she hit the hard, rock strewn strip of ground just before the dense treeline. In a daze from the staggering pain that still persisted in her scalp, and with fresh blood beginning to ooze down her forehead from the hard landing, Sara blinked in an effort to stop her vision from dimming. She had to send the message.

"You just sent one of our men to his death." PoH said from somewhere above her. "And you were ready to join him." He stooped down in front of her. "You were going to kill yourself, throw your own life away, just to warn the Shadow?"

Through hazy vision, Sara managed to make out the artificial blue light of her screen still in front of her. She reached out with her hand. She had to send the message.

"You stupid whore."

Seizing her hand in his his own, PoH snapped her fingers back with one swift jerk. Sickening cracks filled the air as Sara felt the bones in each of her fingers break under the strain.

Before Sara could scream, PoH stood up and kicked her in the side, his steel toed boots driving the breath from her lungs as they made contact. Nausea filled her stomach, making it even harder to draw a breath.

"Close her menu." PoH ordered. "Tie her hands behind her back, and quickly. We are nearly there, but if he arrives first because of this little waste of time, he could yet slip from grasp. Besides," he turned a bloodcurdling look at Sara. "I wouldn't want to keep these two lovers apart any longer than is necessary."

After seeing to it that PoH's orders were obeyed, the small crowd of red players set out again, this time moving at a faster pace. Liam and the big man who had been holding her before seized her, this time taking more care as they forced her along. Sara felt tears trickle down her face as they reached the clearing where the river ended; she had failed. Israel was going to die because of her.

"Spread out," PoH gestured at the treeline around the small clearing. "Encircle the area, but do not move from your positions until I give the command. Xaxa, Liam, Midnight, lay out the Anti-Teleport potions, and than you three are with me. Remember, all of you, the Shadow has high tracking and hearing skills, so make no movement while you hide. None at all." He turned to Sara, a grin on his face. "Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about you. I know you wouldn't want to miss out on what is about to happen. You're going to be able to see it all."

Seizing her, PoH withdrew a long handled cleaver from within the folds of his cloak. He nodded to the men around him, and in an instant, they disappeared into the trees, each taking up precise positions to both maintain the element of surprise and secure the entire clearing.

Tugging her along until they stood at the far end of the clearing, PoH waited until Xaxa, Liam, and Midnight had withdrawn into the treeline just behind them, each well within range should anything go wrong. Stepping behind her as he kept an arm wrapped tightly around Sara's waist, he held up the jagged blade of his cleaver to her throat.

"I can't wait to witness his face when he sees this." PoH whispered in her ear. He opened his mouth to say more, but stopped when the distant sound of frantic running trickled suddenly out of the woods, growing louder with each step and sending flocks of birds careening out of the tree boughs. "Here he comes, and in an awful hurry it seems."

Sara opened her mouth to scream, but PoH was ready. He punched her hard in the gut, driving the wind from her lungs and creating a pain so deep that Sara knew he had damaged something inside of her. Before she could get her bearings and try again, he shoved a wad of cloth into her open mouth until it reached her throat and gagged her.

"You'll have to try harder than that, darlin'." PoH whispered. "Now, hush up and be still. He is nearly here."

As if on queue, Israel came bursting out of the trees on the other side of the clearing at full sprint, his hand on the hilt of the red sword at his side and his face set in a mixture of worry and iron determination. When he saw PoH and Sara a dozen feet in front of him, he froze in his tracks, a tempest driven instantly to a grinding halt.

Neither the face mask nor the hood covered his face, thus exposing the sheen of sweat that coated his forehead and cheeks, and the tangled mass of blonde hair that fell almost to his shoulders. He looked like he had been running without cease for several miles at least. He had been coming to help her.

Fresh tears rolled down Sara's cheeks as she saw the shocked surprise light up his cobalt eyes. His gaze moved from the cleaver at her throat to her eyes. In the silent exchange, she detected something in him that she had never seen before, and that sent tingles of horror down her spine: fear.

"Greetings, Shadow of Death," PoH sneered, "you know, it seems every time we meet one of us has a sword to Sara's throat."

As if to stress his point, he pushed his cleaver harder against Sara's neck. Israel, his body tense and strained as the fear in his eyes grew, clenched his steel covered hand and took an aggressive step forward. In an instant, Xaxa, Liam, and Midnight emerged from their hiding and took up protective stances beside PoH.

"If your wish is to kill her prematurely," PoH remarked casually, "than by all means keep moving."

Israel halted, but it was obvious that it wasn't the threat of Xaxa and the others that had stopped him. Indeed, he didn't seem to even notice them; his eyes were fixed only on her.

"You want me dead, I understand that." Israel began. He lifted a hand from the hilt of his sword. "Now you have me. I won't fight you. Just don't hurt Sara. Please."

Out of the corner of her eye, Sara saw PoH cock his head in disgust. "Pleading? From you? I respected you as my adversary, don't make yourself a fool now that you've lost. I'm not going to lie to you about this; I'm going to kill Sara. Whether you come peacefully or fight until your last breath, that fact will remain. You do have some choices though. How soon her death comes and how terrible her torture is before that point depends entirely on you and how well you can follow orders before you too are finally killed."

PoH made a gesture, and the wolf pack that had waited in hiding around the clearing now emerged with swords drawn. Israel glanced briefly around at them in surprise, no doubt having expected his detection skill to reveal anyone else in the area. He ignored the red players as they slowly encircled him, and instead met Sara's watery gaze again. Storms of pain and despair raged in his blue eyes, and it broke her heart to see him so helpless. Twin rivers streamed down her cheeks as she cried in silence.

"I would recommend not fighting back." PoH said as Israel tensed again and flexed his steel hand. He looked like a wounded animal ready to lash out in one last mad attempt at survival. Sara knew she was the only thing stopping him. "You've lost, Shadow of Death. Any resistance at this point is now futile and pointless. If you fight, my men will be forced to kill you where you stand. I'd much rather you lived a while yet, and not just so that I can bring you pain. I want you to witness what comes next."

"What are you talking about." Israel whispered bitterly, his voice broken by defeat and misery.

PoH waved a hand at the trees around them. "I always considered it ironic that the green players hated and feared you as much as they do. If not for you, I would have destroyed the Assault Team months ago and consolidated my position as the very first ruler of Aincrad. It took me by surprise when you began protecting them." He paused and smiled. "Since you seem to have taken such an avid interest in defending green players, I want you to know now- while your mind is still intact- that I'm going to crush the Assault Team even more ruthlessly than I first intended. The civilian populace will also need to be trimmed down a bit. Without you there to waste any more of my time, I can begin working towards that goal right away."

Sara groaned helplessly into the cloth stuffed in her mouth. The world was ending. PoH had finally won.

Forcing her forward as he began closing the distance to Israel, PoH gestured at the red sword sheathed at his side.

"Apocalypse is among the best of the one handed swords here in Aincrad. It was originally meant to be mine when it was first discovered in a hidden room inside one of the Labyrinths, before you destroyed the armory it was later stored in and stole it. Since you won't be needing it anymore, I'd like you to remove it."

Head down in humiliation, Israel drew the magnificent red sword without hesitation, filling the clearing with the distinct ring of steel. Rather than drop the weapon, however, he looked back up at PoH.

An inferno of blue flames flared within his cobalt eyes.

"But PoH, if I did that, what would I have left to kill you with?"

With a roar, the forest came alive all around. Dozens of green players, each wearing superior silver and blue steel armor and armed with an impressive array of gleaming weapons, came charging into the clearing from all sides, many shouting "vengeance!" as they crashed into the thin line of red players. And at their head, looking like a hero of old from out of some fairytale as he led the charge, his royal blue cape fluttering behind him and his armor gleaming in the sunlight, came a man armed with a double bladed staff.

Chaos erupted throughout the clearing as the green players collided with the warriors of Laughing Coffin who had almost formed a hastily made circle around PoH, creating a din as swords clashed, shields thudded from blows taken, axes and spears ripped through mail, and cries of pain swiftly replaced shouts of rage. Though the six wolf pack members fought ferociously to fend off the sudden assault and protect PoH, they were at once vastly outnumbered by the mass of knightly looking green players and had been taken completely by surprise.

Three of the silver and blue clad warriors made for PoH, but before Sara could blink, Xaxa appeared before them, his red eyes gleaming with menace as he cut two of them down with merciless efficiency. Liam darted forward and disarmed the third less gracefully, but ran him through all the same. Pixelated shards exploded all around, adding to the carnage that now enveloped the clearing.

"Back!" PoH cried above the clamor as he dragged Sara back with him in the direction of the treeline. "Everyone back!" He snagged Xaxa's sleeve even as the man decapitated a third green player. "We can't fight this many, and we can't use our teleport crystals until we are out of the zone! We need to make the treeline and keep Sara out of their hands!"

Xaxa, seemingly taken with other thoughts, glanced back at the violence all around him. "But…"

PoH grabbed him fiercely with his free hand. "Do as I-"

He froze as his eyes shot forward. Following his gaze, Sara was just in time to see Israel standing silently in the midst of the fighting, a stun coated throwing knife in his sword hand. With a jerk of his hand, the thin blade shot forward, piercing the air with remarkable speed as it reached its destination and struck PoH's shoulder.

Staggering back, PoH let out a gasp as his hold on Sara loosened and he collapsed. A stun was no Paralysis Potion, but it got the job done and worked past Paralysis Antidotes. Israel had given her her chance. She didn't hesitate.

Before PoH could hit the ground, Xaxa caught him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders. At the same time, Sara sprang free and hurled herself into the midst of the fighting as bodies thrashed around her.

"Retreat!" She heard Xaxa cry behind her. "Liam, leave her! Full retreat!"

Jumping to her feet, Sara had to dodge a sword swing from one of the combatants as she looked past the skirmish for Israel. More pixelated shards floated around the clearing, but the red players were quickly abandoning the fight as one after the other fled back towards the safety of the treeline. Xaxa and PoH had already disappeared.

"Israel!" Sara called as green players began running past her in pursuit of of their enemy. Before she could find him, she felt a hand wrap around her forearm and yank her back. Spinning around to claw at whoever had her, Sara blinked in surprise when she saw that it was Israel. A smile lit his face.

"Israel, how did you-"

"I'm glad you're safe, but we can't celebrate yet." Israel said as he guided her through the throng of green players. "I had hoped we'd be able to eliminate PoH or at least Xaxa, but they both got away."

Sara gazed at the armored soldiers charging into the trees. "They won't be able to track PoH and the others in the woods. They're going to escape either way, but Xaxa will see to it more green players are killed in there before he gets PoH out."

Israel nodded. "That's exactly what I was about to tell my brother."

Sara blinked up at him. "Your brother?"

The heroic looking warrior appeared suddenly before them, his double bladed staff now latched onto his back. A small smile appeared on his face.

"Nice to meet you. My name is-"

"Jae, you need to call your men off." Israel interrupted. "That's a veteran wolf pack and the best fighters of Laughing Coffin with them you just chased into the woods. They're not going to be a threat if you let them teleport back to their camp peacefully, but if you pursue them, your men will be in the enemy's element this time. I can match their detection skills, but I can't warn and protect all your men at once."

Jae nodded. "I know. I've already sent two of my Officers to pull the men back to the clearing so we can regroup and teleport out of here. Normally the HDA soldiers have better discipline than this, but their blood was a little heated this time around. We all wanted some revenge on members of Laughing Coffin." He looked back at Sara. "Anyway, I'm glad you're alright. You already heard it, but I'm Jae."

Sara wasn't sure whether she should have been happy to finally meet Israel's brother, or furious. After all she had heard about him, she didn't know what to think of the man. Looking at him now though, with his short cropped, dark blonde hair, kind green eyes, and gentle jaw, to say nothing of his tall, proud stature and furrowed brow that betrayed the mark of a true leader, Sara didn't think the two looked anything alike.

"I'm Sara..." She forced a smile. "I don't know how or why you did it, but thank you so much for saving me, both you and your soldiers."

"Oh, don't let that flashy armor of his fool you," said a beautiful woman in her own silver and blue styled armor as she made her way to Jae's side. "We're not all his subjects to command." She smiled at Sara, than turned a curious gaze to Israel. "You two look nothing alike."

Jae cleared his throat. "Israel, Sara, this is my wife, Officer Vivienne of the HDA."

Sara's eyes widened in surprise, but she quickly noticed how appropriate the two leaders looked together. Standing side by side in their silver and blue armor, both with that gentle quality in their eyes, and yet both also containing that iron resolve of leadership in their faces, the two looked like they were meant to be.

Israel blinked. "Wife?"

Jae smiled as he nodded. "There's a lot we need to catch up on."

"There certainly is." Sara agreed as she looked Israel's way. "For starters, how did you know that it was a trap? That PoH had already captured me?"

Israel smiled sadly at her, but she could see a hint of pride as well. "I knew the moment I read the message that it wasn't from you, or that you had been forced to send it. The Sara I know would never put me, or anyone else for that matter, in danger to help save herself. If you were truly being pursued by a wolf pack, you would have done everything in your power to keep me as far away from them as possible, even if it meant your death. It's one of the things about you I just can't stand."

Sara chuckled. "And yet, here you are."

He nodded. "Since I knew something was wrong and you had most likely been captured, it was easy to assume I was being led into a trap. If you were alive, my only hope of saving you was to walk right into it. But not before I contacted my brother and asked for his help."

Jae crossed his arms. "Which you have yet to thank me for, by the way."

Israel frowned at him. "I thanked you in the messages, after you agreed to get some men together and help."

Jae crossed his arms incredulously. "I spend weeks sending you messages about wanting to meet up again, all of which you ignore, until you get in a spot of trouble and decide you need me for my position. That doesn't warrant an in-person thank you?"

"Well…"

"Besides, it's not the same reading it as it is to hear it spoken out loud, you know what I mean? There's just no tone when you-"

Pausing in the midst of his joke, Jae glanced past them.

"Avari, what happened?"


	110. Chapter 109

109

July 27, 2024

Floor 54, Cavalrin Forest

Sara and Israel turned and saw a tall, fierce looking woman with a massive greatsword strapped to her back appear from out of the trees with a dozen other green payers behind her, including a huge, red bearded man with an axe that looked bigger than Sara. Blood trickled down from a wicked looking gash on the fierce looking woman's forehead, and at her feet was a red player Sara recognized as the leading officer of the wolf pack.

"I'm alright." The woman said to Jae. Her eyes swept briefly over Sara and Israel- and the red cursors above their heads- before she returned her attention to Jae and kicked the Laughing Coffin officer down to his knees before her. "I caught us a prisoner as the cowards tried to ambush us in the trees to cover the retreat of their guild leader. This one was shouting orders to his other sneaky murdering friends."

"Almost got you too, you big bitch." The man snarled.

The woman punched him with surprising speed, her steel gauntlet slamming into the red player's face and flinging him into the dirt.

"He's a lower ranking officer," Sara said, drawing the woman's formidable gaze back to her, "He's no PoH or Xaxa, but he's decorated and well known enough in Laughing Coffin to be privy to war council meetings. He's the commander of the wolf pack that PoH brought here for his trap."

Israel flexed his steel backed fist and strode towards the prisoner. "Don't worry, I know you lot don't like to get your hands dirty. I'll take care of him."

Jae's wife, Vivienne, cleared her throat. "You're right, we don't kill other players, not unless we have to. We also just saved your life and that of your friend, so I hope you can respect how we handle our prisoners. He isn't a threat anymore."

As if to enforce Vivienne's silent command, the big woman with the greatsword stepped in front of the prisoner and faced Israel with a look that could cut steel. He didn't so much as flinch at the gesture, but he did pause to look at Vivienne and Jae in confusion.

"You keep prisoners?"

Jae nodded. "We do."

"Why?"

Vivienne scoffed but said nothing.

"You sure he's your brother?" The fierce looking woman asked as she flicked her dark bangs out of her eyes.

"That's enough." Jae said softly, but in his tone Sara detected a hint of unmistakable authority. This was a man who, while he clearly cared deeply for his subordinates, was also used to being obeyed when things got serious. "Everyone handles things like this a little differently in war, and for different reasons." He cast a sidelong glance to his wife. "Respecting how we deal with the enemy is a two way street."

"What will you do with him?" Israel asked.

"He will be sent to the Black Iron Palace prison," Jae replied firmly, "where the Army have men set up to guard them." He nodded at the woman with the greatsword. "Avari, after we've gotten the men together and set out, can you form an escort and see him there safely?"

Avari nodded as she hoisted the prisoner back to his feet. "Not a problem. Meifan's already counting the men, so I'll head out now."

"I'll go with you." Said a young man with a scimitar sheathed at his side as he removed his helmet.

"David?" Israel asked abruptly. "I remember you."

David nodded. "It's me, and I certainly remember you as well. You look...different."

"Group H, wasn't it?"

"It was."

"If you're here, than where are all the others?"

The big, bearded man Sara had seen before stepped forward. "Dead. David, Jae and I are the only members of Group H still alive."

Israel nodded silently as he looked up at the man. "I'm sorry to hear that, Aranal. For what it's worth, I'm glad you two made it. Thank you for coming to help."

"There's so much we need to catch up on." Jae said with a smile as he retrieved a Corridor Crystal from his pockets. "So much I want to tell you about what's happened. Now that you and Sara are safe, and after I drop my men off back home, I was hoping we could all kind of...I don't know…" he scratched his head awkwardly, clearly unsure of how to word his thoughts. "...Take some time to get to know eachother again, I suppose. Now, I know you two can't enter towns or castles, but-" he waved his Corridor Crystal- "I know a few taverns and inns that are available to every color. We could-"

Israel reached out and grabbed Jae's arm. "Jae, this is no time to celebrate."

Jae paused. "I'm not saying we should throw a never ending rave, but I do think we need to talk...besides, we just won a victory here. For the first time, we're the ones who struck a blow to them-"

"Did you not hear what PoH said?" Israel shook his head. "Jae, you didn't believe me the last time I told you his plans to annihilate the Assault Team and assert his authority over Aincrad. Not five minutes ago, you and all your men heard him admit to it. You now know the truth without a doubt. He won't stop. If anything, our little 'victory' here only served to make him angry. If he wins, he will show no mercy."

"You think we don't know that?" Avari quipped behind them.

Israel glanced over his shoulder at the stern warrior woman. "I think that you're all living a policy of overlooking Laughing Coffin and hoping that they simply go away." He returned his gaze to Jae. "That policy is no longer an option. The Assault Team _needs_ to realize that this is a war for the future of Aincrad as we know it, and it will take all of us to win. You need to start fighting back."

Aranal crossed his muscle bound arms, his silver armor clanking from the movement. "We put the fear in Laughing Coffin today. We showed them that green players are far from helpless, and we sent them all running for the trees. Surely what happened here will throw the red players off for while."

Sara was stunned by how little the green players knew PoH.

Israel raked his fingers through his long blonde hair in frustration. "How can you still underestimate them? This isn't some questline with an XP reward that you can just come back to whenever you want. I've been fighting these people for over a year and a half, and believe me, they have more than enough motivation and skill to reorganize and adjust their plans according to what happened here without missing a beat. They will know that Holy Dragon Alliance members showed up here to help me. That puts your guild foremost in their sights for the coming conflict. If you all don't want to watch everything you know be destroyed, you need to understand that Laughing Coffin must be faced, with everything you've got. I know you don't feel the same way, but labyrinths and Boss clearings mean nothing if we're all dead or enslaved to PoH. The player killers need to be destroyed."

Jae threw up his hands in dismay. "And how do we do that, Israel? Laughing Coffin will never face us in a pitched battle, and we would never be able to hunt down their camp and organize an assault before it's moved." he pointed to Israel. "You just said yourself that you've been fighting them for a year and half. Tell me, how much closer are you to defeating them now than when you started?"

Sara started forward. "You have no idea how much Israel has done, what he's sacrificed, to bring down Laughing Coffin. He may not have single handedly destroyed the guild, but he's dealt them more than a few crippling blows. You'd all be dead now if it wasn't for him."

"You seem to know an awful lot about Laughing Coffin." Avari said flatly.

Sara met her look with cold, iron resolve that easily matched the stern intimidation attempt. The woman may have looked imposing, and she certainly seemed formidable, but Sara was the Potion Master of Laughing Coffin. She was PoH's greatest weapon.

"I should hope so: I was once PoH's right hand."

Avari blinked in surprise, and several of the soldiers gathered around gasped. Though it hurt her to still bear Laughing Coffin's insignia on her arm, to be forever distrusted as a red player, at that moment, Sara didn't care.

Israel laid a gentle hand on her shoulder, just one of the spots where the fabric of her black dress had torn. "That was a long time ago."

"My intention wasn't to insult," Jae explained to Sara. "Or to start a fight. I'm just saying that no matter how focused we are on combating Laughing Coffin, we will never be able to fight them so long as they aren't all together in one place for more than a single day."

A mental click seemed to go off in Sara's mind as realization suddenly washed over her. Visions of the documents she had seen in PoH's war table flashed before her eyes. The words seemed to fall off the page as she recalled them, focusing with everything she had not to forget what she had seen. If it was all true….Her jaw dropped at the implications.

"But that's exactly what we just ensured." She said, half to herself as her mind still raced.

Israel looked over at her with a furrowed brow. "What do you mean?"

Forcing herself to slow down, Sara met his gaze.

"Do you remember the night I escaped from PoH, when we agreed to part ways?"

Israel nodded. "That was the night you told me about the information you had discovered on the Infiltrators."

"Yes. But there was more." Sara took a breath as she thought about how to explain it what had suddenly all come together in her mind, like a puzzle that had just been solved. "Along with the messages being passed between PoH and his Infiltrators, there was a classified file hidden beneath all the others."

"What was in it?" Jae asked as he took a step closer.

"Emergency plans. PoH is nothing if not thorough, and he wanted to be prepared for any situation. The plans are a set of specific procedures, steps to be taken in the event that the green players organize an offensive against the guild, or if prisoners are taken among the officer corp that can let slip important information."

Vivienne glanced down at the prisoner. "You said this one is a decorated officer. Would he qualify to trigger this procedure?"

Sara nodded. "He's not in PoH's inner circle like Xaxa, but he knows enough to put the guild at risk and justify the plan being commenced. And even if that wasn't enough," she waved an arm at the green player soldiers all around them, their silver and blue armor glinting off the noonday sun, "your ambush today is the definition of an organized offensive. PoH himself was almost killed or captured. And, he will now almost certainly believe that Israel and the Assault Team are cooperating. With Israel's knowledge of Laughing Coffin and how they operate, and with the manpower and strength of the Assault Team-"

"PoH is probably already executing his plans as we speak." Israel finished for her.

Sara nodded. "The orders in the file call for a mass retreat to a heavily fortified and easily defendable dungeon that is far out of the way and little known- Brakrun."

"I know that dungeon." Jae said. "I only went in once, and that was a long time ago, but if I remember right, the layout is mostly complicated maze, with traps filling nearly every passage. It would work only too well for a defensive force needing a place to hide or make a 'last stand.'"

"Like I said," Sara replied, "PoH is nothing if not thorough."

Israel grasped her arm, and she could see the realization in his fiery cobalt eyes. He looked like his head was spinning. "Are _all_ of Laughing Coffin supposed to move to this dungeon?"

"Every last one," Sara affirmed. "Along with any vassal guild still in service to them."

"Vassal guilds?" Vivienne asked. "You mean, Laughing Coffin has had whole other red player guilds working for them?"

Sara and Israel both nodded.

"How many?"

"At the height of his strength," Sara answered, "PoH could call on around three dozen vassal guilds to do his bidding and pay him tribute. Over a hundred men in total. But I wouldn't worry about them."

Jae ran a hand through his hair in exasperation, and Sara was reminded of how Israel often did the same thing.

"It's been suspected that Laughing Coffin alone has considerable manpower. With over a hundred more men added on to that, we would be facing an army if what you say is true and they all set up base in Brakrun Dungeon. Why exactly should I not worry about that?"

"Because I killed them all." Israel stated flatly.

Gasps of disbelief rose up from the small crowd of green players as they listened. Jae's jaw dropped briefly before he cleared his throat. Even Vivienne and Avari, who until now had remained more stone-faced about what was being said, blinked in astonishment.

Sara felt Israel shift his weight beside her as he looked at Jae and shrugged. "Turns out I got some things done in the last year and a half."

"Laughing Coffin has also lost men in the last year." Sara put in. "A few we killed, while others deserted as rumors of the Shadow of Death took their toll. Without adequate volunteer replacements from among the green player base, PoH has had a difficult time filling the ranks. I was in their camp just yesterday as I was being brought to PoH, and their numbers appeared to me to be less than ever."

"How many?" Jae asked.

"I can't be certain, but I would estimate that Laughing Coffin's full strength, to include any new vassal guilds that might- and I mean might- have been raised in the last month or so, would barely reach three hundred on a good day."

The big man, Aranal, let out a low whistle. "Three hundred is still quite the army."

"An army that the Assault Team could easily match." Israel replied. "Last I heard, the Army alone has nearly two thousand members."

"The Army isn't part of the Assault Team these days." Jae said.

Israel shrugged. "Laughing Coffin had Infiltrators in their ranks, same as the rest of you. Assault Team or not, this is their fight as well."

Avari barked a laugh. "Good luck telling Kibaou that."

"Kibaou? That idiot is still alive?"

Jae nodded. "And he's the co-leader of the Army and commander of the veterans who used to fight with him in the Assault Team. Laughing Coffin made an attempt on his life back when their attacks against Assault Team parties and other powerful green guilds was still underway, so it's possible he might agree to help, but he's also just as likely to refuse. Watching the HDA and Knights of the Blood-Oath weaken ourselves laying siege to a red player defended dungeon while he grows stronger would suit his schemes a little too well. Besides, even if we could guarantee full Army support, most of their number are more or less civilians living in the Town of Beginnings on Floor One. I'm not saying they're helpless, but their aid would be largely inconsequential against battle hardened red players." He paused. "But if this is all true, we wouldn't need their help. If we could get the rest of the Assault Team to believe, they would be with us. My guild alone has over two hundred trained fighting men and women."

"It is true." Sara said. "I am certain of it. This is our chance to pin down and attack them all, to force a pitched battle and eliminate them."

Jae was silent for a moment, than turned to the Laughing Coffin officer still on his knees in front of Avari.

"You. Is this is all true about Brakrun Dungeon?"

Israel took an angry step forward. "She just told you that it was. Sara is no liar. She's on our side."

"I believe that," Jae said, his eyes still on the prisoner, "but the Assault Team Enclave didn't see what we saw here. The Guild Commanders will need more substantial evidence than her word." He returned his attention to the officer. "Answer me."

"Go fuck yourself."

Jae backhanded him lazily and without much effort, but it was hard enough to knock several teeth flying out of the man's mouth, along with a string of blood.

"Wrong answer."

The red player grinned up at him. "I know you're a green player, but still, I expected a little more than that."

Israel sighed quietly and strode forward, catching Jae's hand before he could strike out again.

"If you want answers from people," he said in reply to Jae's look, "you've got to do a bit more than flirt with them."

Retrieving a small, slightly curved knife from his belt, Israel knelt down in front of the man. Before Jae could react, Israel jerked his arm with an easy, calculated precision, creating a thin, vertical cut along the officer's lower abdomen. The red player winced in surprise, but before he could squirm back, Israel's offhand gripped his shoulder, holding him in place. Returning the knife to his belt, Israel leaned forward and whispered something in the officer's ear. The man went suddenly pale, and in the same instant, Israel plunged his left hand into the hole made by the wound. A bloodcurdling scream left the officer's throat.

"Israel!" Jae shouted in disgust. "What the hell are you-"

"You wanted him ready to talk, right?" Israel asked as his hand went deeper into the wound. "Don't worry, this'll only take a moment."

Pulling his arm back as the screams began to reach significantly higher octaves, Israel's hand emerged, covered up to the wrist in blood and with a long, slimy rope of intestine in his fingers.

Several HDA soldiers vomited on the spot. Avari and Vivienne both averted their eyes. Jae looked on, his face horror-stricken.

Wrenching his hand back, Israel pulled out more of the intestine in his hand, and than more, until he had to start wrapping it around his arm.

"Now then," he said casually as the man continued screaming directly in front of him, his voice growing hoarse, "Listen carefully. Unlike all these green players around me, I'm more than happy to spend the rest of the day showing you just why I'm called the Shadow of Death. Is that what you want? Or are you just as curious as I am about how long your intestines really are?"

After another high pitched scream as Israel pulled out more, the shaking officer opened his quivering mouth.

"Please! Please stop! Please!"

"Than tell my brother what he wants to know."

The officer's eyes jerked to Jae. His face had turned grey and clammy, and his skin was covered in thick beads of sweat. His health was also dropping steadily, but Sara guessed that was the last thing he was worried about right then. He nodded helplessly.

"Yes…! Yes it's true! Sara is right! As we were retreating, PoH gave the order to begin executing the mass retreat! Sara's right!"

"Prove it. Tell me more."

"More?"

Israel pulled again. "More about the plan."

The officer screamed until tears flowed down his face, mingling with the sweat that began trickling down.

"That's enough." Vivienne said.

Israel didn't break eye contact with the man he was torturing. "I haven't even gotten started."

She took a step forward, but Sara held out an arm.

"I know it's horrible, but against these men, there's only one way to get the truth."

Vivienne made to push past her. "There's no justification for savagery."

Sara didn't know Vivienne, or what she was capable of, but she wasn't about to be pushed away by a green player. She had faced far worse. Bracing herself, Sara caught Vivienne's arm.

"Alright!" The officer screamed before anything else could happen. He took a ragged breath as Israel stopped tugging on his innards, than his words began to spill out as he cried. "At the center of Brakrun Dungeon, the maze ends on a large open chamber! That's where the defense will be staged, by using the exits of the maze as chokepoints to funnel any attacking force! Each chokepoint is to be commanded by one of the officers, while PoH oversees the potential battle from the center of the chamber!"

"There, was that so hard?" Israel paused. "One last question. Which choke point will Xaxa be assigned to?"

"The fifth corridor! It's the widest choke point so the most in need of protection!"

Israel nodded, than released his hold on the officer's intestines. Getting back to his feet, he turned to Jae.

"I think the Assault Team Enclave will have enough proof now."

Jae's eyes fixed on Israel's bloodsoaked hand. He looked angry, but his voice was calm as he gestured to the prisoner still crying in hopeless agony. "Heal him, please."

Israel looked ready to roll his eyes, but instead he turned and withdrew a health crystal.

"Heal."

Still gasping as his health rose back up to full and his wounds healed over, the prisoner dropped to the ground.

"There." Israel turned, his black cloak trailing behind him. "Now, let's stop wasting time. Jae, thanks to Sara here, we've just stumbled onto what could be our only chance at wiping out Laughing Coffin- and every other player killer- from the face of Aincrad. If we don't take this chance-"

"I'm with you." Jae said. "It will be a hard fight, but this opportunity can't be ignored. We're going to bring justice to the red players, once and for all."

Though still struggling to catch his breath, the prisoner on the ground barked an attempt at a laugh as he struggled to his knees.

"You're all going to die." He wheezed, his voice hoarse. "You cannot defeat us. Laughing Coffin will deal with you…" his hateful gaze fell on Israel, "just as we dealt with your friend, the shopkeeper."

Sara's heart dropped in her chest at the memory.

Israel paused. "What did you just say?"

The officer did his best to spit. "You heard me, you fucking animal."

In a blink, Israel had covered the distance back to the man and seized him by the throat with his steel covered hand, lifting him clear off the ground.

"Israel…" Jae cautioned.

Hearing their leader disapprove, two of the HDA soldiers stepped past Sara towards Israel. Before they could get close, Israel snapped his head around at them, his eyes burning with silent warning.

"Back off." He growled in a low voice, the menace of it so cold that Sara was reminded of when Israel had first captured her.

The two soldiers froze in their tracks.

Israel returned his attention to the man he was holding in the air, clawing desperately for breath.

"Where is Tristan?"

Spit foamed at the prisoner's mouth as he struggled, lifting a finger at Sara.

"Ask...her."

"Israel," Sara said as she fought back tears, "Let him go."

Israel must have heard the pain in her words, for in an instant his demeanor changed. Releasing his hold on the man, Israel ignored his fall to the ground and took Sara's hands in his.

"Sara...do you know what…"

Sara nodded sadly as silent tears made their way down her face. She refused to cry. She had to stay strong for him.

"Israel, I'm so sorry. Tristan gave his life trying to save me when they came for me. He was ready to hold them off alone, and called for me to run. I tried to help him fight, but they surprised us both and I wasn't able to...I couldn't…" Her voice wavered, and Sara didn't want to test it any further.

Israel wrapped his arms around her softly, pulling her into his embrace. She could feel him shaking slightly, but his voice remained soft and calm.

"It wasn't your fault. Remember that. Only they are to blame."

Nodding against his shoulder, Sara rubbed the tears from her eyes. It was then she saw Jae standing just behind, his head bowed as he stared at the ground in silence. He looked almost ashamed. His wife Vivienne appeared at his side, and rubbed his shoulder affectionately.

Clearing his throat, Israel gripped her shoulders as they pulled apart. She saw tears in his eyes.

"Do you know who it was? Who killed him?" He asked quietly.

Anger welled up inside her as she nodded. "It was Liam."

"Liam." Israel repeated flatly. He let go of her shoulders and turned, looking out into the woods.

"May I ask who Liam is?" Jae asked respectfully.

"He was once my prisoner." Israel replied, still gazing out into the treeline. "I killed his guild, but left him alive to send a message back to Laughing Coffin. He joined them soon after as Xaxa's apprentice, a man who has been bent on killing me for as long as I can remember."

"That was just a taste of what you'll get for all you've done, Shadow." The officer spat. Avari struck him, knocking him down, but he struggled back up on his hands and knees, his eyes riveted on Israel. "You can torture me all you want, but I will say this: Red Eyed Xaxa will make you answer for your crimes. You know you can't defeat him. Xaxa will butcher you, just as Liam impaled the shopkeeper like a pig on a spit!"

The ring of steel reverberated around the clearing as Israel's red sword was cleared from its sheath. Before he could reach the prisoner, Jae jumped in between them, his hands outstretched.

"Brother, he's using your anger against you. He's trying to get you to kill him so he can't be of use. We need this man. With him to back up Sara's words, we can rally the Assault Team and march on Brakrun Dungeon, I'm sure of it. We can avenge Tristan." He softened his voice. "I can get us an army, but we need to work as a team. We need to focus on the solution, remember?"

Israel blinked. There was silence for a moment, then he nodded quietly. "You're right. I'm sorry."

Jae smiled. "Don't be. We're in this together."

Avari strode forward, but not before kicking her prisoner into the dirt once more. "So, if we're all decided, what do we do now?"

Jae sighed. "The hardest part first, unfortunately." He looked at Israel and Sara. "I need to introduce you two to Lind."


	111. Chapter 110

110

July 27, 2024

Floor 34, Castellan Keep Outskirts

"I'm not going to end up regretting this later, am I Jae?" Israel asked under his breath as the looming stone towers of Castellan Keep swallowed them within its shadow.

Jae wasn't sure if the question had been a joke, but he decided to give it the benefit of the doubt and chuckled lightly as they drew ever closer. "Everything will be fine. Whatever Lind says, we won't let anything happen in there."

"Good to know we have our work cut out for us." Avari quipped behind them.

Jae rolled his eyes.

"Although," Meifan said politely to Israel from his position on the far left, at the head of the small column of HDA troops marching in formation, "we might have an easier time of it once we're in there if you were to remove your black cloak."

Israel glanced over at the tank and wrinkled his brow. "My cloak? Why on earth would I do that?"

Meifan scratched his head as he shrugged. "I don't know, it looks similar to the cloaks Laughing Coffin members wear, and it just makes you look a bit...menacing."

Israel looked genuinely surprised. "Menacing?"

"A little bit, yeah." Jae said.

Vivienne nodded in agreement.

Israel glanced over at Sara walking on his right. "You hearing this?"

Sara shook her head in bewilderment. "You'd think they'd never seen a cloak before."

"To be fair," David piped up from the back, "You don't exactly look harmless either, Miss Sara."

Sara and Israel exchanged looks.

"You do know I'm wearing a dress, right?" She asked.

"Well, yes, but it's not like any dress I've ever seen." He fumbled.

"He's not wrong." Aranal admitted in his deep, booming voice.

"You're all covered head to toe in full plate armor and bristling with weapons." Sara observed. "And you think a woman in a dress is frightening?"

"Sounds to me like you all have some sort of unresolved issue with the color black." Israel said. "You people afraid of the dark, or something?"

"Look," Meifan retorted, "I was just trying to be helpful. There's no need to crack jokes at our expense just because we're green players."

"I don't joke." Israel replied. "Listen, I highly doubt me wearing a cloak or not is going to make any difference in there, so I have no intention of taking it off."

"I just meant-"

"It's fine, Meifan." Jae said before sighing heavily as the great entrance doors to the Grand Hearth came into sight. Israel had changed in many ways, but he was as stubborn as ever.

"I suppose we should be grateful you're at least not wearing your face mask and hood."

Before Israel could respond, the two HDA soldiers standing guard on either side of the doors stepped forward, their hands dropping to their weapons belts as they caught sight of Israel and Sara in the front.

"Stand down." Jae ordered calmly as they approached the guards. Both wore conical helmets that covered most of the faces, but Jae recognized one of them as Fretter, the squad leader in command of the guard force.

"Second in Command?" Fretter asked hesitantly as he eyed Israel. "Isn't that-"

"Yes he is, and he comes in peace. Open the doors, please."

Fretter did as he was commanded, but upon unlocking the great double doors and heaving them open with the help of the other guard, he turned back around and motioned at Israel.

"I'm going to need you to hand over your weapons."

"I don't think so."

"They'll be returned to you once you have left our domain."

Israel shook his head. "I don't care. I don't go anywhere unarmed."

Taking a step forward, Fretter made to draw his sword.

"Remove your weapons at once, or I'll give the order-"

"Do you want to be exiled from the guild, Fretter?" Jae asked angrily.

The guard blinked in surprise. "No...of course not, sir, but the rules about non guild members entering Castellan-"

"Than stop wasting my time. I helped make those rules, and I have the authority to overrule them. I already told you this man means no harm. I wouldn't be walking him here, with my wife in his company, if I believed him to be a threat. Now stand aside." Jae narrowed his gaze. "Don't make me tell you again."

Looking away from Jae's eyes, Fretter merely nodded passively and glanced down at his feet as he and the other guard took several steps away from the open doors. Jae marched forward without hesitation, and the others all followed on his heels. When he passed Fretter, who still hadn't glanced back up, Jae felt a tinge of guilt. He didn't like scaring his men, much less bullying them, and Fretter was a good squad leader who had merely been following protocol, but there simply wasn't time for such trivialities.

After everything Sara had said, to say nothing of the captured officer's words, Jae knew they were now on a time limit and had to act as soon as possible. Every moment wasted was another moment PoH had to organize his men and create a plan of action. There was no telling how long Brakrun Dungeon would remain their place of refuge. If Laughing Coffin were to become mobile once more, the green players' only chance at eliminating them would be gone.

As they passed the large, gilded oak doors and entered the vast chamber that was the Grand Hearth, Jae noticed Israel looking over at him.

"What is it?" He asked.

Israel shook his head dismissively and returned his sights forward. "It's nothing, you surprise me, is all. You're...different."

Israel made no effort to elaborate, so Jae let the comment go and led the group onwards past the first few rows of tables and hearths lining the walls at the front of the chamber. A few dozen HDA members had been eating, drinking, and talking at various tables throughout the length of the massive room, but all now stood mute and in shock as Jae and the others strode past them with two red players in tow.

"Meifan," Jae said as they stepped onto the silver and blue carpet that ran along the walkway between the rows of tables, "please dismiss one of the squads and see to it they get their weapons and armor checked at the armory. Those Laughing Coffin members hit hard, and even some of my armor took a beating."

"And the other squad?" Meifan asked.

"Take command of them and escort the prisoner to Lind's chamber, but don't come in until I-"

"Jae?"

Turning, Jae halted mid step as he saw a familiar face stand from one of the tables and head towards him. His eyes widened in surprise.

"Rain? What are you doing here? Are you alright?"

Though Rain was an Army Officer, she no longer looked the part at all. Garbed in simple travelling clothes and without any weapons, she looked more like a civilian than a warrior. Her long, dark hair was now disheveled, matching her weary face. Jae guessed she hadn't slept much recently. In spite of the change, though, the woman still retained her attractive appearance, as well as her dignified air. It also didn't escape his notice that her cursor had changed back to green. How, he had no idea, but he made a mental note to find out, once the more important matters had been addressed.

"I've seen better days, but I'm fine." Rain said. "I'm sorry to arrive on such short notice, but Thinker ordered me to come here." She paused as her eyes caught on Israel and Sara.

"Thinker?" Jae asked, both to keep her on track and to find out what was going on.

Rain nodded. "After we parted, I returned to Thinker and told him what happened, and begged him to allow me to stay and continue helping the guild in whatever ways I could. He feared for my safety and was reluctant, but he agreed. I wasn't exactly able to stay in the Town of Beginnings for a time, but once I found a way, I hid myself and acted as a civilian to find things out for Thinker.

"I'm not sure how, but a few days ago, rumors that I was hiding within the Town of Beginnings began to reach Kibaou's ears, and he sent men after me. Thinker helped me escape a trap that had been set at the inn I was staying at, but after that he insisted that I find you and ask for sanctuary in Castellan Keep until things calmed. The guards took my sword and ordered me to wait here in the Grand Hearth for your return when I arrived and asked for an audience with you, so I..."

Her words trailed off as Rain went stiff and her eyes wide, something catching her attention behind Jae. Turning, Jae saw Aranal standing just as stiffly, the big man's eyes locked on Rain's. He looked at once confused, overjoyed, and terrified.

"Aranal?" Rain asked uncertainly.

Aranal nodded slowly. "Rebecca?"

A ghost of a smile creased Rain's features. "I haven't heard that name in so long...here my name is just Rain."

"You know two know each other?" Jae asked in surprise.

Both Aranal and Rain closed the distance to each other, neither seeming to have heard Jae as they embraced warmly, albeit a little awkwardly. It was clear neither of them knew exactly how to treat the other, but that was about the only thing that was.

"I'm completely lost." Avari muttered.

Neither Aranal nor Rain seemed to notice that all eyes were on them as they gazed into each other's eyes. Rain lifted a hand hesitantly, than seemed to gather her courage as she touched the side of Aranal's face and beard. Jae never would have believed it had he not seen it with his own eyes, but even so, he had to blink several times to be sure he wasn't dreaming: Aranal's eyes had turned glassy, and silent tears began trickling down into his thick, red beard.

"I had no idea, Rebecca…" he said through his tears as he ran a hand tenderly down her hair, "I never knew….to think this whole time…."

"I know…" Rain said softly, holding his head to her shoulder as she too began to tear up. "It's alright, Aranal. I know…."

Avari cleared her throat. "Aranal...do you mean to tell me you actually had a girlfriend in real life?"

That seemed to bring Aranal and Rain more or less to their senses, and they pulled away slightly before the sea of staring faces. Aranal chuckled in embarrassment.

"Fiance, actually."

"Well," Vivienne said, "this is turning out to be a rather interesting day."

On any other given day, Jae would have sat Aranal and Rain down and demanded some details, but right then, time was short. Israel seemed to be in agreement, for he caught Jae's eyes and nudged his head in the direction of the doors leading deeper into the Keep.

"Rain," Jae said, "I'm glad you're safe, and of course you can stay, but right now there's something of the utmost urgency that my friends and I have to attend to." He glanced to Aranal. "You can stay here with her while the rest of us go on to Lind, if you want-"

Aranal shook his head fervently. "No, I want to be there to help testify on what we saw and heard back there. But maybe...can Rebecca, I mean Rain, come along with us?"

Jae shrugged. "I see no reason why not."

"Thank you," Rain said, "But whatever is going on, clearly it's important. I don't want to make things any more complicated by being another stranger with a price on her head when you go before your guild commander." She squeezed Aranal's hand. "I'm fine to wait here a bit longer."

Aranal didn't look happy about her decision, but he nodded and quickly withdrew a small key from his weapons belt before handing it to her.

"That's the key to my room, so you can get some privacy and quiet until we're done with Lind. West wing, room number one-thirty-four."

Rain nodded gratefully, and the two separated.

"Right then," Jae said as he set off again towards Lind's quarters. "Let's hurry before word of our arrival reaches him before us."

Vivienne, Israel, Sara, Avari, Aranal, and David followed on his heels, but Meifan stayed behind to see to it the first squad was relieved of duty and the second readied to escort the gagged and bound red player prisoner.

Alone now as they exited the Grand Hearth and strode quickly through the well lit and polished corridors and anterrooms leading to Lind's private quarters, the seven of them said nothing as they passed groups of HDA members gasping in disbelief and hatred at what they were seeing, to say nothing of the small crowd forming behind them. Jae hardly even noticed them; he was already mentally preparing for the difficulties Lind would cause.

It wasn't until Jae had finally ordered the players following them to get back to their own business, and they had turned one of the last corners before Lind's room, that Sara broke the silence.

"This is the most beautiful place I've ever seen." The silver haired woman said in quiet awe as she gazed at the stained glass windows along the wall, the torches held aloft on marble sconces to better illuminate the corridor, the colorful and illustrious banners hanging from the ceiling, and the vibrant silver and blue carpet that traversed the length of the hall.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jae could see that Israel didn't feel the same way. His brother's eyes moved with subtle suspicion, taking in every entrance, exit, and face as they came and went. He moved with fluid ease and didn't appear tense or alarmed, but the entire walk to Lind's room, his hand remained atop the pommel of his red sword.

Upon reaching the elaborate, gold framed doors leading into Lind's office quarters, Jae paused and turned to Israel.

"Remember, no matter what gets said in there, we're all on the same side. It's up to us to convince Lind and all the others of that fact."

Israel nodded his understanding, but said nothing.

Turning back to the doors, Jae pushed until they swung inwards, then strode in.

Looking comfortable in his illustrious robes studded with gems, Lind sat alone at his marble desk. Yet instead of papers and maps strewn atop it's surface and keeping his attention, as had once been the case, there now sat only a basket of exotic fruits and a single, opened book in which he was enthralled. Glancing up at the sound of his doors opening, the Guild Commander's eyes first took in Jae at the head of the group, and then everyone else.

"What the hell is the meaning of this!" Lind screamed as he shot out of his chair. He pointed to Israel and Sara. "Those are...he is-"

"We know who they are." Jae said firmly. "Lind, much has happened today that you need to hear. I think the best way to begin would be to-"

"Arrest them!" Lind roared, his face turning crimson. "Jae, I command you to seize the girl and clap the Shadow of Death in irons! How dare you allow red players within our walls!"

Jae's jaw hardened, but he kept his voice calm. "Commander, I understand your concerns, but I need you to listen to me for a moment. Israel, and this woman Sara, are not our enemies. They're on our side against Laughing-"

"Enough of this madness!" Lind shrieked. "Second in Command, you are obviously not thinking clearly due to the fact that this man was once your brother, but you need to understand, right now, that he is still the Shadow of Death and his place is in a cell deep within the Black Iron Palace!"

"It isn't just Jae." Vivienne said clearly and without fear, drawing Lind's fiery gaze onto her. "Everyone in this room, aside from you, knows that Israel is not the enemy here. We saw the truth of that for our own eyes. He is…different...but he is an ally, and he is here to help us."

"The Seventh and Ninth squads are also first hand witnesses to our claim." Jae continued. "They also saw and heard the truth we are trying to explain to you."

Lind looked ready to explode as he seethed, his eyes darting between Jae and Israel.

"What in all of creation are you talking about! Those two squads were assigned to Labyrinth mapping today!"

Jae shook his head. "That was what I told you, yes, but that isn't what happened. The reason I called the men up wasn't to take a shift in the Labyrinth but to help my brother here in response to a message he sent me, asking for help to free his friend Sara from the clutches of Laughing Coffin. We laid a trap and freed her, but not before capturing an enemy officer and sending PoH and his other men into a rout."

"You led an attack on Laughing Coffin," Lind sputtered, the vein in his forehead bulging, "on PoH himself, without my knowledge or approval!? You risked the lives of _my_ men, to save the Shadow of Death and a Laughing Coffin member? And you expect me to believe that there is more I need to know? Clearly, I have given you too much free reign to do as you like. You seem to have forgotten that I am the Guild Leader here, not you!"

Israel sighed impatiently. "Well, you certainly haven't gotten any smarter over the years. Perhaps if you let your people speak once in a while, you would understand things better."

Jae shot his brother a look, hoping that he would get the message and stop talking before things got any worse.

"Lind," Jae said before the man could call for the guards, "As I have been trying to tell you, much has just transpired as a result of what happened today. I understand your anger, but this is bigger than any of us now. Punish me for acting against your orders when this is over if you wish, but for now, you need to listen and allow me to explain what we have discovered. If you don't believe me, everyone else in this room, or even the two squads who bore witness, I have a prisoner waiting outside who can confirm everything we have to say. The fate of Aincrad could hang in the balance."

If anything, Lind looked even more angry now than at the beginning of the conversation, but instead of another rebuttal, he watched Jae for a moment in silence, as if weighing his words. His face was beetred, his eyes bloodshot, and he looked beyond furious. Jae didn't fear the man in the least, and if anything, he found the reaction nothing short of annoying, but he needed Lind- the entire Assault Team- on their side.

At last, Lind tapped his fingers on his desk and straightened his robes.

"Than explain."

Jae nodded. "I shall, but I think it best if we had the Enclave present as well to hear what has to be said. This affects us all."

Lind's eyes looked ready to pop out of his skull. "You think I'm going to call for a meeting of the Enclave at a time like this? With insubordinate and clearly mad officers all around me, and two red players in my own chamber?"

Vivienne stepped forward. "You need to trust us on this, Commander. Everyone will need to know, and it will take all of us together to ensure what has just been made possible."

"And what might that be?"

"The elimination of Laughing Coffin once and for all."

Lind gaped at her in disbelief. He barked a derisive laugh before shaking his head firmly.

"I'm not about to humiliate this guild any further by spouting whatever madness these two red players have wormed into all of your ears-"

"Either you call the Enclave together," Avari interrupted in an icy tone, "right now, or Jae will. In one instance, you will uphold and enhance your reputation and prestige as our leader, while in the other, you will be made to look a weak hearted fool as you are left out of an Enclave meeting going on right beneath your roof. That kind of stain on your name will never go away, and you know it. Choose."

Lind looked ready to murder. His glare passed from Jae, to Avari, to Vivienne, and on to Israel and Sara, before finally resting on Jae again. Jae met the look with an iron gaze, and for a moment, no one moved. Finally, Lind dipped his head.

"This had better be the most important Enclave meeting in the history of Aincrad."

Jae smiled grimly.

"Funny you should say that."

…

The doors to the Enclave meeting room opened, and Jae breathed a small sigh of relief as Heathcliff and Asuna strode in, their red and white armor, complete with small red crosses sewn into the fabric, standing out in striking contrast to the rest of the gathered Assault Team leaders.

For about an hour after Lind sent messages to each member of the Enclave, summoning them to an emergency meeting, Jae and the others had waited in tense silence. Lind sat at his chair in silent, seething anger, saying not a word to Jae or Vivienne beside him. Vivienne had never had her own seat at the table, but as a higher ranking Officer with just as much to contribute in the coming debate, Jae had given her a temporary standing.

Sara too sat in a chair, as Jae had explained that the Assault Team might prove a little more trusting if they saw that red players could be civil as well. Israel stood between Sara and Jae, a silent, brooding presence who by his very nature Jae was sure no amount of civility could soften. He had insisted on standing in preparation for a fight, as he was still reasonably sure things would rapidly break down. Though Jae didn't show it, he knew the suspicion wasn't that far fetched.

Avari, Aranal, Meifan, and David stood in the back of the room, both to provide their testimony if it came to it, and, on Jae's private command, to restore order should things get out of hand. It was in the midst of such tense expectation that the Assault Team leaders found themselves as they began trickling in, all of them taking the time to glance in disbelief at Israel and Sara before taking their seats and muttering quietly among themselves.

Jae had been prepared for Kibaou and Thinker to arrive last, as usual, but the two men filed in long before the last seats had been filled. Kibaou immediately took to laughing mockingly at what he saw before him, but thankfully made no other commotion before taking his seat. Even Thinker, who had time and again supported and backed Jae since their meeting, looked on at the two red players with an expression of disapproval.

As time passed and it had become clear that the only remaining leaders to arrive were Heathcliff and his Second in Command, Asuna, Jae felt time begin to slow to a crawl. The tension in the room grew with each passing moment, and the longer they waited, the higher the chance that something was going to give before the meeting could even begin. Which is why Jae allowed himself a much needed breath when the leaders of the Knights of the Blood-Oath finally entered the chamber.

Heathcliff took in the room as he and Asuna made their way to their seats, but aside from arching his eyebrows in surprise upon seeing Israel and Sara, he didn't miss a beat. Jae was thankful that the man had read the room and was trying to keep things calm. He looked to Jae.

"I'd like to apologize for our tardiness; we were in the middle of clearing a dungeon with some of our men when we received the summons."

Though Heathcliff had been addressing Jae, Lind waved a hand dismissively.

"No apology required, Commander. I know my request was rather short notice."

Kibaou straightened irritably in his seat. "Right, now that we're all finally here, do you mind telling us why you have two red players under your roof?" He smirked at Jae. "Let me hazard a guess. He's your brother, isn't he? The one we've all heard so much about. The Shadow of Death himself, with the blood of dozens of innocent green players on his hands. Finally flying your true colors, Jae?"

Jae smiled back. "Not that you would ever be able to believe, let alone grasp the truth, Kibaou, but actually, my brother killed the men in our guilds because they were spies sent from Laughing Coffin to weaken the Assault Team."

Several among the seated leaders straightened in surprise, and Thinker's eyes widened, but Kibaou merely snickered.

"Honestly, I thought you could come up with a better lie than that, Hero of Floor Twenty-Five."

"Lind," Thinker said, clearly attempting to help out, "the next Enclave meeting wasn't to occur until a month from now. Clearly this emergency meeting brings with it some serious news?"

Lind nodded. "The most serious, I'm afraid." He scanned the room as he spoke. "An hour ago, my Second in Command returned from a...reconnaissance mission with some of our men and told me all he knew. I thought it best everyone should be informed as quickly as possible, so that we could begin to make a plan. I think it best if you all heard it from him, as I did."

Jae raised his eyebrows. He wasn't at all surprised that Lind would feign leadership and control over the situation to the men and women gathered, but the man's aptitude for talking himself up never failed to amaze him.

Clearing his throat, Jae stood up.

"Laughing Coffin wants us dead. They made that clear when they began ambushing us and our men back in spring. During that time, many players under our protection were lost, and yet we did nothing. Before that, Laughing Coffin and the other red player guilds waylaid, robbed, and murdered the civilian populace, targeting green players indiscriminately and with frightening brutality. And yet, we did nothing."

"There was nothing we could do." Klein argued from his seat, though not unkindly. "Laughing Coffin doesn't wage war. They hide in their forests and prey on the weak and unprepared. That is not a way of living so easily combated."

"You're right. Under normal circumstances, there is very little we could do to stop Laughing Coffin's unchallenged reign of terror. Which brings me to the heart of the matter." Jae leaned forward as he held the gazes of the most important people in Aincrad. "This morning, my brother- the Shadow of Death- sent me a message, asking for my help in saving this woman here-" he pointed to Sara- "from PoH's clutches. PoH had captured her and was intending to murder her for turning against Laughing Coffin and committing herself to their defeat. Her name is Sara, and she alone has done more to stop the player killers than this entire Enclave. My brother has done even more.

"Together with him, we laid a trap for PoH and his men, and freed Sara. In doing so, we unknowingly set in motion one of PoH's final, last plans in preparation for an organized offensive against his guild. He believed that our attack meant the unification of the Assault Team against Laughing Coffin, and that the Shadow of Death was with us. As a previous member of Laughing Coffin, Sara knew this plan, and revealed to us that PoH would react to our attack by conducting a mass retreat and going on the defensive. Every single member of their guild, from the best fighter to the lowliest blacksmith, has been relocated to Brakrun Dungeon, on Floor Forty-Nine." He planted a finger on the table to emphasize his point as he continued.

"We now have the exact location of all of Laughing Coffin and any other red players who support them, something we believed we would never have. Furthermore, the red players believe themselves hidden, safe, and as such, we will hold the element of surprise. Yet a location, and even the advantage it gives us, means nothing if we aren't willing to use it. The enemy will not reside in Brakrun long, and every hour we waste from here on out is an invitation to a chance lost. PoH's numbers are considerable, and I myself heard him reveal his full intentions: to kill each and every one of us, to destroy the Assault Team, and to rule uncontested over all of Aincrad. I believe the full might of the Assault Team and the Army could easily crush PoH's dreams of brutal dominance once and for all, but if we do not work together now, if we do not combine our strength, our one and only chance will be forever lost."

His words echoed around the room for a long moment. The entire table was silent, and out of the corner of his eye, Jae could see the shock on Lind's face.

"You say you received this information from the player killing red girl?" Kibaou asked.

"You will call her by her name." Israel said in a low voice. "Sara."

Kibaou cast a hateful glance Israel's way, but didn't retaliate.

"Whatever the wording," Heathcliff spoke up, "Kibaou does have a point. I don't mean to play devil's advocate here, Jae, but a proposition of this magnitude requires absolute certainty. It is our duty as leaders to safeguard the men and women who follow us. How can we be sure that what you saw today wasn't some clever plot devised by PoH, to have one of his own gain our trust and than send our men into a death trap?"

Several others around the table nodded their heads or murmured their agreement.

Turning back to face Meifan, Jae dipped his head. With a nod, Meifan quietly exited the room alongside Avari and David. Aranal remained stone still, a mountain of muscle ready to start smashing heads at a moment's notice. A moment later, the three returned with the Laughing Coffin officer in tow. Still bound from head to foot and with a gag stuffed in his mouth, the red player eyed the assembled leaders without expression. When his gaze took in Israel staring back at him, however, his face turned a shade paler.

"This man is one of PoH's most decorated officers." Jae explained to the table. "My men captured him in battle as the enemy broke and ran. We questioned him at length, and I believe you all should hear what he has to say."

Avari removed the gag from the player's mouth and stepped back, ready to punish him if his next words weren't what they wanted to hear. The man snarled bitterly at her, and looked like he was about to say something in anger, when Israel stepped deliberately beside him and smiled grimly. It was then that Jae saw the blue inferno dancing within his brother's eyes. The cold, ruthless menace of the fiery look was frightening, and the prisoner quickly averted his eyes, his own fire leaving his face.

"What Sara says is true." the man said to the room. "I don't know how she knows of PoH's plan, but she does, down to the letter."

For the next ten minutes, the red player revealed to the Enclave the same things he had confessed to Jae and Israel earlier that day. He described the plan as a cautionary measure, a defensive maneuver designed to safely wait and regroup until such time as PoH deemed acceptable to go on the offensive again. With Brakrun Dungeon being one of the least known areas in Aincrad thus far, and with its layout both supporting any entrenchment and making attack difficult, PoH had chosen the location wisely. The officer explained how the outer regions of the dungeon were coalescing mazes, and out of the many hundreds of halls and corridors spread throughout the place, only seven led to the massive, open hall lying at the center. A detailed map of Brakrun Dungeon, made by an info broker about a year back, was brought in to better understand the layout of the place as the prisoner explained it.

When asked just how big of an open area the main chamber was, and whether there were buildings or rooms within, the red player described a place as large and empty as several football fields. This news was greeted with nods of approval from the table, and Jae understood; in the event of a battle, a more or less wide open field would allow the trained warriors of the Assault Team to utilize their discipline and conduct formations and tactical manoeuvres, granting advantage. Furthermore, the larger the area, the easier it would be to use the green players' superior numbers to overwhelm Laughing Coffin. It was there, however, that the good news stopped.

The picture that the prisoner painted of the defense was a bleak one. Each of the seven corridor entrances, being the only points of access to the enemy from the maze, would be blocked off by man made barricades. Defending these makeshift walls would be the best and most ruthless fighters in Laughing Coffin, each prepared to fight to the death to hold their positions. The narrow corridors would hamper any kind of formation made by the attackers as they advanced, funneling them forward and turning them into a dense, unwieldy mob easily cut down by the organized line of defenders safe behind their barricade, first by darts and potions at range, and than by the sword.

When asked how many red players there would be, the officer's answer proved Sara's estimation very nearly correct: several days before his capture, two hundred and eighty-four men had been the final count.

"You would have us hurl our soldiers into a meat grinder," Kibaou shouted at Jae and Lind above the murmurings, "defended by an entire fucking army?"

"Even if the entire Assault Team contributed every man we have," another Commander of one of the smaller guilds said, "the mazes would divide us seven ways just to attack every position, making it even easier for the red players to defeat us!"

"What other choice do we have?" Thinker asked in frustration, his voice mingling with the bickering now breaking out all across the table. "Jae is right: this could very well be our only chance at ever striking the heart of Laughing Coffin. If we ignore this, as you all seem to want to do, how many more will die in the future?"

"I agree that something needs to be done about Laughing Coffin," Klein spoke up, "but we can't forget the bitter truth of things; the red players are better fighters than us. Our forces would be hard pressed to fight them on open ground. What chance then do you think our men would have when faced with an enemy like that holding the advantage of an entrenched defensive position?"

Jae stood up. "If we all work together, we can easily gather twice the men PoH commands, maybe even more. Furthermore, don't forget that we will have the element of surprise. Locating his base and attacking with our full strength is the last thing PoH would expect."

"Even if that's true," Heathcliff countered in his usual calm, calculated demeanor, "and I have no reason to assume it's not, surprise would be irrelevant. Laughing Coffin may not be expecting an attack, but they certainly seem to be prepared for one. Jae, I want to support you in this, but you have to see, as I do, that these odds give us very little chance of success, and guarantee a staggering number of casualties. How are we to win this kind of battle?"

"On top of that," Asuna added, "the idea of a pitched battle itself is impractical. Let's say, for the sake of argument, that we were able to guarantee victory. What's to stop Laughing Coffin from using their Teleport Crystals and escaping the moment they realize they face a battle they might not win?"

Sara raised her chin. "That won't be a problem. I'm a potion maker, and I know how to both make and use a potion that renders a large area warded against the use of Teleport and even Corridor Crystals for an extended period of time. Give me two days, and I'm confident I will have enough to cover the majority of the open chamber where they are waiting."

"Sara," Israel said warily, "I know the range of Anti-Teleport Potions as well as you do. To apply their effects to such a large area would require you to get dangerously close to enemy positions in order to throw them. It's too much of a risk."

Sara shook her head. "Risk or not, it is necessary." She turned her attention to Asuna. "I can see it done."

"Which leaves us with our original problem." Heathcliff said. He glanced at Sara and Israel. "You both seem to know a great deal more than us about Laughing Coffin and how to fight them. Is there any way you can see that would tip the balance of this battle in our favor?"

Sara shook her head reluctantly.

Quiet for a moment, Israel eventually crossed his arms and sighed in defeat.

"Perhaps with more time to scout out their battle lines and identify the leaders of each section I could come up with something, but as things now stand, I don't know."

Silence enveloped the chamber. Jae understood the Enclave's hesitation. He knew that Heathcliff, Asuna, and Klein spoke against his proposal not because of any ill will towards him, but simply because the way things stood, there seemed little hope of a successful outcome if an attack on Brakrun Dungeon were commenced. Not even Israel could think up a way to ensure victory.

Leaning forward over the table, Jae pondered the map of Brakrun Dungeon sprawled over it's surface. He took in the maze, but quickly came to the conclusion that it would be relatively simple to get through. Moving on, he studied the inner hall as big as two football fields, imagining the hundreds of red players pitching their camp within its confines. While examining the seven corridors that opened up to various segments of the central chamber on all sides, one of which appeared slightly wider than the others, he paused. Slowly, the answer came to him.

"Laughing Coffin will have their men divided into units." Jae muttered as he thought. With a finger, he pointed to the seven narrow entrance ways. "Seven units, each one defending one of the entrances into the chamber in anticipation of an attack from any side. This approach is necessary to prevent a flank, and makes their position appear impregnable, but the reality of the situation is that in doing this, they effectively split their strength seven ways."

He pointed to the corridor that was slightly wider. "If we were to attack with all our men- the entire force- using the weight and density of our numbers as a battering ram against only one of the seven openings, we would shatter the much smaller unit defending it and burst out into the field. In open ground, we could use our numbers to full advantage, isolating and overwhelming the remaining units of defenders as they wheel around to try and stop us."

He pointed to the other six openings into the chamber. "In an area this large, and with the entrances so far apart, they would be too far away from each other, unable to come together into one cohesive force before we overran the field. In open battle, with both numbers and tactics on our side, we would more than make up for any inferior skill. The fight will be over before PoH can organize a counterattack, likely turning at least some of the battle into a rout. Obviously, we all know that we must be prepared to kill or be killed, but this way, hopefully some will surrender rather than fight once the battle breaks down."

Heathcliff's eyes widened, and he and several of the other members of the table nodded in surprise and approval.

"It could work…" Klein mumbled as he looked at the map.

"Such a plan would use every advantage we have," Asuna said as she nodded, "and strip the red players of theirs."

Still leaning over the table, Jae glanced over his shoulder at Israel.

"What do you think?"

Israel shrugged. "You know better than I do about these things. I'm no general, Jae. I've never led an army or sounded a tactical maneuver. Killing is what I know best. So long as coming to grips with the enemy and cutting them down is our end result past all this strategy, I'm content." He paused. "But I will say this. No one in this room should underestimate PoH. I'm sure you are all commanders of your guilds for good reason, but I've been playing cat and mouse with him long enough to know that he won't go down easily. He is patient, intelligent, and his leadership and tactical skills are what make him an effective leader of his people, but it is his unpredictability that makes him truly dangerous. Whatever happens in there once the battle starts, I promise you, PoH will ensure a hard fight."

"What exactly should we expect?" Thinker asked.

Israel met the man's eyes.

"Everything."


	112. Chapter 111

111

July 27, 2024

Floor 34, Castellan Keep

"I've heard enough." Kibaou started out of his chair.

Everyone's eyes turned to him. Jae cursed under his breath.

"Where are you going?" Thinker asked.

"As far away from this madness as possible. Come, it's time we returned to the Black Iron Palace."

"This isn't something you can just walk away from, Kibaou." Heathcliff said firmly. "This fight is about the future of Aincrad. It is our responsibility-"

"That's where you're wrong." Kibaou pointed at him, then slowly moved his finger over the rest of the table. "Our responsibility- the only one we have- is to the lives of the men and women underneath our command. You think I'm going to throw that responsibility away, risk all those who follow me, on the word of the Shadow of Death and two Laughing Coffin members?" He scoffed. "I'm not about to march my guild into an obvious trap created by the red players to kill us all. Those of you who don't see it are blind fools."

"What reason would the Shadow have to aid Laughing Coffin, or to hurt us?" Klein retorted. "He's been fighting them since-"

"They are _red players_!" Kibaou shouted in exasperation. "Killing is all they know, all they concern themselves with! Just look at him for god's sake!" He pointed to Israel, who stood stone still and expressionless but for the blue fire simmering in his eyes and the hand resting on the pommel of his red sword. Even Jae had to admit that his brother didn't exactly look friendly. The black cape wasn't helping either.

"You can see it in his eyes!" Kibaou continued. "This madman would run us all through if he thought he could get away with it and not even bat an eye. That prisoner we saw could just as easily be lying as well, and as for the silver haired bitch-"

"Choose your next words very carefully." Israel said quietly. "Or no amount of guards will save you from what happens next."

Kibaou paused, than quickly recovered and waved an arm, as if to prove his point. "I rest my case. I'm not letting the red players win. If any of you have any sense, you won't be a part of this insanity either." He turned to go.

"I'm not leaving." Thinker said flatly from his seat.

Kibaou stopped midstep. "What?"

"You heard me. You can make up excuses all you like, but the simple reality is that you're afraid." Thinker's tone grew more serious. "Either that, or you want the Assault Team to bleed so that our guild can stand the strongest when it's over. I'm not running from this fight like you. I'm going to help end this."

Glancing over his shoulder, Kibaou smirked at him. "Than you do so without my troops."

Kibaou's boots echoed off the polished marble floors as he took his leave. The two HDA guards at the entrance to the chamber opened the double doors for him, and he strolled out without another word.

Thinker sighed, then glanced up at Jae apologetically. "Without Kibaou's half, I don't have many men high enough level for something like this, but I will gather as large a force as I can muster."

Jae nodded. "That is all I can ask for. Thank you, Thinker."

"After the Army," Asuna said, "the Holy Dragon Alliance stands the next largest guild. Jae, do you intend to mobilize all your men for this fight?"

Jae shook his head. "Castellan Keep isn't located within a safe zone. Though well defended by walls and towers on three sides, it could easily be taken when not properly manned. I don't know PoH, but going by what my brother says of him, I think we should be ready for any possible situation. On the off chance that Laughing Coffin leaves Brakrun Dungeon before we get there, or if they choose to begin an offensive from their new base, we will need to leave a small force here- perhaps fifty to sixty men- to ensure that the Keep is defended."

"I was thinking much the same thing." Heathcliff said with a nod. "I believe the same measures should also be taken by every guild living outside of safe zones; a small garrison should serve well enough for the more fortified bases. Furthermore, I think that it would be best if only the strongest of our men, all those at least level seventy or higher, were mobilized."

"But, sir," Asuna argued, "Making that kind of restriction would decrease the number of troops the rest of the Assault Team can raise. Shouldn't we have as many men as possible for this battle?"

"Commander Heathcliff is right." Jae refuted. "As Klein pointed out, the red players are all skilled fighters, particular in player versus player combat. Our weaker, lower level soldiers would be hard pressed to defeat them. Better to minimize our casualties and take advantage of garrison necessities by leaving them to defend our respective bases. As far as numbers are concerned, don't forget that the Knights of the Blood-Oath are nearly all over level seventy, and we have yet to consider the solo players on the Assault Team. There aren't many of them, but they are all high level and I have no doubt they will want to do their part as well. I believe that we will still have the numerical edge when all is said and done."

Nods went around the table, and Jae was pleased to see the determined looks on the faces of his fellow leaders. Kibaou's words hadn't fazed them.

"It will take several days to mobilize and prepare such a force," one of the lesser commanders said, "especially since this army will be composed of so many different factions."

"That is why we have no time to lose." Jae replied. "I think it's time we ended this meeting and got to work. I'm not going to ask for pledges or a show of hands from any of you. No one is obligated to fight this battle, but I want you all to know that what happens next will surely determine the future of Aincrad as we know it. Anyone who plans on joining us in defending our world and seeing justice done for all those lost, bring your men to the grounds outside of Castellan Keep in two days time. Whether I see an army camped out there, or none at all, I will still lead the Holy Dragon Alliance to Brakrun Dungeon. I only hope that my men and I will not be alone."

…

"Aranal," Jae said as the big man stepped into his and Vivienne's room, "I haven't seen you all day. Any news?"

Aranal nodded, hooking a thumb beneath his weapons belt as he offered a smile through his thick beard. "I was out with Rain for most of the day, and I only just returned when darkness set in. As I was approaching the doors to the Grand Hearth, I spotted dozens of tents outside in the field. Above them hung the grey Army banner."

Jae felt hope surge through him as he returned the smile. "Thinker. No one was expected to arrive until tomorrow morning when we march on Brakrun, but I guess he wanted to get here early."

"Can't imagine why." Aranal scratched his beard. "Sleeping on cold hard ground is uncomfortable at best, and camping isn't all it's hyped up to be."

Jae chuckled. "I think he did it to show the others that the Holy Dragon Alliance won't be marching alone. Hopefully his silent urging will see our numbers swell come dawn." He paused. "Dozens you said?"

"Perhaps as many as forty men."

Jae nodded, making silent calculations. Since the ending of the Enclave the previous day, Heathcliff had sent a message pledging to bring his entire guild, all of whom were over level seventy. The resulting force would equal about seventy men to go alongside the one hundred and fifty HDA members that Jae would be leading into battle.

Klein had also sent word that he and his ten man guild, the Fuurinkazan, would be committing to the fight and would meet at the appointed time. The solo players and unofficial parties of the Assault Team had no collective voice to speak for them, but Jae was sure that they would show up in the morning as well. With Thinker bringing another forty men, their numbers were looking better. On top of that, Thinker's bold declaration would help to move the other, lesser guilds of the Assault Team into action if they were still unsure.

"It's a good start." Jae said. "With any luck, we will have ourselves a full fledged army tomorrow." He gestured to Aranal. "You said you returned to Castellan Keep alone. Is Rain already waiting for you in your room?"

Aranal shook his head. "She told me she was a member of the Army even before Kibaou and his men merged with them and changed their name. Many of the soldiers camped out there with Thinker are friends of hers, and she wanted to greet them again after her time apart."

"And instead of going with her, you return alone?"

"Someone had to tell you about Thinker's arrival, or else by morning you would have been furious that forty men were camped outside all night without your knowledge."

Jae smirked. "Well, I can't deny that your visit will help me sleep a little better tonight, but I think there's more to it, and it has something to do with Rain."

He sat down at his and Vivienne's desk strewn with reports, maps, and financial records, and pulled out another chair for Aranal. The big man muttered his thanks and dropped into it, his muscled bulk barely fitting into the frame.

"You know me too well, Jae. Truth be told, I wanted to take a few moments away from her, give us both a little space I suppose."

Jae frowned. "You don't want to be around her?"

"No, quite the opposite, but…." He shook his head in frustration, as if unsure how to word his thoughts. "It's just that it's been nearly two years since we've seen each other, you understand. In that span of time, people change. Why, it only took me a few moments to see just how different she was, and I'm sure it was the same way for her. I'm not sure how exactly to...I don't want to just pretend like those two years never happened and just push myself on her as I am now. I think it's best if we took some time to get used to each other again."

Jae crossed his arms and leaned back in his chair. "Sounds to me like you're afraid, my friend."

"Afraid?"

"Oh, yes. Terrified. You're scared that if you spend too much time with Rain, she won't care for you as you are now, seeing as you're most likely a much different person than the one who first put on the NerveGear that day. You're worried that when she makes that discovery, she won't want to stay with you."

Aranal shifted his weight uncomfortably in his chair, than let out a long, slow sigh. "You irritate me."

Jae smiled. "You know Rain better than I do, but you're overthinking this. She obviously cares for you still, as everyone in the Grand Hearth saw the other day. I suspect she most likely harbors the same fear you do."

Aranal blinked. "I hadn't thought of that. But even so, it's still a little strange trying to behave as though you haven't just spent two years apart. I don't want to push her too hard, you know what I mean? I just...I don't want to lose her again."

"You care greatly for her, don't you?" Jae asked into the silence.

A smile crossed the big man's features. "I love her, Jae. It's strange how the mind works; we've been here so long, I had almost forgotten her along with the rest of the real world until I laid eyes on her again. At that moment, it hit me like a hammer blow. I love her with every fiber of my being. You don't know how happy I am that she is here with me. Happy, and horrified."

"So you had no idea she was in Aincrad all this time?"

Aranal shook his head. "I didn't even know she had her own NerveGear, let alone one of the ten thousand advanced copies of SAO. At the time of the launch, she had taken a trip to visit her parents in Missouri. I couldn't go with her because of my work, and a good part of our paycheck had gone to ordering a copy of the game for ourselves. It wasn't scheduled to arrive until a few days after she got back home, but it ended up being delivered early, on the morning of launch day. I got home from work and put on the NerveGear about an hour before Kayaba made his great reveal, and the rest is history."

"So did she tell you how she got into the game?"

Aranal nodded. "We've been catching up all day. Turns out one of her old school friends, who had already bought SAO, also purchased Rain a NerveGear and copy of the game as a welcome home gift so they could play together during her visit. Rain believed that my copy hadn't come in yet, and figured she'd get started on a character and save up supplies for us both to use once she got back home and we could play together."

Jae shook his head in amazement. "So both of you have been here since the very start, when we were all gathered in the Central Plaza of the Town of Beginnings back on Floor One….Seems a lifetime ago."

"It really does." Aranal agreed.

Stirring from his thoughts, Jae leaned forward and punched Aranal hard on the shoulder.

"What the hell was that for?" The big man demanded as he exhaled in pain and began massaging the bruised shoulder with his other hand.

"That," Jae explained with a wry smile, "was for never telling me- your closest friend- that you had a fiance all this time."

Aranal's frown evaporated. He shrugged. "It never seemed important, not when you consider everything we've done, everything we've been through. Besides, there's something special about keeping the memory of the woman you love with you, and you alone. Keeping her in my heart, knowing she was as eager to see me again as I was her, it gave me strength here. More than that, it filled with me with purpose and determination to get back to the real world, even when I had all bought forgotten what that was."

"And now that she is with you again in the flesh?"

Aranal's expression sombered. "I am more determined than ever, only now, it is to ensure that the world we live in is safe for her. I will do whatever must be done to see that goal realized. Rain will live, and she will live free."

Jae clasped Aranal's shoulder firmly as he smiled. "There is no greater power in the world to spur a man to action than the woman he loves. I am happy for you, brother."

Aranal returned the gesture, clasping Jae's own shoulder in silent thanks, then pulled away.

"Speaking of women," he waved a hand around the empty room. "Where's Vivienne? It's late. I would've thought she would be here making final preparations with you."

Jae shook his head. "Though Vivienne supports our move against Laughing Coffin, she noted our lack of progress on the next Floor's Labyrinth as a result of all this planning and preparing. We're days behind schedule as far as clearing is concerned. She went to go assemble a small raid group and conduct a short shift before midnight."

"That woman is a force of nature." Aranal observed with a chuckle. "Here we are about to assemble the largest united army and fight the greatest battle in Aincrad, and Vivienne still finds time to get a shift done. I'm surprised you didn't tell her not to go."

"I value my life, thanks."

Aranal bellowed a laugh. "I can't argue your logic, my friend." He rose to his feet. "Well, it's late, and I expect Rain will be returning to our room soon. Something tells me I'm going to need all the sleep I can get for tomorrow."

Rising as well, Jae began following Aranal out the door.

"Err, Jae," Aranal said over his shoulder as he paused. "I know we just had a moment and all, but I need a bit more romance and free dinners before I let people come with me back to my room-"

"Get out of here before I punch you again," Jae snickered, shoving the big man out the door so he could step out into the hall, "I want to speak with my brother once more about tomorrow, and inform him of the troops Thinker has brought. Which of the spare rooms was he given, again?"

Aranal pointed down the hall. "Down the stairs, room number twenty-two on the second floor, I believe it was."

After saying their good-nights, Jae followed Aranal's directions, traversing the hall and making his way down the polished spiral staircase that led to the second floor of their wing of the castle. Upon reaching the room marked twenty-two, he knocked politely. No answer came. He knocked once more, louder this time, but was still greeted by silence. Jae supposed Israel might already be asleep, but he doubted it; it was still relatively early in the night, and the Shadow of Death didn't seem like the type who cared much for 'bedtime' hours.

Gripping the latch, Jae opened the door and peered inside, activating the lamp on the wall beside him. He blinked in surprise; the room looked like it had never seen a visitor. The bed was made exactly the way it had been when the HDA had first labeled the area as a spare room compartment. The solitary chair was pushed into the simple, medium sized table set against the wall. The rug was neither scuffed nor tracking dirt or mud. Even a few cobwebs hung unashamedly by the windowsill and underneath the bed frame.

Entering the room, Jae looked around for any belongings that Israel might have set inside, clothes or a pack perhaps, but found none. Either his brother had moved to a different room, or he had left Castellan Keep. Jae cast the latter thought from his mind: his brother would not have abandoned them, not on the eve of battle.

Just as he was about to exit the room, a glint of light caught Jae's eye from the glass window. Stepping closer, he looked out the window and gazed beyond the grounds of Castellan Keep, where the forest swayed gently in the night. He examined the light a moment, watching it flicker in the distance among the trees as a breeze picked up outside. He knew where Israel was.

…

"I didn't think you'd be out here at this hour." Israel said, sitting on a log as he gazed into the campfire in front of him.

A good ten feet behind his brother, Jae paused in surprise a moment before closing the rest of the distance between them.

"How did you know I was here?"

"Even without all your heavy armor on," Israel replied, "you're significantly louder than you think. Especially when you wander through trees. I heard you coming a good while before I spoke up."

"That's a talent I'd like to acquire." Jae sat down opposite Israel and raised his hands by the fire. The warmth felt good against his skin as another evening breeze picked up, cooling his back. "What are you doing out here? Did you not like the room?"

"I'm grateful for the thought," Israel answered, "but I can't sleep within halls of stone. The forest is what I know best."

"You slept out here last night as well?"

Israel nodded. "Vivienne noticed me trying to find my way out and showed me how to leave Castellan Keep's postern gate without drawing much attention to myself. She's very kind, your wife."

A knowing smile spread across Jae's face. "Yes, she is. That's one of the things I love most about her." He arched an eyebrow at his brother. "Get on her bad side though, and that woman is hellfire."

Israel chuckled softly as he fed several sticks into the fire.

"I wish you could have been there for the wedding." Jae said softly.

Israel straightened, and a small, grateful smile passed over his features.

"I wish I could have been there as well. It's obvious how deeply you care for her, and she for you. I didn't get a chance to tell you before, but I'm happy for you, that you have found such joy."

His expression faded, and was suddenly replaced with a pale, haunted look as his gaze met Jae's. The intensity, the magnitude of the pain in his blue eyes caught Jae's breath in his throat.

"Look after her, Jae. Treasure each moment you have with her, and never forget to tell her how much you care for her, or else one day, it may be too late."

Unable to find the right words, Jae could only nod grimly, and Israel returned his tortured gaze to the fire. The wind picked up, billowing open both Israel's torn black cloak and Jae's majestic royal blue. The flames licked the air between them, and the fire crackled angrily at the wind's disturbance. The boughs of the trees around them swayed gently in the night sky, adding to the quiet cacophony of noises.

"Israel, may I ask you a personal question? You do not have to answer if you don't want to."

Israel nodded without looking up from the flames. "You're still my brother Jae, regardless of how different we are now or how long it's been since we've behaved as such. You don't have to request permission to ask a question."

Jae was silent for a moment as he considered how to proceed.

"Everything you've done since we parted ways, everything you've forced yourself through...Naomi is the reason for it all, isn't she?"

The world seemed to be eavesdropping on Jae's words, for the wind and the trees fell slowly silent. Several night clouds shifted in the sky, hiding the moon and casting a darker shadow over the ground. Even the crackling fire before him seemed to calm.

In front of him, Israel sat silently. His eyes closed for a brief moment as he let out a breath. Finally, he straightened, opening his eyes as he swiped his menu up before him. His finger sifted through various screens until he selected something. His menu closed, and in his hands appeared a sword. The silver steel shone brightly, a sharp contrast to the shroud of night around them. The hilt, a collection of dark brown woven bands to ensure proper grip, looked worn and weathered, but it's quality was still evident. At the center of the blade ran what appeared to be a razor thin scar, barely visible against the gleam of the steel.

"Is that Silverthorne?" Jae asked in wonder.

Israel nodded. "I had it upgraded as much as was possible, and even managed to refine the steel when I had to have it repaired after it was nearly destroyed in battle, but it's damage output and durability is still far lower than even the most common weapons these days. If I used it now, it wouldn't last longer than a few seconds. Yet, I will never sell it or allow it to break." he ran a hand down the length of the blade. "This sword is my last connection to Naomi. She gave it to me, not as a trade item or because she owed me anything, but simply because she was kind. Until her last breath, her only concern was helping people, keeping others safe, even when she was scorned and disliked as a beta-tester." Israel gritted his teeth as he went on, his voice hardening. "Laughing Coffin took her from this world. Worse, they killed her, not for a reason or a purpose, but simply because they could. They took her _life_ , a thing worth more than any treasure, more sacred than any belief, and made the world a darker place for it. For that, they and all those who follow in their footsteps have earned death. And I intend to give it to them, no matter how much blood I have to shed, no matter how long I have to fight. Naomi will be avenged."

"...There was a time, not so long ago," Jae answered quietly, "when I would have been opposed to such a path. Things that once seemed so clear, principles that I believed black and white, those are what guided me. I believed for so long that you were wrong, and that doing what you did made you the same villain as any other red player. Yet now, when I think of Vivienne...if she were taken from me as Naomi was taken from you...I do not know if I would not go down the same path."

Israel looked at him. "You would go down a better one than I. You always were the better brother."

"I would say the exact opposite." Jae drew a breath and gazed down into the fire, the purity of it's light comforting him even as his head swirled with dark thoughts. "I'm no righteous white knight, Israel. Tristan's death proved that to me, among my other mistakes."

"Tristan?" Israel asked in confusion.

"Of everyone in Aincrad, he deserved better." Jae tossed a stick into the fire. "He didn't belong here. As long as I knew the man, he was gentle and selfless. He was a good friend, and considered me his, even when I didn't deserve his friendship; as I grew in rank within the HDA, I stopped talking to him, stopped caring about him. He was a lowly shopkeeper, and I one of the most important people of Aincrad. He visited Castellan Keep frequently on his trips, both to trade goods and to greet me, but I all but ignored him, considering myself too grand for such simple friends from my past.

"He couldn't fight, yet he was brave. He couldn't keep his business going without support from the Assault Team, yet he told us all the truth. Unlike me, he remembered the good in you, and he took the time to understand why you became the Shadow of Death. When I told the Enclave that what you had told me about the Infiltrators was a lie, he confronted me." he scoffed at himself, waving an arm shamefully. "The last time I ever saw Tristan, I told him he was no friend of mine, and I made no move to help him as Lind banned him from Castellan Keep, destroying his entire business. And now he's dead, and I can never apologize."

"Tristan always knew you were a good man," Israel said softly, "never doubt that. Whatever mistakes you made, I'm sure he didn't blame you for what happened with his business, and he never considered you anything other than a friend."

"How can you be sure of that?"

Israel smiled distantly. "Tristan was one of those friends that always saw the best in you, even when you didn't see it yourself. He was someone you would never realize you needed until he was gone." He returned his gaze to Jae. "Remember him, but don't mourn him. He wouldn't want that."

Jae considered his brother's words. He still felt guilt over his treatment of Tristan, but he didn't feel as ashamed as he did before.

"Thank you." He said quietly.

Israel only nodded.

They were both silent for a time, and Jae could tell that Israel was just as filled with memories of the past as he was. The moon emerged again, basking the night in it's faint, pale glow. A thought came to Jae, and he met his brother's eyes.

"You do realize that what happens tomorrow could bring with it the vengeance you've sought for so long, yes?"

Israel frowned. "What of it?"

Jae shifted his weight on the ground. "This battle will be the culmination of all your efforts, everything you've suffered. If we win, everything you've been fighting for will be...well, complete. What will you do when Naomi's memory is finally given the justice she deserves? What will you do when there are no more red players to unleash your rage upon?"

Israel blinked, appearing to have been struck silent for a moment by the question. He fed another stick into the fire, than smiled grimly at Jae.

"First we have to win the battle."


	113. Chapter 112

112

July 31st, 2024

Floor 49, Brakrun Dungeon Entrance

Sara moved with quiet purpose. It was well past midnight, and it had been days since she had had a proper night's sleep, but she wasn't tired. The knowledge of where she was and what she was about to do banished any sense of weariness from her mind. It was pitch black; the moon had long since disappeared behind the dark, murky clouds that filled the sky, but Sara didn't slow. She had lived long in the woods and trees with Israel, and he had taught her how to move through wilderness at night, to say nothing of his lessons on utilizing the dark to survive...and to kill.

As the steep, looming hillside appeared before her, silent and menacing in it's eeriness, Sara found herself thankful for the moon's absence. After all, there was no telling whether or not PoH would have ordered scouts placed at the entrance to the dungeon that now housed his entire guild.

Moving quickly, Sara did her best to mute her footfalls as she approached what could only be the entrance into Brakrun Dungeon. Nestled within the hillside, not easily visible past the various tangled roots, sheets of dark green moss, and clumps of dirt that had attached itself to it, stood the remains of what once must have been a proud gate. Little more than a massive slab of crumbling, decaying stone past the frame, the gate proper was hardly what one would call secure. Huge cracks spread along it's surface, and gaping holes from fallen pieces were large and many. Small piles of rock littered the ground just in front of it, but these didn't do any better at proving themselves an obstacle.

After spending several minutes quietly watching the ruin and listening for any sounds, and once she was sure it was safe to proceed, Sara made her way forward past the rubble on the ground and all but walked inside the old gate. The moment she was inside the dungeon, however, she wasted no time analyzing her surroundings, and instead immediately ran for the nearest cover: a moldy, half rotten bookcase in the corner of the chamber, tall enough to almost reach the ceiling far above her.

She waited again, and again, she heard and saw nothing.

Breathing a sigh of relief when she realized that no guards or scouts had been posted after all, Sara knelt down behind the bookcase. Flipping open the top of the satchel at her side, she reached in until her fingers touched worn parchment. Retrieving the map, she briefly noticed a name on the back, signed elegantly by the info broker who had made it: _Malachi._

Sara unfolded the map in silent haste, her eyes taking in the Holy Dragon Alliance sigil in the top right corner for but a moment before she focused on the map proper. Though the room was mostly dark and cold, a few dim torches lined the walls, offering just enough light to see the map by. The illustrations were just as detailed and well drawn as she remembered them being at the Enclave. From the entrance room, Sara studied the various paths, marking in her mind which corridors would take her to the heart of the dungeon, where the red player army lay in wait.

Once she was relatively sure of the path from which to start, Sara shoved the map back into her satchel, taking care not to harm the bundles of potions also inside. Lifting the hem of her black dress, she checked her boot to be sure her poison coated knife was clear in its sheath. She hoped to avoid the necessity of using the weapon at all costs, but she knew she had to be ready for anything.

No sooner had she risen to her feet and begun to make for the far right doorway leading deeper into the dungeon, than Sara suddenly heard light footsteps close behind her.

In one motion, Sara tore her knife free of her boot with one hand, yanked a stunning potion from her belt with the other, and spun around, mentally bracing herself for the violence that was about to occur.

In front of her, with saber raised to stave off an attack, stood Jae's wife, Vivienne.

A dark grey cloak was cinched to the woman's shoulders, muffling her outline and covering for the most part her polished guild armor. Thick as it was though, it could not conceal the woman's shapely form, or her long brown hair tied back in a single, thick ponytail.

"There you are." Vivienne lowered her saber, but only slightly. She gestured cautiously past the bookshelf in front of them, silently asking if they were alone. When Sara nodded, the woman let out a beleaguered breath and sheathed her sword. "I thought I had lost you for a moment back there behind the gate."

"You're an Officer of your guild. What are you doing here?" Sara whispered harshly as she bent down to sheathe her knife within her boot again.

"Following you, obviously." Vivienne whispered back. She tugged her cloak tighter over her shoulder to better conceal her bright silver and blue chest plate. "Though the act proved much more difficult than I had expected."

"All Laughing Coffin members have high Stealth Skills," Sara murmured as she eyed the woman, "I find it hard to believe that a green player managed to follow me at all."

Vivienne scoffed, than peered out at the chamber past the rotted bookshelf, keeping her voice low as she replied, "Let's just say that when you're ambushed and nearly killed by red players, you learn to appreciate the Detection Skill a bit more."

She met Sara's gaze, then took in the top of the map poking out of her satchel. Her voice grew more serious. "You stole that from the Guild Library."

It wasn't a question so much as a declaration.

Sara squinted at the green player in disbelief. Anger at being followed, and at being delayed from the task at hand, surged through her.

"Have you come to turn me in for thieving, Officer?"

Vivienne smirked. "No. I came to help you."

That took her by surprise.

"Help me?" Sara blinked. "Help me how?"

Vivienne crossed her arms under her breasts, but whether the gesture was in amusement or irritation, Sara couldn't tell.

"I don't think this is the best place for wordplay, do you? We're already wasting time standing here whispering."

"Tell me why you're here." Sara demanded.

Vivienne sighed, then pointed at her. "At the Enclave meeting, you said you could use potions to render Brakrun Dungeon inescapable by means of Teleport Crystals and the like. The Shadow of Death-"

"Israel." Sara interrupted.

"-Israel...didn't seem pleased by your proposal and said something about you needing to get too close to the enemy to see it done."

"He's just worried about me." Sara retorted. "He always overreacts about-"

"You don't need to argue your case to me, Sara. I've already committed to helping you do whatever it is you need to. Personally though, I would like to know what it is I'm getting into and just how bad the chances of death are before we start off deeper into the home of our enemy."

Sara watched the other woman's eyes for a silent moment, trying to gauge her true intent as she hooked a skein of her silver hair back behind her ear.

"First tell me why."

"Why?"

Sara nodded. "I'm a red player. An ex-Laughing Coffin member. You don't know me. For all you know, I could be a spy- like that man, Kibaou, suggested- and be heading back to PoH with news of the impending attack tomorrow."

Vivienne arched an eyebrow. "Are you asking me why I want to help, or why I trust you?"

"Both."

Vivienne sighed again, but not unkindly. The woman certainly had the air of an officer, but she also didn't seem like the type to bark orders at people.

"Well, allow me to answer both questions at once, then. I _don't_ trust you, which is exactly why I came to help."

Sara furrowed a brow. "What-"

"Preventing Laughing Coffin players from escaping is essential to this plan. If they get away, all of our planning will have been for nothing and the only chance we had at stopping them will be gone. You said you could create potions that would disable Teleport effects. You also said that you could see to using the potions to achieve that goal. Such a claim is more than reason enough to do whatever is necessary to see that goal realized. This is where the trust part comes in.

"You're right, I don't know you. However, neither do you know me. It's precisely because you are a stranger that I can't just depend on you to carry something this dangerous and important out alone. Though I say that, know that I mean no disrespect to you. For all I know, I could be wrong; you may very well be capable of this without any assistance whatsoever. But I'm not willing to stake the outcome of this battle on a 'may.' So, here I am, ready to help you however I can and see to it that we get this done without alerting the red players."

Sara arched an eyebrow after a long moment. "I'm not sure if I should be offended or grateful."

She made to turn, then paused long enough to add, "I must admit, it is refreshing to not have a man trying to talk me out of what must be done."

Vivienne smiled for the first time. "I think we're going to get along just fine."

After briefly explaining how Anti-Teleport potions worked and how she intended to use them, Sara and Vivienne set out, both keeping in the shadows as best they could as they left the opening chamber and made their way deeper into the dungeon. Before long, what had started as a single hall quickly became a labyrinth of twisting, winding corridors and rusted out pathways, slowing their progress and making stealth near impossible. Torches lined the old walls at uneven intervals, but they were dim enough to at least provide some level of darkness.

While Vivienne took the lead in case of trouble, Sara acted as guide, referring to the map and setting them on the right path whenever the two of them reached an intersection of pathways or doors leading into unknown chambers. Moving quickly and utilizing the sharp turns and shifting paths, the two of them managed to avoid the wandering groups of mobs whenever they drew near. It wouldn't do to have the sounds of a fight carry down the halls.

"Another left past this doorway," Sara said as they turned another corner, "and we'll be getting close to-"

Seizing Sara's hand with surprising speed, Vivienne yanked her back before she could enter the open doorway.

"There's a trap there," Vivienne said in response to Sara's look. She pointed at the floor before their feet. "See it?"

Squinting past the strands of silver hair that had fallen into her eyes, Sara peered at the spot where Vivienne pointed. There, amidst the cracked, uneven stone floor, a single tile appeared ever so slightly raised above the others. Had she not searched for it, Sara doubted she would ever have seen it.

She blinked up at Vivienne. "How did you know that was there? I can barely tell the difference from the rest of the floor."

"The Assault Team spends almost every day inside the Floor Labyrinths, searching for the Boss Room," Vivienne explained as she redirected them further down the hall and down a different passage, "It's our job to be wary of dungeon traps every step of the way. We've lost many to just that kind you almost stepped on."

"What does it do?"

"Typically? Pressure on the false tile activates counter weights in the walls, which in turn send out long, sharp blades that kill with deadly swiftness."

Their boots echoed softly on the stone floor as they pressed on, becoming the only noise besides the occasional flicker of ensconced torches along the walls as silence enveloped them.

"Thank you." Sara said quietly as they walked.

Beside her, Vivienne shook her head politely. "Don't worry about it; it's difficult to identify those kinds of-"

"It's not that." Sara offered a small smile. "Even though you don't 'trust' me to do this alone, I can see that you don't consider me an enemy because of my red cursor. There aren't many green players willing to help and trust those like me. It's not something I'm used to. I am grateful."

Vivienne furrowed her brow. "Anyone who knows anything about player killers would know that you are, well, different. Even if I hadn't been there when PoH had his knife to your throat in order to capture the Shad- Israel- there would be no doubt in my eyes that you aren't like the rest of the Laughing Coffin members I've seen. Besides, my husband trusts you with his life. That is good enough for me."

"You mean he trusts Israel with his life, and Israel's word that I'm on your side."

Vivienne shrugged as Sara pointed them down another corner. "Either way, it doesn't matter. These days, we don't have the luxury of caution."

Sara nodded in agreement, but before she could reply, four skeletal warriors spilled out of one of the corridors to their left, all but stumbling directly into them.

"Take them down before they let out their War Cries!" Vivienne ordered in a hushed tone as she drew her elegant saber from it's sheath.

By the time Sara had drawn her knife and withdrawn a stunning potion, Vivienne was already on them, her sword a blur as she parried and deflected the blows of the first two skeletons and then counter attacked, hacking and slashing at them both with violent but graceful movements.

As Vivienne fought, the third skeleton went for Sara, but though the fourth was also closer to her, it turned at the last moment and made to strike at Vivienne's exposed back.

Dodging the swing of the third skeleton's rusty sword when it reached her, Sara spun around and hurled her stun potion at the last one going for Vivienne. The small glass vial connected with the undead warrior's shoulder, causing the glass to shatter and sending the contents splashing on the monster's skull and neck. Staggered sideways from the force of the throw, the skeleton jerked it's head around violently, as if desperately trying to break free of some invisible hold.

Though she knew the stun would only last a few seconds, Sara could do no more to finish the monster or help Vivienne, as the skeleton targeting her now began attacking in earnest. Clutching her knife tightly in hand as she narrowly ducked and dodged the mob's wide slashing attacks, Sara attempted to get in close enough to strike back, but it was all she could do to stay out of her attacker's reach.

The skeleton swung at her head, and she jerked backward just in time, but before she could follow up, the monster lunged forcefully. Switching her hold on the knife so that she had a backhanded grip, Sara managed to parry the blade with hers, the clash emitting a low ring as the steel connected. Thrown slightly off balance, the skeleton stepped forward to catch itself and begin another attack. Seizing the opportunity, Sara lifted her boot and kicked the mob square in the chest, causing several bones in it's chest cavity to crack as it stumbled back several feet.

Lurching forward to close the distance between them, Sara sidestepped the monster's feeble, unbalanced swing and rammed her knife into its empty eye socket. Bits of skull splintered off around the impact, but no sooner had they begun to fly into the air did they dissolve into miniscule pixelated shards, to be quickly followed by the skeleton itself.

Stepping through the thin mist of floating shards, Sara was just in time to see Vivienne decapitate the still stunned skeleton, adding his on death explosion to the shards of the others already dead.

Without hesitation, both of them ran to the nearest corner and went down it. The fight had been brief and relatively quiet, but Sara didn't want to take any chances. Nor, it appeared, did Vivienne.

"That was well done." Vivienne whispered when they were sure no one was nearby and had set out again. "I didn't know you were a fighter."

"I'm not," Sara admitted, "But fighting mobs is a bit easier than facing real opponents."

Vivienne nodded her agreement. "Thank you for the stun potion back there."

"Now we're even."

They continued on swiftly, turning corners and making their way through various rooms, dark chambers, corridors, and dimly lit halls. Sara checked the map more often as they drew close to the great central chamber, and when they arrived at the entrance to one of the seven passages leading to Laughing Coffin's camp, they grew more alert and cautious. Finally, when they were but a single corner from the mouth of the hall, Sara drew them to a stop.

Vivienne said nothing and began watching the rear as Sara peered out tentatively past the edge of the old, moss covered stone wall. It was dark, with fewer torches around to betray her face, but Sara dared not look long. She saw the barricade; a makeshift wall about five feet high and composed of stout wooden boards, an overturned wagon, shields that had been locked together, and lines of sharpened stakes. The result was hardly awe inspiring, but it served it purpose and looked durable enough.

Behind the wall, Sara made out three or four guards patrolling their manmade perimeter. Further back, in the distance, she could just spot an array of tents and lights. Laughing Coffin, and what was left of their vassals, were indeed home.

Ducking back behind the corner, Sara knelt down and opened her satchel.

"Three, maybe four guards at the barricade." She said as she opened the worn leather flap and began withdrawing potions. "The camp isn't far behind them."

"Is there a way to sneak past the guards?"

Sara shook her head. "The barricade covers the entire width of the entrance, and only stands around five feet high so the guards can see past."

"Is there any cover between here and there?"

Again, Sara shook her head. "Past this corner, it's completely open, narrow ground for about thirty yards, with the corridor walls on either side. A chokepoint if ever I've seen one."

Vivienne tapped a finger to the pommel of her sword in obvious concern. "Then how are we supposed to get inside the camp to plant your potions? We can't throw them over the walls from this range, and even if we could, the camp is far too big to ensure more than a small area is warded against crystals."

Sara nodded, withdrawing the potion she had been searching for. "I know."

Holding the vial up for Vivienne to see, Sara shook it slightly, causing the clear liquid inside to glow as it shifted.

"This is an Invisibility Potion." Sara explained. "The only one I have."

Vivienne blinked in amazed disbelief. "Invisibility? I didn't think such a thing existed in Aincrad."

"Nor does anyone else." Sara handed the vial to Vivienne and quickly began removing small handfuls of Anti-Teleport potions. "Personally, I don't think it was worth all the time, trouble and rare ingredients I needed to make it, but it was the only way I could think to get inside the camp."

"How long will it last?"

"Six minutes if the entire potion is consumed." Sara set aside about half of her Anti-Teleport potions and pushed them towards Vivienne as she continued. "Since we will both be taking half, however, I wouldn't recommend expecting it to last for more than three minutes at best."

"Three minutes?" Vivienne gestured at the map in Sara's satchel. "The camp is supposed to be spread over a field hundreds of yards across."

"I never said this would be easy."

Vivienne tapped the pommel of her saber as she thought, clearly trying to come up with a better plan. When she said nothing, Sara spoke up.

"It isn't as impossible as it might sound. The length of the chamber out there doesn't appear to be very long, merely wide. The Anti-Teleport potions have a very wide range of effect in all directions, and will only need to be activated by a single word every thirty-five to forty feet in order to properly cover the entire central chamber. All things considered, we can pretty much take it in a straight line."

Vivienne nodded. "That's true." She looked up at Sara. "We should split up once we're inside in order to save time. I can take the left side and leave through the left hand passage past the barricade, and you can do the same on the right. We teleport out directly after we're clear, and meet back at Castellan Keep."

"Sounds like a plan to me."

Vivienne gestured at the knife in Sara's boot. "I don't think you should let yourself get caught in a fight with that, even if things get desperate. Sword against dagger between players usually only ends one way."

Sara arched an eyebrow. "I don't think the object here is to fight, Officer Vivienne. The same applies to you. We get this done, we run, and we leave. If PoH even begins to suspect that something is going on, he'll abandon Brakrun Dungeon and find shelter elsewhere."

"I'm well aware. I'm not going to let Laughing Coffin escape, nor will I tip them off as to our plans. This ends tomorrow."

With a nod, Sara unstoppered the Invisibility Potion and quickly drank half. The liquid felt smooth and rich as it travelled down her throat, and within seconds she began feeling lighter. Vivienne hurriedly downed the other half, then placed the empty vial in her inventory rather than wait for it to expire and make any noise. Sara blinked, and when her eyes opened, Vivienne had disappeared from sight.

"Don't forget." Sara whispered into the air around her as she got to her feet. "Three minutes."

"See you back at the Keep." replied Vivienne's voice from somewhere on her left.

Sara felt a faint rush of air in front of her, and knew that Vivienne was already running full sprint towards the barricade. Sucking in a breath, she followed suit.

Turning into the open passageway that led directly toward the makeshift wall and the guards waiting there, Sara took off at a dead run, bounding forward as quickly as she could without making any noise. Her instincts kicked in as she drew closer, making her feel completely exposed and vulnerable as she ran towards the barricade, her eyes on the guards. Not one of them so much as glanced her way.

When she was less than ten feet from the wall, Sara picked up even more speed, gathering momentum. Dodging the line of stakes that bristled out beyond the wall, Sara waited until the upturned wagon section of the barricade was nearly in her face, than wrapped an arm around the top of it and leaped into the air while at the same time hoisting herself up and over.

Landing feet first on the other side, Sara bent her knees to minimize the sound. The guard nearest her- less than three feet away- paused a moment and glanced around in puzzlement at the other three, than kept pacing.

Sara wasted no time. Quickly making her way into the camp, she didn't slow down for anything even as she went around and skirted tents, wagons, torch stands, players, and whatever other obstacles presented themselves. As she made her way to the center, she became dimly aware of just how massive the central chamber was. The ceiling was so many hundreds of feet in the air above that it was barely visible, even in spite of the army of torches and campfires on the ground below.

Harsh shadows cast from the innumerable lights flickered along the incredibly long sections of walls on all sides- walls broken only by the seven narrow corridors leading inside from various points all around. The camp itself, though large, was almost dwarfed by the length of the room, and the final line of tents on both sides didn't come very close to reaching the far walls.

"Activate." Sara breathed when she had at last reached the center of the mass of tents and people.

The potion in her hand made no noise, but merely dissolved into the air as she held it aloft. She set off to the right, hoping that Vivienne was moving quickly. A band of men- wolf pack members by the look of them- marched directly toward her as they talked and laughed among the themselves, and Sara had to squeeze past with her back to a tent in order to avoid them. She kept on, gathering speed whenever she could as she moved past the wandering players and their makeshift homes. She counted her steps, and when she reached the fortieth foot, she paused just long enough to hold up another Anti-Teleport potion.

"Activate."

Every now and then as she ran, fire from one of the torches would flicker or someone close would turn at the sudden rush of air, but no alarm was ever raised, nor any suspicion of trouble. Sara activated three more potions by the time she had reached the edge of the right side of the camp, and she still had one left for good measure. Just as she dodged a red player couple on her way past the last row of tents, Sara tripped on something hard.

Throwing up her hands instinctively, Sara caught herself, then blinked in horror: her hands were beginning to show. Not easily, to be sure, and in fact, they were still almost completely invisible, but slightly less than fully transparent. Sara knew exactly what this meant. Her Invisibility was beginning to wear off. She was already winded and out of breath, but now she had go faster.

Taking off at full sprint, Sara forced herself to move quicker than she had before as she exited the camp and made for one of the barricades out ahead. She was in open ground now, and without obstacles she could go considerably faster, but with every step she took, Sara could feel herself growing heavier again, as if she had been flying all her life and was now somehow losing the ability.

She checked her hands again as she neared the barricade that guarded the far right passage out, and though it took a moment of squinting to make out, she could tell that her outline was beginning to show. Sweat beaded her brow. She dared not hesitate as the four guards before her drew ever closer; another few seconds, and she was sure to be seen.

Sprinting breathlessly past the men while staying as far away from them as possible, Sara seized hold of the top of the wall, this one composed of hardened clay and wooden beams, and hurled herself up and over.

Too tired to silence her landing as she had before, it was all Sara could do not to fall face first onto the stone floor on the other side.

"What was that?" Came an angry voice from one of the guards on the inside of the wall behind her. "Did one of you idiots run past me?"

"I think I heard something fall out there." Another one said.

Sara heard the wooden beams at her back creak slightly as one of the guards looked out. Directly against the wall as she was, and low to the ground, Sara was out of their direct line of sight: With the wall as high as it was, they could only see the dungeon floor about three or four feet in front of them. However, Sara knew that if she were to make a run for it down the corridor, they would spot her instantly.

"I don't see anything." Another guard said. "Maybe it was a mob somewhere down the hall? Like that skeleton that kept bumping into the wall last night."

"I swear," the first guard said in obvious puzzlement, "It felt like one of you ran past me."

It was now or never. Sara had to escape before she was seen, or it was all over. She took out a Teleport Crystal.

"Teleport, Castellan Keep." She whispered so quietly she feared her words wouldn't register.

In a flash, the world dissolved from view, and for the briefest of seconds, Sara was in a world of empty light as she traveled through space. A moment later, she found herself surrounded by well tended and trimmed trees, bushes, and other types of foliage as she emerged in the Castellan Keep courtyard.

Four lovely marble and stone paths travelled outward in all directions around her, flanked by hedges and met by elegant silver fountains interspersed throughout the garden. It was slightly dark still, but Sara could tell by the way that darkness appeared to fade all around her that dawn was coming. She turned to see if her thoughts were true, and found that not only were the first rays of sunlight out, but so too were Israel and Jae just in front of her, both with arms crossed. Vivienne yawned between them, looking annoyed at her husband.

"This can't be good." Sara muttered as she stepped off the teleport platform and drew closer to them. "I assume I'm in trouble?"

Israel raised an eyebrow, and though he struggled to maintain a somber face, she could see the glint of joy in his cobalt eyes now that she was safe.

"I'm glad to see you made it back safely, Sara." Vivienne said with a relieved grin before Israel or Jae could speak. "You had me worried for a moment."

"Getting out without being seen proved harder than it was getting in." Sara replied. "Were you able to get your half covered?"

Vivienne nodded. "I don't think I needed all the potions you gave me, but I used them all just to be sure."

"I only had one left myself, by the time I was done. I'm just glad we had enough."

Israel stepped forward then, gently taking her hand in both of his to inspect it. It was then she noticed the blood.

"I'm fine." She said in response to his unanswered question. "I didn't fight anyone. It must have happened when I leapt over the barricade on the way out. My landing wasn't exactly acrobatic."

"You couldn't at least tell me what you were going to do?" Israel asked as he gingerly cleaned her hand of blood.

It felt good to be touching him, even in such a small, harmless way. His hands were warm and soft, save for the rough, callused skin around his palm- a result of constant sword use, and a permanent reminder of the incredible violence he was capable of past the gentle touches.

"I would've told you," Sara answered, "if I had thought it a good idea in any way."

"But what if something had happened? I would've had no idea, no way of-"

Sara squeezed his hand lightly. "Nothing happened. It had to be done, so I did it. I thought of the solution, not the problem."

A helpless, proud smile overcame Israel's face.

"I can't argue with that. You did good, Sara."

"Well, at least one of us is given some praise." Vivienne scoffed as she pointed back at Jae, still standing angrily with his arms crossed. "This one was all glares and scolding words since the minute I came through the portal."

Jae gaped at his wife. "Yes, how absurd of me. It's as if we were married and made vows not to keep secrets from one another. What was I thinking?"

Vivienne rolled her eyes. "Sara needed help. No alarm was raised. The enemy had no idea we were even there. Now, thanks to Sara's potions, Laughing Coffin will have nowhere to run when we come for them."

"The effects are only temporary, I'm afraid." Sara warned. "I give it five, six hours at most before they're able to use their Teleport Potions again."

"I don't think that's going to be a problem." Israel said. He released her hand, and Sara felt a distant disappointment at the loss of his touch as he went on. "Vivienne, Sara, I think you're both going to want to see this."

Jae nodded and stepped forward to take the lead. "They're waiting for us out past the entrance to the Grand Hearth."

"Who is?" Vivienne asked suspiciously.

An excited smile overtook Jae's features as he glanced over his shoulder at her. "Our army."


	114. Chapter 113

113

August 1st, 2024

Floor 38, Castellan Keep

The four of them made their way quickly through the back doors of the Keep, and once they were inside, Israel and Sara followed behind as Jae and Vivienne led them through the massive fortress to the Grand Hearth. The married couple continued their argument every step of the way.

"Don't you remember what happened the last time you decided to go off and have a little adventure without telling anyone?" Jae asked.

"Oh, don't start that again." Vivienne replied in annoyance. "Maybe if I didn't have such an irritable, troublesome man for a husband, Laughing Coffin wouldn't have seen fit to lay an ambush for him that I became unfairly caught up in!"

"Irritable?"

"Like a bitter old man."

Jae rolled his eyes.

In the back, and while not daring to interrupt the two fussing leaders in front of them, Sara and Israel couldn't hold back their amused smiles.

"I have to say," Israel whispered over at her, "To see a love like theirs is nothing short of inspirational."

Sara nodded solemnly. "A shining example to married couples everywhere, I'm sure."

Israel all but snorted in an attempt to choke back his laugh.

Vivienne glanced over at them suspiciously, like a mother who had just heard her children crack a joke at her expense.

"Something the matter?"

Israel and Sara shook their heads innocently, first at Vivienne, and then at each other.

They had grins on their faces for the rest of the walk.

Sara wasn't used to feeling playful, let alone happy. She couldn't remember the last time Israel had laughed like that. As they walked further, entering the Grand Hearth from the western wing, she realized what was causing it. All around them, HDA members were moving quickly and with purpose, many smiling and talking excitedly as they went to and fro around the halls, gathering their armor and readying their weapons. For the first time since Sara had stepped into the doors of Castellan Keep, the green players weren't staring at her as if she were evil incarnate. In fact, they didn't even seem to notice her, or Israel. There was a brave, joyous excitement in the air- excitement born of hope. The electric atmosphere was contagious.

When they reached the double doors leading out of the Grand Hearth, Jae turned to smile back at them once more before pushing open the doors with both hands. Sunlight from the new day's dawn streamed in, closely followed by a crisp morning breeze. After blinking several times to adjust her eyes to the light, Sara gasped.

There, gathered in the fields beneath the shadow of Castellan Keep, stood the United Aincrad Army. Hundreds of players, all fully armed and armored in the colored armor of their various guilds, stood in formation, their ranks spilling out across the field, their banners fluttering proudly against the wind, their swords and lances gleaming in the sun.

"I don't believe it," Sara said in wonder as she beamed out at the glorious sight, "they came. They all came."

"How many?" Vivienne asked in a voice filled with emotion. It was clear that she too had feared how many would answer the call to war.

"We haven't made the final count yet," Jae answered with a smile, "as more solo players and unofficial parties are still coming in from the countryside, but as of an hour ago, our numbers stand at nearly four hundred strong."

"Four hundred?" Vivienne repeated in stunned amazement. "I never dared hope for so many."

Jae nodded. "Four hundred. Our own guild makes up the bulk, with our number standing at a little over a hundred and fifty men. Commander Heathcliff and Sub-Commander Asuna brought seventy; the entire strength of the KoB. Klein and Thinker's men combined total fifty-three. Every remaining guild in the Assault Team brought everyone they had who was high enough level, and all combined they add another eighty. The solo players and parties not affiliated with guilds number between thirty to forty. I heard that the solo player Kirito did much to convince the others like him to take part in this. Apparently many of them had seen the upcoming war as guild politics until he convinced them otherwise."

"Jae!"

The four of them turned to the source of the shout, and Sara saw a tall, strong looking man in thick red armor trimmed with white and bordered with crosses. Beside him was a beautiful young woman with long chestnut colored hair, armed in the same crusader style armor but for the reversal of the color scheme. It took her a brief moment, but Sara quickly recognized the man from the Enclave meeting as Commander Heathcliff, and the girl as Asuna, his Second in Command.

"Good to see you, Commander." Jae said as he strode forward and clasped the man's forearm. "And you as well, Asuna. I can't tell you both enough how grateful I am that you came."

"You already have, several times." Asuna said with a small, sincere smile.

"We came to tell you that we, and the other leaders of our forces, are ready." Heathcliff said, his intelligent air mixed with obvious anticipation and commitment to what lay ahead. "As the Commander of the most men, and considering that this plan was yours, after all, we await your word to march."

Jae nodded gratefully.

Out of the corner of her eye, Sara could see the surprised, almost shocked look on Israel's face. She had seen the same expression from him at the Enclave, and again when Jae had ordered the guards to stand down on pain of banishment. Though no words had been spoken about it, Sara knew Israel enough to know that he wasn't used to Jae's behavior, or how men reacted to him. She couldn't be sure, but she guessed that the Jae Israel had known hadn't been a leader, and that it was his importance and obvious commanding qualities that most surprised.

To her, Jae the General was all she had yet seen of the man. By the easy way in which he commanded others and took charge, to say nothing of his imposing, fancy armor, or the men who respected and followed him without question, it was odd to think of the man in any other light.

"There are still a few of our troops inside Castellan Keep that need to be separated from the garrison staying behind." Jae explained. "Lind also needs to be told that we are heading out. Give me twenty minutes, and then we march."

…

"Vivienne," Israel said, softly snagging the woman by her polished steel bracer before she could join Jae across the hall, "If it's alright, may have I quick word? In private?"

Both Vivienne and Sara blinked in surprise at the question. Ahead, further down the aisles of trestle tables and hearths, Sara could see Jae exchanging quick words with Lind, the Guild Leader of the HDA. The decadent, pompous looking man did not look pleased as Jae went on, his words inaudible past the dozens of soldiers all moving out of the Grand Hearth.

Vivienne had stayed behind by the doors to help Sara explain to Israel, at his request, what exactly they had done to ensure that Laughing Coffin would be unable to escape Brakrun Dungeon. Upon seeing Lind's increasingly sour face, however, Vivienne had sighed and started forward, obviously ready to drag her husband away lest more time be wasted. It was only when Israel spoke up that she paused.

"Of course," Vivienne said kindly, though the surprise was evident in her voice, "we can talk over by the corner there, if you like."

Sara met Israel's eyes curiously as the two began walking away.

"Something wrong?" She mouthed silently.

He dispelled the notion with a slight shake of his head, then mouthed back, "I'll tell you later."

Alone in the center of all the excited activity going on around her as warriors streamed out of the Grand Hearth to either man their posts or join the United Army, Sara couldn't help but wonder what Israel was up to.

…

"I don't understand." Lind said angrily. "How dare they. How dare they slander my authority on the doorstep of my own fortress, with me not fifty feet from them!"

Jae clenched his teeth in irritation, forcing himself not to raise his voice.

"You know very well Commander Heathcliff meant no such thing. He has nothing but respect for you, Lind."

The gems and studded gold fibers on Lind's robes sparkled as he threw up his arms. "And yet he deems it acceptable to say that you, and not I, are in command of-"

"What's this about?" Avari asked in annoyance as she skidded to a halt beside them, brushing her bangs out of her eyes with an armored glove.

"Commander Heathcliff told our Second in Command here," Lind pointed to Jae, "that he awaits _his_ orders to take our men to battle! Who does he think-"

"Will _you_ be leading our men into this fight, then, Commander?" Avari asked pointedly. "You are their Guild Leader after all, and one hundred and fifty is three quarters of our total strength. If you're coming, I suggest you get your armor on quickly. You're going to need it. I have no doubt the men's morale will soar seeing you in your battle gear again."

Lind hesitated, the anger in his eyes rapidly dissolving as he scrambled to come up with an excuse.

"Well, yes, you're right of course, but I believe that it is very important that someone remains behind to defend Castellan Keep while the army is away. The garrison will need leading after all. I shall remain here and fend off Laughing Coffin if they attempt an attack while you're gone."

Avari nodded. Jae could see the scowl on her face.

"I'm not even surprised anymore." She pointed to the doors leading back to the guard towers of the Keep. "If you're going to oversee the garrison, I suggest you get up there and let them know."

Seizing the out Avari had just given him, Lind reluctantly agreed and, after wishing them good luck and safety in the fight ahead, disappeared into the depths of the Keep.

"Thanks for that." Jae said gratefully as they watched the man go. "I really wasn't in the mood to deal with him today."

Avari waved his words off casually. "These days, I never am. Still, it is a bit amusing how easy it is to see him off."

"You ready to march?"

Avari nodded, affectionately patting the hilt of the greatsword at her back. "Oh, yes. It's time we gave Laughing Coffin the justice they deserve. When do we leave?"

"Five minutes."

The woman nodded. "I better go find David outside. He'll throw a fit if he can't march beside me."

Jae smiled slyly. "Is that you're way of saying _you'll_ throw a fit if he doesn't march beside you?"

Avari punched his shoulder, but he could see the smile on her face as she ran ahead and out the double doors to go find David. Aranal and the others were already outside, geared up and ready for battle. It was time they set out.

Jae looked around for Vivienne, but instead spotted Sara standing alone by the doors as troops rushed past to get in formation.

"Do you know where Vivienne and Israel are?" He asked as he approached her.

Sara pointed to the two, half hidden and talking in the corner some distance off. "They went off to have a private word. Israel had something he wanted to tell her."

Jae furrowed his brow in curiosity as he followed her finger. "That's odd. I wonder what it could be about."

Sara shrugged. "I suspect he's asking her to watch over me or some such thing. That man is bound and determined to worry about me until the day he dies."

Jae chuckled. "That sounds like him." He paused, then glanced over at her. "Er, Sara? Is it alright if I ask you a personal question?"

"I don't see why not. What is it?"

Unsure exactly how to ask, Jae decided to just spit it out. "Are you and Israel...you know…"

Sara's pale face went suddenly red as she flushed, then glanced slowly away. Jae immediately regretted his question, and his choice of words.

"No." She said, clearing her throat in an obvious effort to dispel the awkward air now between them. "Israel and I aren't together."

Jae ran a hand through his hair in embarrassment of his own. "Sorry, that was a stupid question. I only asked because I want to get to know him more and...well...it just seemed to me that, what with the way you two look at eachother and all, and considering how he always seems to brighten whenever you're around, I guess I just thought...sorry."

"No, no," Sara insisted politely, "it's perfectly-"

"Hero of Floor Twenty-Five!"

Turning to the double doors, Jae saw a man he dimly recognized as one of the company members of Aincrad Today. He sighed; it had been a forlorn hope, but he had prayed that none of the info brokers or news guilds would hear about the gathering army or the looming battle. It wasn't that he feared news of the attack would leak to the red players, but just that he hated being bombarded with questions and later finding himself on the cover of news bulletins.

"Hero of Floor Twenty-Five!" The man called out again as he drew to a stop before Jae. The man looked askance at Sara, his face souring at the sight of a red player, and he scooted several inches away from her.

"Is it true that-"

"No questions today." Jae ushered Sara to come along with him. It was definitely time to leave.

"Please, Sir, just a few words on the coming-"

"I said, no."

"Well, what about plans for after the Great Battle?" The man probed. "Will the prisoners be sent to the Black Iron Palace or-"

"Prisoners?" Israel appeared suddenly before them, with Vivienne in tow as she quickly found her way beside Jae.

The newspaper man recoiled at Israel's presence for a moment, then angrily said, "Of course. The Assault Team can't be expected to be as savage as you, killing everyone they find. They are the enemy, but they are people too. We have no right to play God and take their lives, just as they have no right to take ours. Laughing Coffin will have to be peacefully arrested and-"

"You speak of savagery?" Israel glared at the player with menacing eyes, and Jae was half sure the poor man would dissolve into a puddle right where he stood.

"You speak of savagery," Israel said again in a cold, hard voice, "when you and those like you stand the true animals of this world. Laughing Coffin has no intention of being taken captive. They will not hesitate to kill anyone who comes asking for their surrender. You would allow your fellow green players to die for the sake of deluded principles? You would allow them to die so that you can stand on your moral high ground and raise your chin at those you deem beneath you? Do you intend to kindly ask those intent on killing you and those you love to surrender peacefully, in order to allow you to feel superior even as they slit your throat?"

"Of course not," the man stammered heatedly, "That's not...you are...you are wrong to think you have the right to take lives, when they stand just as important as your own! Have you no pity at all?"

Israel's iron gaze hardened, sending the man back a step. His voice, though quiet and controlled, nonetheless rang out with a clarity and purpose that demanded to be heard. His next words were few, but they were all he needed.

"Pity for the guilty is treason to the innocent."

…

The crescendo of four hundred feet hitting the ground in near perfect unison behind him echoed in Jae's ears. The valley rumbled in agitation at the noise, and everywhere he looked, the animals of the forest fled before the sound, running as fast as their legs would carry them away from the host of marching men.

At the head of the army alongside Commander Heathcliff, Asuna, Thinker, Klein, Israel, Vivienne, and around a dozen of the Enclave leaders, Jae could almost feel the various emotions carrying in the air. There was first a grim feeling, an expectant silence, understandable considering the fact that they were walking towards battle and death. There was a faint sense of fear, stale and cold as a few whispered prayers rose up only to be drowned out by the marching.

There was a far greater feeling of hope, no doubt because the men knew they were marching towards a brighter future, and that their actions this day would most likely bring about the first real peace in Aincrad history. Overpowering the worried grimness, though, the fear, and even the bright passion of hope, was pride.

The rays of early morning sun glinted off the polished steel armor of hundreds, gleamed off the razor edges of innumerable swords, and shimmered as it struck the golden wire borders of HDA cloaks or pure white KoB crosses. A sea of illustrious banners, all displaying the official sigil of a dozen guilds, flew fearlessly, defiantly, against the crisp morning breeze. The very earth seemed to tremble before the long, snakelike column of warriors that now streamed through the valley in perfect formation. They were indeed an army.

Jae understood all too well the pride hanging in the air.

The sound of glass scraping against metal caught his attention, and Jae looked down to see the small red vial Sara had given him hanging loose at his weapons belt. Removing his right hand from it's resting place at the wooden grip of Starfire sticking out above his shoulder, he adjusted the potion and then tightened the small leather pouch from which it had fallen.

When the army had at last fully assembled outside the walls of Castellan Keep a half hour earlier, Sara had had every intention of joining the army. Israel took her aside then, and asked her to stay behind. Sara had at first refused, but Jae heard Israel explain to her that in this, she would not be in her element. Sara was one of the smartest, bravest, fiercest women he had ever met, he said, but both of them knew she was no fighter. In the battle ahead, there would be only blood, chaos, and death, and to bring her into that, when she had already done more than enough, would be something he could never forgive himself for.

Jae and Vivienne had both gone to Israel's side then, saying that they knew full well Sara's value, but that to risk her life in something she had not trained for would be foolish and wrong. Reluctantly, Sara at last agreed, but not before looking at Israel and saying that it was only for his sake. She had then quickly taken out a bundle of potions and handed them out, one each, to first Israel, than Jae, Vivienne, Avari, David, Aranal, Meifan, and Rain. She explained that each would, when consumed, raise their maximum HP by fifteen percent for the next hour. It wasn't much, but it was something.

In the front ranks just behind him, Jae heard Avari and David break the monotonous sound of marching and ask above the din how Aranal and Rain had met.

Glancing back, Jae could see Aranal smile as Rain told of how a big, clumsy waiter had spilled a bowl of soup on her, only to make matters worse by desperately trying to clean the front of her chest.

Aranal hadn't wanted Rain to participate in the fight, Jae knew. Nonetheless, the man seemed to have come to terms with the fact that his fiance was a skilled warrior now, and hadn't put up a fight when she buckled on her sword and joined the formation. Jae suspected the big Viking just didn't want her angry with him. Personally, he was glad; he had fought beside Rain back on Floor One, and he knew she was capable of handling herself. In the fight ahead, they would need every skilled sword available.

Several feet ahead of Jae and the others, Israel held the lead in order to study the ground and trees around them, constantly listening for any sign of a Laughing Coffin ambush. Now garbed in his full brigandine armor and black cloak, and with the bloodred sword at his side and scratched steel war gauntlet covering his right hand and forearm, Israel appeared a figure of menace and dread.

And that was without the hood and mask.

Squeezing Vivienne's hand affectionately, Jae pressed wordlessly ahead, passing the others until he fell in beside his brother.

"Israel."

Still looking ahead, his blue eyes darting about the trees with a hidden look, Israel didn't seem have even heard him.

"Yes?"

Jae took a breath. "Listen, I don't want to fight with you about what you said to that info broker or newspaper man or whoever he was, but I also don't want you to get the wrong idea here. I think I should make it clear now that, while I am fully prepared to kill any of the red players who put up resistance today, and to order my men to do the same, I have every intention of sparing any who do surrender."

Israel didn't look surprised, nor did he look away from the trees he was watching around them.

"I remember your beliefs quite well, Jae. You don't need to repeat them to me."

"I don't want an argument about this to break out later on." Jae pressed. "I know your beliefs about such things as well, and I respect them even as I am opposed to them, but this is different. I am head of the army here, and I want us both on the same page. I need to know that you won't go around cutting down prisoners in cold blood when this fight is done."

"I don't think that's something you'll need to worry about."

"And why is that?"

Israel turned, finally meeting Jae's gaze with calm eyes. "Because Laughing Coffin won't surrender. They will fight to the death."

Jae didn't believe it was as simple as all that. He didn't believe the red players would all choose death rather than life. He could not.

Another twenty minutes passed before the army arrived in front of a massive, ruined stone door that was more a collection of debris than an entrance. Israel went in first to check for traps or men, and when he returned to declare that the entrance chamber was clear, Jae signaled for the army to advance.

It was slow going for the column as they entered Brakrun Dungeon, as the men further back were forced to wait while those in front clambered and climbed inside past the ruined stone door. Everyone was silent; Jae had ordered that not a word be spoken throughout the Dungeon in an effort to maintain the element of surprise.

By the time the last of the troops were inside, Jae and the others at the front half of the column had spilled out well into the next few corridors. After signalling for Heathcliff, Asuna, Avari, and David to take command and oversee the rear now far behind, Jae again silently ordered the men to move out.

An eery feeling hung in the air as the silent army quietly funneled down the central corridor and into the maze of halls and passageways that made up most of the Dungeon. Torches flickered along the slime and mold covered walls, casting a host of shadows as the troops moved past. Only quiet breathing could be heard as they moved on, their weapons at the ready, their shields raised.

While Jae was only too accustomed to the closeness of dungeons and the quiet threat they presented, he could see the unease in Israel's face. His brother had found the confines and close quarters of Castellan Keep too much; Jae could only imagine what he thought of such a dank, narrow, and bleak dungeon as this.

After winding their way through the majority of the maze with the help of maps and Vivienne's memory of the place, Jae spotted the end of the hall, and with it the corner that led down the largest of the seven corridors and into the heart of the Dungeon: the great chamber where PoH's army was encamped.

"One push, with all our weight and numbers in column formation," Jae whispered to the gathered leaders and friends around him as the army waited just yards behind, "Do not stop for anything once we've driven through the barricade."

"The barricade is barely five feet in height," Vivienne whispered to the others, "and made of little more than salvaged materials in this section. Use the weight of our charging men to topple it as we take down the guards."

Jae nodded, than continued, "we must strike with speed and purpose before they can prepare any kind of a counter attack. Wreak havoc in the camp to sow further disorder, but have word spread to the men that all who surrender are to be bound and brought back here. Understood?"

Thinker, Klein, Vivienne, and the half dozen Enclave leaders who had stayed at the front all nodded firmly.

Reaching behind him with an easy, knowing flourish of his hand, Jae withdrew Starfire from it's latches at his back and twirled the mighty weapon into his hands.

"I'll see you all on the other side."

Israel drew his sword, it's bloodred edges gleaming with delight as his iron fist tightened.

"We must kill the guards before they have a chance to sound an alarm. Are you with me, brother?"

His cobalt eyes were aflame with violence waiting to be unleashed.

Jae gave Israel a curt nod. "To the death."

Jae raised his fist, and the army of men behind him surged forward like a sea of crashing waves. Rounding the corner to stay ahead of them, Jae found himself suddenly exposed and standing before a makeshift wall not thirty feet ahead. Behind it, the heads of four guards snapped towards him in alarm and bewilderment. Vivienne rushed forward, brandishing her saber as she went. Klein and Thinker, the half dozen Enclave leaders, Aranal, Rain, and Meifan all streamed in at the head of the column as hundreds came at a dead sprint.

Jae and Israel, both running at full speed, outpaced them all.

"Sound the alarm!" One of the Laughing Coffin guards shrieked as Jae and Israel ran together towards the barricade. "Sound the-"

His words abruptly ceased and were replaced with desperate gurgling as a steel dart shot from Israel's hand and buried itself in the red player's throat. The man toppled to the ground, clutching madly at his blood splattered neck even as his health drained to zero.

Two of the remaining guards stood at their posts and hurled a spear and a steel dart between them at Jae and Israel, while the third turned and began to run for the camp to warn his comrades.

Jae knew the man was already too late.

Still ahead of the army behind them, neither Israel nor Jae slowed their advance. Israel waited until the spear was nearly upon him, then sidestepped gracefully and kept running. Right beside him, Jae twirled his staff in his hands as he moved, batting aside the steel dart aimed at him with an easy flourish.

They reached the barricade, and the two guards hastily drew their swords. Hurling himself over the makeshift wall with an arm, Jae used the momentum of his fall to power the lunge of his bladed staff and completely impaled the first guard before the man could swing at him. At the same time, Israel also hit the ground on the inside of the wall and, with a lazy flick of his wrist, caught the second guard's sword in his steel coated hand. An instant later, his red sword came down and all but cleaved the red player in two with a single blow.

Pixelated shards exploded outwards all around them and were yet further sent flying when the entire barricade came crashing down behind them. Aranal's massive double bladed axe sailed through the air past them at incredible speed and buried itself in the final guard's back as the man continued to flee.

"Justice!" The huge man cried out as he charged towards the camp.

Right behind him came the avalanche of men all shouting war cries as the front of the column poured into the chamber. Rain was there at the front, as were Vivienne and Meifan, Klein and Thinker.

"Make for the camp!" Jae roared above the deafening cries of the army streaming in. "Get ready for-"

All at once, an even greater cry rose from within the massive chamber. The sprawling camp just ahead seemed to come life as tents were knocked down, wagons overturned, and wooden fences kicked aside. Hundreds of red players, all garbed in the black cloaks and hoods of Laughing Coffin, jumped up from the debris and surged forward on all sides save for the now open passageway behind, where still more of the United Army were charging through.

 _They knew we were coming,_ Jae realized in horror.

The mass of green players inside the chamber halted in their advance, their cries faltering as all around the entire force of the enemy sprang up and ran to meet them. The air came whizzing to life as swarms of paralysis and poison darts shot forward from the hands and mouths of the advancing enemy.

"Shields up!" Jae cried as the darts flew into them, two of which he deflected with Starfire. "Raise your shields!"

Shields of all sizes came up just in time, and the clink of a hundred darts ricocheting off steel echoed around the chamber, only to be lost amidst the war cries of the charging Laughing Coffin army. Screams and choked gasps emerged from all around him as the darts cut into the men up front who couldn't raise their shields quickly enough, dropping a dozen in a matter of seconds.

 _We don't even have time to form ranks._ _They'll crash right into us. We need to get the rest of the men in here, half the army hasn't even made it into the chamber yet-_

As if on queue, A great booming sound suddenly rang out in the dark recesses of the dungeon, followed by a long, low creak from somewhere behind him. Spinning around, Jae was just in time to see the walls on either side of the passageway begin to shift inwards at a frightening pace, making it harder for the long column of men still coming in to advance into the chamber, and forcing the rest of the army back lest they be crushed between the walls of the corridor. An instant later, the two walls met each other in the middle and ground to a halt. Half the army was now stuck outside the chamber.

Jae had no idea how PoH had done it. He knew of similar traps from other Dungeons and Labyrinths, but those had been instantly activated and could not be stopped or reset. PoH had somehow found the means to control the trap and use it for his purpose.

Now Jae, Vivienne, Israel, and half of their army were cut off, outnumbered, surrounded, and had no means of escape. PoH had played his cards well. Israel had been right to be wary of the man.

Bloodcurdling screams rose up all around as the black tide of Laughing Coffin men crashed into the mass of unprepared green players.

Now the real nightmare began.


	115. Chapter 114

114

August 1st, 2024

Floor 49, Brakrun Dungeon

Brutal, chaotic fighting raged all around him as Israel cut through Laughing Coffin members with lethal precision, his sword and fist a blur. He fought them without mercy, clearing his mind of all but the next cut even as he filled his heart with the raw violence of each blow. All the while, he tried to advance.

Israel had no idea where Jae or Vivienne or any of the rest of them were; any notion of a battle line had been shattered the moment the red players had crashed into the United Army, turning the entire central chamber into a huge pitched battlefield.

The walls of Brakrun Dungeon seemed to shake before the deafening tumult of the battle, the overwhelming din filling the field as the dense mass of warriors all around screamed, roared, shouted desperate commands, and fought with everything they had. The sound of steel rang out in mind numbing monotony as swords clashed against swords, spears against shields, and axes against helms. The ever thickening mist of pixelated shards only added to the chaos and noise, the never ending on-death explosions filling the air with the tiny, pure white crystals.

A Laughing Coffin member screamed with rage as he finished off a green player and spotted Israel in front of him- the Shadow of Death himself. Israel didn't wait for the man to charge him and attacked without a second thought, slamming Apocalypse against the red player's sword once, twice, before bringing his steel coated fist up and punching the man square in the chest. Knocked off his feet by the force of the impact as his chest cavity imploded, the player went flying backwards into the dense clusters of men fighting all around, disappearing behind the horde of thrashing bodies before Israel could see if he had died.

 _I have to get through,_ Israel thought as he impaled another red player on the edge of his sword, _I have to get to PoH._

Israel knew exactly why the walls of the main passage had closed before the whole army had made it inside. How PoH knew he was outnumbered, Israel wasn't sure, but he knew that that was the reason. Though he had ensured both a surrounding position and the element of surprise, PoH hadn't gotten cocky with his advantages. In order to prevent the risk of his men getting overrun through sheer numbers, the man had cleverly waited for half of the column to get inside before somehow activating the closing walls. Now, he was the one with the higher numbers as well, and he would have a much easier time defeating two separate and smaller units, one after the other, rather than one large army all at once.

Furthermore, PoH had timed his attack precisely. Israel knew that this was exactly what the man had wanted; a wild, uncontrollable brawl of such madness and scale that the famed discipline and formation tactics of the Assault Team would be swept away before the resulting pitched battle in which red players thrived.

At least, it appeared to be uncontrollable.

Israel knew his enemy well enough to know that PoH was still in full command of his army, and that it was through his supervision and leadership that they were pushing the green players back, just as his supervision had seen to the ambush. As long as PoH had control of the battle, Laughing Coffin was almost sure to win. Which is why Israel intended to kill the man before it was too late.

Ignoring the raging battle all around as best he could, Israel continued to press forward even as the Assault Team soldiers were driven slowly back. The green players fought valiantly, and some were working together in small clusters in order to hold their ground rather than retreat, but against player killers within their own element, the mist of pixelated shards continued to thicken.

PoH was no coward, but he was a practical man. Israel had no doubt that PoH knew he was far more valuable and effective as a commander rather than a simple combatant, and for that reason, he was most likely overseeing his troops from the rear of the fight. No doubt, he would be protected by his fanatical bodyguards. It didn't matter. Israel had to get him. PoH had to die.

Though Israel killed only those directly in his path as he forced himself onward, with each step he took, he seemed to be wading deeper into the thickest of the fighting, and catching the attention of more and more of his fellow red players.

Dodging the wild swing of a long handled battleaxe being used by a Knight of the Blood-Oath nearby, Israel deflected a rogue dart whizzing by with Apocalypse and took another step forward, only to be halted by a knot of three Laughing Coffin men charging straight at him.

Blocking the first man's attack with Apocalypse while simultaneously deflecting the second player's sword with his fist, Israel twisted his torso and kicked the third man hard in the gut just before the warrior could run him through. Spinning around, Israel dropped to a knee and dodged a slash aimed at his head as the first man pressed his attack, then lopped off his leg with a swing from Apocalypse. The wounded red player screamed in agony as he went down. Israel rose up and attacked relentlessly, running the second man through before the first had hit the ground. The third hacked at him, but Israel blocked the attack with his fist and beheaded the man with one swift strike of his sword. Apocalypse's edges gleamed with delight as crimson blood oozed down the length of its red and black steel.

More and more men fell to Israel's sword and fist as he struggled to advance through the battlefield, but each of them fought fiercely, and before long, Israel was drawing in the pain from a dozen minor wounds. As he fought, he witnessed a Holy Dragon Alliance member drive his lance through the chest of a red player, only to have his throat slashed open a second later by another player killer's sword. Seconds later, he saw an Army soldier lose his sword in the melee and, clutching his buckler in both hands as he tackled his opponent to the ground, raised the shield to bash in the red player's head. A vassal guild member with a scimitar took off both his arms before he could execute the death blow.

Everywhere Israel looked, men and women from both sides were being brutally stabbed, slashed, beaten, and hacked apart as the battle continued to rage. Terrible as it all was, the void within him eagerly embraced the sight and sounds of the slaughter, the rush of it, flourishing with each swing of his arm as his sword met bone and blood, thriving on the sharp pain each time enemy steel ripped open his flesh. As always, violence was the only thing that dulled the ever present misery inside him.

Yanking Apocalypse free of the guts of a wolf pack scout who had managed to stab him in the leg, Israel brained another with a backhanded swing of his fist before the player could hamstring him. He was about to step over the fresh corpses- it was taking several seconds longer than usual for the system to acknowledge the deaths and obliterate the bodies- when he suddenly sensed a familiar presence behind him. A presence that brought imminent danger flashing in his mind's eye.

Jerking to the side, Israel was too slow to completely avoid whatever it was he had sensed coming at him and blinked in surprise as incredible pain shot through his back. He felt steel hit and rebound against the back of his right shoulder blade, and spun around to face his attacker before the wound could be made any worse.

Standing in front of him, his young face twisted in burning hatred, stood Liam.

…

"Pull!" Heathcliff shouted again.

David could see sweat beading the KoB Commander's brow as he, Heathcliff, Asuna, Avari, and a dozen soldiers pulled on the end of the thin oak beam they had jammed several inches in between the closed stone walls. From beyond, inside the chamber, they could all dimly hear the muffled screams and cries. The sounds sent chills down David's spine; first of fear for his friends, and then of cold rage for those who were causing them.

"Pull!"

David gritted his teeth and grunted with effort as he pulled with everything he had. Beside him, he could hear Avari groan against the section of beam she was tugging. All of them were panting and covered in a thin sheet of sweat.

It had been a hastily formed plan, but it made sense; Heathcliff believed that if the walls could be nudged enough, even if just a little, the trap would reset and the walls would open of their own accord to again reveal the passageway into the chamber. Try as they might though, and even with the noises of the battle beyond the stone further driving them, they could not force apart the stone walls. They couldn't even slightly widen the half inch-wide crack in which they had driven the beam.

It was hopeless.

"Come on, pull! We have to get through to them!"

Realization washed over David in an icy wave, and he released the wooden beam. Jae had always urged him, ever since they had met, to think for himself. To speak up when things needed to be done. To think of the solution. He needed to do that now.

"David," Avari panted, "I know it hurts, but we have to-"

"We need to go back!" David shouted. He could think of no other way. They were out of time.

"What?" Heathcliff blinked at him. "David, what are you-"

"There are six other passageways that lead inside the central chamber, remember? We can't get in this way. It's not working. We need to move now if we are to join the battle in time!"

David caught Avari's shoulder, tugging at her in a silent urge to release the beam. He turned to the dense column of Assault Team soldiers and solo players standing several feet back, their numbers spilling out into several adjacent corridors.

"Does anyone know this Dungeon? Does anyone have map information that could help us back through the maze and into a different passage?"

Dozens of heads, most covered in helms, chainmail hoods, or coifs, shook from side to side.

"There was only one map of Brakrun Dungeon on record," Heathcliff said, his muscled arms still clutching the wooden beam, "and that was in Jae's possession as we went through here. He has it."

David shook his head, and he could feel his hair plastered against the inside of his HDA helmet.

"It doesn't matter. We need to make our way back through the maze. We need to find one of the next passages and help Jae and Vivienne and the rest of our men."

"It could take hours to find our way through the maze without a map," Asuna objected, "At least here, after a few more attempts, we might be able to-"

"We can't afford to waste any more time." Avari interrupted. She glanced David's way and nodded at him. "David is right, we need to move now if we are to have any chance at getting in there before everyone is slaughtered!"

Several voices in the crowd of warriors began to ring out in opposition to David's plea.

"If we go back in there, we'll end up trapped in the maze for Laughing Coffin to come and pick us apart!"

"They've obviously thought this through; for all we know, they could have already left a series of traps back there to line our way!"

"We've got no chance-"

"Silence!" Heathcliff commanded sternly, and the hall fell swiftly silent.

Releasing the beam, Heathcliff nodded for his men and the rest of them to do the same, then strode forward towards the crowd, who quickly made way before him.

"David is right," he said, "We've already wasted enough time here. The wall isn't moving, so we must. Our brothers our dying in there! Turn about, and if any of you have any map information about this place beyond the rest of the us, please share-"

Heathcliff's gaze darted to the rear of the column, and David's eyes followed just in time to see the men in the back surge suddenly forward. Right on their heels, stumbling over each other in dense packs as they streamed suddenly out from around the corner, came a horde of monsters.

Armored skeletons with rusty swords, squat goblins with poison coated daggers, massive, muscle bound minotaurs wielding double sided axes, and even black knights covered in dark plate armor and bearing greatswords all streamed out into the hall where most of the column of players was standing. Countless red eyes all glowed in sudden hostility as the army of mobs caught sight of them.

"How…" Asuna trailed off.

"Laughing Coffin has led the entire dungeon to us." David said grimly.

"Shieldwall!" Heathcliff shouted, his command ringing out across the hall as the horde of mobs began to charge in a wild, disorganized frenzy. "Form up! Shieldwall!"

The Assault Team soldiers had been drilled and trained to obey such orders and carry them out with unmatched discipline and speed, and now that a command had been given, the demeanor of the entire column instantly changed. The back ranks, men who had only moments before started forward in a panic at the sight of such a force coming at them, formed up into ranks and slammed their shields into the ground. Shields were overlapped, lances lowered, and swords unsheathed.

The men parted quickly for Heathcliff and the others so they could make their way to the new front ranks. David and Avari all but ran forward as they drew their swords and prepared to fight.

"Brace for impact!" Heathcliff roared behind his shield as he planted himself in the center of the line. "Hold formation!"

A second later, the horde of mobs collided into the wall of shields with a deafening crash. David leaned forward, adding his weight to the tank in front of him as the man recoiled before the impact. Avari shoved her greatsword viciously into a gap between the shields, and black blood splattered onto David's polished steel armor. Nearby, a tank went down as both he and his shield were split in two by a minotaur's axe. Asuna's rapier flashed with lightning speed as the woman leapt into the gap, and the monster went down in a heap before exploding into pixelated shards. David ran to join her, his scimitar gripped tightly in his hand, and the two of them cut down five more monsters before more tanks with shields pushed up and closed the breach.

"Push forward!" Heathcliff's voice rang out above the din of clashing swords and splintering shields, "Full line of advance! Laughing Coffin's stalling will not keep us from aiding our brothers and sisters in that chamber! We will fight through, or die in the attempt!"

…

Liam attacked with maddening fury, slashing and stabbing with his estoc in weaving patterns as he pressed Israel back.

"Now you die, Shadow!" the young man cried through gritted teeth as he swung, his words half drowned in the din of battle all around, "Now you die for all you've done!"

Israel was forced back a step, than another, as Liam redoubled his assault. The red player had grown greatly in skill, that much was sure, but it wasn't his swordsmanship that was giving him the edge. Liam had tried to kill him with a stab in the back, and although Israel had managed to escape the worst of the blow, his left shoulder blade had still been badly damaged.

The pain meant nothing- Israel drew it into himself without conscious thought as he struggled to fight Liam off- but he could not ignore the circumstances of his wounds. With his left shoulder significantly weakened, his sword arm was slower, and his blows with Apocalypse now lacked their usual strength.

On top of that, Liam had taken him by surprise, driving forward with everything he had before Israel could properly recover and utilize his remaining strengths.

Liam lunged past his guard before Israel could parry the blow or bat it aside with his fist, and the tip of his estoc pierced several inches into Israel's chest.

Israel backed up another step as he warded off the endless flurry of blows, but Liam again broke through, and this time he cut open a deep gash along Israel's side.

"Die!" Liam shouted in both raw hatred and wild determination as he attacked even faster, his confidence growing with each wound he inflicted. "I will kill you! Just like your weak little shopkeeper friend! I'll have you scream as he did!"

Pure white rage, of such burning heat and destructive force as Israel had not felt in a long time, exploded suddenly through his entire being. The inferno of wrath reddened his vision. It demanded retribution. It screamed for Liam's blood.

Kill.

Lurching forward, Israel bent low and rammed his shoulder into Liam's chest at the same moment the man swung, driving the wind from his lungs and knocking him from his feet. Liam flew into a backwards roll and came up swinging, but Israel was already moving. Knocking aside the estoc with his fist, he swung Apocalypse as best he could. Liam jerked back and narrowly escaped. The red player prepared to counter attack, but Israel again pressed forward, this time aiming a punch straight for Liam's face. Liam tore away from the blow before it could reach him, but he wasn't ready for Israel's second attack, and Apocalypse's edge slashed open his ribs.

Kill.

Liam staggered back as Israel forced him onto the defensive, raising his estoc again and again to ward off Israel's fist and sword. He attempted to launch counterattacks in order to regain the offensive, but each time, Israel merely stepped in closer and continued his barrage of blows. Though it was difficult and put him at great risk, Israel avoided using his sword whenever possible, merely deflecting when he should have been blocking, in order to gather what little strength he yet had in his wounded left arm. He would need it for the final attack.

Face now creased in fear, Liam lurched desperately backwards to evade Israel's onslaught, doing everything he could to keep his guard up and block the storm of blows now bombarding him. Israel was weary, his body injured, and his left arm was all but worthless as he kept it back in order to gather what strength he could, but the inferno of rage inside of him powered his attacks and filled his being with ruthless, wild, unrestrained strength. Visions of Tristan flashed in his eyes with each blow. He would have vengeance. The red players had taken too much from him. First Naomi, and then his friend Tristan. They would take no more. Liam was far from the one Israel wanted dead the most, but he was a good start to what needed to be done this day.

As far as Israel was concerned, the deed was already done.

He had but to see it to fruition.

Retreating another step, Liam collided into a red player battling an HDA soldier, knocking both men and Liam off balance. Israel closed for the kill.

Seizing the collar of the red player, Liam shoved the man into Israel's path just as Apocalypse came down. Blood and brains exploded everywhere, and the Laughing Coffin member crumpled to the ground.

Wrenching Apocalypse from the red player's shattered skull, Israel turned just in time to see Liam lunging for him. He raised his fist to protect himself. At the last second, the HDA member brought his sword up, blocking Liam's estoc before it could get close.

"Get out of the way!" Israel shouted as he darted forward, "don't try to fight him!"

It was too late.

Knocking aside the HDA soldier's sword before the man could defend himself, Liam ran him through before kicking him off his blade and into Israel.

Israel wanted to help the green player, to catch him as he fell and try to save his life, but he knew that it was too late. Liam had stabbed him through the heart.

Sidestepping the falling player before he was knocked off balance, Israel let out a savage cry and made for Liam just as the red player launched an overhead attack with all his strength and both hands on his estoc. His blade cut through the air with frightening speed.

Summoning all the strength left within his sword arm, Israel raised Apocalypse and blocked the blow.

Angry sparks flew off the blades as they made contact, and Israel had to mentally focus on absorbing the immense pain now coursing through his injured arm even as he forced it to hold beneath the pressure. Then, with his steel coated right hand open, fingers stiff and straight, he drove his arm ahead with all his might.

Before Liam could so much as blink, Israel's armored hand had driven completely into his abdomen. Israel could feel organs rip and tear.

Liam's eyes opened wide with shock, and Israel could see the excruciating pain etch it's way across his face. His mouth opened to scream, but no noise came out.

Standing there, both of them frozen in place as the battle raged around them, Liam and Israel stared at each other.

Israel brought his face close, until it was mere inches away from Liam's. The man had gone pale.

"This is for Tristan." Israel said through gritted teeth.

Closing his hand around Liam's spinal cord, Israel ripped the length of it out with one swift, strong pull.

Liam crashed to the stone floor in an unnatural, crumpled heap. A pool of crimson blood spread out from under him, soaking the bottoms of Israel's boots. Then the corpse shattered into a thousand pixelated shards, their tiny white essences soaring into the air above the battle to mingle with the millions of others already gathered there, thickening the air. Before the day was done, it would grow thicker still.

Israel wanted PoH


	116. Chapter 115

Shout out to Hollow Lives! I wasn't going to edit or post this next chapter until tomorrow or the day after, but your awesome reviews inspired me to get off my ass and get it done today. Thanks for your support!

115

August 1st, 2024

Floor 49, Brakrun Dungeon

Jae blocked both swords at once with Starfire's center, then twirled the staff upright to disarm both red players at the same time. And instant later, and with two swift diagonal slashes, he cut both men down. Behind him, he felt Vivienne's back briefly brush against his before she rebounded. He heard her saber clash against steel, and then a high pitched cry that he guessed was from her enemy as bone crunched loudly.

Blood gushed down his face from a deep gash on his forehead, and drops of it were beginning to fall into his eyes, but Jae couldn't pause to wipe his brow. More Laughing Coffin men, now finished with the green players they had been preoccupied with, came at him with deadly speed, jumping over the corpses of their comrades in their eagerness to kill him. Blinking away the blood as he changed his stance, Jae forced aside the pounding in his head and the pain of a dozen small wounds, and again lost himself to the mind numbing violence of it all.

Though the battle filled nearly the entire central chamber of Brakrun Dungeon, Jae and Vivienne had found themselves caught in the thickest of the fighting from the beginning, being right in the front of the advancing column just as Laughing Coffin had crashed into it. The others had been with them, but it was where Jae and Vivienne had been standing that the green players had been hit hardest, their entire center collapsing against the weight and ferocity of the red players' assault.

The green players had managed to stem the tide after a time, hurling themselves desperately into the fray to keep the center from being overrun even without Jae's shouted commands, but the resulting mass of densely packed men crashing into each other had turned the center of the battle into little more than a mad brawl. So thick was the fighting here that Jae saw some men die where they stood, their bodies unable to fall to the ground as clusters of other players fought around them with wild, savage determination. It was only after several moments that the on-death explosions would activate, dissolving the corpses and opening up several feet of room only for the mass of men to fill it with the dead once again.

The madness of it all was simply horrifying beyond comprehension. Even as he fought, Jae knew he would never be able to unsee what he was witnessing around him, or what he was doing.

Batting aside a red player's spear, Jae was forced to dodge an incoming axe rather than take advantage of the opening. Twisting around, he warded off another man's sword swing just in time, utilizing Starfire's length to keep both him and the spear user at bay. Staves were excellent weapons for fighting multiple opponents at once, and Jae was a master with his. At the same time, however, he was often hindered in his attacks by the lack of space around him, and he knew that a single quick stab from a rapier or dagger could be the end of him in the midst of such close quarter fighting.

Close behind him, Vivienne was fighting her own battles, and whenever Jae heard her cry out or gasp in pain each time she took a wound, he lashed out with wild fury at his assailants. The two of them aided each other when they could, but for the most part, it was all they could to guard each other's backs.

"On your right!" Vivienne warned from somewhere close behind him. He could hear her saber slamming into a shield.

Without hesitation, Jae pivoted on a heel and swung his staff wide to keep the men already attacking him at bay. Turning slightly right, he was just in time to see another Laughing Coffin member driving forward from several feet away, his bloody hands clutching a heavy mace.

With a twist of his wrist, Jae deflected the incoming attack with Starfire, than twirled the weapon in his hands as the two men already on him again closed in. The first man made the mistake of getting too close, and Jae impaled him on the end of his staff with such force that it took him from his feet. The second man swung his axe, knowing Jae wouldn't be able to wrench Starfire out of the man he had just killed fast enough. At the same time, the mace wielder behind him leapt forward to deliver a skull crushing blow.

Ducking underneath his fastened staff without releasing it from his grip, Jae felt the axehead whoosh over his head before slamming into the mace wielder's throat. Rivers of thick, crimson blood shot out from the dying red player's open arteries, filling the air and staining Jae's already tarnished armor.

"Dammit…" The axe wielding red player muttered in surprise as he struggled to yank his axe free.

Ripping Starfire out of the warrior he had impaled, Jae swung, slashing open the axe user's abdomen. Twirling the staff in his hand, Jae swung again with the opposite blade end, and ripped open the man's chest. A third swing, and slashed apart his enemy's throat. All three cuts had been executed in less than a second.

The axe user gurgled blood and air for a brief second, then collapsed to the ground.

Without a moment to breathe, Jae found himself on the defensive again as a red player with a greatsword lunged at him so fiercely that his black cloak billowed out behind him.

Jae spun around the blade with a graceful pivot, building momentum as he levelled Starfire horizontally in the air before him. Before the red player could begin a retreat or attack again, Jae was behind him, and the blade of his staff had buried itself three feet deep into his back. With a grunt, Jae yanked his weapon free, and the red player collapsed to the ground, adding his blood to that of so many others falling all around.

Jae fought on, dodging, sidestepping, blocking, cutting, stabbing, again and again in a never ending bout of desperate violence. He lost count of how many men fell before his staff, and though the very thought of that fact made him sick, he continued to kill, bringing to bear all his skill and resolve against each new enemy that dared face him. He cut them down mercilessly.

The fighting seemed endless, and though Jae knew that it could not have been more than twenty minutes since the battle started, it felt as though days had passed. His armor was dented and battered. His arms felt like lead and throbbed more and more painfully as time wore on. His hands trembled as a result of the endless vibrations that ran down his staff from each blow. His wounds, though minor, ached, and before long, the pain of them lancing through his body began to dull his senses and weaken his mind, allowing more blows to get past his staff than would normally occur. It was in these moments that Jae appreciated his heavy, durable plate armor taking most of the beatings for him.

The fighting was so intense that for a long time, Jae forgot he even had a health bar; his attentions were focused completely on each new enemy that appeared before him, how to stop their attacks, how to get past their guards, how to kill them as quickly and efficiently as possible in order to then focus on the others that took their places. It was only when his subconscious thought urged him to check Vivienne's health bar in the top corner of his screen that he remembered he himself had one as well.

Not that it mattered much.

Jae almost never got a chance to heal in the midst of the melee; if he turned his eyes away from what was around him even once, or dared to take a hand from Starfire's leatherbound grips for but a moment, he would be cut down where he stood. Everyone else, green players and red players both, suffered the same problem. Every now and then, Jae would see a player from either side snatch a health potion or crystal and attempt to activate it, only to be split apart or run through by those around them.

Jae had just batted aside a Laughing Coffin member's curved scimitar and beheaded him with two quick flourishes of his staff when a female cry of pure agony rang out behind him.

Terror surged through his being.

 _Vivienne._

Spinning around, Jae was blocked from seeing what had happened to her by a red player armed with a wicked looking flail. Chunks of flesh still clung to it's metal spikes.

The terrified urgency within him transformed into unforgiving rage. Jae had to know what had happened to Vivienne. She was in danger. He had to get to her.

Israel's words echoed hauntingly in Jae's mind, filling his thoughts in an instant.

" _Never forget to tell her how much you care for her, or else one day, it may be too late."_

Without bothering to slow in his advance, Jae dodged the flail and rammed his boot into the player killer's knee, filling the air with a sickening pop. Before the man could finish dropping to his good knee, Jae drove Starfire up under his chin and out the back of his head. He didn't bother pulling the weapon back out and instead shoved the man aside.

A body was lying on the stone floor, face down. Light brown hair trailed down to her back. Her HDA armor was dented and torn.

Jae felt his eyes open as wide as they could go as he knelt down beside the body and gripped her shoulder.

He couldn't breathe.

He couldn't think.

Terror bordering on madness threatened to catch him in it's grip.

The fighting raged on around him as he knelt there, not wanting to turn her over and see the life gone from her eyes.

Forcing himself to look at her, Jae turned her over and gasped in shock.

It wasn't Vivienne.

Blood trailed from a cut along the woman's face, and her jaw was broken, making it difficult to make her out perfectly, but he knew it wasn't Vivienne. It was a young HDA soldier he dimly recognized. She had fought directly under him several times during shifts at the Labyrinths. He couldn't even remember her name.

Though Jae was saddened by the death of one of his soldiers, and one barely more than a girl at that, he couldn't help the feeling of relief that washed over him. It wasn't Vivienne.

Jae caught sight of her then, further back, about twenty feet behind him and dueling a red player with a rapier. Her face was bruised and weary, but he could see that she was alright. The current of battle must have carried her further back as the two of them had fought.

Pain suddenly exploded in Jae's vision as a boot crashed into the side of his face, knocking him to the ground beside the dead woman he had thought was Vivienne.

A thin, wiry red player with a vicious looking dagger pounced on him before he could get his bearings, and it took everything Jae had to seize the man's wrists before he could drive the knife home.

The red player grunted in feverish effort as he pushed against Jae's hold, slowly forcing his knife down closer to Jae's face. Jae struggled with everything he had, gritting his teeth as he held the man's wrists and tried to shove him away, but gravity was against him, and he had been taken by surprise.

The red player's tongue clung to the roof of his upper lip as the two of them struggled, but as the seconds dragged by, a ruthless smile began to crease it's way onto the man's face. The tip of the dagger hovered just above Jae's eye, and he knew that he couldn't hold it back anymore.

The red player's head abruptly exploded as a blunt object came crashing down against it, and Jae was showered by blood and brains.

"Jae!" Meifan's voice shouted above him, bloody mace in hand. "Quickly, on your feet!"

Grasping the tank's extended hand, Jae hauled himself quickly upright, panting as he caught his breath. Part of him was still reeling from the fear of thinking Vivienne had died, but he forced himself to get his mind back into the fight. He seized up his staff, now freed from the red player's vanished corpse, and nodded to Meifan.

"Thank you."

Before Meifan could reply, two Laughing Coffin men, wolf pack fighters by the look of them, charged them both with swords at the ready.

Jae and Meifan met the attack by splitting off the two men, and Jae could hear the thud of Meifan's tower shield as he blocked his attacker's incoming blows.

Jae didn't wait for his opponent to land the first strike; he was very near the end of his strength and knew that if the fight were prolonged any further, he would lose out of sheer exhaustion and pain from his wounds. Instead, he summoned what was left of his adrenaline and unleashed a torrent of blows with both sides of his staff, hammering the red player's sword with thunderous strikes.

The red player was surprised by the sudden onslaught and tried to ward off the frenzy of attacks with a desperate counter lunge, but Jae batted aside the blade and twirled Starfire to simultaneously deliver a powerful strike with his weapon's shaft to the man's head.

The red player toppled to the ground, stunned and bleeding, and Jae didn't hesitate; he lunged Starfire's bladed edge through his eye.

Turning, Jae saw Meifan lose his mace to the red player he was engaged with. Gripping his tower shield in both hands, the tank gave Jae a quick dip of his head before slamming his shield against the red player with a shout, knocking him backwards. Jae understood and lifted his staff, running the man through as he stumbled back.

"Thanks." Meifan panted, quickly seizing up another mace strapped onto his weapons belt.

The man looked terrible; his helmet was gone, revealing thick black hair matted with blood and sweat. Blood trailed down his battered armor from various wounds, and his eyes were growing heavy. Seeing as physical wounds healed themselves after a set amount of time, Jae knew that Meifan's were fresh. Jae checked his HP bar to be sure the man wasn't in immediate danger.

Meifan, still struggling to catch his breath along with Jae, shook his head in dismay at the butchery all around them. Jae understood his friend's despair, but tried not to show it and instead gave first Meifan and then himself a health potion.

More and more green players were being cut down, freeing up ever more red players to work together and overwhelm individual Assault Team soldiers wherever they could. Everywhere Jae looked, the battle was slowly but surely beginning to break down as the now significantly larger Laughing Coffin force pressed harder, closing in for the finishing blow. It wouldn't be long now until the battle became a rout, and PoH's victory complete.

"What can we do?" Meifan breathed as he looked to Jae. "We've lost too many, Jae. we can't hold back these numbers anymore. We can't even teleport out now."

Though Jae had just taken a health potion and some of his earlier wounds were fading, his head still throbbed maddeningly. He felt the weight of hundreds on his shoulders. He felt their blood on his hands. He had thought himself such a capable general, thought his battle plan all but fool-proof. PoH had outsmarted him, and now his men were paying the price.

He didn't know what to do.

A deafening roar suddenly rose up from the other side of the great chamber, and both Jae and Meifan turned in surprise. There, from out of two of the six remaining open passageways leading into the chamber, poured nearly two hundred green players. The charging horde of men looked tired, and many appeared wounded, as if they had been involved in a battle all their own, but that didn't slow them in the least. The second half of the army had gotten through.

At the head of the reinforcements, leading the charge as they brandished their weapons, Jae saw David and Avari running ahead of Asuna and Heathcliff as the latter two broke off.

"For Aincrad!" The advancing mass of players screamed in unison. "For justice!"

"They made it…" Meifan gasped, hope filling his voice.

Jae couldn't contain his smile. "They made it."

As he watched, Jae saw clusters red players begin to split off from the main battle and head for the advancing latter half of the green player army still closing the distance to the fight.

Icy realization flashed through his veins.

 _PoH outsmarted me once. He won't do it again._

"Green players!" Jae cried above the din of battle. "To me!"

Immediately around him and Meifan, Jae saw various players on both sides pause long enough to glance at him. A few of those closest struggled to answer his call. Several red players made for him as well.

"Jae," Meifan said as he slammed his mace into a red player's head, "What are you-"

Twirling his spear, Jae slashed open the chest of another before he could turn to Meifan.

"PoH means to contain the second half of our men, delay them, before they can join the main battle and help the rest of us! He knows that he is close to crushing us; if he can eliminate the rest of our men already engaged, he will then be able to concentrate everyone he has left on the second half of the column and try to overwhelm them!"

"But…" Meifan blinked in astonishment, "but we outnumber them now. Surely they can't-"

Jae seized Meifan by the thick iron pauldron on his shoulder and shook him. "Meifan, listen to me! PoH can still win this so long as he can keep our men in disarray and keep us separated from the rest of our army! I will not let him win! Go, find Vivienne, and Aranal and Rain if you can, and have them bring whatever men they can pull together to me! Go!"

He pushed Meifan in the direction he had last seen Vivienne, than brandished his staff as he surged forward towards the approaching mass of reinforcements.

"Green players!" He shouted again as he cut down a vassal guild member in his way, "Green players! To me! Rally to me!"

Several Army soldiers and KoB knights fell in beside him, and Jae ordered them forward, but he didn't stop.

"Rally to me! To me!"

As if hearing the voice of a savior, wounded and bloodied fighters all around began to fight their way towards him, a few at first, but then more and more as he continued to call out as loudly as he could. More fell in behind him, and Jae urged them to follow him as he cut a bloody swathe through the red player ranks.

"Rally to me!"

Hope flashed in his men's eyes as the Hero of Floor Twenty-Five urged them to fight with him, to follow him onward. Jae heard the cheers echo as men surged forth to join him. Shouts of "To the Champion of the HDA!" and "Hero of Floor Twenty-Five!" echoed around the chamber, rising even above the din of the battle that still raged all around.

Red players charged Jae, their attentions focusing on the man who was rallying the beleaguered green players behind him, but they were swept away before they could form up and stop him. His wedge of men drove relentlessly through the enemy soldiers in their way, and every foot of ground taken saw another green player fall in beside him.

With his bloody staff, Jae pointed at the line of red players making for the advancing reinforcements.

"Make for the rest of our men! Do not let them keep us apart! Drive on! Green players! On me!"

Jae kicked a red player aside, impaled another on Starfire, and all but hurled a third into the swarm of troops now behind him to be torn apart by his emboldened warriors. His head throbbed, but he pressed on without slowing.

PoH would not win this day.

Jae and his men tore their way out of the center of the battle and crashed into the backs of the line of red players just as the front ranks of reinforcements slammed into their front. The result was total destruction.

Twirling his spear in weaving patterns as two red players attacked him, Jae batted aside both of their attacks and quickly countered with a series of wide, sweeping blows that halted their offensive and drove them back. Before he could kill them, however, Jae saw a a scimitar from behind slice off the first man's head. The remaining red player turned just in time to be cleaved in half by a massive greatsword.

David and Avari strode forward over the corpses, each with grim smiles on their faces.

Jae pulled Avari into a quick hug, than clasped David's arm affectionately. Both of them looked tired and worn, and their armor was stained with black blood.

"Glad you could make it." Jae said amidst the brief lull in the fighting.

"We came as quickly as we could." Avari replied. "We feared that by the time we got through the maze, it would be too late. I'm glad you're alright, Jae."

"Heathcliff?" Jae inquired. "Asuna?"

"They're overseeing the left and right flanks of the charge," David answered.

He looked at Jae and gestured to the force of men he had brought with him, all of whom were rapidly dispatching the greatly outnumbered force of Laughing Coffin members.

"We saw you lead your charge of men towards us even though we had the numbers to defeat the line coming at us. I'm guessing you have some sort of plan?"

Jae nodded, taking up his staff and glancing at the battle still taking place not thirty feet from them. He looked back to David and Avari.

"PoH meant only to delay you with a small force long enough to finish off our men already engaged. I had to stop him, to regain some control of the battle. Things are still far from over, but now we have a chance to turn the tide."

Davi nodded in determination. "You're in command. What would you like us to do?"

Jae raised Starfire aloft to get the attention of the dozens of men he had charged with.

"Help us drive through the center of the battle. We can relieve the soldiers still fighting in the thickest of it that way, and cut off PoH's ability to oversee his men. Then, we turn their flanks."

David didn't waste any time as Jae's men hastily regrouped around him.

"Green players!" He shouted in a tone that surprised Jae. "It's time to help our brothers! It's time to follow the Hero of Floor Twenty-Five!"

"Hero of Floor Twenty-Five!" one hundred voices roared in reply.

"Charge!" Jae cried, brandishing Starfire as he broke into a run back to the battle he had just emerged from.

His own battered force of men rallied behind him once again, and right behind them came David and Aranal at the head of the center force of the reinforcing army. Asuna and Heathcliff were both still fighting with the red players on their flanks, but Jae knew they would join the battle proper as soon as they had eliminated the resistance in their way.

Cheers rose up from the embattled green players still fighting in the thick of the battle as Jae and his men came crashing back into the fight, using their weight to roll over the scattered red player forces in their way. A titanic clamor arose as the horde of green players behind Jae smashed their way into the fight, hurling themselves viciously at the red players engaged with their comrades.

Jae, ever at the forefront, drove the assault forward, keeping as many men as he could in a tight wedge formation to further penetrate the ranks of red players. Starfire sang as Jae twirled it through the air, slashing and stabbing with wild abandon, cutting down any red player that dared get in his way. Whenever he thought he was about to get overwhelmed, the wave of men and women behind him surged forward and annihilated the opposition. Before long, many of the player killers began to falter before the onslaught now driving through them.

Parrying the sword thrust of a skilled fighter who had managed to stab him in the shoulder, Jae tried to impale him, but the warrior sidestepped just in time, coming up beside him and striking furiously. Jae ducked his attack and swept Starfire up under his feet, knocking him to the ground. Leaving the red player to the army fighting through just behind and beside him, Jae raised his staff in preparation for more violence. Instead, he saw Vivienne, Rain, Aranal, and Meifan fighting in a circle not far ahead.

Those his advancing forces were finally beginning to lose momentum and get bogged down in the fighting, Jae managed to advance the rest of the way to his friends and help them finish off the red players they had been taking on.

"Ah, there you are, Jae!" Aranal bellowed as he lopped off the head of the final red player with a great swing of his axe. "You look terrible!"

Jae quickly barked orders for more green players to keep advancing through the center, than turned to grin at the big Viking of a man.

"And yet I'm still better looking than you, old man!"

Jae gestured as Aranal laughed, pointing at the force of green players now advancing at a crawl through the center of the battle, and visibly pushing the red players back.

"We've turned the tables on them, but until we split through the center and cut PoH off from his men, they still have a chance." He turned to his friends, but most of his concern was with Vivienne. All of them looked exhausted and hurt. He felt the same way.

"Can you all still fight? It'll take everything we have to make our final push."

Vivienne scowled at him. "Did you think we were planning and sitting down and taking a break? Let's move."

She made to move past him, but Jae seized her by the arm and pulled her in for a quick kiss.

"You don't know how happy I am to know that you're alright." He whispered.

Vivienne's eyes sparkled as she ran a thumb along his cheek in tender affection, silently returning the thought.

"Let's end this battle, once and for all." She said.

Jae nodded. "Let's."

Waving Starfire aloft as he advanced, and with those he loved now beside him, Jae urged the masses of green players nearby to drive forward once again. One more push, and they would crack the center.

Victory was near.

…

Israel hammered against the red player's tower shield with all his strength, each blow from Apocalypse emitting an ear splitting thud as the bloodred sword crashed against the slab of metal, only to be glanced aside.

The red player, a huge, heavy tank by the looks of him, had stubbornly refused to die even after Israel had shattered his sword with his fist, and was now hiding desperately behind his shield as he attempted to draw his back up short sword.

Again and again Israel hacked at him, trying to either overwhelm or get around the man's defenses in order to bring him down, but the huge, curved tower shield denied him any possible solution.

After another barrage of blows rebounded off the red player's shield, Israel switched up his tactics and leapt high into the air, utilizing both gravity and his full weight to kick at the shield.

The tank gasped in pain, staggered backwards and almost fell, but caught himself just in time and, before Israel could execute a killing blow, planted his tower shield in front of himself again.

At the end of his patience, and furious at the red player's stubbornness, Israel gripped Apocalypse in both hands. With a cry of rage, and with all his strength, he lunged forward in a downward stab so swift that his opponent almost didn't raise his shield in time.

A booming crack rang out as Israel's sword made contact, exploding through the shield and driving onward until it embedded itself within the red player's heart.

The tank opened his mouth to gasp, but died before any sound could be made. His eyes rolled up into his head, his body went limp, and he crumpled to the ground.

Wrenching Apocalypse free from both flesh and steel, Israel decided to risk being attacked by battling players all around and paused, leaning on his weapon to suck in a much needed breath. Though his arm was better- he had managed to heal once or twice since the fight with Liam- he was still exhausted, and what little strength he had had left had just been spent. He made a mental note not to attempt breaking through shields again.

Just as he was about to press forward again, Israel heard a great shout from somewhere off to his right. He knew who it was immediately.

"Press forward!" Jae's voice rang out in bold clarity, it's fearless ring resounding across the battlefield, "Green players, cut them down!"

Following the sound of his brother's words as they travelled over the chaotic battlefield, Israel's eyes widened in surprise when he spotted him.

Driving forward in the center of the fighting as he laid about him with his staff, and with a large force of green players crashing through the enemy just behind him, Jae looked like a hero from out of a storybook. Vivienne, Aranal, and a few others Israel recognized were advancing with him as they fought, desperately trying to keep up while their Second in Command kept moving.

At first, Israel wasn't sure what Jae was doing, but than he realized: by driving a wedge up through the center of the battle, Jae would soon break through to the rear, effectively cutting PoH off from commanding his men, and cutting the red players into two bleeding flanks.

Even as he watched though, Israel saw the warriors of Laughing Coffin reform suddenly along their center and surge forward to meet the advance. Fresh screams rose up as the reorganized red players slammed into Jae's men, grinding the charge to a bloody halt.

 _Someone's taken command of the center position to stop Jae's advance._

It didn't take Israel long to discover who it was.

At the head of the mass of red players, inspiring the men around them, a small force of around a dozen men stood out in dark contrast to the others of their kind: men with their faces and arms painted black to further hide them in their dark cloaks and hoods. These men moved more fluidly than the other red players, their swords a blur as they carved a bloody swathe through the first few ranks of green players fighting alongside Jae. Israel knew who they were. Only the most skilled, most ruthless, most zealous, most fanatical were assigned the honored position of being PoH's personal guards.

And at the head of these deadly wraiths, his legendary estoc slashing faster than any of theirs, advanced a man who killed with an effortless grace that would have put even the reaper of death to shame. A man whose face had been replaced by a white skeleton mask with red eye holes.

Xaxa.


	117. Chapter 116

116

August 1st, 2024

Floor 49, Brakrun Dungeon

Jae dodged the black painted red player's sword just in time, barely managing to keep himself from being beheaded before the sinister warrior was on him again, hacking in a wild, demented frenzy.

Catching his balance, Jae used Starfire to bat aside his opponent's assault, deflecting each sword strike with care lest he expose his guard and be unable to block a follow-up attack. Against such an enemy, attacking with both mad savagery and skill, he was forced to fight with greater caution than he had before.

Weary from the constant fighting, and with his senses dulled by the burning pain of his wounds, Jae found it a true struggle just to stave off the black painted enemy trying to kill him.

Retreating a step, Jae lost his footing on what felt like a body and stumbled back. The red player was on him in a heartbeat, and though Jae managed to keep himself from falling, he was unable to ward off the flurry of blows that descended upon him and felt the man's blade sink deep into his shoulder.

With a cry of pain, Jae forced himself to strike before he was overwhelmed again, and he lashed out with his staff in rage before the red player could yank his sword free. Starfire's blade hummed as it tore through the air, and, powered by the force of Jae's swing, sliced completely through the red player's neck, decapitating him.

Blinking away tears of pain, Jae had to bite his tongue to keep from groaning in agony as he scrambled for a health potion at his belt. His men couldn't see him hurt or in pain. They needed to see him strong.

"Heal."

A wave of sweet relief rolled over him, and though both his weariness and pain from other small wounds remained, Jae felt significantly better. At least he would be able to continue fighting.

A normal red player armed with a greataxe attacked him, and as they fought, Jae could see what was happening all around him from the corner of his eye. His advance had been stopped dead in its tracks. Chaotic, pitched battle again reigned as ranks of green and red players crashed into each other in their furious attempts to drive the other back. Laughing Coffin was now outnumbered, their lines in a precarious position, but they were far from finished.

PoH was the man responsible for the organization of the counterattack and the turning of the tide, Jae knew, but it was the small core of black painted fighters, and the man in the red eyed skull mask, that were inspiring the other red players and acting as the tip of the spearhead.

"There he is!" Another of the black painted fighters screamed as he cut down a KoB soldier and rushed at Jae, "Kill their commander!"

Swiftly impaling the red player in his way, Jae turned to face the new threat and batted aside the enraged warrior's lunge. He counter attacked with a stab of his own, but the black painted man sidestepped and attacked again in a wild frenzy.

More Laughing Coffin men in black paint heard their comrade's cry, and within seconds, Jae found himself on the verge of getting overwhelmed as more descended upon him.

 _PoH must have ordered them to kill me in order to break our advance._

Just as he was about to be cut down by a half dozen of the black painted men, Jae heard a furious cry as people he knew only too well crashed into the men about to kill him; Avari and David leapt into the fray first, driving back the two lead red players. Meifan and Rain were right on their heels, the tank using his shield to repel the onslaught of blades while Rain, her grey Army plate armor dented and stained with blood, dueled another trying to get behind him.

Without hesitation, Jae hurled himself forward alongside his friends, slamming the shaft of his staff into the side of one of the black painted men's heads before twirling it around and fending off the attacks of another.

"Hero of Floor Twenty-Five!" Came a cold, menacing shout.

Knocking the man he was fighting away from him, Jae turned to the source of the challenge. There, about fifteen feet from where he was fighting and advancing with slow determination through the morass of players, was the man in the skeleton mask. He cut an Army soldier down with a lazy slash as he moved, but his red eyes were fixed on Jae.

Israel had told Jae of the man, the deadliest fighter in Laughing Coffin, and perhaps even in all of Aincrad. Red-Eyed Xaxa.

"Face me, 'Champion of the Green Players!'" He shouted venomously through his mask.

Two HDA men somehow broke through the lines of red players and descended on Xaxa with fury in their eyes as he fought his way towards Jae, but he easily disarmed one with a slash, severing his arm, and then ran the second through before refacing and lopping off the first man's head.

"It's time you faced a real challenge, 'Hero!'"

Before Jae could defeat or break free of the red players attacking him and answer Xaxa's challenge, Aranal burst suddenly through the fighting and planted himself between Jae and Xaxa. The big man's beard was tinged with blood and sweat, and he panted in obvious weariness, but that didn't stop him from brandishing his bloody greataxe and charging at Xaxa with a great cry.

"You want him, player killer, you'll have to get through me!"

"Aranal!" Jae cried.

Jae tried to get to Aranal, pull him away from Xaxa, but the two black painted red players cut and slashed at him relentlessly, driving him back and preventing him from moving. It was all he could to do hold them back.

A few feet away, Jae saw Rain look up from the battle she was fighting and pale as Aranal closed the distance between himself and Xaxa.

At that moment, Jae felt a sudden surge of wind on his back as a whoosh cut through the air behind him.

Spinning around, he was just in time to see a pale estoc as it surged forward, already well past his guard and mere inches from his chest. Holding the thin sword was a deathly pale woman with black lips, her long night colored hair trailing down her back as her expressionless eyes met his.

They both knew there was nothing he could do about it. He was going to die.

Before Jae could blink, a saber ripped through the air before him, it's stained edge glinting with cold menace as it slammed into the pale woman's estoc, knocking it aside.

Vivienne met the pale woman's glare as she turned to face her new opponent. Unlike the red player, his wife's eyes seemed ignited by an inferno of rage.

"Not my husband, you bitch." Vivienne said through gritted teeth.

The pale woman cocked her head slightly, than lashed out with blinding swiftness, her estoc emitting a shrill clang as it met Vivienne's saber in the air.

"Go Jae!" Vivienne shouted at him as she fought, her brown hair coming undone and billowing out around her, "Help Aranal!"

Though it tore him apart to leave Vivienne to such an obviously dangerous opponent, Jae knew that she could do it. Aranal needed him more.

Turning back to the fight before him, Jae again tried to push his way to Aranal, but the two red players forced him back. Clutching Starfire with both hands at about a foot apart, Jae had to concentrate on staving off their combined assaults. Past them, he could see Aranal battling Xaxa.

Aranal's axe swept through the air between the two of them, forcing Xaxa back for a brief moment, but the red player swiftly altered his fighting pattern and swept past the big man's sweeping attacks to deliver two slashes to Aranal's chest and arms.

Jae winced at seeing his friend, his brother, recoil from the wounds, but he could do nothing to help him.

Aranal brought his axe down in a rage, with power enough to cleave Xaxa in two, but the red player merely darted aside, delivered two more deep cuts to Aranal's leg and side, and danced away just as the axe again swung to cut him down.

Horror crept it's way along Jae's spine as he fought, witnessing one of the people he loved most struggle to fight back.

With a deep, powerful roar, Aranal limped into a charge and swung his axe at Xaxa was surprising speed, forcing the smaller red player back several steps as he deflected blows with his estoc. The two exchanged a flurry of attacks, and things appeared to be going better, but Jae could see the exhaustion and pain in Aranal's face.

And then Xaxa laughed.

All at once, Xaxa lashed out with a blinding counter attack of such speed that Jae could barely see it, knocking away Aranal's axe and slashing open his thigh to the bone.

With a cry of pain, Aranal dropped to a knee. His axe fell to the ground beside him.

"Aranal!" Rain screamed nearby.

Jae punched one of the red players out of his way as he desperately tried to get to Aranal, but the second man took advantage of his distraction and cut past his staff, laying open a gash along his arm.

Scarcely feeling the pain, Jae glanced up to see Xaxa step up beside Aranal. The big man reached up with his hand, desperately trying to seize Xaxa's neck, but the red player laughed again as he shrugged off the attempt.

"Aranal!" Rain screamed again.

Aranal looked away from Xaxa's face and met her eyes. Jae saw the pain leave the man's eyes as he beheld her.

"Rain…"

With a grunt, Xaxa swung his estoc, hacking Aranal's head from his body.

"No!" Jae screamed.

"Aranal!" Rain cried in dismay as she was forced to fight on.

Xaxa's smile could be seen through his mask as he again approached Jae. He looked as though he expected him to run.

How wrong he was.

The world went red in Jae's vision. Fury exploded within him as he watched Aranal's headless body crumple to the ground. He was dead.

Aranal was dead.

Xaxa had killed him.

And he had laughed.

With a bellow of rage, Jae hurled Starfire like a spear, launching it into the first man blocking his way with such force that it ripped completely through the red player's chest and kept going, straight for Xaxa.

The skeleton mask seemed to chuckle all on it's own as Xaxa flicked his wrist and deflected the gore covered staff with a lazy flourish of his estoc.

New strength seemed to come alive in Jae's muscled arms. Rage thundered through him. He was unarmed now, but he didn't feel like it.

Dodging the second red player's swing, he swept in like lightning and seized the dark painted warrior by his throat with both hands. With one swift, mighty tug, he snapped the man's neck.

Both men, the two black painted red players who had pushed him back for so long, prevented him from coming to Aranal's aid, crashed to the ground in the same instant. Bounding over them, Jae charged head on at Xaxa, who smirked as he halted.

When Jae was but a few feet away, raising his arms as he prepared to throw himself at the enemy, Xaxa lashed out with a quick slash of his estoc. Jae dropped into a dead roll with everything he had, using all his momentum and weight to power the sudden movement. The pale estoc soared overhead, just above him, and Jae rolled past. Seeing what he was after, he reached out while coming out of his roll, seizing up Starfire from where Xaxa had knocked it aside.

Twirling the weapon as he came to his feet, Jae was just in time to meet Xaxa's assault as the red player unleashed a barrage of lunges. Clutching his staff in deadly determination, Jae swiftly batted aside the first few jabs. After that, however, things grew more difficult. More and more stabs proceeded every one Jae deflected, each quicker than the other, and the speed of Xaxa's thin blade, to say nothing of his obvious skill, made staving them off a far greater challenge than had first been the case.

Swiftly realizing that he had to change tactics in order to escape the situation he now found himself in, Jae waited until Xaxa was beginning another lunge before sidestepping to the right, altering the angle of battle and freeing himself from the barrage of attacks. Without waiting a second, he seized control of the fight and launched a furious onslaught of his own, twirling Starfire in complex patterns as he struck at Xaxa with both bladed ends. Xaxa met the attack with swift blocks from his estoc, warding off the hailstorm of strikes Jae now brought to bear, but though he struggled hard to hold his ground, Jae kept up the momentum, driving harder and harder with his blows until Xaxa was forced to retreat a step. Taking advantage of the bit of ground gained, Jae went for a storm of lunges all his own, paying Xaxa back in silent retribution each time Starfire's blade came close to breaking past the man's guard.

He expected Xaxa to again retreat before his lethal assault, but to his surprise, the red eyed man gave no more ground. With a wicked grin, Xaxa sent his estoc whizzing through Jae's attack, the thin bladed weapon surging past Starfire's length before it pierced his HDA armor and buried itself several inches into the flesh of his left shoulder. At the same time, Xaxa arched his body away from Jae's lunge, completely evading the attack.

Gritting his teeth in pain as he broke away from the attack, Jae glanced at the bloody hole in his steel armor. The tip of the estoc had penetrated right above the _SC_ engraving on his pauldron, swiftly covering the insignia with flowing crimson.

He glanced back up at Xaxa, who smirked through his face mask.

"Is that all the mighty Hero can manage against me? I would've thought the death of your big man there would have put some fire-"

With a cry of rage, Jae forced aside the pain in his shoulder and swept Starfire around with blistering speed, aiming for Xaxa's head. Ducking the blow, the red player lurched forward with a stab, but Jae knocked aside the estoc and brought Starfire down for another strike. Xaxa raised his weapon to ward off the blow, but at the last second, Jae switched direction and brought the lower end of his staff up, slashing through Xaxa's breastplate and creating a deep, long gash along his chest.

Xaxa grunted in pain, glanced down at the wound in surprise, than lurched backwards when Jae attempted to punish him for it. Straightening, the red player smirked through his skeleton mask. Jae could see the pain in the mocking smile.

"You fight well, for a green player. Thank you for making this a little interesting before I kill you."

Both of them engaged at once, driving into each other with a series of complex movements and attacks, and neither of them backed down. The exchange of intense blows produced sharp, metallic clangs whenever steel collided, and deep, muted thuds whenever Jae blocked a blow with the shaft.

As they fought, both of them now committing their all into each strike, Jae couldn't fathom Xaxa's speed, or his skill. As a staff wielder, he knew that one handed swords, especially those of the rapier and estoc class, would possess the superior speed, but this was easily made up for by his greater reach and versatility. Each time Jae tried to create some space between them in order to maximize his capabilities, however, Xaxa would have none of it and pressed ever harder, getting as close as he possibly could. When Jae tried to punish the man for such aggression, launching various counter attacks on vulnerable positions, Xaxa would demonstrate remarkable agility and reflexive speed and either dodge or sidestep such attempts. And the whole time, his sword was a deadly blur.

Before long, Jae suffered another wound, a slash on his leg, that forced him into the start of a retreat. Xaxa pressured him yet more, driving forward with near limitless strength as Jae grew more weary.

The rage that had powered Jae's body was now beginning to subside, being slowly replaced by pain from his wounds and exhaustion from the long, relentless fight he now found himself in. In the back of his mind, he felt concern flash through him; it was swiftly becoming more and more clear that Xaxa was the most skilled fighter he had ever faced, better even than Israel.

Better than him.

…

Vivienne's hair whipped violently around her with each snap of her neck as she fought the pale woman who had tried to kill Jae. Her saber rang out angrily each time it slammed into the red player's estoc, rebounding from the force, but Vivienne didn't know if that was a result of the other woman's blows, or her own.

The woman slashed at her neck, and Vivienne glanced aside the blade, then lunged forward in retaliation. The woman parried and dropped to a knee to deliver a leg wound, but Vivienne swept her front leg up and kicked the blow away. Their swords rang out as both of them struck, again and again, their bodies in constant motion as they took turns blocking and attacking a dozen times before both of them pulled away to reface. All within the span of a few seconds.

Though the pale woman seemed to be having as much difficulty finding a weakness as was she, Vivienne couldn't help but feel unaccustomed to the fight she was now engaged in: she was used to fighting men, not other women. Men were bigger and stronger, their blows often heavier than hers, but Vivienne had long ago learned to turn that against them, tiring them out with light, fast combat. Using speed and size to her advantage, she would dance around them in circles, beating down their guard not with brute strength, but with withering assaults that focused on their weaknesses while maximizing her strengths.

Against another woman, and one who appeared to champion speed and mobility as greatly as did she, Vivienne found herself in a new situation. Another problem that swiftly became apparent was her saber. Usually the same length as common one handed swords, her weapon was shorter than the pale woman's estoc by at least two inches, not to mention heavier. Swiftly deciding to use whatever edge she could, Vivienne began attacking in such a way that forced the pale woman to block her attacks fully rather than deflecting them with glancing blows. This way, vivienne hoped to tire her opponent's arm quicker, and perhaps even damage her thin estoc. Now, it all came down to who had the greater skill.

Vivienne pushed forward for a time, forcing the pale woman back several steps as their swords clashed again and again, only to have her assault eventually beaten back, forcing her into a similar retreat. The pale woman achieved a wound on her leg, but Vivienne swiftly paid her back with two cuts in return.

Their swords crossed briefly in midair between them, and the woman's hand came up, backhanding Vivienne across the cheek. She could taste the warm, coppery blood in her mouth.

Without hesitation, Vivienne tightened her off hand into a fist and punched the red player straight in the face. She heard a low snap as the woman's nose broke.

Blood gushed down the pale woman's nose as she cried out in pain, breaking their swords apart. Before Vivienne could attack again, however, the razor thin estoc came suddenly up, slicing her sword hand and sending her saber flying from her hands.

For the first time since the fight had begun, Vivienne saw emotion light her enemy's eyes as she surged forward for the kill: sick, twisted pleasure.

…

Xaxa's blade whirred through the air faster than Jae could keep up with it, bypassing his staff and laying open his cheek and ear.

Wincing in pain, Jae batted the estoc away and attacked again, but Xaxa easily parried Starfire's bladed ends. Jae tried lashing out in wide swings in order to create some breathing room, but Xaxa merely ducked under these or swung his sword to halt the attempt in mid swing. Jae twirled his staff, using every inch of it as a weapon in his desperation to defeat the red player, and for awhile managed to drive his opponent back, but Xaxa eventually foiled the assault and forced Jae on the defensive again.

At the end of his strength, and knowing that he was dead if something wasn't done, Jae switched targets to Xaxa's sword rather than the man himself, hoping to either break the blade or send it flying.

With a roar, he summoned every last ounce of energy he had left and swung Starfire as though it were a huge greatsword, pretending to aim for Xaxa in order to prompt a block. Instead, and to his great surprise, Xaxa leapt forward before he could finish the move and lunged forward with a single, graceful extension of his arm, driving his estoc into Jae's middle.

Gasping in surprise, Jae felt blood fill his mouth. He looked down in disbelief, staring as though from another person's body, at the sword that had been shoved inside him almost up to the hilt. He felt it's razor edge pressing against his organs, cutting into them. The pain that he expected to feel though, was strangely absent. In its place, he felt frighteningly numb, cold, and weak.

"A fine attempt." Xaxa muttered mockingly, yanking his estoc free.

Jae felt his knees buckle under him, and he collapsed to the ground. Blood trailed out of his mouth at the same time as it gushed freely from the wound in his abdomen, soaking the clothing he had on underneath his armor.

 _Vivienne._

Visions of the woman he loved, his wife, flashed before his eyes. With all his fast deteriorating strength, Jae forced an arm up under himself, keeping him more or less on his knees. He would not die on the ground, laying there helplessly as he bled out. No, he would die facing his enemy.

 _Vivienne._

Jae's heart ached as he tried to turn his head, tried to find her with his eyes. He would never be able to see her smile again, hear her laugh, feel her lips. He didn't want to leave her.

He saw dim shadows fighting all around, swords clashing as people screamed, but he didn't see her. The chamber seemed darker than he remembered.

He saw Xaxa's feet shift in front of him, and he forced himself to lift his chin, to look his killer in the eye. Xaxa swept his arms back, preparing himself for the same blow that had beheaded Aranal.

 _Vivienne._

…

"Xaxa!" Israel screamed in lethal fury as he all but threw himself at the man, his only thought being to save his brother's life.

Apocalypse came down at the same time Israel did, forcing Xaxa to abandon his focus on Jae and throw up his estoc to block the sword. Still crashing forward, Israel threw up his leg and kicked Xaxa hard in the chest, knocking him off balance.

"Heal yourself, Jae!" Israel cried out as he blocked Xaxa's counterattack with his steel coated fist. In his peripheral vision, he saw Jae crumple slowly to the ground, his health fast approaching the end of it's bar.

Xaxa's sword flashed past Apocalypse's edge, forcing Israel to look away from Jae and focus on the man he had been crossing blades with for so long.

"Where have you been, Shadow?" Xaxa asked through his mask, the smile on his face twisting into excitement. "I was looking for you. I knew you'd be here."

Israel held Apocalypse tightly in his grip as the two of them began to pace around each other. His steel fist was clenched so tightly that though he couldn't see it, he knew his knuckles had gone white.

"We have unfinished business, you and I." Xaxa said coldly. "I don't know about you, but I'm quite tired of all our fights ending without one of us dying."

"Then let's make this the last." Israel said in an icy tone.

They attacked at once, both launching the full fury of their assaults at the same time, their cries of hatred echoing out around the chamber as they collided.

Their swords clashed with numbing violence as they struck against each other, and Israel felt Apocalypse shudder beneath the strain of their opposing violence and force. He wasn't as fast as Xaxa, but he had a fist. Blocking with his right hand whenever his sword proved too slow, Israel was able to keep up a a relentless attack of his own without fear of having his guard broken.

On several occasions, Israel tried to seize Xaxa's estoc, but the thin blade proved more slippery than the countless other weapons he had crushed beneath his fingers, and Xaxa managed to free it every time.

Up and down the stone floor they fought, both completely focused on the other as the fighting continued around them. They were so close to the rear of the battle lines that Israel could see the last half dozen or so black painted bodyguards standing in a square not far ahead. PoH was no doubt within that square, waiting for Xaxa to retake control of the rear position and fold Jae's advance.

Xaxa's estoc swept in like a hurricane, lashing out and slashing in such swift succession that it seemed as though the man had a hundred swords. At the same time, Israel brought Apocalypse and the Fist of Fariel to bear to match his old rival's furious assault, driving forward with a flurry of sword strikes as he blocked, swung, lunged, parried, and slashed again and again. He tried to be even more aggressive and attack with his steel coated fist whenever he could, but doing so was risky, and so often was he forced to use his arm to ward off attacks that got past his sword that he rarely had time to use it offensively.

The clash of steel reverberated in Israel's ears each time his sword slammed into Xaxa's, sending a shower of sparks outward as a result of the tremendous force being used by both of them. Indeed, so violent and driven was their fight that not a second went by without steel colliding between them at full speed, making Israel's ears ring from the constant noise.

After blocking a particularly ferocious slash with his fist that sent vibrations down the length of his arm, Israel brought Apocalypse down in a perfect overhead attack with enough power behind it to cleave Xaxa completely in two. The thin blade appeared before it like a bolt of lightning, blocking the blow and sending out another colorful shower of sparks. Immediately retracting his sword in preparation, Israel was just in time to greet a vicious cycle of eight consecutive stabs. He parried three with Apocalypse, and warded off the rest with his steel hand.

Thwarted, Xaxa went for wide arcing slashes intended to bypass Israel's hastily made guard, but Israel was having none of it and drove forward at the last moment, dodging the razor sharp estoc as it soared overhead and launching his fist forward to crush his opponent's chest. Xaxa darted to the side just in time, barely missing the punch. Now on Israel's left, he swung his sword, but Apocalypse rose up to greet the attack. Sparks flew, but before Israel could twist around to attack, Xaxa's boot came up, slamming into his middle and driving the wind from his lungs.

…

Jae's vision swam around him as he struggled to turn onto his side. If he could summon enough strength to move off of the cold floor beneath him, thus freeing up his hands, he might be able to open his inventory and retrieve a health crystal.

Sucking in a choked breath past the blood in his mouth, Jae heaved against the floor in desperation, only to gasp as pain, albeit dulled and dimmed, blossomed along his abdomen and lanced throughout the rest of him. He could feel the warm liquid of his blood beneath him, pooling around the floor in a fast expanding crimson lake. Struggling to lift his head above the blood just to keep from drowning in it, Jae didn't know how he would manage shifting his whole body.

He could feel chill cold travel through his veins as life began to leave him, numbing him to his wound and sapping him of vital strength.

"No..." Jae breathed in a throaty, pathetic whisper.

He didn't know if he expected anyone to hear him. The world had gone hazy, and his hearing was dimmed, but he could still make out the sounds of battle all around him; the clash of steel, the thud of shields, the tearing of flesh, the screams of dying men.

He felt his eyelids growing heavy, and for a moment, Jae almost forgot about trying to live. He was so tired.

 _Vivienne._

The thought of her flooded through him, filling him with a rush of purpose.

 _I will not die. I will not leave her. Vivienne._

Opening his eyes as wide as they could go, Jae gritted his teeth in preparation for another push. He hesitated, afraid of the pain. His eyes caught on a body that had fallen beside him, a young man's pale, blood splattered face looking over at him in fear. By his red Samurai styled armor, the man appeared to be a member of Klein's guild, the Fuurinkazan.

"Help…" the player wheezed, his chalky hands clutching at a dagger buried in his chest. "I don't want...to die. I'm...afraid..."

Before Jae could say or do anything, the young man shuddered briefly, then went limp, his hands dropping to his sides as his eyes rolled up into the back of his head. Tears rolled down the pale face.

Pangs of sorrow flooded through Jae at the sight, but he also felt himself stiffen with resolve. He couldn't allow himself to be another body on the floor. He would not.

Gritting his bloody teeth, he readied himself for another heave against the floor.

…

Gasping for breath, Israel threw up his fist to deflect another attack and only just managed to fend it off in time. He lunged with Apocalypse, but Xaxa effortlessly parried the attempt. Not ready to give up yet, Israel used the momentum of Xaxa's parry to power his sword, allowing it to gain traction as it arced backwards before swinging it around to deliver a heavy side slash that caught Xaxa by surprise and cut deep into his thigh muscle.

Xaxa let out a grunt of pain as he recoiled back, planting his injured leg behind him in order to better shift the rest of his weight. He launched a fresh assault to recover his momentum, but he couldn't hide his weakness. Israel now had his opening.

Glancing aside Xaxa's sweeping sword, Israel surged forward, swinging Apocalypse with redoubled effort and battering away at his opponent's guard. Xaxa blocked the red sword again and again, and the clang of their weapons rang out loudly each time they met, but slowly, very slowly, he was finally forced to give ground.

Israel broke past Xaxa's guard and inflicted a light cut on the man's neck, then another on his arm, but Xaxa hastily fell back another step and fought on. Israel pressed harder, and was about to disarm Xaxa when a cry of desperate rage emitted from behind the skeleton mask, followed by a flash of flying steel suddenly in front of his vision. Xaxa darted his estoc past his guard before Israel could react, plunging it deep in between his ribs.

Staggering back in surprise, Israel swiftly called the pain into himself. He couldn't lose now. He was so close. Snarling in anger, he seized Xaxa's throat with his right hand and swung Apocalypse, determined to cut the man down.

Before his blade got close, Xaxa roared with effort, brought his estoc down with both hands, and cleaved it through his left shoulder, hacking apart bone and muscle with the power of the blow. It was only when the blade was scant inches above his heart that his torn, dense flesh stopped it.

Blood gushed down Israel's left side as he slumped down, his legs buckling beneath him. Apocalypse clattered to the ground. Refusing to give up, he gripped his enemy's throat tighter with his right hand, and Xaxa had to violently pry his arm off before he fell to his knees.

Israel's mind swam in the torrent of pain without much thought as he stared at his ruined shoulder. He glanced up at Xaxa, and had sheer willpower been all he needed to stand, he would have already bashed the man's skull in. Yet, even as his soul absorbed and channeled the meager torment within him as he had learned to do so many times with Drefan, he knew that it was for nothing. Xaxa had bested him, again. He had lost.

Before he could even begin to position himself for his final swing, however, Xaxa was abruptly knocked off balance by a small clutch of fighting green and red players, all caught up in lethal fighting and being pushed by the current of the battle. They drove in between him and Israel, separating them.

Israel tried to keep his eyes on Xaxa, but the sudden onrush of players had forced the man back and into a brawl. He glanced at his wound again, and a health potion appeared suddenly before him. In front of it stood a battered, but far from broken Jae.

"Heal."

The warm, tingling sensation that Israel knew so well flooded through him, making his ruined shoulder itch as the wound magically mended itself.

Leaning on his staff, Jae extended a hand, silently urging Israel to get up. His brother looked better than he had when Israel leapt in to stop Xaxa from killing him, but not by much. His stab wound was closed, that much was obvious, but only just. One healing potion wasn't enough to completely heal an injury so serious. The same was true for Israel: though he watched his shoulder and ribs stitch back together before his eyes, and the bleeding had stopped, he still felt a bit weaker and colder than usual, and he could feel the deepest parts of the wounds still bleeding lightly inside him.

Seizing Jae's hand, Israel heaved himself up onto his feet. He felt unsteady, and it was slightly difficult to hold his balance for a moment, but he quickly recovered and straightened.

It was then that they both saw Xaxa.

Snarling in rage as he hacked his way out of the mass of players that had gotten in between him and Israel, the red eyes in his skeleton mask gleaming with cold fury, he didn't hesitate for an instant and charged at both him and Jae.

Israel felt his steel fist clench at his side.

Beside him, Jae cracked his neck as his bladed staff twirled into his hands.

"Let's kill this son of a bitch. Together."

Israel seized up Apocalypse from the floor. The red steel gleamed it's thirst for retribution.

"Together then."

As one, they surged forward, not to meet Xaxa's attack, but simply to kill him.

Confident, Xaxa lashed out at them both with a swing as he sneered. He had beaten them both, and though he was now outnumbered, he had no doubt already taken into account their weakened conditions and their half filled health bars.

But he hadn't taken into account what they could do together.

Though they hadn't fought together in what felt like a lifetime, Israel remembered exactly what they were capable of.

Slamming Apocalypse against Xaxa's sword before it could begin it's advance, Israel watched as Jae simultaneously swung his staff- as if he had known Israel would provide him with the opening- and ripped open his chest.

Israel's instincts had told him precisely what his brother was going to do, and precisely what he had to do to make it happen. He knew that Jae possessed the same instinct. They knew each other better than anyone. They knew each other's skills better than anyone. Together, they fought as one.

Gasping in surprise and pain, Xaxa faltered for only a moment before changing his attack and driving forward again, this time to create some space between them. Jae's staff batted aside the movement at the same time as Israel drove in with an upward swing, laying open another diagonal cut from Xaxa's ribs to his shoulder.

Xaxa fell back with a cry, trying to reanalyze the situation, but in the span of a second Israel and Jae had already launched a brief counterattack, beat back his sword, and wounded him two more times.

Retreating in a rush as Israel and Jae continued to walk slowly towards him, Xaxa turned in fear to the half dozen black painted bodyguards standing at the rear and pointed back at the two brothers as he clutched at his wounds.

"Kill them! Kill the Shadow! Kill the Commander! If they fall, their men will break! Kill them!"

Without hesitation, the six elite red players broke into a run and advanced on Jae and Israel, who were both now isolated at the rear of the fighting and could expect no help. Behind his men, Xaxa hastily took out several health crystals and began downing them.

Israel and Jae walked straight at the approaching force surging forward, their six swords a wall of flashing steel.

The world exploded into a picture of violence and blood as Israel and Jae ripped mercilessly through the half dozen men. Moving in perfect unison with each other, evading blades and dealing death with each synchronized strike as they danced around one another, the two of them unleashed their full, combined might.

Alone, both of them were powerful in their own rights, but together, when utilizing their knowledge, skill, and strength to support and build on one another, they were far more than either could have ever been before.

Moving at blinding speeds, Israel didn't think as he covered Jae's body with Apocalypse, crushed a man's skull with his fist at the same time, ducked to let Jae's staff deflect an attack aimed for his head, and kick aside another sword going for Jae's back. At the same time, Jae's staff laid open the throat of another man while warding off a blow aimed at both of them to allow Apocalypse access to a second man coming in on his right.

So deep was their understanding of one another, and so swift was their ability to, without a single form of communication, fight as one, that at one point, Israel was no longer sure who's red sword it was that cleaved a man almost completely in half, or who's bladed staff it was that severed two men's heads from their bodies with a single strike, or even who's steel fist it was that sent a man flying with a bloody crater in place of his face.

In the midst of the slaughter, it appeared to Israel as though more red players had thrown themselves into the fray to answer Xaxa's command and aid PoH's personal guards, but he couldn't be sure: he and Jae were killing them too quickly.

They protected each other without conscious thought, working together with instant and complete synergy to overcome the blistering storm of swords attempting to come between them. Together, they cut, slashed, maimed, and ground into utter oblivion the men that dared try and cut them down. The red players never stood a chance, nor did they manage to deliver a single wound.

Together, Israel and Jae were unstoppable. Unbeatable.

Invincible.

Together, they were death.

A mist of both blood and pixelated shards filled the air around them as Israel and Jae stepped over the mound of corpses in their wake, their eyes fixed on Xaxa.

Two more red players, regular Laughing Coffin wolf pack fighters, charged out of the melee off to the right to come to the aid of their Second in Command. Israel and Jae disemboweled them both without missing a stride. Their boots hit the floor at the exact same time, just as their calm, even breaths left their mouths with unnatural synchronization. Together, they closed in on Xaxa.

Having taken advantage of the fighting, Xaxa had healed himself not only to full health, but also to the point at which his wounds were completely gone and his body was rejuvenated. Now, he was both fresh and at the peak of his strength. Israel and Jae were both still at half health, and somewhere in the back of their minds, their muscles ached.

Not that it mattered.

Hurling himself at them with a cry of rage, Xaxa unleashed everything he had, slashing and stabbing in a veritable gale of sharpened steel moving at inhuman speed.

Israel and Jae met his masterful, awe inspiring assault with a combined onslaught of their own, one of such vengeful fury that Xaxa's paled in comparison. Israel's sword met the flying estoc first, than Jae's staff, then Israel's fist, than Jae again, all in the blink of an eye as they warded off the flurry of strikes. Without pause, they transformed their defense into a versatile attack. Jae lunged, forcing Xaxa's sword to block the attack. Israel swung, and Xaxa managed- barely- to deflect that too. But that was just the beginning.

Letting out a combined scream of lethal rage, and turning the very air around them into a hurricane as scythes of powered wind followed their relentless, joined strikes, they drove their weapons past Xaxa's guard and cut him once, twice, three times. After that, they lost count.

Bright crimson blood streaked into the wind as Xaxa's chest, abdomen, shoulders, arms, and hands were ripped open and stabbed through again and again, turning the storm into a vortex of red and flying steel.

Finishing a three cut slash, Jae kicked Xaxa back. At the same time, Israel used the resulting loss of balance to slam Apocalypse into his estoc, sending it flying out into the air. Jae lunged, burying both the blade and the first foot of his staff into Xaxa's gut. Before he could utter so much as a cry, Israel's steel fist smashed into the side of his face, shattering the bottom half of his skeleton mask, his teeth, and his jaw in one punch. Blood and broken bits of teeth flew out into the air.

Xaxa, coughing up blood and wheezing in mortal agony, collapsed to the ground at the same time his legendary estoc clattered to the stone floor. His health was beeping red at barely one percent.

"A fine attempt." Jae muttered.


	118. Chapter 117

117

August 1st, 2024

Floor 49, Brakrun Dungeon

"Xaxa has been defeated!" the cry rang out, it's sharp fear echoing off the stone walls. "Xaxa has fallen!"

"The Commander has fled!" Another voice sounded, and very soon, both calls rippled through the ranks of the red players still standing, contagious in their meaning.

Glancing up at where PoH's guards had been stationed, Israel blinked in disbelief: PoH was indeed gone.

 _That explains why the last of the guards were so quick to come to Xaxa's aid rather than stay at their posts. PoH wasn't even there. It was a ruse._

Israel's jaw worked in silent fury at himself. He should've expected PoH to have an escape plan. He knew PoH better than anyone else on their side, save maybe Sara, and yet still, the man had managed to elude him.

"The Commander has fled! Xaxa has fallen!"

The panicked cries multiplied as more and more red players heard the news and looked to the rear of their lines. When they saw no PoH, and a Red-Eyed Xaxa on his knees at the brink of death, the panic spread like wildfire.

Then, to Israel's utter disbelief, they began throwing down their weapons en masse.

"I surrender!" One called out as a Knight of the Blood-Oath brought a sword to his neck.

"Mercy!" Another called out, hurling his sword to the ground.

"I yield!"

A scant few fought on in a rage at the defeat, but the vast majority of all those red players left standing were quickly either throwing their hands up or dropping to the ground in a prostrate position.

It was suddenly quiet in the chamber for a moment as the surviving green players, battered and bloodied bands of men and women standing all throughout the crimson stone battlefield, looked around in awe and confusion. Once all the surviving red players were on their knees among the piles of corpses yet to explode into shards, the remnants of the mighty Assault Team army began either dropping to the ground in exhaustion or searching the bodies for friends.

There were no shouts of victory. There was no resounding chorus of cheers. No one waved their bloodied swords aloft. Instead, the survivors moved about as if in a daze. It was clear that each and every one of them were simply glad to still be alive, and that the horror of what they had just been a part of was over.

"Fucking cowards." Xaxa wheezed, coughing up blood as he spoke.

Both Israel and Jae glanced down at the half dead man before them, barely on his knees as blood trailed down his broken jaw.

"Hardly memorable last words." Jae said in quiet fury as he aimed his staff at Xaxa's heart. "But already more than you deserve. I'll see you in hell, player killer."

Israel caught hold of the staff just before Jae could lunge the weapon forward. In an instant, his brother's eyes were on him, and Israel could see the vengeful fire burning within them.

"Xaxa's life is no longer ours to take," he explained in quiet firmness, his steel hand still clutching the shaft. "It belongs to the one most wronged by him."

Jae arched a questioning eyebrow, and Israel glanced over his shoulder at the woman standing several feet away from them.

Rain.

The fire left Jae's eyes as she stepped forward, and he slowly lowered his staff.

"Rain," Israel said softly as she halted between them, "This man's fate is yours to decide, in payment for taking Aranal from you. Though it is no balm, I want you to know that I understand the full weight of the agony now within you. You are not alone."

Rain nodded silently, her red, swollen eyes fixed solely on Xaxa. A trail of half dried tears had traveled down her cheeks down to her jaw, where they finally mingled with blood oozing from a long, jagged gash along her jawline.

Xaxa's red eyes glanced up the slightest bit, taking Rain in.

"The big man...was it?" He performed what almost appeared to be a sneer through all the blood, briefly exposing his broken teeth. "I didn't think I'd be able to...to pull my estoc out of him when I ran the fat bastard through. Did you hear him when I...did it?" He coughed up blood as he laughed, then groaned in pain for a long moment before he could continue. "Probably not. Battle's are...noisy affairs." His eyes gleamed. "He squealed like a stuck pig."

Jae shifted his weight in silent anger. Israel watched Rain, who stood still as stone as she looked at Xaxa. Finally, she spoke in a quiet, emotionless tone.

"Death is what he wants. It's too easy." She shook her head. "He doesn't deserve to die. I want him to spend the rest of his life in the smallest, darkest cage you can find. I want him to rot beneath the Black Iron Palace, forgotten by history, until this world finally falls apart."

Jae nodded. "We will see to it. He'll be sent down with the rest of those that have surrendered, but I'll make sure he gets a cell far away from anyone else, one where no light shines."

Rain dipped her head. "I want to see it, when you seal him away."

"You will."

Turning his attention back to the diminished force of green players wandering or resting throughout the chamber, Jae latched his spear onto his back and walked towards the nearest clutch of men. Israel watched as, before his eyes, his brother became Commander Jae again.

"You men, begin rounding up and binding all those who have surrendered." He pointed back to Xaxa. "And I need two of you to see to it that that one is healed enough to ensure he doesn't die, then bound separately. In chains."

The green players seemed to come out of their daze as he issued his orders, and quickly fell to the task. As they set to work, Jae wasted no time and began calling out for groups of men to help with the rounding up of prisoners around other areas of the battlefield, and for men to begin a count of the casualties. Israel saw Vivienne emerge from the crowd- limping- and take her place beside Jae, who took her up in his arms and held her for a moment in a joyous embrace. She looked like she had been through quite the fight of her own, but she was alright. Israel was happy that she was safe.

His happiness was marred, however, by a sense of displaced confusion. He looked around, watching in hollow disbelief as the red players- more than fifty men- assured their surrender, kicking their weapons away and holding their hands together to make it easier for the green players to bind them.

Before Israel could even fully comprehend what it was he was feeling, his thoughts were interrupted by two green players as they walked past him and roughly forced Xaxa to his feet. They started dragging him forward, and Xaxa met Israel's gaze.

"You cheated Shadow…couldn't defeat me alone, so you had...to get help. No honor in that."

Israel met the look with an iron gaze. "To shit with honor."

Xaxa opened his blood covered mouth to speak, but then paused as his eyes moved past him. Turning, Israel saw someone he recognized only by his black trench coat and young, boyish face. It was the beta-tester, Kirito.

Xaxa gestured as best he could at Kirito, to make sure that Israel saw him.

"There stands the only one among you all...able to defeat me...in a fair fight. A boy."

Israel glanced at the young green player in surprise. It sounded as though he and Xaxa had fought each other before as well, or at least knew of one another.

Xaxa sucked in a breath, turning his attention to Kirito as the men holding him continued to drag him past. "You there...Kirito...I know your name but you don't...know mine…"

Kirito turned away, his eyes examining the floor in quiet hatred.

"I don't want to know your name. I don't want to know anything about you. I want to forget you, and all those like you, and never have to see your face again as long as I live."

Xaxa cocked his head as his red eyes gleamed with sudden menace, as if offended by Kirito's reply.

Israel caught the red player's attention with a wave of his fist. "Don't worry Xaxa, you'll at least get to see my face one more time, once you are placed in your new accommodations. You and I go way back, after all."

Turning away as Xaxa was marched out of earshot, Israel glanced back to where PoH and his bodyguard had been stationed. He looked around, at the two nearby passageways leading out into the dungeon's maze. Gripping his sword tighter, he made for the darker left one that appeared to have had it's torches snuffed out.

Leaving the choked battlefield chamber behind him, Israel entered the passegway PoH might have taken. The darkness was his element, and he wrapped himself comfortably in it's embrace as he traversed deeper into the abyss.

He wanted PoH.

…

"Search the bodies that remain for anyone who might yet be alive and heal them," Jae ordered, "whether they be green or red. The time for death is past: now we must focus on preserving life."

The squad of weary, battered HDA players clapped fists to hearts in compliance, then set themselves to the task. The moment they left, Jae caught Vivienne stumble out of the corner of his eye.

"Are you sure you're alright?" He asked, not bothering to conceal the concern in his voice.

Limping alongside him, his wife waved an armored hand dismissively.

"Fine. I wouldn't say no to a health potion though."

"I don't have any left."

She nodded, then sighed in resignation as he forced one of her arms around his shoulders to help carry her.

"Was it the girl?" Jae asked. "The one who tried to stab me in the back?"

Vivienne nodded solemnly. "She was better than I expected. I almost lost against her, Jae. Disarmed me and everything. I...I thought I was going to die."

Jae studied the ground a moment. "I know how you feel. Xaxa, he...he would've killed me had Israel not been there."

They fell silent as they walked among more green players going about their tasks. Though it was obvious that Aranal's death weighed as heavily on her mind as it did his, Jae could feel her quiet relief that both of them were alright, that they were still together. He felt exactly the same way. If he had lost her… he didn't even want to think about it.

"How did you defeat her?"

She glanced up at him, and within the mist of weariness and horror that coated her eyes, Jae could see the familiar sparkle of her determination, her strength of will, that he loved so much.

"I thought of you. I knew that I couldn't leave you here alone. You need me too much."

Jae smiled sadly. "You've got that right."

They shared a look for a moment, and Jae rubbed her shoulders affectionately. Right then, nothing else in the world mattered but that she was safe.

Well, almost nothing.

"Come on," he said, urging them along, "we have to find the others. I have to know that they're alright."

It didn't take them long; with so few players left compared to how many the United Army had been that morning, and scattered about as they were, there weren't that many faces to discern.

They found Meifan first. The tank was sitting wearily on his shield, holding a dead HDA member in his arms. It looked as though he had tried to heal the soldier, but to no avail.

When he spotted them, Meifan laid the dead player back on the stone floor respectfully, then got up and silently drew them both into fierce bear hugs, first Vivienne, and then Jae.

"You don't how happy I am to know that you two are alright." The tank said emotionally. He glanced at Vivienne, who pulled him in for a hug of her own.

"We're looking for the others," Jae said softly, "come with us, Meifan."

Wiping his weather beaten face with a hand, Meifan nodded and slung his shield onto his back before falling in behind them.

After doing a short circuit of the battlefield, the three of them spotted the others standing beside Rain, who hadn't moved. Avari spotted them first, and though she didn't make a sound as she nudged David and made for them, her usually stern face said it all.

The quiet, simple joy in seeing each other alive and well now that the battle was finally over was mingled with profound sorrow by everyone; Aranal was gone. It was in that moment, when Avari, David, Meifan, and Vivienne all stood around him, saying nothing, that Jae realized a simple truth. These people were his family, just as much as Israel was. They loved each other as a family, and it was as a family that they now silently and tearlessly mourned Aranal's loss, just as they had mourned Jon Bright, Lex, and all the others.

Yet Jae knew that Rain suffered the most. He considered talking to her, consoling her in whatever way he could just to let her know she wasn't alone, but it was clear that she wanted nothing more than just that: to be left alone.

"Jae."

Turning, Jae saw Thinker, his grey armor dented and torn, and Heathcliff who, though wounded, still stood as tall and proud as ever.

"I'm glad you're well," Jae said, "Both of you."

The two Commanders returned the gesture with quiet nods and tired smiles.

"We've seen to the task of rounding up all the prisoners, as per your order," Thinker said.

"Once the last of the wounded are healed enough to walk," Heathcliff said, "I can gather a force of men from my guild and escort them to the Black Iron Palace while Asuna takes the rest of my troops back to Granzam. We don't have many left, but I'm sure I can get enough of a detachment-"

Jae shook his head. "Thank you, Commander Heathcliff, but the Knights of the Blood-Oath have done more than enough already. Take your men home to the rest that they deserve, and know that I am forever in your debt for your coming here and fighting alongside me. I will gather an escort from among the HDA. There is a prisoner among the red players I intend to see to. Personally."

…

It didn't take Israel long to trail and overtake the small column of prisoners and their lines of HDA escorts as they made their way to the Black Iron Palace. They marched slowly in ordered formation, and dense groups of people made such disturbances to the earth and the woods that blind men could track them.

As he drew closer, coming up on the rear of the advancing players, Israel swiftly spotted Jae standing at the back. Some distance away, walking quietly by herself, her face still as stone, Rain looked more dead than alive.

Israel well knew the feeling. He remembered how the world seemed to have lost all color, all life, all meaning, the day that Naomi died. He remembered feeling as purposeless and empty as a shell, and of wanting nothing more than to throw himself off the edge of the world to be with her again. He also remembered that that was when guilt, despair, and misery, his closest companions for almost two years, had first come to wrap their roots deep within his hollow heart. He had never been the same.

Now, as he gazed on at the troop of surviving Laughing Coffin members escaping their justice, that despair was replaced by cold, unrelenting hate. The thirst for violence-the only thing that temporarily relieved him of the crushing weight of his three companions- surged through him, demanding to be released. Out of instinct, Israel's hand felt the hilt of his sword, and for a brief moment, he considered drawing Apocalypse and hacking down the entire band of chained prisoners.

 _No._

He needed to inspect the group- alive. That was why he had come. Besides, he had given his word to Jae that he would honor whatever his brother decided to do with captives. At the time, he hadn't believed anyone from Laughing Coffin would surrender. Now, he was staring at over fifty.

He had been dead wrong. And Jae had been right.

With a sigh, Israel let Apocalypse drop back into its sheath, then picked up the pace.

"I couldn't find him." Israel said as he fell in beside his brother at the back of the column.

Jae started in surprise, wheeling his head around to blink at him.

"Do you have to be so quiet all the time? I didn't even hear you."

"Sorry."

Jae sighed. "Find who?"

"PoH."

Jae's eyes widened slightly in obvious anger. "That's where you disappeared off to? You tried to hunt PoH down alone in those pitch black halls? Why didn't you tell me so I could collect some men and go with you?"

Israel only half heard him- his eyes were already straining to identify the nearest of the marching prisoners.

"Because you would've slowed me down."

"Well, you certainly have a way with words." Jae muttered.

Israel turned his attention back to the arched eyebrow fastened on him.

"You know my meaning. I don't have anything against you or your men, but you're not trained to track, or to fight in the dark. I am. The torches in one of the two rear passages were all snuffed out. I figured maybe PoH did it to make his good escape when the battle started going poorly."

Jae nodded. "That makes sense. Did you find anything? Tracks, or blood maybe? He may have been in the fight and gotten injured."

Israel shook his head. "PoH is a fighter as well as a leader, it's true, but he wasn't fool enough to do something as risky as take part in the battle himself. Without his constant oversight and direction, the battle would have been lost for Laughing Coffin far earlier than it was. No, he stayed in the back until he himself knew that it was over. That's when he ran."

Jae scratched his jaw thoughtfully. "Xaxa called on the last of those bodyguards the minute he needed the help, meaning he knew that PoH had already left and they were simply a ruse."

Israel nodded. "So we can assume that PoH fled at least five minutes or so before the fight was over- probably around the time you were battling Xaxa alone."

"Stands to reason. At that point, though Xaxa's counter charge managed to halt our advance up the center, it would only have been a matter of time before our numbers overwhelmed them. Doubtless though, the battle would have been fought to the last man and even bloodier if we hadn't defeated Xaxa and thus deprived them of leadership."

"Regardless," Israel said, "PoH made good his escape. I searched the passageway for any kind of lead I could use to catch his trail, but I found nothing."

"Maybe he took the other passageway, and the extinguished torches were just a diversion," Jae offered, "or maybe he only got far enough away from the central chamber to use a teleport crystal."

"Or," Israel said, turning his gaze back to the prisoners just ahead of them, "maybe he didn't flee at all, and instead managed somehow to mingle with the prisoners as they were rounded up."

Jae frowned. "Who would choose captivity over escape?"

"A captive intent on freeing other captives." Israel gestured at the column. "Mind if I take a look and find out? I'm the only one here who would know his face."

Jae nodded, quickly calling a halt to the formation. The HDA soldiers on the flanks of the column immediately faced inwards with swords drawn, ready to cut down the red players at a moment's notice.

Starting forward with Jae following alongside him, Israel strolled forward into the files of prisoners, making sure to look carefully at each and every face among them. Battered and bruised, with weary, bloodstained faces and shredded black cloaks, the surviving Laughing Coffin members were a sorry sight. Many averted their eyes in fear when Israel landed his gaze on them, clearly uncomfortable in the presence of the Shadow of Death. Others met his searching look with contempt and hatred, without a care in the world for what he might do. They were, after all, headed straight to life in prison.

Xaxa was last, but Israel didn't bother looking at him. Exiting the formation of prisoners, he sighed in frustration. Perhaps he had been a fool to think it would be that easy. Perhaps he was doomed to be forever one step behind PoH.

"He's not here." He said when Jae stopped in front of him.

"We'll find him, Israel." Jae said firmly. "I promise."

With a nod, Israel swept his black cloak around him and turned to start back. If he had to scour the whole of Brakrun Dungeon just to find a trace of a lead, he would.

"Where are you going?"

"I haven't searched the other passageway yet," Israel replied. "If PoH is hiding in there somewhere, I'll find him."

Jae pointed down the dusty, travelworn road. "We're nearly to the portal that will take us the rest of the way to the Black Iron Palace. We both told Rain we'd be there. After we tend to Xaxa and the rest of the them, I can go back to Brakrun with you and help you search."

Israel shook his head. "I would appreciate the company, but I'll be able to move faster alone. Still...I did promise Xaxa I'd see him off. Let's get this done. I have one last gift for my old rival."

…

The moment he caught sight of the cell that had been set aside for Xaxa, Israel allowed himself a smile. They were surrounded by complete and utter darkness so thick that even the torches Israel and Jae were carrying flickered at the lack of air. The cell, a concrete box with no windows and a door that appeared to be part of the wall, was suffocatingly small. And that was on the outside.

Jae opened the door using a key Thinker had given him when they first arrived, and after ordering the guards dragging Xaxa to dump him inside, he and Rain stepped within. Israel followed right behind.

The inside of the cell seemed even darker and smaller than the outside, if that were possible, and the air was so thin that Israel had to breathe more forcefully. The walls were so close that he could've reached out from side to side and touched two of them. The ceiling was low enough to make him feel as though he should be stooping.

Israel shuddered mentally at the feeling of being trapped within stone. Castle halls were bad enough. To him, such a place as this would have been a fate just as bad as another day with Drefan.

On his knees, Xaxa glanced around, then turned his red eyed gaze to the three of them.

"You really think these walls will keep you safe from me?" he shook his head, causing his half broken skeletal mask to shake slightly. "No. I'll get out of here one day, and I promise you, when that day comes, I'll-"

Israel kicked him unceremoniously in the face, popping the freshly healed jawbone and knocking him to the stone floor.

"You're going to stay here, alone, forever absent light and noise," Rain said in a tone without emotion, "until the darkness makes you blind, the quiet renders you deaf, and the loneliness drives you mad. You will turn into an animal here, a rabid beast foaming at the mouth and clawing at the walls. I will visit you one day, to see it with my own eyes. I'll sit and watch as you cackle through broken lips at the voices in your head, as you shrink from the torchlight I'll bring and scratch your own eyes bloody. Perhaps the sight will bring me joy. I doubt it. Nothing will be enough to compensate for Aranal's death at your hands." She blinked at him. "Still, I'm sure some small part of me will manage to find at least a little satisfaction."

She turned to go and disappeared into the darkness beyond the door. Neither Jae nor Israel moved.

"Xaxa." Israel spoke up. "With your permission, there is something I'd like to leave with you. A parting gift, so you remember me. I wouldn't want you to forget about our history together."

"Fuck your gifts, Shadow." Xaxa growled through his mask. "And believe me, I'll never forget."

Approaching him, Israel double checked to be sure the chains binding his arms behind him were secure and tight. Satisfied, he reached into his pocket and retrieved the thin, iron collar. He stared at it a moment, remembering well how sharp the two ends of the iron bar attached to it were.

"What...is that?" Xaxa asked in concern.

Unclamping the collar, Israel slid it carefully around Xaxa's neck, shifted the bar to be sure that it stood vertical, with one end pressing lightly against his chest while the other touched the bottom of his chin, and then secured it closed.

"This is something very special." Israel said as he stepped back. "It's called a Spike Collar. I took it from an old friend of mine, to save for a rainy day. Allow me to explain how it works. So long as you keep your chin up, it won't hurt you. However, the moment your head begins to dip, as you start to fall asleep perhaps, the sharpened ends of the bar will pierce into your chest and under your chin, delivering a surprising amount of pain. Don't worry, it can't kill you; the bar can only make about a two inch stab at most. The system's overtime healing, and whatever natural regeneration passives you have, will prevent the tool from even coming close to killing you."

Xaxa muttered a quiet curse. "If it can't kill me, what damn good is it? To make me uncomfortable?"

Israel chuckled coldly. "Oh yes. Quite uncomfortable. The pain is just the beginning: there are little forms of torture worse than one that prevents you from ever sleeping again. Believe me, I know. I suspect it'll drive you insane far sooner than the dark will. Farewell, Xaxa."

He turned, not bothering to raise his torch as he made for the door- the darkness didn't bother him. Jae followed behind, and together they dragged the door back into place. Xaxa screamed vile oaths at them from within the room, swearing to have his vengeance and to never forget, but his shouts fell silent the moment the door slammed closed, blending into the colorless stone wall.

It wasn't until they made their way back through the dark halls to the more humane sections of the prison that Israel spoke.

"You disapprove?"

Jae was silent for a moment. "He killed Aranal."

It was all he needed to say.

"How can you be sure that he won't try to use that device to end it, to kill himself?" Jae asked after a time.

Israel stared out into the darkness without blinking.

"Xaxa doesn't have the courage to die. Nor does he have what it takes to learn to control the pain."

In the distance, carried on the air like a cold breeze, Israel thought he could almost hear the screams of his past- his screams- as Drefan set to work on him.

Then another, far more terrifying thought came to him.

Laughing Coffin was no more.

Who would he hurt now? Who would he kill to stave off the misery? Without violence, he was doomed to feel the full weight of his guilt, his despair. Without vengeance, he had no purpose. Naomi…

Jae's words began to echo hauntingly within his mind.

 _What will you do when there are no more red players to unleash your rage upon?_


	119. Chapter 118

118

August 2nd, 2024

Floor 38, Castellan Keep

It was with a heavy heart that Jae approached the outer gates of Castellan Keep. The sun had long since gone down, and he reckoned that it was past midnight. The gravel of the paved road crunched beneath his armored boots with each solemn, solitary step as he drew closer to home. He was alone, but with all the dark thoughts swirling around him, he certainly didn't feel it.

It was hard to believe he had just won a great victory.

Rain was gone. After Jae and Israel had sealed Xaxa away and exited the prison, she met them outside of the Black Iron Palace, no longer wearing her grey Army armor. Garbed in simple traveling clothes, and with an expressionless face, she had turned to him and said farewell. Israel asked her where she planned to go, and she calmly replied that she didn't know. Jae had asked her to come back with him to Castellan Keep, pleaded with her even, but she simply shook her head and said that she couldn't stay in Aranal's home; it would hurt too much. They said goodbye, and then the next thing he knew, she was gone.

But neither Rain's sorrowful departure, nor Aranal's death, were the only things weighing upon Jae's mind, darkening his thoughts.

Though he had not been appalled, or even opposed to the spike collar Israel had put around Xaxa's neck- quite to his own surprise- he couldn't help but fear the mind that would think to keep such a horrific device. Worse, he had seen Israel's eyes as they made their way past the other red player cells. His brother's eyes, always fierce, always expressive, had a habit of betraying his inner feelings.

There was much Jae did not understand about his brother; the madness he had seen lurking beneath Israel's eyes when he had put the collar around Xaxa's neck and said he wouldn't learn how to 'control the pain' for one. But that madness was trivial in comparison to the way Israel had looked at the cells filled with red players on their way out. He wanted to kill them, that much was clear, but it was the why of the matter that Jae could not fully fathom. Vengeance was only a part of it.

 _He still has a hole inside of him,_ Jae realized, _a hole where his heart should be. We've defeated Laughing Coffin, ended the terror of the red players, but he isn't at peace. Whatever healing he needs, it will not come from dealing death. If only I knew how to help him. How to bring him his peace._

With a sad sigh, Jae raked his fingers through his short cropped hair. Forcing his dark thoughts aside, he picked up the pace. He just wanted to be home.

"Second in Command!" The HDA guard on duty said joyfully as Jae passed underneath the stone arch of the outer wall, "Glad to have you back, sir!"

"Glad to be back," Jae replied with a smile, "I take it the party I took with me to escort the prisoners made it back safely?"

The guard nodded. "Yes, sir, they got back here some twenty minutes before you did, all accounted for."

"Good. Thank you soldier."

Jae pressed on, cutting through the fields outside of the Keep proper to shave a moment or two off his time. Arriving at the double doors leading into the Grand Hearth, he placed a hand on both, pushed forward, and stepped inside. At this hour, he expected the place to be empty and the fires low.

"There you are!" Vivienne said urgently as she stood up from the nearest table and made her to way to him. She wasn't alone.

Meifan, David, and Avari, who had all been sitting with her, swiftly followed her to their feet and moved to join him.

"You didn't have to wait up for me, everyone." Jae said, closing the doors behind him. "I walked back is all, there was no need to be worried-"

"Where's your brother?" Meifan asked.

Jae puzzled at the question. "Israel went back to Brakrun to try and catch PoH's trail. He said he would return before morning. Why-"

Avari sighed. "We have that going for us, at least."

"Have what going for us? What are you two talking about?"

Vivienne crossed her arms, and Jae could see the anger on her face as she spoke, as if outraged that what she was saying were true.

"Lind has placed Sara under arrest."

Jae froze. "What?"

"We've been looking for her ever since we got back with the main force a few hours ago," David explained, "We had not idea where she was, and no one from among the garrison that stayed behind seemed to know either."

"At first we thought she had gone to find more ingredients for her potions or something," Vivienne continued for him, "but as time wore on it became clear to me that something wasn't right."

"She would've wanted to be here when the main force got back," Jae agreed, "to see Israel."

Vivienne nodded. "My thoughts as well. After searching for hours got us nowhere, we started to suspect Lind and went to see him, not ten minutes ago."

"And?" Jae asked, his anger rising.

"And the weasel smugly told us that he had had her arrested. He refused to tell us where she was."

Jae felt his blood begin to heat. For a second, he almost considered removing Starfire from it's latches. Lind had long since lost his status as a friend in Jae's mind, as had his ability to command respect, yet they had managed to keep a loose, uneasy peace. Now, however, Lind had gone too far.

"Why didn't you send me a message the moment you knew?" Jae asked.

"We assumed Israel was with you." Avari answered. "If he found out…"

"...He'd be out for blood." Jae finished for her as it dawned on him. "And the instant he started, the entire guild would be up in arms against him."

"For all we knew, getting Israel to appear the villain may have been exactly why Lind had Sara taken." Vivienne said. "I didn't want to risk helping his schemes, whatever they may be."

Jae nodded slowly. "You did the right thing. Whatever it is Lind is doing, there's no reason to play his game." He started moving. "Come on."

"To confront Lind?' Meifan asked.

Jae shook his head. "Sara first. They have no right to hold her. I want her free right now."

"But Jae," Vivienne argued, "we don't know where she is. He could've sent her to the Black Iron Palace by now."

Again, Jae shook his head. "No. Lind is many things, but he isn't completely stupid. He must have thought this through. Taking Sara would mean risking Israel's wrath. He needs to keep her close to protect himself, use her to keep Israel in line. She's here, in Castellan Keep."

"But where?"

Jae picked up the pace, his face flush with rage at what Lind had done.

"The only place where a captive like her could find no means of escape."

It took them several minutes to reach the guild storage vault. Located underneath Castellan Keep itself and only accessible by a series of stairs that led down from the depths of the Grand Hearth, and sealed by a huge metal door that could only be opened by a heavy turn-wheel on the outside, it was easily the most secure place in the Keep.

Now, as they descended the last stair and emerged in the room housing the vault, Jae saw three HDA players- in full battle array- standing guard before the closed door of the vault itself. When the three men laid eyes on Jae and the others marching straight for them, they stiffened in alarm, but did not draw their swords.

"Second in Command," the lead guard began, "I'm sorry, but the vault is closed for the time being-"

"Open it." Jae ordered. "Now."

Tension suddenly filled the air.

The lead guard shifted his weight uncomfortably. "I'm sorry, sir, but Commander Lind himself has stationed us here, with orders not to-"

"Commander Lind ordered you to arrest a woman who is not only on our side, but who's efforts on our behalf insured the success of the battle to defeat Laughing Coffin." Jae looked at the faces of each of the other men before returning his gaze to the leader. "You three weren't at the battle this morning."

The lead guard shook his head reluctantly. "No, sir, we were told to remain here with the rest of the garrison. Our levels permitted us from marching with you-"

"Then you have no idea what it was those of us who were there went through today, or how much worse it would've gone had it not been for her actions the night before. You have no idea how Sara, the woman who you have locked up in there, risked her life to ensure that Laughing Coffin wouldn't be able to teleport out of Brakrun Dungeon, or how she gave me, Officer Vivienne, and many others additional health potions and maximum health buffs that I have no doubt are the reason we're still alive right now."

The lead guard looked away as he cleared his throat, clearly unsure how to proceed. "Sir...I'm sure that what you say is true, but Commander Lind himself ordered me-"

"I don't care what Lind told you!" Jae exploded. "I don't care what he said, or what his reasoning was! Sara is a friend, and I refuse to see her treated like this. I'm ordering you to open the vault, and I'm ordering you to do it right now. Do not make me tell you again."

The three guards shrank back a step before the power of his voice, and the two in the back looked to their leader. Though the man appeared very uncomfortable with the situation, with sweat slowly beginning to bead his brow, he stood firm.

"Second in Command, I'm very sorry, but I cannot do as you ask."

Avari made to draw her greatsword, but Jae held up a hand in silent command, his eyes still fixed on the lead guard as the man continued speaking.

"With respect, sir, I know you won't harm me, so threats will do you no good. You're a good man, a man who risks his life to safe those under him, not destroy them. No matter what your disagreements with Lind are about the red player girl, you wouldn't kill men of your own guild. Under normal circumstances, I would be happy to do as you ordered, but Lind's commands come first."

Jae frowned curiously. "You think I'm telling you to do this on behalf of myself? I'm trying to save your lives, you stupid fools."

The lead guard blinked, obviously confused.

"Let me tell you what will happen if you do not open this vault, since you seem to lack the intelligence required." Jae leaned in closer. "My brother, the Shadow of Death, is going to return to Castellan Keep before dawn. My brother doesn't listen to Lind. He doesn't listen to me. He answers to no one but himself. Now, when he gets here, the first person he will be expecting to see is the woman in that vault. Within the hour, he will know that she has been taken and where she is- he's an expert tracker, my brother. He's also a merciless killer. I saw what he could do first hand in Brakrun Dungeon, against Laughing Coffin's best men. The violence was beyond anything that I could comprehend. When he comes down here, he'll be out for blood. I suspect you'll all be dead before dawn."

The three men stood frozen in fear at Jae's words. He could see by their pale expressions that they hadn't considered Israel and were now doubting their roles. He left unsaid that he would make no move to stop his brother's rampage, but he guessed they could figure it out.

"Now that we're all on the same page," Jae continued, his voice darkening, "I'm going to tell you again- for your own good- to open the vault and get out of my way. This is your last chance."

The two men in the back sprang into action, immediately going to the turn-wheel and pushing all their weight into spinning it around. The lead guard quickly joined them, and within the seconds, the vault door began to grind open.

"You should've let me crack their treacherous heads together." Avari muttered quietly under her breath as the three guards continued to work. "Hell, you could've taken all three by yourself."

Jae shook his head. "They're just doing as Lind told them, and he is a higher rank than I am. It's not their fault their Commander is the way he is."

As soon as the vault door had been sufficiently opened, Sara emerged. She was garbed in her usual black dress, and her tangle of long silver hair gleamed in contrast to the dark of the vault. With a hopeful look on her face, she raised a hand, shielding her eyes from the light of the torches as she tried to focus on Jae and those behind him. Fear flashed suddenly across her features.

"Jae, where's-"

"Israel's fine." Jae assured her. "The battle is won, and he's fine. He told me he'd return to the Keep before morning."

Sara blinked in puzzlement. "Before morning? What's he doing? Why didn't he come back with you and the others?"

"PoH escaped. Israel was determined to pick up his trail and catch him before he got too far."

Sara now looked completely bewildered, and more than a little worried. "Escaped? But...but how could he...as long as PoH is still out there we are all-"

Vivienne held up a hand, urging silence. "We'll get back to all that, Sara, but right now, we need to deal with Lind. He needs to answer for locking you away."

Jae turned to the three guards, all silently watching by the turn-wheel.

"You three will remain here. You are not to leave this room until _I_ give you leave to. Do you understand?"

They nodded grudgingly.

Gesturing for the others to follow him, Jae turned on his heel and began the ascent back up the staircase. Once they were far enough up to be out of earshot, he glanced to Sara.

"I'm so sorry for how they treated you."

Sara offered a slight smile. "There's no need to apologize. I know it wasn't you that gave the order."

"Why did Lind give the command to have you arrested?"

She shrugged. "I'm a red player, Jae."

Jae frowned. "I don't understand. You and Israel have both been with us for days. You've proved yourself a friend numerous times."

"How long have you been in the vault, Sara?" Vivienne asked.

"Since the moment you left."

Jae felt his blood begin to boil again at that.

"That son of a bitch was waiting for us to leave for Brakrun." David seethed.

There was silence for a moment as they continued up the stairs, until Sara said, "What are you going to do?"

"Lind and I are going to have a few words, that's for sure." Jae glanced over at her. "Sara, I'm sorry, it feels wrong to even ask, but I have to. Would you please consider not telling Israel when he gets back? Knowing him, he would slaughter everyone in Castellan Keep without a second thought to get to Lind. Most of the guild didn't know you were arrested, and even those three guarding you were just doing what they were told. They're fools, and they shame the Holy Dragon Alliance for not defending you, but they don't deserve to die for following orders."

Sara nodded. "I had already give it much thought, and we're in agreement on that account. To be honest, I was more worried about what would happen when Israel found out than about whatever Lind had planned for me."

Jae dipped his head in gratitude. "Thank you."

By the time they were at the top of the stairs and back in the belly of the Keep, Jae was fully aware that the three guards had no doubt already sent Lind messages about what had transpired. Picking up the pace, Jae and the others made their way through the halls and corridors as quickly as they could, not so much in fear but in anger. He wanted answers. As they drew closer, they began to attract the attention of various players still awake, who in turn began messaging others that had probably already gone to bed.

Arriving at Lind's private quarters, Jae was surprised to see that only the usual complement of guards were present. He _was_ surprised, however, to see dozens of other HDA members all waiting anxiously. It was clear that the guild was interest to hear what Jae would say to Lind. Listening through doors had become quite the habit for them.

"I think you should wait out here." He said to Vivienne and the others. "I won't be long."

Though reluctant, they nodded quietly, and he stepped inside.

At the far end of the decadent, torchlit room, Lind sat at his marble table, waiting for him in silent, seething anger.

"Jae. I had expected to see you hours ago to get your report on the Battle of Brakrun, as it's now being called."

"You know why I'm here, Lind, and it's not to give you my report."

Silence for a moment.

"Jae. What you have done is direct insubordination-"

"And what you did was wrong!" Jae shouted, stopping in front of the table. "Why did you arrest her, Lind? Why?"

Lind jumped to his feet. "She is a red player! She has killed people, Jae! How can you not see that! Have you truly become so blinded by your brother's return that you can no longer tell killers from the rest of us?!"

"She's a good person who helped us win against Laughing Coffin! If it wasn't for her-"

"If it wasn't for her and those like her, hundreds if not thousands of lives lost would still be among us! She served her purpose helping us dispatch Laughing Coffin, and now that purpose is gone. Now she must answer for her crimes like all the rest of them!"

Jae suppressed the urge to walk over and punch the man in the face.

"Lind, you don't even know her."

"Perhaps not, but I know your brother."

Jae blinked.

"Tell me why you arrested her. The real reason."

Lind didn't shy away from his look.

"I was going to use her life to ensure that the Shadow of Death cooperated without resistance."

Jae clenched his fists in silent, rapidly building fury. Now he was getting to it.

"Cooperated how?"

"He needs to be arrested and taken to the Black Iron Palace, where he belongs, with the other red players. Once secured, Sara would have followed him. But now you've freed her. Things won't be as simple."

"You're right about that." Jae snapped. "Lind, you have no idea how wrong you are about this. Israel fought harder than any other green player in our army. He saved my life today, and who knows how many others. He has more than proved-"

"Enough!" Lind screamed. "I'll hear no more of this madness! All your brother has proved is that he is a deranged killer bent on blood and death! For Christ's sakes, he is the Shadow of Death!"

"He's a good man, and if you had any sense at all, you'd see-"

"If I had sense?!" Lind sputtered, the vein in his forehead looking ready to pop. "If _I_ had sense? I'm not the one vouching for the greatest serial murderer in Aincrad!" He took a breath, visibly attempting to calm himself. "I've tried to be reasonable with you Jae. I've tried to give you the time you need to come to terms with seeing your brother again after all this time, even though his insanity threatens everyone around him, threatens the members of this guild! Well I'm done. No more. I've given you more freedom and authority than any Commander has ever given his Second, but in this matter, it is my duty to fix this problem, and to set you straight once again. Your mind is clouded by your emotions, so I must act for the both of us.

"With Sara freed, you must now do as I say to ensure that Israel is taken into custody. Come the dawn, you will take ten men and find him. When you do, you will arrest him and escort him immediately to a secure cell within the Black Iron Palace, where he belongs. If he refuses or resists, I expect you to be ready to defend the men under your command, even if that means killing him. Either way, I want this to be the last time I ever hear of the Shadow of Death again. After he is brought to prison, you will go and recover Sara and escort her back as well."

Lind looked at him for a moment. "I know we have long had our differences, and I know that right now you are letting your love for your brother blind you. It is my duty as Commander to help you, and to insure that we take the proper path when you cannot. You are the finest Officer in the guild, Jae. You are the Champion of the Holy Dragon Alliance. You are the Hero of Floor Twenty-Five. You are my Second in Command. As such, I expect you to remember your duty. Do we understand each other?"

Jae was silent for a long moment. It was clear to him now. This wasn't another simple argument in the endless history of arguments he had had with Lind over petty financial struggles or local guild politics. This was different. This was a long time coming.

He had been a fool for thinking everything would carry on as it had been. He had been a fool to think that people would accept his brother for who he was, and that in doing so, Jae would get to live the best of both worlds. The world itself was full of those who thought they knew everything, had the right answers, believed they stood on the high ground of principle. It was the one trait human beings seemed to share. That, and hatred in what they did not understand, or what did not fit their narrow minded and subjective moral compass. To Lind and all those like him, Israel and Sara were killers. That was all they needed to know. Nothing would change their minds.

He should've known this day would come. He knew now what he had to do.

"Commander Lind, I want you to know that there was once a time, long ago, when I would have gladly followed you to the ends of the earth. There was no other leader for whom I held higher respect." He looked around, gazing at the elegant marble and stone walls, the windows, and the towers and grounds out beyond. "I have given everything for the Holy Dragon Alliance. I have risked my life for the members of this guild, for my family. I have even risked my life for you. I followed your orders, and when others spoke badly of you I told them to be silent, even until recently. But I cannot tolerate your hatred of my brother anymore. I cannot tolerate the Assault Team's hatred of him."

Bowing his head, Jae looked down at the masterpiece silver steel pauldron attached to his right shoulder. It was a shining display of his rank and authority. Seizing it, he removed the armor piece from his shoulder. Clutching it in a hand, he examined the engraved words:

 _Jae Kulavic, HDA Sub Commander_

 _Hero of Floor Twenty-Five_

With a sigh, he let the shoulder armor fall to the floor at his feet. Lind gasped.

Without slowing, Jae reached for the SC insignia at his chest. Seizing the pendant, he allowed it to drop to the carpeted ground beside the pauldron. Still not looking up, he spoke, raising his voice so that all those outside the door could hear.

"Commander Lind, from this moment forward, I resign my position as Second in Command of the Holy Dragon Alliance. I am no longer your Champion. All ties I had with this guild, including my membership of it, are dissolved. Since I am no longer a member of the HDA, I will now be leaving Castellan Keep."

Pivoting smoothly on his left foot, Jae turned and began walking towards the door. He heard Lind take several steps forward after him.

"Is this some kind of joke, Jae? You can't do this to me, to us. You can't leave the guild. You're my Second in Command. You can't-"

Jae stopped abruptly, but didn't turn. With his eyes still on the door and his back to Lind, he said, "One more thing. If anyone from this guild tries to arrest my brother tomorrow, or at any future time, I'll deal with them first. And then-" he glanced back over his shoulder at Lind, who paled at the look on his face- "I'll kill you myself."

The door opened as he approached it, and Jae didn't look back. Exiting Lind's office, he kept his eyes forward and strode through the mass of silent HDA members, all staring in disbelief even as they parted for him. Everyone had heard his proclamation, and his threat.

When he made his way to Vivienne and the others, they ran up to meet him.

Vivienne looked shocked, angry, proud, and confused all at once, and for a brief second, Jae thought he could see a single tear in her eye.

"Jae…"

Jae felt terrible knowing that he was thrusting a terrible choice upon the people he cared about most. He looked to Vivienne.

"I love you more than my life, Viv, you know that. I also want you to know that I am fully aware how much this guild means to you-" he looked at the others behind her- "to all of you. I don't expect you to follow me, any of you, and I will completely understand if-"

Vivienne covered his mouth with her hand. Though she truly did look saddened, she rolled her eyes at him. "Please husband, don't be an idiot after such a good speech. I'm not staying here without you, and I'm certainly not going to support those who are opposed to you and your brother. If Castellan Keep is no longer your home, than it is no longer mine."

"My thoughts exactly." David said.

Avari nodded, flashing Jae a grim smile. "As always, Vivienne proves herself smarter than you."

Meifan strode forward and clasped Jae's arm firmly. "As far as I'm concerned you're my guild leader. I don't know your brother, but I will follow you anywhere."

With a grateful nod, Jae smiled at his friends- his family. Taking Vivienne's hand, he and she took the lead, closely followed by Meifan, Avari, David, and Sara as they moved past the crowd of players who had only moments before been their guild mates. All of the people in that crowd stood silently, gazing at their Second in Command who was walking out on them. Many stared with sadness and regret, while others looked on with pride and small nods of understanding. Some, however, eyed him with cold hate, as if he had betrayed them all. He supposed it was to be expected, but it still felt painful to see.

Regardless of how they looked at him though, all parted before him, his wife, and his friends as they made their way out of the beautiful castle that Jae himself had once chosen to be the home of the guild that he had saved from bankruptcy and collapse.

He knew it would be the last time he ever walked within Castellan Keep.


	120. Chapter 119

119

August 15th, 2024  
Floor 55, Riftwood Tavern

"I must say, it does my heart good to see my inn so lively again!" Bulwin said cheerily as he set a large tray of food down onto the table before them. "Brings to mind happier times, when these roads were alive with traders and travelers from all over Aincrad! Back in those days, my wife Ulla and I ran this place together, Gods rest her. I tell you, if she were here now, she'd-"

"Er, sorry to interrupt, Bulwin," David pointed down at his plate, "but I think you forgot the eggs again."

Bulwin blinked, the red skin on his face folding over as he examined the plate intently. In an instant, his expression lit up with an apologetic smile that spread across his jolly face.

"Oh, so I did! Would you believe it, it's as I was just about to say; if my wife Ulla were here, Gods rest her, she'd beat me with a spatula for how often I forget things these days. Brings to mind a story, actually, back when-"

"Again, and I don't mean to be rude here, Bulwin," David said in a strained voice, "but I would really appreciate it if I could get those eggs first."

Bulwin chuckled as he slapped David on the back. "Right you are, good sir David, right you are, a thousand pardons for my runaway tongue. A true curse it is, if I do say so myself. I'll see to those eggs of yours right away, and I'll be sure to bring another jug of cold milk as well on my way out." He half turned as he started back towards the doorway that led to the kitchen side of the inn. "Er, what type of egg was it you wanted, good sir David?"

Across the table, Jae had to suppress the urge to laugh as he watched David's face.

"Scrambled, Bulwin. Like always. Scrambled."

Bulwin, still grinning heartily, pointed a meaty finger over at David, as if they were best friends who had just exchanged an inside joke.

"Scrambled, right you are, good sir David! I'll be seeing to it at once, and then you strap yourself in for the most epic tale you've ever heard!"

"Can't wait." David muttered under his breath after the gleeful NPC had disappeared into the kitchens.

"I bet being forgetful wasn't the only thing his wife beat him for." Avari jibed before taking a swig of her ale.

"How hard is it to remember scrambled eggs?" David muttered irritably. "I've ordered the same thing every morning since we found this place. How does he forget every time?"

"He's an older man." Sara reminded him from across the table. "And there are a lot of us staying here. I like him."

"Easy for you to say," David huffed before taking a bite of the bread on his plate, "He's not forgetting your eggs every day."

"Aren't NPC's supposed to remember everything?" Vivienne inquired to no one in particular. "It seems strange that he would be forgetful when his entire existence was programmed to be a tavern keeper."

"Glitch, perhaps?" Meifan offered around a mouthful of sausage.

"Maybe he was just programmed to be forgetful." Jae said with a shrug. "Specific human traits and flaws aren't uncommon in NPC's- helps with the immersion."

David flourished his hand across the table at their steaming dishes. "He doesn't seem to have any trouble remembering anyone else's eggs. Meifan even got the same kind I requested!"

"Maybe he just doesn't like you." Meifan said casually.

"Can't imagine what I would have to do to make an NPC angry."

Meifan shrugged innocently. "No idea. Although, he does know that you're with Avari. You two share a room."

David blinked at the tank. "What does that have to do with anything?"

Meifan chewed and swallowed another bite before casually replying, "Nothing, I'm sure, but I _have_ noticed him staring at her a certain way."

David shot to his feet in a rage, his hand dropping to his scimitar. "He what?"

Meifan's weathered face turned red as he burst out laughing.

Avari and Vivienne rolled their eyes, and Sara looked on in vague amusement as she took a sip of water.

Trying as best he could to suppress his own laugh, Jae snagged David's sleeve before he could tackle someone. "Calm down. Bulwin is an NPC, remember? He doesn't-"

The door flew open with a loud creak, and Israel appeared suddenly in the doorway, garbed in his armor and black cloak. His face was tense and unreadable.

"Israel," Sara said in surprise, "I thought you were still asleep upstairs."

Though his attention was fixed on Israel, Jae could still see out of the corner of his eye just how much Sara's face had brightened, as it always did when his brother was around in spite of how much she tried to hide it.

"I went for an early walk." Israel turned his attention to Jae. "There are two HDA men headed straight for us from the north road. They're on horses and riding fast."

The inn sprang to life as everyone jumped to their feet and immediately began retrieving weapons.

"How far away?" Jae asked.

"They'll be here in two minutes, maybe less. I had to take shortcuts to stay ahead and get here first."

Vivienne's face twisted in alarm as she glanced to Jae. "We need to run- lose them in the woods or teleport out."

Jae shook his head. "No. Our packs and clothes are still in our rooms, and we don't have time to gather it all. Even if they don't know we're staying here already, they'll still search the tavern and discover the truth with or without us being here."

"Then what do we do?" David asked. "If Lind is after us and discovers our whereabouts-"

"The answer is obvious." Israel interrupted sternly. "We eliminate the threat."

Sara nodded but remained silent. The others turned their gazes to Jae.

He freed Starfire from the latches on his back.

"I agree."

Meifan shifted his weight uncomfortably. "Jae…"

Jae shot him a look. "I told Lind what would happen if he sent men after us. I'm a man of my word."

That settled it.

"Quickly," Israel said as he turned to race back outside, "Jae, with me. The rest of you, wait for them to draw close before you make yourselves known."

He disappeared from the doorway, and Jae took off at a run to catch up with him.

"We'll come up behind them," Israel explained as he led them into the fringe of woods just beyond the tavern, taking a narrow berth around the road, "to cut off their escape when they turn to run from Vivienne and the others."

Jae grunted his acknowledgement, and focused his thoughts on keeping up with Israel, who seemed a phantom within his element. Jae knew what had to be done, but he was not looking forward to it by any means. He was no longer a member of the Holy Dragon Alliance, but that did not diminish his care for those he had until so recently considered his friends and family. Killing his ex-guildmates was the last thing he wanted. Yet it had to be done.

 _Lind will pay for this._

Israel halted once they were about twenty feet from the tavern, and motioned for Jae to get down alongside him as they turned to watch the road. Jae heard the galloping of hooves, and a moment later, two men in silver and blue armor and helms road past, slowing their lathered horses as they approached the tavern.

When the two riders were ten feet from the door, and before they could halt their horses completely, it burst open. Vivienne and Meifan strode out to meet the riders with swords in hand, while Sara, David, and Avari appeared from around the sides of the building.

The two horses reared in fright, and the men atop them struggled to seize control as their mounts spun around. At that moment, Jae and Israel leapt out of the trees and onto the dirt road behind them. Israel drew his red sword, filling the air with its distinct ring. The two riders turned atop their mounts, and their eyes widened as Jae and Israel prepared to charge forward.

"Wait!" One of them cried in a familiar voice. He threw up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "We're not here to fight!"

Israel didn't slow. "No, you're just here to discover my brother's location and report back to Lind."

The man shook his head fervently and hastily tore off his helmet.

"Officer Retarin?" Vivienne asked as she and the others circled around the frightened horses.

Retarin gave her a quick smile. "Good to see you well, Officer Vivienne." he turned to the others. "Good to see all of you."

The other rider removed his helmet as well, revealing the face of Officer Vitelly. Jae had never known the two well, but they had both proven to be good men and loyal friends ever since he had first become the Second in Command. They had even supported him before that, being among those that aided him in his economic operations back when the HDA was on the verge of bankruptcy. Retarin, in particular, had often sided with Jae during guild meetings and had also given both him and Vivienne wonderful gifts during their wedding.

"Jae." Israel said in a low voice. "Whether you know these men or not makes no difference. They were sent by Lind, and when he discovers where you are, he'll send every fighter in the HDA."

"Lind already knows you're staying here." Officer Vitelly countered. "Along with everyone else in Aincrad."

"How?" Sara demanded.

"This area is sparsely populated, but players still travel through these roads to reach the larger towns and cities. Several passersby must have spotted you, knew who you were, and sold the information to the info brokers, who in turn sold it to the Assault Team."

Israel cursed angrily under his breath before rounding on Jae. "This is exactly why I said we shouldn't stay at an inn sitting right by the road."

Jae ignored him. "So, according to you, Lind knows where we are but so far has been smart enough to take no action."

Both men nodded.

"Lind knows that if he were to order your capture," Retarin explained, "Or even the capture of your brother and the other red player, he'd very quickly find himself facing a revolt from half the guild. In spite of how you and he parted, and though he is furious with you, I do not think he means you any harm. His only real hatred lies with your brother and the Potion Master."

Jae ran his fingers through his hair as he sighed, then twirled Starfire back into the latches on his back. Beside him, Israel grudgingly sheathed his sword. He looked disappointed that there wouldn't be a fight.

"If what you say is true," Jae said, "and Lind isn't after us, why did you two come here?"

Retarin straightened in his saddle. "We came to speak with the Second in Command."

Jae shook his head. "That isn't who I am anymore. I hold no rank, Retarin. It's just Jae now."

"It doesn't have to be."

Jae narrowed his gaze suspiciously. "Retarin…"

"There are many among the guild who are loyal to you over Lind, Jae. Officers and rank and file both. We know who the real Commander should be, should have always been. If you were to go back to Castellan Keep and make yourself known, you would not be alone. Vitelly, myself, and over half of the others would all stand behind you and support you in deposing Lind and seizing power over the HDA."

Jae could scarcely believe what he was hearing. "No."

Vitelly and Retarin both blinked in surprise.

"I'm not lying to you, Jae." Retarin said earnestly. "Those that stand with us, they chose Vitelly and I to go and tell you-"

"I said no." Jae's voice was calm, but he made sure they could hear his iron resolve. He studied both of their faces. "I'm honored by your belief in me, but you need to realize that I'm not a member of the Holy Dragon Alliance anymore. I'm not your Second in Command, and no matter how much you wish to change that, that's just how it is."

"We don't want you to be Second in Command." Vitelly argued. "We want you to be our guild leader."

"I know what you want, and the answer is no."

"Why?" Retarin asked in confusion.

"I have no interest in power. You both know that I never wanted command in the first place, it was given to me by Lind. I don't want to rule over Castellan Keep. I don't care about the Assault Team or guild politics or exacting some misshapen form of revenge on Lind. All that matters to me now is my family."

"The guild is your family as well." Retarin argued. "You accepted us as such the day you joined. Not wanting power is all well and good, but what will happen to the guild now that Lind is in sole control of Castellan Keep? How quickly will we plummet back into debt and corruption and weakness?"

"Lind was always in charge," Jae reminded him, "I was _Second_ in Command, remember?"

Retarin waved a dismissive hand. "In name only, and everyone knew it. It was because of your leadership that the HDA grew into what it is today and rose to the forefront of the Assault Team, not Lind's. We would have you as our rightful leader, once and for all. If your fear is for your brother and the woman, there is no need. Those of us that stand for you all saw the Shadow of Death fight beside us against Laughing Coffin at the Battle of Brakrun. He killed more of them than any of us. We have no misplaced animosity towards your brother as Lind does. I will gladly support him against anyone who-"

Jae held up a hand, silently commanding silence.

"Retarin, I'm sorry. The answer is no. There is nothing more that I can tell you. I thank you for your words, and your beliefs, but I cannot do as you ask."

Vitelly opened his mouth to speak, but Retarin stopped him with a shake of his head. Frustrated, he glanced back to Jae.

"I suppose you wish me to relay your message back to the others in those same words?"

Jae nodded. "My only advice to them, and to you, is to leave the guild if you feel so truly opposed to Lind. Staying will only breed dissent between you and those that are loyal to him in times to come."

Retarin dipped his head sullenly. "I will tell them." He sighed. "I won't pretend that I'm not angry, but I wish the best to you, Jae, and to you Vivienne. I am glad I got to see you both again."

Jae offered a smile, as did Vivienne. "You as well, Officer Retarin. Stay safe."

The seven of them stood silently for a moment as they watched the two men ride off down the road, swiftly disappearing within the cloud of smoke their horses kicked up as they went. Jae, already frustrated by what he had heard, knew what was coming. He hoped he was wrong; he didn't want to talk about it again. As soon as Retarin and Vitelly had disappeared beyond the rise, however, David spoke.

"Jae, maybe I'm wrong, but I think you spoke too soon. Wouldn't taking command of the HDA help ensure the safety of us all, and Aincrad itself while we're at it?"

Jae spread his hands. "What's to keep safe? Laughing Coffin is gone. The player killers can no longer wreak havoc in our world."

"No, but the green players still can. Who's to say that in the years or even months to come, guild politics doesn't take a turn for the worst and lead to war between factions?"

"And don't forget," Sara reminded them, "PoH is still out there somewhere. As long as he is alive and free, there is still cause to worry about Laughing Coffin's eventual return."

"You both present good points," Jae admitted, "but neither of those futures is set in stone. We have no way of knowing how Aincrad will change later on down the road, so there is no point in speculating. If something of that scale happens, we will deal with it then. But that will not mean usurping control over the HDA."

David frowned. "I still think-"

"We are done talking about it." Jae said sharply. He walked back into the tavern, not bothering to close the door behind him as he went.

Ignoring the rest of his breakfast on the table, Jae made for the bar, sitting himself down at one of the high topped stools as he heard the inaudible drawl of words being spoken by the others outside. He didn't much care what they were saying; he wouldn't change his mind.

"Bulwin." Jae called softly. "Bulwin?"

The usually jolly faced NPC ambled swiftly out of the kitchen area to the bar across the counter from Jae, looking more somber than usual. When his eyes met Jae, however, he forced a hearty smile that appeared sincere.

"Yes, good sir Jae? What can I get you?"

Before Jae could ask Bulwin what was wrong, or even order a drink, Israel appeared suddenly beside him. Jae didn't jump this time, but it still caught him off guard.

"Dammit, Israel, can't you trip over a chair or something? Make some noise for once."

Israel, clearly not in the mood for games, met him only with an annoyed look.

"I warned you about staying here. We were discovered as easily as I expected."

Jae threw up his hands in annoyance. "And where else would we have gone, Israel? Hmm?" he shoved a finger at the tiny red cursor hovering above his brother's head. "You and Sara are both red players, so we can't enter any of the towns or cities. Even the small villages in the middle of nowhere are off limits to us now."

Israel scowled. "As I've already said, there are countless forests I know well, forests where we could live hidden and in peace from now on, without fear of either of our enemies catching up to us."

Jae met his brother's glare. "And as I've already said, not all of us are trained to survive in the wilderness and live off roots and berries like you are. Do you think that's how I want my wife to live?"

"I think what you should be more concerned about is her living, period." Israel's voice softened. "It is good to know that Lind isn't after us. Putting you and Vivienne and the others at risk for standing up for me is the last thing I would've wanted. But just because he's not seeking us out yet doesn't mean that he never will. He wants me in prison for being a red player, and he might want the same for you, considering what you told me about your threat to him. He won't just forget us. Kibaou, meanwhile, has always hated you, and I imagine he will see your separation from the guild as an opportunity to hurt you in some way at some point in the future. And then of course, as Sara said, there's PoH, who isn't exactly my biggest fan-"

"I know, I know." Jae raked his fingers through his hair, then turned to Israel and smiled grimly. "We seem to have a talent for making enemies, you and I."

"Only the ones who deserve to be."

Jae scratched his jaw, then nodded slowly. "You're right about one thing, at least; we can't stay here, not with everyone in Aincrad aware of our location. Even if it's not enemies who come looking for us, others like Retarin and Vitelly will. If they were willing to risk banishment from the guild to come here and find me, they'll come back again, and less willing to take no for an answer. I have no intention of getting drawn into a coup d'etat. We'll start looking for a more secluded place first thing tomorrow."

That seemed to satisfy Israel, for he relaxed a little as he nodded. Then he turned and began heading back to the door.

"Where are you off to?" Jae asked.

"I have to keep looking for PoH."

"Do you really expect to find him at this point? It's been over two weeks and we have no leads."

Israel paused. "No." He admitted. "I don't think I will. He'll know I'm after him, and he's no fool. But I have to try." He glanced back over his shoulder at Jae. "Sara is having nightmares about him."

Jae sat up in his stool, concerned. "How can you tell?"

"Her room is next to mine. I hear her through the walls at night. She's quiet, but not quiet enough for my hearing. I've asked her about it, but she denies the dreams. She doesn't want me to worry about her." The blue flames in Israel's eyes danced to life. "Were he guilty of nothing else, I'd kill PoH a dozen times over for tormenting her so. I will find him."

Jae nodded solemnly, and watched as Israel disappeared out the door. Bulwin cleared his throat behind the counter, refocusing Jae's attention.

"Your drink?" Bulwin asked politely, even though his face still appeared slightly worried. "Sounds to me like you need one."

"You're right about that." Jae pointed to a large barrel on the back wall with a picture of a stout mug on its front. "Is that ale?"

"Mead."

"I'll take a horn of that, please."

Bulwin turned and retrieved a large, hollowed out bullhorn hanging above the line of drinks, then brought it to the mouth of the mead barrel. When he tugged on the lever at the barrel's side, however, nothing came out.

Bulwin blinked in horror.

"A thousand pardons," Bulwin said in as cheery a voice as he could manage, "but it seems...I'm afraid we're out of mead."

"That's alright," Jae assured him, "I'll just take something else. Do you have wine?"

Bulwin nodded and went to a different barrel. He hesitated when his hand was on the lever, then pulled. Dark red wine poured from the barrel's mouth into the horn. The NPC let out a sigh of relief.

"Just enough…" he mumbled.

"...Is everything alright, Bulwin?" Jae asked.

The tavern keeper nodded with a smile as he set the filled horn down on the counter before Jae.

"Of course, my good sir. Why do you ask?"

Jae peered at him. "You seem...concerned. Is something wrong? It's fine about the mead, you know."

Bulwin hesitated, then swiped at his brow as he shook his head at Jae.

"It's not about that, good sir. Well, I mean, it is, but it isn't about _that._ "

Jae blinked. "Alright…"

"To be honest with you, Jae, I have a bit of a dilemma." He scratched his bald head before continuing, as if afraid to keep going. "You see, you and your friends have been here for awhile now- not that I'm complaining, mind you- but you've come at something of a bad time."

The door creaked open as Vivienne stepped inside. She looked like she wanted to speak as she made her way over to Jae, but she instead kept silent and listened as Bulwin went on, wringing his hands all the while.

"You see, A wagon of goods from the next town over, Saltvale, was supposed to get here nearly a month ago. I needed what was inside the wagon to keep my tavern stocked- foodstuffs, wine, firewood for the kitchens, among other things. It never arrived, and so I've had to make do with what I've had. Such a thing wouldn't normally have been a big problem, seeing as I rarely get customers. But now that you and your friends are all here, and have been for some time, I'm beginning to run low." His red face creased in shame. "My fault, I know. I should've-"

"It's not your fault, Bulwin." Jae said.

"Is that the reason David has been missing his eggs in the morning?" Vivienne asked in amusement.

Bulwin nodded. "I don't have enough for all of you, so for the past few days I've had to neglect someone's dish. It was a terribly hard decision! I wanted to serve everyone, but good sir David struck me as the man least likely to get angry over it."

Vivienne offered the NPC a warm smile. "Bulwin, none of us would've been angry had you told us about your lack of supplies. I'm sorry we've been such a burden to you."

Jae was about to tell Bulwin that they would be leaving tomorrow and thus no more of a concern, when a thought struck him.

"You said this wagon delivery of yours never arrived. Is it possible that it never left Saltvale?"

Bulwin shook his head. "I checked the records, and so did Saltvale's officials. The wagon left it's warehouse to deliver the goods to me, as always, and simply vanished. It didn't arrive here, nor did it ever make it back to Saltvale. The villagers there are experiencing a bad harvest, and informed me that they wouldn't be able to outfit another wagon until November at the earliest. If that's true, I won't be able to keep the tavern going for much longer." He blinked away tears as he forced a choked laugh. "My wife Ulla, Gods rest her, would turn in her grave if she found out that I had run our inn into the ground."

"Let's not fear the worst just yet." Jae stood up. "I'll go out and search for this wagon."

Bullwin brightened. "You will?"

"You will?" Vivienne repeated with less enthusiasm.

Jae glanced at her. "I need some time to clear my head. I was thinking about going for a walk besides, and this way, I might be able to help Bulwin out. We owe him for his hospitality." He turned to Bulwin. "From what I've seen on the maps, Saltvale is a relatively straight shot north of here, yes?"

"Yes," Bulwin acknowledged, "But there's more than ten miles of road to cover between here and there."

"Then we'd best get started."

A quest sign appeared above Jae's head, flashing briefly before fading away again.

 _Quest Accepted:_

 _The Missing Wagon_

"We?" Vivienne asked.

Reaching the door, Jae held it open for her. "I'm assuming you don't want me to go alone?"

"I expected more of an argument out of you about it."

"I've learned it's better to agree with my wife."

Tying her thick brown hair in a ponytail behind her, she walked past him. "Why, you're growing wiser every day, husband."


	121. Chapter 120

120

August 15th, 2024  
Floor 55, Northern Road

They walked in silence for a time, side by side as they left the tavern behind them and followed the compacted, raised dirt track, eventually ascending the first rise in the road. The rolling hill was low, and the road cut through many more as it continued, but the top still offered a good view of the surrounding countryside. Shielding his eyes from the noon day sun, Jae looked around.

Off to their right stood a dark, foreboding forest made up of dense, gnarled trees with overlapping tree boughs. Jae imagined it was exactly the type of place Israel would be comfortable calling home. The left side of the road appeared far more hospitable; the small, rolling hills stretched on for a time, green and lush and filled with wild meadows, while a few farmer's pastures also dotted the region. Small herds of goats grazed these fields, and every now and then, Jae spotted the odd horse or cow.

"Thinking about becoming a farmer?" Vivienne asked as she followed his gaze.

Jae shrugged. "That doesn't sound so bad, does it? It seems a peaceful life."

She nodded as they gazed out at the tranquil scene before them. "It does, but peaceful doesn't seem to suit us very well. I doubt we'd get far as peasants. We'd probably end up murdering each other with our pitchforks."

Jae chuckled. "Probably." His smile faded as he looked at her. "But war and death and being on the run isn't what I wanted for us, Viv. You deserve a better life than that."

She smiled at him. "We're not civilians, Jae. Others live those peaceful lives, shut up in their comfortable, warm homes within the safe zone cities, their biggest concerns being the price of bread at the market or the taxes imposed by whatever guild rules over them. That's not us. We're warriors."

Jae smiled back. "We don't look much like warriors these days."

It was true. After leaving the HDA, Jae and everyone else had sold their proud silver and blue plate armor at the first merchant they had come across, as much for practical purposes as it as for going unrecognized. Now, instead, they all wore durable traveling clothes padded with boiled leather armor for protection, save for Meifan who, in his position as tank, had purchased a heavy chainmail suit complete with various metal plates in the most important areas. They had less protection now, and all of them, including, Jae, felt naked without the armor that they had grown so accustomed to and so reliant on. There was a bright side to the change of gear though: Vivienne's feminine curves, no longer hidden by thick plate armor, were significantly easier for him to appreciate.

"You're right about that," Vivienne agreed. "I don't think I'll ever get used to looking like a wandering merchant, but a different set of clothes doesn't change who we are."

Sensing what she was getting at, Jae turned away from her and kept walking along the road.

She followed after him, but to his surprise, she didn't speak. It was clear that she didn't want to push him, in spite of what she felt. Yet even by saying nothing, Jae could hear every word. Giving up, he spoke first.

"You think I should've said yes to Retarin and Vitelly."

She was quiet for a moment. "Yes."

"Why?"

A light breeze picked up, prompting Vivienne to tuck some loosened strands of hair back behind her ear as she said, "The reality of the situation is that we have almost nothing to lose and everything to gain by toppling Lind and securing the HDA for ourselves. David was right about the number of enemies we have. Sara was right about PoH still being a potential threat. Lind isn't after us, but that doesn't mean he won't be forever. And as always, there's Kibaou to worry about."

"Men like Kibaou are always trouble," Jae agreed, "but their ambition and power rests atop the people under them. Despots can't rule without the support of the ruled, and if the latest newspapers are to be believed, Kibaou's refusal to join the Alliance against Laughing Coffin has since sparked dissent within the Army. The fact that the 'Battle of Brakrun' was fought and won by a coalition of every green player guild except for them looks bad on their guild, and his character. Furthermore, the fact that Thinker fought with us is sure to improve his own influence and standing, further hurting Kibaou's position. If things go our way, Kibaou might be out of power before the year is out. As for Lind and PoH-"

"Jae, stop." Vivienne halted in her tracks, forcing him to do the same and turn back to face her. She crossed her arms beneath her breasts. "I know you better than anyone. You're coming up with excuses, not reasons. You're trying to make yourself feel better about the choice you made by thinking about the best and brightest possible futures that might occur, freeing you of responsibility.

"I know you don't want power. I'm not going to pressure you into doing something you are truly against. I'm not a fan of the possibility of civil war between HDA members either, no matter how sure Retarin is that it would be a peaceful coup. There's already enough blood on my hands to give me nightmares until the day I die. But I can't deny that in this case, the ends might justify the means. By seizing control of the guild, how much more future bloodshed could you prevent? How much order and peace could you ensure? How much-"

"You think it's that simple?" Jae asked. "Vivienne, there's a reason I don't want power."

"You don't think you're good at leading, I know that, but-"

"I'm not a fool. I know I'm good at leading. I don't like it, I never have, but I'm not so bull headed that I don't see the way men follow me, trust me, even as I lead them into the jaws of death. They believe in me because I care about them, and because I know how to keep them alive. Men have been cheering my name longer than I can remember, and as much as I don't like it, I know that they aren't cheering for no reason."

Vivienne frowned in puzzlement. "Then, why are you opposed to power? When you know that you could do a better job leading those men that love you over someone else?"

"Aside from simply not wanting it?" Jae met her eyes with a grim expression. "Power corrupts. I don't think there has ever been a simpler, yet more terrifying truth. Lind was once a good leader, remember? It was he who made me want to join the HDA during that time. I believed in him, respected him, and I wanted to follow him. But as the HDA grew, so did he fall. Over time, he came to realize just how comfortably he could live as the leader of one of the strongest guilds. Why lead from the front, risking his own skin, when he could simply bask in a life of privilege, ease, and luxury and send others to command the pawns? He came to appreciate his position, in more ways than one. Now look at him.

"Power corrupts. We've seen it firsthand, in Lind, and in Kibaou, though each manifested that corruption in different ways. I have no intention of following in their footsteps."

"And what of Thinker and Heathcliff? They are both complete opposites of Lind and Kibaou- good men and strong leaders, who use their power well and for the good of those under them. Are they merely exceptions to this rule?"

"Perhaps. Or perhaps power corrupts some sooner rather later. We have yet to see what the future will bring."

"There have been many bad rulers in history," Vivienne acknowledged, "but you cannot deny that there have been many good ones as well- who remained good until their end."

"And you're so sure that I would be one of them?"

"Yes." She said bluntly. "More than sure."

Jae smiled. "That the woman I love believes that is all I could ever want." His smile faltered as he considered something else. "Even if I wanted to seize power over the HDA- which I don't- the truth is, it wouldn't make nearly as much difference as you and David and the others think. The Holy Dragon Alliance is no longer the seat of power in Aincrad. We lost over a third of our strength at Brakrun Dungeon, most of our best men among them. That kind of blow is crippling, and I doubt they will ever recover the same numbers we once had.

"Furthermore, imagine what Lind's extravagant policies and paranoia over other guilds has done these past few weeks, now that he rules completely unchecked. By now, he's probably wreaked havoc on the treasury that we all worked on restoring for so long, and I'm sure that some of that money has already gone back into the spy system he once had within other Enclave guilds, which won't be doing Assault Team relations any good." Jae shook his head bitterly. "The HDA is broken, Viv. It will never again be what it once was."

The warm breeze picked up, caressing them as it travelled across the rolling pastures, as if seeking to provide comfort in the embrace. The two of them stood silent and enshrouded in the grim picture Jae had painted, hardly noticing.

"You're right," Vivienne said slowly, "but it seems to me that, if you were to take Lind's place, you would be exactly what is needed to reverse the guild's decline."

"Even if that kind of wishful thinking were true, how many would need to die before that happened?" Jae asked. "Retarin said that only half of the guild is ready to support a coup. Half. What would the other half do? Worse yet, what would _Kibaou_ do? You think he would sit idly by and allow the man he hates more than anyone else in Aincrad to ascend to such a position of power?

"Think about it. He knows that Thinker and I are friends, and that both of us dislike him. Thinker is his rival for dominance within the Army. If I became Guild Leader of the HDA, two of his greatest enemies would be in strong positions to ally against him, perhaps even overthrow him just as Lind would be overthrown. If I started an effort to overthrow Lind, what would a man like Kibaou do to prevent that?"

"Everything he could." Vivienne answered reluctantly.

"Everything he could." Jae repeated in a grim tone.

He started walking again, following the road as it sloped down the hill and wound its way through the edge of the dark forest.

"I'm tired of fighting." Jae admitted quietly. "I'm tired of leading. I'm tired of marching men to their deaths and then feeling the weight of their loss on my soul forever after." He could the bitterness in his words. "Aranal, and all those others that died in Brakrun, they died because I believed that my plan was foolproof. They died because I believed I was smarter than PoH."

Seizing his wrist, Vivienne turned him gently towards her, than wrapped her arms around him in a warm hug. She ran a hand softly through his short hair. Jae returned the affectionate embrace, smiling to ease her concern as he kissed her forehead and gazed into her eyes.

"You have nothing to feel guilty about, Jae." Vivienne said in a soothing voice. "Nothing at all. You led those people as best as you could. You had no way of knowing what PoH was going to do, and if it weren't for your leadership when everything went wrong, far more of us would be dead. Maybe even all of us. You have nothing to feel guilty about."

He shook his head calmly. "I don't feel guilty. I don't blame myself for what happened, from the lives lost in Brakrun Dungeon to those lost against the Labyrinths and Floor Bosses. I know all too well that sometimes, things just happen, and there is nothing that can be done about it. But I do feel responsibility, and that is something I should most definitely accept and acknowledge. Responsibility for what happens to those that follow you is not foolish guilt, or emotional self-blame lacking reason. It just is. And it is a weight that I shall carry with me for the rest of my life."

Vivienne nodded in silent understanding, and after a time, Jae pulled tenderly away, and they set out again.

It wasn't until around an hour later that Jae caught sight of something not far ahead of them. A set of wheel tracks had ripped up the compacted dirt ground in two deep lines before swerving abruptly to the left and off the road, where they disappeared.

"You see that?" He asked as they approached.

Vivienne nodded. "Cart wheels are too light to make such deep imprints. Had to have been wagon wheels."

"Looks as though it was knocked off the road, or maybe the driver lost control."

They followed the tracks off the road, and quickly spotted several nearby trees with much of their bark stripped bare. Oozing sap had, for the most part, dried over the wounds, but the damaged bark was still easily visible.

"It kept going into the woods, fast and probably out of control." Jae said. "It can't have gotten very far in before hitting a tree somewhere."

The two of them followed the wounded trees for a time, swiping spiderwebs out of the way as they went. Though they were only in the outer fringes of the forest, it was already growing hotter and more humid among the dense trees and wild bushes. Jae had no idea what Israel saw in such uncomfortable environments.

The trees fell away abruptly, and Jae and Vivienne found themselves gazing suddenly out at a small lake nestled in among the wood before them. The forest continued all around it's gentle banks, unperturbed. And then he saw it.

"Well," Jae said as he pointed at the wagon resting upside down at the bottom of the lake, "So much for Bulwin's supplies."

…

Israel moved silently through the abandoned Laughing Coffin outpost. A half dozen tents swayed nervously against the wind, while one or two, already collapsed, dragged slowly along the ground, the ruined canvas further damaging itself as it caught on sharp thistles or soaked in puddles of mud water. Ashes from an old campfire swirled into the air, making it almost appear as though it were snowing before the white particles fell to the ground once more.

Aged tracks made by numerous boots, barely visible any longer due to rainfall and runoff, had created something of a natural path through the camp, similar to how animals such as deer created narrow tracks in certain areas of forests. A small, windowless building, composed mostly of roughly hewn wooden planks and beams, stood in the center of the ramshackle camp, casting its shadow over him as he approached.

Though he made sure to move without noise as he drew closer, Israel was fairly sure PoH wasn't there. Fresher bootprints would have been present, and even if PoH had been careful enough to cover his tracks, that act in itself would have revealed telltale signs of moved earth to a skilled tracker. By the look of the place, Israel guessed that no one, human or animal, had set foot within the tiny camp since he had killed everyone within, perhaps two or three months ago. He had wiped out so many outposts such as this one that it was difficult to tell them apart, or to remember the dates of his visits.

Reaching the single door made of scrap wood planks, Israel didn't bother drawing Apocalypse and simply kicked it down. Even if PoH were inside by some wild chance, he wouldn't have heard anyone coming. Israel didn't need to fear a trap.

The door fell to the ground with a low thud, causing a small cloud of dirt to leap into the air. Israel glanced around the single room: a large variety of weapons, armor pieces, potions, caches of food, and steel darts sat neatly on wooden racks against all four walls. A ledger lay on the floor, surrounded by various pieces of paper that had presumably fallen out of it. There was no one inside, not even fresher tracks, and cobwebs covered the uppermost racks of gear and supplies.

In the back of his mind, Israel dimly recalled being unable to burn this particular storage facility after eliminating it's guards, due to heavy rainfall that night. He had intended to come back and finish the job to ensure no one from Laughing Coffin could return and salvage their equipment, but he had forgotten. He had been busy hunting Infiltrators during that time, and had put much of his focus on finding them. With Tristan's help.

Pushing the memory from his mind, Israel examined the potions and took a few useful ones, along with a small bundle of Paralysis Darts, which were tedious to make and coat properly. He was about to turn away from the room when his eyes caught on a gleaming scimitar sitting on one of the racks. Seizing it, he examined it's stats a moment.

 _David might like this._

Removing the weapon into his inventory, Israel exited the little room. Using the old campfire and some dry branches scattered nearby, he made a small fire and lit two torches. He threw the first atop the roof of the storage building, and tossed the second one inside through the doorway.

He didn't bother staying to watch his handiwork and instead slipped back into the trees as the flames enveloped the lonely storage building, lighting the forest up in a bright orange glow.

Israel didn't know where else to look. After failing to find any trace of PoH within Brakrun Dungeon, he had decided that the next best course was to return to all the old bases and outposts Laughing Coffin had abandoned, in the hopes that perhaps PoH had taken refuge in one of them. It had been a wild hope, but he could think of no other solution. In a world as vast as Aincrad, finding a single individual who didn't want to be found, with no leads, was practically impossible.

Checking his old maps, Israel saw that there were no more outposts to search out. He had visited them all, and found no trace. His last hope of stumbling on the leader of Laughing Coffin had vanished.

Israel tossed the maps aside, leaving them to glide away on the wind as he walked aimlessly, deeper into the forest. The black despair and misery returned in force, gnawing at his soul and darkening his mind. His companions, though always present, always constant, could previously be temporarily sated with death. No longer able to kill, Israel had suffered the unbearable weight, the crushing agony, growing successively stronger each day.

Occasionally he had been allowed a brief reprieve; the torturous feelings had been, in a way, kept at bay during his more focused searching of PoH, since the goal of such a thing was, after all, blood and violence. Now that he had nothing more to track, nothing more to search, the familiar aspects of his torment dug their roots deep into him, as they so often had before. Now though, the misery, the guilt, was rapidly growing stronger.

For so long, Israel had been able to stave off his companions, feed them, with the death of his enemies. Killing had been the only escape from the flood of grief and torment. Pain, both inflicted and received, had given him something to feel other than the cursed tendrils of misery that wrapped around his hollow heart and threatened to engulf him in madness.

With each passing day, those tendrils tightened, and the threat grew.

Visions of Naomi's death began to flash into Israel's mind as he walked. He hadn't been there, hadn't seen it, but he knew Laughing Coffin's wolf packs better than anyone. He knew how they operated. He imagined paralysis darts zipping out of the trees, striking her as she looked at him. He winced at the shock and pain he knew they caused. He could see her special smile, the one she had only ever given him, wither away to be replaced by a look of terror as the black hooded red players descended on her.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, Israel could feel his fists tighten, his hands going white, as he saw her spellbinding green eyes, riveting in their intelligence, fierceness, passion, and kindness, suddenly betray true fear and pain as red player swords pierced her. His breath caught in his throat, and his vision grew watery as he watched her cry out against the cutting, ripping blades. He reached out to her, whispering her name in desperation. Tears were rolling down his face. She never stopped looking at him. A tear of her own trailed down her cheek, and blood seeped out of the corner of her mouth as she whispered, "I love you."

The world went white when she shattered into pixelated shards, then bloodred. Israel felt his heart tear, and the pain in that millisecond was worse than all the collective tortures he had suffered at Drefan's hands.

The vision faded. Israel blinked as the forest reappeared around him. A mist had formed, coloring the woods a somber grey. Ignoring the tears that continued to fall down his face, Israel glanced down at his shaking hands. He felt empty, broken, and alone. He had had sleep dreams of Naomi ever since her death- nightmares really- but this was the first time he had dreamed of her while awake. The experience had been far worse than any nightmare. He felt the same way now as he had all that time ago, when he had first learned of Naomi's death. She had been the sun, and now she was gone forever, her light extinguished by killers.

For all he knew, the ones who had taken her might very well still be alive, their hearts beating vibrantly as they sat down in the dungeons of the Black Iron Palace.

Israel remembered looking at their faces as he and Jae had left the prison, gazing at each of them, wondering who had done it. If it had been one of them, or several of them, they were now safe from justice because of the misguided mercy of the green players. They should have died along with the rest. His companions demanded it. He was the Shadow of Death. Life was his to take, to keep the misery from his mind. To avenge her, and to keep her away.

Yet somewhere, buried deep within himself, a small part of him told him no.

 _Killing is not the answer. Those men are no longer a threat, no longer a danger. To cut them down, unarmed and in cold blood, would be true murder, worthy of Laughing Coffin. This is not the answer._

For what felt like an eternity, Israel wrestled with himself, fighting a silent war against the darkness that was all around him, within him. He wanted so badly to be free of his companions, even though he knew that it would only be for a time. He wanted so badly to kill, to enter the world of violence where time stood still and all other thoughts save for the dealing of death vanished.

He remembered his promise to Jae, telling his brother that he would not seek to harm any red player who surrendered.

 _Killing is not the answer. Stop before it is too late. Stop before all is lost._

He felt like he was dangling over a precipice, and if he fell into it, into the void of unending darkness below, he would never escape. He feared what he would become if he fell.

Fighting furiously against the pull of his misery, his guilt, his despair, his mind aching as the battle raged within him, Israel at last wrenched himself away from the precipice.

Sweat beaded his brow as he crumpled to his knees, utterly exhausted by the tremendous effort he had pulled forth. It took some time before he was able to move. Pressing his back to a tree, he leaned back and forced himself to breathe.

The feelings hadn't gone away. His companions were still there, crushing the life from his body. The weight still pinned him down. Nothing had changed. It had taken his all not to turn from killing the red players within the Black Iron Palace, but the victory had lasted for less than a moment before he was fighting himself again. It was a fight, he realized, that would never end. The longer he refused to kill, to starve his hunger, the harder the struggle would become.

It all felt so hopeless.

Still leaning with his head against the tree, Israel drew Apocalypse from it's sheath. He touched the bloodred blade to his arm. The steel felt cold as he drew it slowly along the length of his forearm, forcing himself not to cut too deeply.

He thrust himself hungrily into the stinging, burning sensation, pulling it within himself as he so often had before. With each step he took into the whirlpool of suffering, he was able to breathe a tiny bit deeper. He felt it burn away some of the darkness coiled around him, granting a small measure of respite. He watched the blood trail down his arm, and in desperation, opened himself fully to the pain.


	122. Chapter 121

121

August 23rd, 2024

Floor 70, Grey Hill

"How much further?" Israel asked from behind her.

Turning, Sara arched an eyebrow at him. "What's this? Is the great Israel weary from a little hiking in the woods?"

He smiled at her, and although she could see on his face that his thoughts were elsewhere, his eyes distant, that kind smile of his still managed to warm her heart.

Taking his hand, Sara turned forward and started out again through the cluster of trees positioned along the steep slope. Israel let her lead him without resistance.

"We're nearly there." Sara assured him. "You'll see, once we crest the rise."

He didn't answer, and Sara wondered if he hadn't heard her again. He seemed to be having that problem more and more often of late; whether it was her or Jae or someone else speaking to him, half the time, Israel seemed so far away that he hadn't been aware they had spoken. Such prolonged behavior would have been concerning coming from anyone, but for Israel, who was always so aware of everything around him, it was even more so.

He squeezed her smaller hand in his affectionately, as if he had heard her worried thoughts and sought to dispel them. The gesture, simple as it was, was enough to send warm sparks up Sara's arm.

Clearing the last of the trees, Sara had to push off of one to make the final step up the steep slope. Her thighs and calves burned from the upward march, as they had the first time she had made the top, but, just as before, it was well worth it.

Israel, still holding her hand, made his way up beside her without any aid from the trees. He looked around the cliff edge for a moment in confusion before he caught sight of it.

There, far above them and slightly to their right, towered a huge, flat topped mountain that very nearly reached the clouds. Completely sheer on the side they were facing, the colossal sight was but the tip of the iceberg: a massive waterfall stood in the center of the mountain's side, sending pillars of foaming, roaring white water cascading down, all the way to the base, where a gentle river had formed.

The waterfall, which looked to be easily over a hundred feet wide, was bigger than any Sara had ever seen, yet that alone did not make it as beautiful as it was. Thick bundles of intertwined flower vines of all colors, from white Madagascar Jasmines to red Cypress Vines to purple Wysterias, all bordered the waterfall on both sides, traveling the length of the foaming water all the way down the mountain to the river far below. The splash of gorgeous colors around it seemed to light up the waterfall, turning the scene into something that appeared almost a dream.

Finally, a majestic rainbow arched over the mountaintop; the waterfall's answer to the beautiful colored flowers all around it. The rainbow seemed to shine, almost sparkle, in the sun's rays. Its colors glowed. By itself, it was stunning. Combined with the rest of the scene laid out before them, it was magnificent.

Recovering from the initial amazement at seeing the sight again, Sara continued to look even as the misty wind from the waterfall began to loosen strands of her silver hair and blow it across her face. The air, a combination of cool water vapor and surging, displaced winds brought from the mountaintop, was clear, wet, and immensely refreshing. The hundreds of flowers added their scent to the breeze, making the air smell fragrant and sweet. Every breath felt wonderful and rejuvenating.

"I found it while hunting for ingredients the other day," Sara said as she pulled silver hair out of her face and back behind her ear. She glanced at Israel, who eyed the scene before them even as his thick blonde hair ruffled and danced. "It reminded me of the times we used to spend out by the lakes and rivers, back when we lived at the Treehouse. I thought you might want to see it."

"It's beautiful." Israel agreed, though his words seemed hollow.

Sara looked at him then, and his eyes confirmed her fears: Israel didn't care. He hadn't meant what he said, and even as he looked on at the glorious waterfall, she could see the far off, wandering look in his eyes. Worse, behind the glazed expression, she thought she could also see a great and unfathomable pain.

Dispirited, Sara looked away from him. She had been wrong to hope that the sight would cheer him. She had been foolish to think it would be so easy. Whatever was wrong with Israel, it was clear that it was serious, and only getting worse.

Over the past couple of weeks, Sara had seen Israel's demeanor and behavior steadily change. It alarmed her to watch him become more withdrawn, more somber, more distant, as the days passed. Jae was aware of it as well, and she had already spoken to him in the hopes of discovering the cause. Neither of them understood, but Jae had horrified her when he noted that Israel's behavior was very similar to how he had been upon first learning of Naomi's death. The implications of such a thing, while still vague, could only be bad.

Every day, Israel was spending more and more time alone in the wilds. A week ago, Sara had risen early to see him, only to find that Israel was already gone. He did not return until late the next day. When she or Jae asked Israel where he was going or what was requiring so much of his time, the answer was always the same; he was trying to track down PoH. Now, she was coming to doubt the truth of that.

Sara had hoped that showing him the waterfall and spending time with him alone might help, or at the very least, open him up to telling her what was wrong. It had taken a great deal of persuasion just to get him to come with her- it seemed all he wanted to do was vanish into the woods. Now, she knew that if she wanted to help him, she would have to broach the subject herself.

"Thank you for thinking of me," Israel said in that distant voice of his, "for showing me. It is certainly beautiful. Unless there's anything else, I have to go and continue the search for-"

"Please tell me what's wrong, Israel."

His eyes slowly met hers. "What?"

She stepped close to him. "You're not eating. I can't remember the last time I saw you sleep. You don't laugh or smile like you used to, and-"

"Sara-"

"You've barely spoken a word to me in weeks." Unable to meet his raptor gaze, Sara glanced away. "The only time you do talk to me is in response to a question of some kind, and even then, your answers are brief and distant. You are the same way with Jae and the others. I don't know why, but I want to. I want to know what's wrong-"

Nothing is wrong!" Israel shouted, catching her off guard. He closed his eyes a moment, then took a measured breath. "Everything is wrong. You don't know what it is you are trying to find out. You don't understand."

Sara reached out to take his hand. "Then help me understand. Help me-"

Israel snatched his hand away, taking a step back in the process. "You could never understand. And even if you could, you would have nightmares for the rest of your life. Have you forgotten what I am?" The fires within his cobalt eyes had erupted into twin infernos, and lurking within them, Sara saw the fringes of madness take hold.

"I'm a monster, remember?"

He turned to leave.

"Where are you going?" Sara demanded.

"To look for PoH."

"You've never lied to me before." She ignored her wavering voice and the lump in her throat. "Please, don't start now. I want to help you, Israel."

"No one can help me. No one...but them."

Without another word, he disappeared down the slope.

…

Crimson blood exploded into the air as Israel cut into the large pack of Rabid Wolves surrounding him. Pixelated shards quickly followed, lighting up the shadowed woods. Apocalypse gleamed with delight each time it soared through the air, emitting a sharp metallic hum before reaching its destination and ripping open the hide of another one of the beasts. Israel moved with fluid grace, his sword always dancing, always cutting, even as he dodged and evaded the claws and teeth of the wolves around him. It wasn't that he feared the pain such wounds might cause. It was simply habit.

Burying Apocalypse up to it's hilt into the open jaws of a wolf snapping at him, Israel heard another leaping up at him from the right, no doubt going for his throat. Without turning to face the threat, he instead simply held out his armored hand and caught the pouncing animal in mid-jump by it's outstretched neck.

Holding the writhing one hundred and fifty pound beast aloft, Israel snapped its neck with a powerful jerk of his wrist. The wolf let out a sharp whimper before going limp, and, with a grunt of effort, Israel hurled the body into another one charging from behind. A second later, he heard the explosion of pixelated shards as the corpse disintegrated.

Ripping Apocalypse free of the now dead wolf in front of him, Israel spun around, allowing the momentum to power his swing. He decapitated one wolf as it attempted to bite at his leg, and ripped the sword free of gore to continue it's arc into the next one, slashing open it's hide from snout to tail. Guts and entrails poured from the falling animal, but dissipated into shards before they could stain the earth.

Israel pressed his desperate onslaught without slowing, swinging his sword in rapid flurries of attacks at the red eyed animals snapping at him from all sides. He moved without thought and ripped the beasts apart with brutal efficiency, hacking and slashing and chopping with increasingly wild abandon as their numbers dwindled. By the time he sensed only one left behind him, droplets of the mobs' artificial blood covered his face and dripped down his chin.

Pivoting on a foot to meet the final attack, Israel was just in time to see that the wolf- who was both bigger and faster than the rest had been- was already nearly upon him, it's teeth bared. Throwing up his armored arm, he stumbled back as the animal slammed into him, closing its teeth around the steel Fist of Furiel. Though unable to bite through the armor, the wolf clamped it's jaw tighter, and he could feel the monster's razor sharp teeth making slight dents in the steel.

Before Israel could bring Apocalypse to bear, the huge beast rammed itself violently against him again, the impact knocking his sword from his hands. Foaming at the mouth, the gnarled wolf bit down harder, determined to rip off his arm. With a grunt of effort, Israel lowered his shoulder and threw himself against the monster with all his strength. The collision knocked the wolf off balance, and seemed to disorient it, but it's jaws didn't loosen.

Now right beside it's head, Israel used his free left arm to seize the monster's upper jaw. Gritting his teeth, he pulled, loosening it's hold just enough to allow his right hand room to grab hold of the lower jaw. Now with the beast firmly in his clutches, he yanked his arms back with all his strength. Both of the wolf's jaws snapped with a loud crack, but Israel didn't let up. Shaking now, he let out a scream of desperate rage and ripped the animal's entire lower jaw clean off, killing it instantly and sending gouts of crimson blood sailing into the air.

Dropping the gory prize in his hand, Israel watched as the body shattered into bright, floating shards. Blinking blood out of his eyes, he raised a hand to clean his face, only to see that it had been dyed red. Surprised, he glanced down at himself; his brigandine armor was smeared with gore. Not even his boots had escaped the violence.

And yet, none of that blood mattered. He may as well have painted himself red, for all the good it did him. The feelings, the urges, the guilt, the misery, all still churned relentlessly within him, choking each breath and clouding his thoughts. His companions, the darkness, still wrapped tightly around him, hadn't let up in the slightest.

And yet, he had known that.

In his desperation to sate his companions, to escape his incredible urge to kill real people, he had attempted killing AI mobs a dozen times already in the past few weeks. To no avail. Their blood was fake. Their bodies were artificial. They had no minds, no thoughts, no souls. They were merely programs, a convoluted maze of ones and zeroes without consciousness. Without life. Without life, there was no way in which to bring death. He needed death. He needed to kill. He needed, wanted, demanded freedom from the visions that plagued him, from the feelings that haunted and tortured him.

Israel tried to recall what that small part of himself would say to turn him from the precipice. He dimly remembered there being a reason for his resisting, and a voice that urged him not to carry out his wishes, but that reason, along with the voice, had grown continuously smaller as the despair strangled him.

Now, he couldn't hear the voice at all. He began to wonder if he had ever heard it. It was possible that he had imagined it. With each passing day, after all, it was growing more difficult to tell reality apart from the things his mind saw. Who was to say the voice hadn't simply been a part of his visions? Who was to say the small part of him that had fought the feelings had even been real? Did it matter?

As if irritated at his attempt to appease them through false means, his companions tightened their already suffocating hold, sending a torrent of agony flowing through his mind, along with glimpses of Naomi's bloody dead body. His vision flickered as the weight of his despair, already enough to crush him, doubled on itself, dropping him to his knees. He had known the price, yet he had wandered into the pack of wolves anyway. Why? Why had he done something so stupid? He racked his fevered brain, trying to remember what had driven him to try such a foolish thing again.

Then he remembered.

Sara.

It had hurt him deeply to hear the worry and pain in her voice when she tried to talk to him at the waterfall. She was scared for him, and it had hurt her to see him as he was. The fact that he was causing her pain tormented him even worse than his companions were.

It had hurt her worse, Israel realized, to hear him speak to her as he had. Consumed by his misery, he had shouted at her. He had lied to her. And she had known it. He didn't want Sara to be angry with him- that in itself would surely be torture- but to have her _hurt_ because of him? Such a thing was beyond comprehension. Desperate to fix himself for her, to make her happy and smiling again, he had risked the anger of his companions. He had attacked the wolves, not to stave off the feelings for his own sake, but for hers.

He realized then how much she truly meant to him. He felt safer with Sara than with anyone else. Whenever he saw her, the mere sight of her smile had, until recently, helped ease the coils tightening around him each day. He loved her smile. He loved her eyes, the way they sparkled. He loved her mane of mysterious silver hair. He wanted her to be happy. She had told him that she wanted him to be better. She wanted him to be as he was. He wanted that too, though not so much for himself as for her. But he couldn't: the cost of being himself again was blood and death. He couldn't.

Israel straightened at what he was thinking. He furrowed his brow. It made no sense. He couldn't? Why not? Of primary significance was Naomi, and her vengeance had yet to be fulfilled. But even beyond Naomi, was not Sara's happiness important? He was sure that Jae, too, felt the same way. Jae, as well, had been eyeing him differently of late. Wouldn't his brother prefer him to be as he had been?

He remembered how happy he and Sara had been for a time, back when they lived at the Treehouse. He remembered making her smile, making her laugh. She had been happy, and she had made him happy. She had brought him a measure of peace. She had made him feel almost safe, loved, and cared for. She had been, in part, healing him. What had happened?

The revelation washed over him in a blink. Sara had been part of it, but not the whole. When he wasn't spending time with her, he had been out hunting red players. He had been killing. The darkness that now threatened to obliterate his very soul had been kept away, sated by blood. Because of Sara, and because of the killing, he had reached a point where he had almost felt complete again.

Now, Israel had Sara, but no blood. He wasn't killing, and Sara was paying the price for it. She was worried for him, and that worry was causing her pain. He couldn't let that continue. He didn't want to hurt her. He wanted her to be happy.

And, he wanted so badly to be free. If he could be himself again, even for just a moment, it would be worth it. If the pain and misery would stop choking him, let him breathe, it would be worth it. If his mind would at last clear, and he could hear himself think, it would be worth it. If he could stop seeing Naomi...

He was the Shadow of Death.

Blood demanded blood.

Naomi's killers were in the prison at the Black Iron Palace. He had to get there, but how? The Town of Beginnings was a safe zone; he couldn't enter. If he couldn't enter, he couldn't get to the Black Iron Palace. He had to find a way. He would.

Israel stepped off the edge, down into the precipice, and the dark swallowed him gleefully.

 _Kill them all._

…

"Take a breath." Jae instructed, handing her a waterskin. "Here."

Panting, Sara reluctantly accepted the skin and took a quick drink. There was no teleport gate anywhere near the abandoned farmhouse they were currently residing in, so she had had to run from the waterfall all the way back. But run she had. She had seen Israel's face. She had seen the madness lurking there. She wasn't sure what it was, or how, but she knew, deep down, that something was very wrong.

Brushing her tangle of silver hair out of her face, she fixed Jae with a look that showed him how serious she was.

"We have to find Israel."

Jae frowned. "I thought he was with you?"

"He was, until I tried to ask him what was wrong."

"His response?"

"Vague." Sara shook her head, running what Israel had said through her mind again. "It made no sense. But the way he said it...he shouted at me." She glanced away. "He's never shouted at me before, not even when I first met him as his prisoner. He sounded more angry and on edge now than he did back then."

Concern began to crease Jae's features. "What did he say?" He pressed.

"At first, he said that there was nothing wrong. But then, he said that I couldn't understand. He sounded so alone, so in pain. It was worse than anything I expected to hear."

"Israel has always been more closed off about his feelings." Jae reasoned. "I'm not denying that he's been acting strange lately, but I've known him since we were children. The kind of behaviour you describe isn't anything out of the ordinary to how he's always reacted when confronted by someone he loves."

Sara shook her head vehemently. "No. You weren't there. There was madness in his eyes, Jae. Madness, the likes of which I've never seen before. As strange as he's been these past few weeks, what I saw in his eyes an hour ago is far worse. And just before he left, he said something else. He said that no one could help him but them."

Vivienne, standing beside Jae, frowned. "Them? What does that mean?"

Jae fell suddenly silent as he stepped away. He closed his eyes for a long moment, as if deep in thought. When he opened them again, she could see the worry brewing within him. It was clear that he knew something she didn't.

Jae began pacing the length of the drafty room. The loose, half rotted wooden floorboards creaked loudly under his boots. Dust wafted up from between the beams. A light breeze flowed in from the partially ruined walls of the farmhouse, slightly lifting the hems of Sara's black dress. Vivienne watched Jae with her arms crossed expectantly.

The others sat or stood further back, listening quietly, and Sara caught sight of the legendary scimitar sheathed at David's side. The young man had been both surprised and grateful when Israel presented it to him. Now he stood with his back to the wall beside Avari, his eyes betraying his confusion at what was being said, and what wasn't. His hand was subtly interlocked with Avari's, and as always, the two seemed to be drawing comfort from one another, even in their silence. Sara returned her gaze to Israel's pacing brother.

"Jae." She insisted. "Tell me."

Halting his pacing, Jae turned back to her.

"When Israel and I were at the prison in the Black Iron Palace, he...he wanted to kill the red players in their cells."

Sara's eyes widened. "He said as much?"

Jae shook his head. "No, but I could see it in his face. I don't know how to explain it, but I could see it. I knew what he was thinking. He wanted to kill them. For a brief moment, I was almost sure that he would draw his sword. He didn't, but I could see how difficult it was for him. It was almost as if he was struggling not to."

A chill of realization crept over Sara's spine. "When he said no one could help him but them, he meant the prisoners."

"But it makes no sense." Meifan spoke up. "How could these prisoners he wants to kill help him? Does he believe they know of PoH's whereabouts?"

"No." Jae said. "This has nothing to do with PoH."

Sara knew exactly what he was getting at, and a pang of sadness welled up inside her. "Naomi."

Jae nodded silently, sharing her look.

Vivienne glanced between them questiongly. "Who's Naomi?"

Jae hesitated, clearly uncomfortable with answering the question in Sara's presence. She saved him the trouble.

"Naomi was a woman Israel loved," Sara said calmly. "She died in the early days of SAO at the hands of Laughing Coffin."

"That was the day he became the Shadow of Death." David said quietly. "I remember that day, when he first turned red in front of Jae and I, and the rest of Group H. I don't think I'll ever forget it."

"What he did as the Shadow of Death," Sara continued, "all the damage he caused Laughing Coffin, all the red and orange players he killed, he did to avenge Naomi's murder. As long as there are red players alive, he hasn't put her to rest." She looked at Jae. "Israel hasn't been himself ever since the Battle of Brakrun. Whatever is wrong, whether it is his thirst for revenge or something else, I believe that he is going to act today, if he hasn't already. We need to stop him before he kills those prisoners."

"But he can't." Vivienne pointed out. "He's a red player. He can't enter the Town of Beginnings."

Jae nodded his agreement. "The only reason he was able to get into the prison with me after the battle was because the Army opened up a Corridor Crystal for the column of prisoners to go through. It came out in the prison, which is underground and technically not part of the Town of Beginnings. That portal is now gone. He has no way of getting into the Black Iron Palace now."

Avari suddenly looked up, her eyes wide. "That isn't true."

…

"I must confess," Goliner said politely as he stepped out of the shining white portal, "I hadn't thought to see you again, Shadow. It's been a long time since you've called for-"

"A million Col." Israel said calmly. He held up two large bags for Goliner to see.

Goliner's mouth dropped. "A million...how did you come by such a sum?"

Israel set the bags down beside him. "Not that it's any of your business, but raiding red player outposts was once a very lucrative pastime of mine."

The representative of Aincrad Today eyed the gold with barely contained greed.

"I...I will tell my colleagues to drop all scheduled printing immediately. We will issue a hundred new front pages-"

"That's not something I'm interested in anymore." Israel said.

Goliner frowned in puzzlement, his greedy eyes looking up to Israel. "Then what is it Aincrad Today can do for you?"

Clasping his hands behind his back, Israel took a step forward. Goliner took an involuntary step back. Israel ignored it.

"Your company are well known throughout Aincrad. You're welcome anywhere in order to gather news for your papers and sell information. I want one of you to pair two Corridor Crystals, give me one, and walk into the prison underneath the Black Iron Palace. Then, you will activate your crystal."

Goliner cleared his throat. "Not possible, I'm afraid, sir."

Israel's face darkened. "Why not?"

The squat, worried man shifted his weight uncomfortably. "Since the Battle of Brakrun, Kibaou no longer allows anyone outside of his guild entrance into the Black Iron Palace. I'm not sure why the rule was passed, but as it now stands, no one from Aincrad Today can so much as set a foot within the place."

Israel raked his fingers through his hair in frustration. His head ached so badly that it was becoming increasingly difficult to think. He could feel the darkness tightening around him, demanding blood as it slowly began suffocating him. He needed to kill the red players. They were guilty. Blood demanded blood. The hunger drove him on, forcing him to reconsider his options. Thinking it over, he gestured at Goliner.

"You and your coworkers are all info-brokers. You know more about Aincrad than anyone. Is there any way for a red player to get inside a safe zone for a few moments? To get inside the Town of Beginnings?"

Goliner hesitated. "May I ask why you wish to know such a thing?"

Israel smiled coldly. "You may, but the answer will cost you half a million Col. Do you still wish to know?"

Goliner's eyes darted to the money again, then back to Israel. He smiled discreetly. "A million Col sounds better to me."

"So there is a way for me to enter the Town?"

The little man nodded his bald head. "Better. There is a way for you to return your cursor to green- permanently. After that, you can walk into any safe zone in Aincrad at your leisure. Do you know the town of Tolbana?"

Israel nodded.

"There is an NPC there," Goliner explained, "standing by herself in a well hidden sewer just outside the northern part of the city, leading in. Very easy to miss. I forget her name, but she never moves from that spot. Speak with her, and you will find that she holds an available quest line that appears to be multi-staged and quite long, not to mention difficult. However, if you beat it-"

Israel shook his head. His companions whispered angrily in his ears, hurting him, and though he couldn't make out the words, he knew they had no intention of waiting that long.

"No. I don't have time to clear a day long quest. I need to get into the Town of Beginnings now."

Goliner sighed, scratching his head. "Well, that makes things a bit more…" He blinked, then snapped his fingers as if he had just remembered something. "Yes, there is another way! Technically a glitch, more than anything, but still, in theory-"

"Tell me." Israel hissed in an icy tone. His vision was beginning to dim, so desperate was he to kill. He was beginning to consider what might happen if he killed the pathetic little man.

Goliner flinched and quickly continued. "Quests are available to everyone, green or red. There is one such quest, out beyond the outskirts of the western approach to the Town of Beginnings, granted by some NPCs known as the Thieves Guild- same as most TGs in other MMOs.

"The quest is one of stealth within the Town of Beginnings, an assassination mission or some such thing, and grants you an NPC disguise as well as temporarily hiding your cursor so that the NPC target doesn't suspect you. Without a cursor, and with your direct objective area being within the Town, any player is able to enter. After all, the system supports quests being available to all. The quest is timed, however, and only lasts thirty minutes before you fail and your cover is blown. If that happens, the system will force teleport you out of the Town."

Israel swiftly made the calculations in his head. It would only take him ten minutes or so to reach the Black Iron Palace from whatever side of the city he entered, and, once he was inside and had made it to the dungeon below, he would technically no longer be in the safe zone. Once he was finished with the red player prisoners, he could simply teleport out.

"Thirty minutes is more than enough time." Israel said.

Leaving the two large bags of gold Col, he strode past Goliner and said, "If I find out that you lied to me about this, I'll hunt you down and flay you alive the next time you leave a safe zone."

 _Blood demands blood._ His companions whispered as he got out a Teleport Crystal. _Kill them all._

…

Wincing from the intensity of the bright light all around him, Jae blinked. When he opened his eyes, the vortex of blinding light had faded, and he was standing in the Town of Beginnings' teleport gate. He was in the center of the Plaza, where all ten thousand players had stood nearly two years ago.

There were far fewer than ten thousand people now.

Stepping out of the teleport gate, Jae glanced around, unsure which path to take to the Black Iron Palace. If Avari was right about the Thieves Guild quest she had once completed, Israel was bound to find out about it- if he hadn't already used it to slip inside the Town of Beginnings. Sara had been sure that Israel was planning on doing something today, and it had been hours now since any of them had seen him, so all Jae could do was assume his brother was already inside.

The others had stayed behind at Jae and Sara's request, and Sara herself, being unable to enter the Town, was making for the Thieves Guild building. Jae was alone in the huge starting city, and though he knew where Israel was going, it was difficult to tell the streets apart, or to see where the Black Iron Palace was past the huge buildings all around. It had been a long time since he had visited the Town of Beginnings.

Before he had taken a dozen steps, and to his utter amazement, Jae saw Israel directly ahead of him at the northern end of the Plaza.

His brother was wearing dull, grey peasant clothes worn only by lowly NPCs- a disorienting sight- and he had no cursor hovering above him, but his head of thick, shoulder length blonde hair and tanned skin stood out in stark contrast to his attire. His back was to Jae, and he wasn't moving. He was standing in front of a thick, towering black wall. Markings covered the surface, and as Jae drew closer, he saw that they were names. He had never seen it before, but the realization hit him all at once.

It was the Monument of Life.

Silent and still, Israel almost appeared a statue as he stared at it.

Jae slowed as he approached, stopping completely when he was just a few feet behind his brother. He looked up at the Monument, knowing full well what he would see.

Countless names covered the black wall in ten ordered columns. Each name looked as though it had been carved delicately and with painstaking effort, but Jae knew that this was not the case. The Monument of Life was an Immortal Object, and a part of the system that governed SAO. Every time a player died, his or her name immediately appeared on the wall, taking a separate, seemingly pre designed place beside the others.

Glancing quickly over the names, it wasn't long before Jae caught sight of the one he knew Israel had stopped for.

 _Naomi_

 _February 15th, 2023_

Israel didn't speak, move, or turn. He just stared at the name, and though Jae couldn't see his face, he imagined his brother's expression was as blank and frozen as the rest of him.

The wind picked up, ruffling Israel's hair. He didn't move.

Unsure what to do, Jae glanced around. They weren't far from the end of the plaza, where several streets could be seen. The Black Iron Palace loomed across the road, completely visible now that Jae was so close to the end of the Plaza and the taller buildings. He realized then that Israel had probably been headed directly there when he had seen the Monument blocking his path.

People and NPCs casually strolled to and fro along the paved road, and every now and then, Jae caught a glimpse of Army soldiers moving past in their grey plate armor.

No one looked alarmed or frightened, so it was clear that Israel hadn't made a move on the Black Iron Palace. Jae considered saying something, but at that moment, he had no idea what to say.

As if sensing his uncertainty, Israel spoke, though he didn't move or turn so much as an inch. His voice came quietly, barely more than a whisper.

"Do you remember that night, back on Floor One, when you invited Naomi to sleep at our place, our tiny little room, for the night?"

"Of course I do." Jae replied softly. "She was stranded and would've slept out in the street otherwise. That night was when we first started to get to know her."

Israel nodded, still staring at the Monument of Life. "You don't know this, but that night, she didn't sleep at all. She didn't know us, couldn't afford to let her guard down, but she couldn't bring herself to refuse the offer. She didn't want to come off as rude, or hurtful."

Israel paused as his voice wavered, and Jae thought he heard a tear hit the cement ground. He looked down, and saw a small puddle forming at his brother's feet.

"She chose to stay awake, all night long," Israel continued in choked words, "Just to avoid the possibility of hurting our feelings."

Raising a white knuckled fist, Israel smashed it angrily against the monument wall. The Immortal Object sign appeared above his fist, but he didn't seem to notice it.

"She was the kindest person I've ever known. She would have done anything to keep people save, to make others happy. She fought to save people, even when they hated her for being a Beta-Tester. I wanted to kill them for how they treated her, but she only wanted to help them. She was better than me, Jae. She was better than me…"

Losing all control and care, Israel began sobbing openly. At the same time, he started hammering both fists against the Monument wall with violent force. The Immortal Object sign appeared again, and continued to refresh itself irritably with each new strike. The force of Israel's blows shook the black wall, and when he started groaning in pain from how hard he was hitting it, Jae ran forward.

Tearing Israel's injured arms away from the Monument, Jae had to struggle with all of his strength just to hold onto him and keep him back. Israel started thrashing wildly, desperate to hurl himself against the wall containing her name once again.

"It should've been me!" Israel shouted though his sobs as he struggled fiercely against Jae. "It should've been my name up there! It should've been...it should've…"

Holding Israel in a tight bear hug to stop him from lashing out, Jae had to focus everything he had in maintaining his grip. Israel was strong, and as they struggled against each other, Jae received more than one wild blow. Tears blinded him as he held on in spite of the pain. He began crying as well, not because of his own hurt, but because of the agony he now saw churning within Israel's heart.

He refused to let go, determined to protect his brother, to be there for him, as he should've been all that time ago.

"I'm here, Israel." Jae said as they both cried. "I'm here. You're not alone, brother. I won't let you go. I won't. I promise."

Just when he felt himself about to collapse from exhaustion against the strain of keeping Israel back, Jae felt him go limp. Both dropped to their knees, and suddenly they were both hugging each other fiercely as they cried together.

"Why is she gone?" Israel whispered, his words weighed down by a torrent of despair. "Why did she have to go? Why is she gone?"

"I don't know why she's gone, Israel." Jae admitted. "I don't know why any of this has happened to us. But I do know that she loved you. Do you hear me? Naomi loved you, and she wanted you to be happy. Remember that? You once told me that that was the first thing you came to love about her- how she always wanted others to feel joy.

"She didn't want this for you, Israel. Do you think it would have made her happy to see you overcome by your grief? Do you think it would have made her happy to see you kill helpless and unarmed people?"

"I know it wouldn't..." Israel admitted. "But it hurts so much, Jae. It hurts so much. The feelings, they don't go away. They won't leave me be. They crush me, until I can hardly think, hardly breathe. When I killed, I would forget the feelings for a time. When I killed, it felt like I was making up for the wrongs I caused her."

Jae shook his head. "Killing is not the answer, Israel. You know it's not, because Naomi would have said the same. She would have wanted you to live in peace, not surround yourself in death. Killing will not make the feelings go away."

"I know." Israel whispered through his tears. "I know. I see that now. I was headed for the Black Iron Palace, and when I saw...when I saw her name on the Monument, I knew. Naomi would curse me for all I've done if she knew."

"No." Jae insisted. "She would never curse you, and you know it. She would want you to start again. She would want you to be free, to no longer chain yourself to her memory in grief."

"I don't know how to be free." Israel breathed.

Jae had to swallow past the lump in his throat before he could speak again. "You must let her go. Let her be at peace. Let her rest. She is gone, but you are still here. You are alive. She loved you. She wanted you to be happy- never forget that. She would never have blamed you for what happened-"

"Not for that." Israel cried. "But for what I said to her, before. The last words I said to her...the last words…"

"Yes, your last words, and she loved you anyway." Jae maintained. "You may have known her better than me, but I know that she would never have wanted you to dwell on a few words spoken in anger. She knew how you felt about her, I promise you. She knew you loved her. No matter what was said between you two that day, she would not have wished you to feel the guilt that burdens you now.

"You must let her go. Her spirit deserves it's rest more than anyone else on this Monument. The longer you cling to her, the more the feelings will destroy you. You must do this, Israel. It is the only way to be free before you destroy yourself and everything you once were. Don't stain her memory by making her the cause of your fall. You must do this, for yourself, and for her. Let Naomi go."

They sat there, huddled together before the Monument of Life as they cried, for what seemed like an eternity. Jae could see Israel fighting within himself before his very eyes, fighting the madness that lurked within him, until finally, slowly, he reached up with a hand. His fingers glided over Naomi's name, and he closed his eyes for a long moment.

When Israel opened his eyes again, the madness was gone. Jae nearly started crying all over again in relief.

His brother was finally free.


	123. Chapter 122

122

September 1st, 2024

Floor 70, Abandoned Farmhouse

The oatmeal was awful. Course, thick as mud, and with a mildly stale texture, to say nothing of it's remarkably bland and tasteless flavor, Sara concluded that this was probably the most tragic meal she had ever had. And she had had more than one.

Grim silence- save for the annoying, incessant creak of the loose front door- reigned over the table as the others chewed their first bites with bitter determination. Beside her, Jae and Vivienne remained stone faced, while across the table, David grimaced. Swallowing hard, Avari set her spoon down.

"I think we've just poisoned ourselves."

"Come now," Jae said, spooning up another bite, "It isn't as bad as all that."

"You're only saying that because you made it."

Jae brandished his spoon at her. "Don't you throw all the blame on me. I seem to recall you standing right beside me the entire time, ladle in hand."

Before Avari could make a retort, Meifan emerged from the kitchen, triumphantly waving a loaf of dark bread as he made his way to the table.

"A whole rye!" the tank explained cheerily. "I found it in a breadbox in the cellar. My friends, we have been delivered. You're welcome."

"You're absolutely right," Avari drawled. "I didn't realize it before, but moldy bread is exactly what we need to wash down this mortar paste Jae concocted."

Vivienne snorted in amusement, and Sara couldn't help but chuckle.

Jae rolled his eyes and brought another spoonful to his mouth.

"It's not moldy." Meifan muttered irritably. Setting the bread on the table, he dropped into a chair and glanced around. "Does anyone have a knife to cut it?"

Sara casually drew her dagger from its sheath at her boot. "Pass it here."

Leaning forward, Meifan handed the loaf over gratefully.

Setting the knife's razor edge to the crust of Meifan's prize, Sara was about to cut off the first slice when she saw Israel descending the stairs.

Gone were his black cloak, hood, and mask. Gone too was his grey brigandine armor, and even his steel gauntlet. Now, he was wearing something simpler, and altogether less sinister. Garbed in a sleeveless brown leather vest over an earthy blue shirt, with nought but hard leather bracers over his forearms, he appeared more a woods-guide or traveler than the fearsome and formidable warrior Sara knew. Even his pants and boots, while well made, were simple and plain.

Sara had often seen Israel's more casual dress back when they lived at the Treehouse, it was true, but even then, he had always appeared a fighter- and a frightening one at that. Now, he looked far more...peaceful. It was disconcerting, to say the least.

There was one thing about the new attire, though, that Sara couldn't help but appreciate; Israel looked even more ruggedly handsome- and muscular, now that his arms were almost bare- than usual.

"Good morning, everyone." Israel said as he finished descending the stairs. He stopped mid step, glancing around with a worried expression. "Smells like Sara's cooking in here."

Sara lifted an eyebrow at him. "You should be more careful when speaking to the woman with the knife."

Still looking at him, she cut off a slice of bread to make her point.

Israel grinned at her, and in that grin, Sara saw his simple joy, his ease of spirit, and his solemn, hard won freedom from chains of guilt and a lifetime of blood. His piercing cobalt eyes, so long filled with dancing flames, were now calm and tranquil. It made her heart soar to see him so at peace.

"Sara knows her way around a knife," Vivienne acknowledged pleasantly. "But I think that would be letting you off easy. From what I've seen, it's her potions that you should really worry about."

"You're right about that."

Sitting down across from Sara, Israel grabbed a bowl and was about to take the ladle beside the pot when he saw what was inside. With a look of dismay, he glanced around at everyone else's bowl, as if seeking other options.

"What's the matter now?" Sara asked.

"Israel has never liked oatmeal." Jae chuckled around a spoonful of food.

"Not true." Israel retorted. Reluctantly, he began ladling oatmeal into his bowl. "I just never liked it when you cooked it." he glanced sidelong at David and Avari beside him. "Last time I had Jae's oatmeal, I could've sworn I was eating toothpaste."

"Is that so?" Avari asked innocently. She cocked her head at Jae without saying another word.

"I was twelve." Jae said bitterly. "And you'll be happy to know that today's breakfast was a _group_ effort."

A hush fell over the table as all eyes turned to watch Israel take his first bite. Avari, in particular, looked too amused for her own good. Bringing the spoon to his lips, Israel didn't hold back and quickly devoured the bite.

Beneath his tanned skin, Sara could have sworn his face went pale.

Wincing as if in pain, Israel ran his tongue along the roof of his mouth and shook his head.

"I've been through a lot, but I don't think I'd be able to withstand an entire bowl of that as it is now."

"We're all with you." David chuckled. "But unfortunately for us, this is all we have for today. Besides Meifan's bread, that oatmeal was all we could find in the whole house. There's nothing else to eat."

"There's plenty else to eat, out in the woods." Israel rose from his chair. "One just has to know where to look. In fact, there's a few things I bet we can use to make this oatmeal edible."

"Even if that's true," said Jae, "It's not worth it spending hours combing the woods for a cinnamon tree or some such thing."

"Hours?" Israel shook his head to himself as he buckled on his red sword. "No one take another bite. Give me ten minutes, and when I come back, I'll turn this nightmare of a breakfast into a king's feast."

Jae scoffed. "You're on. I bet you come back an hour from now with nothing to show for it."

He held out a hand in challenge, and Israel clasped it to seal the bet. Stepping toward the door, he glanced over his shoulder at Sara.

"Up for a wood trek, Sara? I would appreciate a fellow forest dweller's help."

With an amused nod, Sara rose to her feet. "You'll need it, if your goal is to make this oatmeal half decent."

The farmhouse was located in the midst of a large clearing, but was surrounded on three sides by forest. Though more tame, and certainly less dense and dark than the forests Sara had grown used to over the past year, she still felt just as at home the moment they stepped through the treeline. There was something utterly wonderful about treading through the wilds and wonders of the woods, something truly comforting about being hidden within nature's embrace- with enough space and beauty to feel truly alive and free.

Golden rays of sunlight poured in through the gaps of the scattered tree boughs, brightening the forest floor. Grey squirrels with fluffy tails shot past here and there, chattering loudly as they chased one another through the trees. The sweet scent of pine needles wafted through the chill morning air- the first signs of autumn's approach. Nearly all of the trees were yet green and vibrant, but already there were a few crisp, orange colored leaves littering the grass.

"Looks like Fall is coming early this year." Sara noted as they walked. "At least, on this Floor anyway."

"I hope so." Israel smiled over at her. "Fall has always been my favorite season."

"There is something oddly satisfying about stepping on piles of crisp leaves." Sara admitted with a chuckle. She blinked in sudden remembrance, and couldn't help but smile at the fond memory. "My son, Jeffrey, always loved jumping on them, loved the sound they made. He never stepped on the red ones though- those were his favorite, the most beautiful in his eyes. Every year, he would make me a crown out of the red leaves he loved so much." Still smiling, Sara met Israel's eyes. "Fall was his favorite season too."

With a thumb, Israel reached out and wiped away a small tear that had escaped her. His sincere, kind smile warmed her almost as much as the fond memory.

"I would like to know more about him." Israel said. "Someday soon, if you're alright with it, I'd love to hear what kind of person he was, and of your time with him."

Sara nodded slowly, happily. "Someday soon, I will be more than happy to tell you." Wiping another tear from her face, she chuckled and cleared her throat before changing the subject. She gestured at the woods around them with a smile. "So, are you going to tell me what it is we're looking for?"

Israel nodded before starting off again. "We're looking for something to bring that oatmeal back to life. Preferably more than one thing, but we can start small."

Sara frowned in amusement. "Are you saying you have no idea what we're looking for? That's not going to help you win your bet with Jae."

Looking around at the acres of woods yet before them, Israel scoffed. "Nonsense. All it takes is an open eye, a bit of awareness, and…." His head stopped turning, and with a grin, he dipped his head forward. "There."

Following him forward, Sara soon caught sight of them, perched close atop a low hanging branch.

"Eggs?"

"Eggs." Israel replied. "Maybe not for adding in the oatmeal directly, but as a side?" He waved a hand matter-of-factly. "Forget about it."

Reaching the nest, and on the lookout for any nearby birds that might get angry, Israel and Sara quickly snatched the half dozen eggs inside. Sara handed hers to him, and he removed the whole lot safely into his inventory.

"See?" Israel said once they were clear of the nest and away once more."Barely two minutes in and already, the woods provide. Now to find something to spruce up that oatmeal. Keep your eyes open."

Moving at a steady pace, the two of them swiftly made their way deeper into the woods, only stopping when Israel pointed to a nearby brook.

"We have plenty of water." Sara assured him. "Any more in that breakfast and we'll be credited with the invention of oatmeal soup. There are enough abominations in the world as it is."

"Not the water." Israel said. "But what grows beside it."

They approached the brook where it curved, leading back the way they had come. Following the water, it wasn't long before they both saw what Israel had been talking about: wild blueberry bushes covered the banks of the brook on it's right side, each one housing hundreds of large, almost perfectly ripe blueberries.

"How many?" Sara asked.

Dropping to a knee, Israel began picking. "The oatmeal pot was quite large, but we shouldn't need more than sixty or so. Now comes the tedious part."

Kneeling down by the bush opposite him, Sara set to work as well, gently plucking the blueberries from their bushels and dropping them into a side pouch at the front of her leather potion bag. They worked quickly, but it still took time.

"If only the world could see us now." Sara chuckled as the humor of the situation struck her. "The Shadow of Death and the Potion Master of Laughing Coffin, gathering blueberries like a couple of hungry farmers."

Israel offered a small smile, but didn't laugh. Picking another blueberry, he gazed at it for moment, slowly turning it in between his fingers. Finally, he looked over at Sara.

"Do you ever wish that you weren't a red player anymore?"

Sara thought it over for a moment as she worked. "I do. I've hated that red cursor above my head ever since you showed me what it really meant." She looked up at him. "But my red is different from yours."

Israel seemed to consider that answer as he dropped a handful of blueberries into a small pouch. "In some ways maybe, but not to me." His eyes met hers. "I don't regret all the things I've done, and yet in some ways, I do. I believe that every person I have killed deserved to die, but I also know that my own reasons for killing them were wrong. Pity for the guilty is treason to the innocent, but the Shadow of Death did not care for the innocent. I didn't care about protecting anyone, or in dealing justice. I killed for its own sake, and for my own. In that, I was wrong." He shook his head. "I don't think I want to be red anymore. I think, from now on, I just want to be myself."

Sara nodded. Though she thought he was being a little too harsh on himself, and that his reasons for doing what he did were more complicated than he made it out to be, she well understood his remorse for what he had done. This was a man who had lived through several lifetime's worth of violence and death, and who had come out of it regretful, weary, and ready to never fight again. She understood now why he had taken off his steel gauntlet.

Israel stood up, securing a full pouch of blueberries onto his belt.

"Well, we're doing alright so far. Let's make a circuit back around; we might be able to find more before we return."

They continued on for a time in silence; Israel keeping his eyes out for anything that might be of use, and Sara contemplating what he had said. She found it strange that he had spoken of their status as red players as if it could be changed, but concluded that it his talk had been figurative. She wondered if….

Sara paused, straining her eyes to better make out what she had caught a glimpse of off to her left. Noticing that she had stopped, Israel turned questioningly.

With a blink, Sara realized what the moving glints of gold were. She pointed to it.

"Bees."

Following her finger, Israel's eyebrows lifted. "You're right. I didn't hear them at all from here." He grinned at her. "Well done, woodswoman. You've found the best catch I think we could've stumbled upon. Honey is exactly what we needed."

"The only question now is how in Aincrad do we get it." Sara muttered.

They approached cautiously, and had to stop around twelve feet from the huge, hanging beehive: it was both covered and surrounded by a thick horde of it's large, fat, and angry looking inhabitants. The swarm buzzed threateningly, with many crawling over each other in heaps as they moved in and out of the entrance to their hive.

"Right." Israel said cheerily as he turned to her. "Ladies first."

Sara looked at him as though he were insane. "I beg your pardon?"

He blinked innocently."Well, you made the find. It would be shameful of me to steal your thunder and claim the credit for myself. You _deserve_ it."

Sara scoffed. "No, I don't think that's going to work for me. If you're afraid of getting stung, why not just use your steel fist and go for a quick grab?"

Israel gaped at her, all pretense of innocence gone. "And what about the rest of me? I'm allergic to bees."

"As am I."

"...You're lying."

"So are you."

Israel sighed, but she could see his smirk as he turned back to the hive and scratched his jaw in thought.

"We could collect some mud from the brook….Yes, I think that would work well enough." he turned to her. "I'll cover myself in mud and go in first, to rattle them up and try to get the whole swarm's attention. I doubt that part will be hard. I'll lead them away- not too far, or else they'll turn back around, but far enough for you to run in, steal the honey from inside the hive, and get away."

Sara nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me, but to get the mud, we'll have to backtrack all the way to the brook and then return. There's no way we'll make it back to the farmhouse before your ten minute mark."

"I think I'd rather be a little late than dead at the hands of satan's minions over there." Israel quipped.

Sara crossed her arms in amusement. "What happened to you being immune to pain? Are there rules now? Swords and axes are fine, but god forbid a vengeful bee shows up to the fight?" Her eyes widened in sudden, mock horror. She glanced around suspiciously before meeting his annoyed gaze. "I think we've at last stumbled on your one weakness: the hitherto unknown Mob Boss of Floor Seventy, the terrifying Hive Watchers!"

Israel rolled his eyes. "You're having entirely too much fun right now."

Sara shrugged. "I'm not the one who said I was immune to pain but then needed protection from bee stings."

"Immune to pain or not," Israel retaliated, "swelling up like a balloon for the next two days isn't exactly my idea of a good time. Now can we get the mud and get this over with, or would you like to keep coming up with names for a bee Mob Boss?"

Sara shook her head. "No, I'm satisfied with Hive Watchers."

Israel shrugged as they started off. "I mean, I think you could've done better, but that's just one man's opinion."

Sara exhaled loudly through her nose. "Alright, let's see you come up with a name."

"Lords of Pollen, maybe?"

Sara waved a hand dismissively. "Trash."

"The Honey Hatchers?"

"What?"

"Alright alright, how about Bear's Bane? Wait no, I've got it. It's perfect." Israel paused for dramatic effect, then leaned in ominously. "Beelzebuzz."

Sara burst out laughing.

It only took several minutes of backtracking before they reached the brook again, but it took considerably longer to lather Israel from head to toe in mud. Sara covered his arms, back, and face with multiple layers, while he applied the rest, from neck to boots. The final result was quite amusing; he looked like a swamp monster.

Since Sara wouldn't be facing an army of bees, only her arms and hands were covered in the mud, just as a precaution in case there were any of the insects left inside the hive when she stuck her hands in.

"Right," Israel said when they had finally arrived back at the hive. "Let's hope I don't end up regretting this."

Moving a skein of mud slicked hair from out of his eyes, he bent down and picked up a two foot long stick. Brandishing his new weapon, he strode over to the hive. Sara took several steps back, just to be sure that she would be clear of the line of fire.

The dense cloud of bees surrounding the hive attacked first, swarming Israel before he had even made it to the hive itself. Sara heard the cacophony of buzzing grow louder and more shrill, and within seconds, the cloud of bees attacking him had doubled in size.

Though the mud seemed to be doing its job, Israel was forced to cover his face with one of his arms, and waved the stick around to clear the immediate area in front of his eyes. Reaching the hive, he jabbed it hard with the stick. In an instant, the hive vomited out an even larger horde of the furious little creatures, all flying at top speed for whatever parts of Israel's body they could. So many bees now filled the air that a few began dropping to the ground, crushed or suffocated. The rest seemed to be getting only more enraged.

After swiping more away from his face, Israel drew the stick back and, clutching it in both hands, slammed it against the side of the hive with such force that it swung almost completely around and very nearly fell from the tree altogether.

A small number of straggler bees emerged from the hive in a fury, but that appeared to be the last of them. Satisfied, Israel dropped the stick and began walking backwards at a brisk pace, away from where Sara was lying in wait. With every step he took, Israel began to look a bit more agitated, swiping faster and with more effort than he had before.

"Sara," he called out in a strained voice above the din of buzzing, "grab the honey now, please."

"You said they had to be further away than that." Sara reminded him.

"Some of them are starting to get through the mud." he shouted back, walking faster now. "We'll have to make a run for it. Get the honey!"

Sighing reluctantly, Sara rushed forward, her eyes glued to the cloud of bees around Israel as she reached the hive. Thrusting a hand inside, she ignored the slick, moist, sticky feeling and forced her fingers to the far wall of the little structure. Finding what she was looking for, she wrapped her fingers around several large chunks of honeycomb and hastily broke them off.

Then she heard the buzzing.

Glancing back up, she was just in time to see around half the swarm break off their chase of Israel and turn to get at her.

"Watch out!" Israel shouted as he started running.

Shoving her other arm in as quickly as she could, Sara tore off several more sections of honeycomb wall with her free hand. Then she was running.

Now that the bees were chasing both of them, there was no point in staying separated, and Israel quickly fell in beside her as they sprinted at full speed through the trees. Behind them, the buzzing of the horde of bees continued to grow louder.

"This was the worst idea I've ever had!" Israel cried.

…

David leaned back in his chair. "I wonder what's taking them so long."

Avari raised an eyebrow mischievously at him. "I don't."

David frowned. "What do you…" his eyes widened in surprise at her unspoken thought. "You think that they're-"

"Israel and Sara aren't together," Jae reminded them, not taking his eyes from the cards in his hand. He tried to ignore the unrelenting creaking of the door.

"Pfft." Avari waved a hand. "They want to be. It's clear as day."

"I'm with Avari on this one." Vivienne said casually as she drew a card. "For people that aren't together, they sure do know how to look at each other when the other isn't. I'm surprised it took them this long. Personally, I thought their excuse would be the traditional 'going to get some firewood.'"

A dull thud rattled from one of the upstairs rooms off to the left side of the house, followed by the sound of rummaging as Meifan continued his uninspired search for some sort of foodstuffs in the sleeping rooms. Jae knew he wouldn't find anything. They had already searched the entire farmhouse several times over back when they first found the place.

"Israel and Sara aren't together." Jae said again. He set a number six card down on the pile between himself and Vivienne, watching her eyes intently, hoping that she would betray something about her hand. She did not. "I've asked them both on different occasions, and they seemed pretty adamant about it."

"Hmm. Their rolls in the hay must be quite wild if both of them are in denial about it." Avari chuckled.

Vivienne, stone faced, set one of her own cards down as she studied him. It was a three. He made no move to interfere.

"At any rate," Jae said, "Even if they were...doing that...Israel would never let anything come between him and a bet." He grinned. "A bet which he has already lost, if we were to go by his ten minute claim. It's been almost an hour."

"Food's gone cold by now." David sighed. "It'll taste even worse cold."

Jae set another card down. "We'll get the fireplace going once-"

Vivienne's hand shot out from under the table at lightning speed, and before Jae could reach the pile with his strongest card, she slammed her palm down. The card she had put down was a nine. Even if Jae had reached the center of the table first, his strongest had been a seven.

He cursed under his breath. Laughing victoriously, Vivienne pointed a mocking finger at him.

"You must be cheating." Jae fumed. "There's no way. How did you know my strongest was weaker than yours?"

Rising to her feet, Vivienne leaned over the table and kissed him. She smirked in amusement. "You gave yourself away again. I keep warning you."

"Gave myself away?" Jae sputtered. "I didn't break face a single-"

A loud boom cut him off, causing the very air to crackle and the earth to shudder. It sounded like lightning. As if in answer, thunder rumbled distantly, and a second later, sheets of rain began to fall haphazardly through the ruined ceiling above them, dousing the table and everything on it.

Jae glanced up at the damaged roof. "That's annoying."

"I'll move the oatmeal," Avari said. Grabbing the pot, she hefted it over to the inactive fireplace, where the ceiling remained intact.

"We have enough fallen timber inside to seal it." Jae said. "David, can you search the kitchen and cellar for some planks or beams that have fallen out of place? I know they won't be in the best condition, but they'll serve for now."

As David moved off to see to it, Jae opened his inventory. Inside, he retrieved a handful of nails that he had found during their first once over of the house. The nails were blunt and rusted, having been a part of the farmhouse for quite some time before coming loose and ending up exposed, but they would work for now. They didn't need a permanent solution anyway; Jae expected they would be moving off soon.

"Viv, can you go and get Meifan? I'm not about to be the only one soaking up there."

Before long, Jae, David, and Meifan were all drenched to the bone and shuddering badly against the cold wind.

It had taken only a few minutes for David to bring the old wood and for all of them to make their way onto the damaged roof, but the rain was relentless.

Dividing up the rusty nails and wood between them, and using either small blocks of wood or fallen bricks as hammers, the three of them hastily covered and sealed the roof, using overlapping planks to ensure that no leakage occurred below. It was a rough, uninspired, and quite temporary solution, but it worked.

Right as Jae was hammering the last nail down into place, the rain shower stopped. Blinking in disbelief, all three of them glanced up at the now dry sky, and then at each other. Jae wasn't sure which of them looked the worst, drenched as they were and with their hair plastered to their skulls.

With a sigh, Jae took off his filled boots and tipped them upside down.

"I blame Kayaba." Meifan said with a chuckle.

Sitting up on the balls of his feet, David glanced around. "Can't deny that view though."

Brushing trace amounts of dripping mud from his pants, Jae gazed out at the scene before them. From their position on the roof, they could see the entire clearing as it stretched out beyond the house for at least a hundred or so feet, before ending at the start of the forest, which surrounded them on three sides. Only from the north, where a small dirt track made its way through a narrow gap in the trees, could be seen the main road, far out beyond.

"It is quite scenic." Jae admitted. "Peaceful."

"You know," said David, "if we took the time to patch up the place, this farmhouse could be the perfect home for us."

Jae peered over at him in surprise. "Home?"

David nodded, gesturing at the window they had climbed through to get to the roof. "It's a big place, plenty of space for everyone, and more than enough rooms. I doubt we'll find very many houses capable of comfortably rooming all seven of us. Obviously it doesn't look like much now, but it wouldn't be that difficult to repair if everyone helped. Nowadays, we've got nothing but time."

Jae was taken aback. "I mean, you're not wrong, David, but I didn't think anyone wanted to stay here." He glanced to Meifan. "What do you think?"

The tank scratched his wet stubble as he gazed out at the clearing. "Doesn't sound like a bad idea to me. It would take a good deal of work, but nothing we couldn't handle. David's right, we've got the time now." He shrugged. "I don't see why not. I'd be alright with calling this place home."

"Avari is tired of moving from place to place." David said. "And so am I. I think it's time we thought about setting ourselves up. We can't go roaming the wilderness for the rest of our lives."

"The place is secluded enough." Meifan put in. "Even for Israel."

Jae thought it over for a moment. Truth be told, he was tired of moving around as well, but he hadn't even considered staying at the farmhouse. It seemed like the last place people would call home.

 _Which might just be exactly what we need to avoid unwanted attention._

"I'm not opposed to the idea," Jae said. "But remember, everyone would have to agree before we can come to that kind of decision. I doubt Israel will be content with it, for one."

David waved a hand casually. "That's why we have you. You'll convince him."

Jae couldn't help but smile at the notion. David definitely didn't know Israel all that well.

"I'm about to tear this door apart!" They heard Avari's muffled shout from below. "It's creaking even worse now!"


	124. Chapter 123

123

September 1st, 2024

Floor 70, Mirnen Forest

Slowing to a stop, both Sara and Israel took the opportunity to catch their breaths as they glanced behind them. The buzzing had stopped, and it seemed the horde of bees had at last returned to their hive.

"Finally." Israel panted as they both dropped to their knees to rest.

"Those bees were...more relentless than a Wolf Pack." Sara muttered in between breaths.

"At least we got something for our trouble." Israel gestured to her closed fists. "How much were you able to take?"

Opening her sticky hands, Sara showed him the thick honeycombs she was holding. The thick, amber gold liquid they contained dripped slowly from them, but for the most part, the small wax structures held their treasure well.

Leaning in, Israel's face brightened. "That's a good deal more than I was expecting. And the quality is even better than usual. You can always tell by the color." He smiled up at her as she dropped the honeycombs into one of her larger glass vials. "I'd say we have enough honey to sweeten a week's worth of terrible oatmeal."

Sara tucked the vial back into her leather pouch, then began examining Israel's mud covered face. "Now let's see at what cost."

Ripping a strip of black cloth from the hem of her dress, she began wiping away the layers of half dried mud covering Israel's skin. The area around his eyes appeared slightly red, but as of yet, she couldn't see any swelling.

"They didn't get to my face." Israel said as she worked. "At least, I don't think they did. I definitely felt them getting through on my arms and shoulders though."

"We'll get the rest of you cleaned after. Your face is the most at risk of swelling; we have to check there first."

Wiping up the last of the mud around his mouth, nose, and eyes, Sara caught him grinning at her through his half cleaned face.

"How do I look?"

Sara couldn't help but grin back- his smiles were infectious, even when he half appeared a wild barbarian with mud slicked hair. She shrugged. "About the same as usual."

She wiped at the mud again, revealing more of his face, but this time, he was no longer grinning. His eyes watched hers with an intensity she hadn't seen before, straying briefly to her lips.

Sara was suddenly aware of how close they were, and she felt her heart skip a beat. Their faces were mere inches apart, their bodies barely more so, as they gazed into each other's eyes. She could feel his warm breath on her on her lips, and she knew that he felt hers. They breathed in one another's air, their eyes unblinking.

They had never been so close to each other before. Sara's face flushed with heat, and she could feel her hands almost trembling with the onrush of very particular thoughts and feelings churning through her mind. Her gaze flitted to his lips, and as her tongue dragged slowly across her teeth, it almost appeared as though he was moving closer to her.

A loud snort, followed by the snap of branches nearby, tore Sara out of her reverie. Both she and Israel blinked and turned to the source of the noise. Another snort, further away this time, resounded through the trees, accompanied by more breaking of branches and the occasional crunch of a leaf.

"Wild boar?" Sara asked.

Rising to his feet, Israel nodded. "Yes, a passive one by the sound of it, and it's going the other way." He extended a hand for her. "You up for a quick hunt?"

Taking hold of his hand, Sara hauled herself up. "Still don't think we have enough bounty to prove your point to Jae?"

Israel smirked. "We do, but I recall him saying something about bacon. I'd like to see his face when we bring him back an armload."

They moved quickly at first, with Israel leading as he tried to close some of the distance between them and the boar. As they drew closer, however, he slowed their pace to little more than a hunched crawl and, glancing back at her, raised a finger to his lips. Nodding that she understood, Sara began moving as Israel had taught her; avoiding leaves and branches and instead stepping along the moss and dirt with slow, quiet grace so as not to warn the boar of their approach through the trees.

As hard as she tried to remain completely silent, though, it was impossible to be as quiet as Israel was. He moved slighter faster than her, with more of a fluid, effortless gait that betrayed his experience in woods and forests. Even in daylight, he was like a phantom in his element- a shadow.

They crept forward a few more feet before Israel halted behind an old yew with chipped bark on one side. Sara kept moving until she was beside him, but made sure that she was completely hidden from sight before stopping. Peering up from a thick bush in front of her, she caught sight of the boar, about twenty feet away from them.

The animal was large and stocky, with a thick mat of dark colored fur and a scrunched up, beady eyed face. Two curved tusks, one longer and sharper than the other, protruded from the it's face. It was sniffing curiously at the ground, but Sara suspected that it wouldn't be long before it lost interest and started out again.

Without a sound, Israel drew a hunting knife from his belt.

Sara glanced at him incredulously. Leaning in, she whispered, "what do you mean to do with that?"

"Throw it." He whispered back. "I don't have any darts on me."

"I've never seen you throw a knife before. Do you know how?"

He shrugged. "How hard can it be? It weighs nothing compared to a sword."

With a sigh, Sara retrieved a stunning potion from her pouch.

"I should probably try this instead."

Israel shook his head. "It's out of reach of your throw."

"No it's not."

"We can't risk scaring it off. A knife weighs less than your potions. I can throw it further."

"You've never thrown a knife before." Sara whispered back in annoyance. "You'll miss."

"I won't."

Before Sara could continue the argument, Israel straightened, pulled back his arm, and hurled the knife threw the air, straight for the boar's head.

It missed, and instead clattered to the ground right in front of of the animal's face.

Jumping back in fright, the animal wheeled around to flee. In a blink, Sara shot to her feet, aimed, and threw her potion. The glass vial smashed against the side of the boar's face, spilling shards of glass and clear liquid into its eyes. With a frightened yelp, the animal tripped over itself and stumbled to the ground, stunned.

Emerging from their concealment, Israel and Sara made their way over to the fallen boar. It was still alive, but the stunning potion had done its work, rendering the beast completely immobile and disoriented as it lay on the ground.

Crossing her arms, Sara glanced over at Israel beside her.

"What was that you were saying a moment ago?"

Scratching the back of his head, Israel pointed up. "The wind was against me."

Before Sara could argue, he threw his arms up in surrender and started laughing.

"You always know how to make me look foolish." he said. "I stand corrected. You did good, Sara."

After killing the boar and collecting it's drop of several pounds worth of raw meat, Israel and Sara were about to start back when they caught sight of what the boar had been sniffing at. There, lying half buried in the earth, was an apple.

Both of them looked up at once.

"There." Israel pointed.

Following his hand, Sara quickly spotted it: dozens of apples hanging from the lower boughs and branches of an apple tree. They were too high up to reach for, but not by more than a few feet. Glancing to the stump of the apple tree, Sara sighed in dismay; the first branches, even if they had been low enough to snag, were thin and weak. It would be impossible to climb up.

Removing his pack, Israel strode towards the stump, presented his back to it, and knelt down. Interlocking his hands, he motioned for Sara to come.

"I'll boost you up."

Sara hesitated. "I'm not entirely sure about that."

Israel frowned. "Why not?"

She gestured at herself. "A dress is somewhat breezier than a pair of pants, Israel."

Catching her meaning, Israel blinked in embarrassment. He looked up thoughtfully at the hanging apples, then back to her. Without any other ideas, he said, "what if I promise not to look up?"

With an exaggerated sigh, Sara strode forward, straightening the skirt of her black dress around her hips as best she could. "I suppose I can trust you."

Stepping up into his interlocked hands, Sara held out her arms to keep balance as he rose to his feet, lifting her along with him. Once he had stopped moving and had her secure in his grip, she reached out and began plucking as many apples as she could reach. Nearly all were bright red and quite large, but a few were small and green, and these she avoided.

Once her hands were full, she opened her inventory and stored the apples away, then reached out to pick more. By the time she had secured twenty or so, she could hear Israel starting to breathe a little deeper with the effort of keeping her aloft. Filling her hands once more, she removed the apples and, with no more in sight, closed her inventory. Before letting Israel know that she was done, though, she couldn't help herself, and glanced down at him.

Just as she had expected, he wasn't looking up under her dress. His face was downcast, staring at either his boots or the ground beneath them. Sara didn't know whether to feel good about his respectful behavior, or disappointed.

When she had been cleaning his face, when they had both stopped talking and stared at each other for that heart stopping moment, she had been almost sure that he had wanted to kiss her. She had been almost sure that she could see the same feelings in his eyes that she knew he had seen in hers. But nothing had happened, and he had been the first to get up.

Perhaps it had just been her wishful thinking at work.

"Alright, you can bring me down."

With a grunt of acknowledgment, Israel gently let her down. Once she was safely back on the ground again, he looked up at the tree branches.

"How many did you get?"

"Maybe thirty. My inventory is nearly full now."

He nodded. "Mine too, after we divided up the pork. Let's head back, and see what Jae has to say about our bounty."

…

It was almost noon by the time they finally arrived back at the farmhouse.

Opening the creaky door, Israel let Sara step inside first, then followed behind. They were greeted by the smokey, meaty aroma of a rabbit cooking over the now cleaned and wood filled fireplace. Tongues of flame licked the air just beneath the rabbit, and embers glowed angrily in the banks. Light from the fire danced across the dusty, unrepaired walls of the main room, bathing the place in a warm, comforting glow.

Jae, Vivienne, Avari, David, and Meifan were all settled in a semicircle of chairs around the fire, laughing at some joke Meifan had just uttered, when they heard Israel and Sara arrive.

"You caught a rabbit." Sara said in surprise. "Well done. Those things are quite difficult to chase."

"We saw it from up on the roof, as it was going into its hole out past the house." David explained. "We smoked it out before it could run."

"You two look filthy." Avari noted with a wry smile.

Jae, smirking in that matter-of-fact way of his that Israel knew so well, frowned when he saw the mud still caked on his clothes.

"You look like you fell into a bog." His smirk returned. "And you look empty handed."

"And you look like too comfortable for a man who just lost his bet." Israel returned the smirk as he and Sara made their way into the kitchen. "Come and help us get started."

Rising to his feet, Jae frowned again as he followed them. "Lost? It's been over an hour. Technically, you are the one who loses- on two counts."

"A detail." Israel said cheerily. Opening his inventory, he began flipping through screens. Beside him, Sara readied her knife and did the same. "Isn't life too short to be concerned with such trivialities as timing?"

"Not when it means I win." Crossing his arms, Jae leaned in between them curiously. "What exactly is it you-"

The kitchen table in front of them shook loudly as a half dozen eggs, heavy slabs of raw pork, the large vial of honeycombs (though much of the honey had separated and now filled the bottom half of the vial), dozens of apples, and several pouches worth of blueberries all dropped onto it at once.

Jae gaped in disbelief.

"All in a day's work." Israel said, patting his brother on the back.

"Good thing you caught that tiny rabbit," added Sara, "or else we might've all gone hungry."

Israel laughed before coming to Jae's defense. "Don't worry, Sara got me today as well. I missed the boar and she stunned it without even trying. Sometimes I think she enjoys showing me up."

Meifan and David appeared in the doorway, closely followed by Avari and Vivienne.

"I think you can be forgiven for being a little late." Meifan said as his hungry gaze swept over the table.

"Come on." Vivienne commanded, ushering everyone in. "that's a lot of food to prepare; we'll all help."

Leaving Sara and Vivienne to the task of cutting and preparing the pork into several dozen strips of bacon, Israel asked David and Meifan to wash and slice the apples. Avari took the initiative with the eggs and, after a quick search through some of the kitchen cabinets, emerged with a long handled frying pan for use over open fires.

While she cooked the eggs in the next room, Israel and Jae set to work on repairing the oatmeal, bringing the large pot to the center of the table and dumping in the blueberries and honey, taste testing it until they were both satisfied.

Between needing to reheat the oatmeal, fry up the bacon, and finish cooking the eggs, it took some sharing of the fire, but before long, the food was complete. As they were setting the table, everyone was surprised to see Meifan and David emerge from their corner of the kitchen with a plateful of sliced apples- and a bowl of apple butter.

"My grandmother's recipe." Meifan explained. "I don't quite do it justice, but we have bread, and bread needs it's butter!"

The food was amazing, and the company was even better. Laughing and talking filled the air as Israel and Sara recounted their day's adventure, and soon, everyone was making up names for a bee Mob Boss. The oatmeal, now sweet and flavorful and steaming above the pot, was quite possibly the best Israel had ever tasted.

Since there hadn't been enough eggs for everyone to get one, Avari had instead cooked them all together into a huge plate of scrambled eggs, which she then divided equally between the seven plates. Meifan's apple butter, something which Israel had never tried before, was surprisingly smooth and sweet, and was perfect on the rye bread the man had found. The bacon Sara and Vivienne had made out of the raw pork was crisp and juicy, and, for perhaps the first time in the history of bacon, there was more than enough to go around.

As they ate and talked, the fire bathed them in it's glow, warming the room and adding an inviting atmosphere to the place. With the ceiling boarded up, and the lively feast taking place around him, Israel almost forgot that they were in a half ruined farmhouse. In fact, as the meal began to wind down and the talking and laughing subsided into smaller conversations around the table, Israel was surprised to realize that he was beginning to grow fond of the place.

There was one flaw throughout the meal, however, and an incessant one at that: the front door, still hanging partially ajar, creaked loudly and without respite, as if determined to bring the mood down.

"Alright," Jae said with a sigh as he rose to his feet, "If I have to hear that door creak one more time, I'm almost sure I'll go mad."

Setting his empty plate aside, Israel followed him up. "Here, I'll give you a hand with it."

"I suppose we should go ahead and start clearing up the table then." Vivienne said with a contented sigh. Rising to her feet, she began collecting dishes.

Rolling back the sleeves of her black satin dress, Sara headed for the kitchen to start cleaning up.

As the rest of the table set to work, Israel and Jae headed outside onto the front porch, leaving the door open so that they could work on it from the outside. The porch itself, it's wooden planks half rotted and splitting at various points, wasn't in much better shape, but somehow, it remained stable for them.

"Right." Removing several nails and a brick from his inventory, Jae pointed to the loose hinges on the door's right side. "Those should be really be replaced entirely, but for now, we can just put in new nails and secure them to stop that creak."

With a nod, Israel dropped to a knee. "I'll hold it up so it doesn't fall."

Gripping the bottom of the door with his fingers, he nodded to Jae and lifted up, carefully holding the heavy door only as high as it was meant to go. Standing above him, Jae set to work, removing the worthless nails from the hinges and replacing them with the ones in his hand. Using the brick, he started methodically hammering them home.

"This place needs work." Jae said as he pounded on a nail.

"A lot of work." Israel agreed. "But I have to admit, it has a certain feel to it. If it weren't so rundown, it would look more an estate than a farmhouse."

Jae hammered in nails quietly for a moment. Back in the house, Israel heard Sara's soft, good humored laugh as Meifan muttered something he couldn't make out. He loved hearing her laugh.

"So, what would you think of the idea of staying here?" Jae asked.

Surprised, Israel glanced up at his brother. "Do you want to stay?"

Jae considered the question a moment.

"Most of the others do. Meifan, David, and Avari all want to stay. I asked Vivienne, and while she said she doesn't mind either way, I know her. She would rather stop moving, stop running from place to place." He looked down at Israel. "I told everyone that it would have to be a unanimous decision though, so don't worry. If you and Sara would rather move on, I'm sure there are other places-"

"I'd like to stay." Israel interrupted.

Jae looked taken aback. "Really?"

With a nod, Israel gestured around them. "We're in a pretty secluded spot, far from the nearest town and surrounded by forest." He shrugged. "Can't think what more I would want in a place if I was to stay there. Besides, Sara has never been one for a life on the road or in the wilderness. She loves the woods, same as me, but she wouldn't live in them. I'm pretty sure she would rather call a place home and be done with it, same as everyone else."

"But what about you?" Jae asked as he drove the last nail home and stepped back. "What's home for you?"

Releasing his hold on the door, Israel rose to his feet. Turning, he gazed out at the quiet field of rolling grass before them. In the distance, the trees surrounding the clearing swayed gently in the breeze.

"My home is wherever Sara is." Smiling, he turned to Jae. "And, wherever my brother is. And if this is where you both will be, then I think it's time we set to work on making this place livable again."

Jae grinned. "Well then, let's get started."

…

The fire was burning low by the the time night fell, bringing with it both calming quiet within the farmhouse, and the gentle song of an army of cicadas without.

Sara sat alone before the slowly dying embers, listening to the crackle of the flames as she worked at the small square table Meifan had found upstairs. A crude stone hammer and a dozen or so iron nails lay on the surface; the first results of her work.

Crafting was a niche skill, but a useful one at times. While Sara was by no means an expert in it, she had taken the time to put fifty or so levels in back when she was Potion Master of Laughing Coffin. Those levels had been necessary to create the basic but varied and little known tools she had always needed to make potions, from simple powder grinders and paste makers to water droppers and conversion filters.

Now that everyone had decided on calling the farmhouse home and repairing it, Sara was pleased to have those levels in crafting on hand- they were going to need them. While hammers, files, chisels, and practically everything else took longer to make than nails, she knew immediately that she would soon be spending far more time and resources crafting those over anything else. Before starting mass production on any one item, however, she had wanted to try her hand at everything they would need.

Scrolling through her open menu, Sara was about to select another crafting tool when Israel appeared beside her.

"I thought you were asleep already." She said with a smile.

He shook his head. "Not yet. Mind if I sit?"

Sara gestured to the chair next to her.

Grunting his thanks, Israel dropped into the seat and tossed a broken piece of wood into the slowly dying fire.

"So, how's the crafting coming?"

Sara shrugged. "I'm not very talented at it. Even if I were, I'm only fifty-eight levels in."

"That's still higher than the rest of us." Israel pointed out. "And as far as talent goes, you're the most gifted person I know. If you can master potions, I have no doubt crafting will be a breeze for you, after a day or two of practice."

Pausing, Sara glanced over at him. She knew that distracted look.

"I doubt you came back down here to watch me make nails. What's on your mind?"

Swiping aside strands of blonde hair from his face, Israel met her curious look.

"You said earlier today that you have no love for your red cursor. You already know my thoughts concerning mine. A week ago, back when I was trying to get into the Town of Beginnings, an info broker that I know told me that there was a way to permanently go green again."

Sara blinked in surprise. "What?"

Israel nodded. "It's true. I did some more digging, and the few other brokers I messaged gave me the same information. Apparently, becoming green again is the reward for this quest, hidden near Tolbana on Floor One. The NPC that gives the quest only appears on new moons, but the next new moon on Floor One is only a few days from now. From what I was told, it'll be difficult and probably dangerous, but I'm going to try it. I want to be a green player again. I need to do this. You said you hated being red, so, if you want, I think we should do the quest together."

Sara thought about it a moment. It had been so long since she had been a green player that she had all but forgotten what it really meant. It would be strange no longer being red- she had long seen it as a point of remembrance for the mistakes she had made- but she was ready to be free of that weight.

She nodded. "Together then. Just like the old days."


	125. Chapter 124

124

September 5th, 2024

Floor 70, Abandoned Farmhouse

With one last, powerful blow of his hammer, Israel drove the nail home into the wooden plank, securing it to the heavy beam. Lowering his tired arm, he took a moment to rest and wipe away the sweat that had accumulated on his forehead.

It was warm out, and the sun was shining brightly through the clear blue skies, but the cool autumn breeze was doing a good job of keeping the heat at bay. As hard as he was working though, Israel barely felt it. He was sure that hammering, pulling, and lifting tirelessly throughout the morning, no matter how pleasant the wind, was liable to work anyone into a sweat.

Across from the beam in front of him, he heard David grunt with effort in between hammer blows of his own. David worked tirelessly, and with a determination that Israel found impressive. It was clear that the younger man was enthusiastic about making the farmhouse homeworthy.

Israel was too, and had every intention of doing his part, but his thoughts had been distracted of late. He and Sara had meant to undertake the quest to become green players again days ago, but had ended up delaying their little adventure in order to help the rest of the group begin reparations of the farmhouse.

They wanted to help, and they certainly didn't want it to appear as though they were avoiding the hard work, but with each new day's postponement, Israel was starting to grow restless. The longer they worked, the more it became clear that the farmhouse would take several more weeks of labor- and a vast amount of resources- to restore.

 _Alright._ He vowed to himself. _Tomorrow for sure. No more delays._

Brushing aside strands of blonde hair that had fallen into his eyes, Israel set to work again. With his free hand, he reached for the pouch at his side to retrieve another nail. The pouch was empty.

"David, do you have any extra nails left?" Israel asked through the beam separating them. "I'm all out."

"I'm running low too, but here." David's hand came around the beam, revealing a half dozen nails. "Half of what I've got left."

"Thanks."

Taking the nails, Israel dropped five into his pouch before returning his attention to the plank he had been focusing on.

"You know," David said as they both worked, "it's a good thing Avari isn't here to see you outpace me like this. You make me feel out of shape."

"What?" Israel chuckled as he set another nail into place. "Nonsense. You're working harder than me. I haven't heard your hammer go silent once this morning."

"That's because the man next to me is working at lightning speed and driving in nails with one blow!" David laughed good naturedly. "I'm over here wheezing like an old man because I've been struggling to keep up with you for almost an hour now. For a moment there I thought I was doing well too, pulling ahead even, until I hear someone ask,-" clearing his throat, he deepened his voice menacingly- "'can I have some extra nails?'"

Israel laughed as well. "If that's how I sound when I talk, I think I owe you an apology."

They both snickered before returning to their work, each of them hammering away at the fresh planks they had set between the beams of the farmhouse wall. The old planks, either half rotted or broken and torn, they had removed earlier. The worst of the old wood was simply discarded, but they saved what they could, as wood was now a valuable commodity that they were in great need of.

From above and to his right, Israel could occasionally hear the clatter of tiles and the grunts of Avari and Meifan as the two of them worked on the first story roof.

Finishing up the left side of his plank, Israel took out another nail and was about to start again when David spoke across from him, his face hidden by the beam in between them.

"I'm glad that you and Sara agreed on us all calling this place home."

Still staring at the nail he was holding up to the wood, Israel frowned. "Why?"

"Because I like this place, pile of rubble that it is. More importantly, though, so does Avari. I'm glad we get to stay, rather than go."

The cool breeze picked up, ruffling Israel's hair and sending it again down into his eyes. "Everyone else wanted to stay, David. If Sara and I had been opposed, we simply would have left. We wouldn't have tried to sway the rest of you into leaving with us."

"But we would have left anyway."

"Why?"

David's sincere, smiling face suddenly appeared as he peered past the beam between them. "Because you're one of us. Sara too. Call it simple habit from our days in the Assault Team if you want, but we don't abandon party members. We don't leave family."

"Family?" Israel hesitated, unsure how to reply. "David, I appreciate the sentiment, and I do consider all of you friends, but you and the others barely know Sara and I. Just because Jae is my brother doesn't mean you need to feel responsible-"

David shook his head emphatically. "Not true. If you think about it, I've known you longer than Sara. Did you think I'd forgotten about the days when you fought in Group H?"

Israel smiled at the distant memory. "Seems like a lifetime ago. I haven't forgotten either, but I'm sure I don't need to tell you how much has changed in the years since then, my friend."

"No, but at the same time, there is much that _hasn't_ changed." David arched an eyebrow at him. "You saved my life once, against the Floor Two Sub-Boss. You knew me even less back then than you do now, but you risked your life to save mine. I never forgot. I was there when you turned red, when you killed that Laughing Coffin scout, but I knew that didn't make you evil, or change the part of you that once saved me.

"Likewise, even though it's been a long and bloody road for us both, and even though I obviously don't know you as well as I know Jae, I know you are still the same man who saved my life all that time ago." He shrugged, smiling wryly. 'Besides, even if that weren't enough, you are Jae's family, and he is mine. That makes us, by extension, family as well. Every one of us feels the same way, so I suggest you get used to it."

Israel couldn't help but smile at David's sincerity. "Well, when you put it like that, I suppose I'll have to." he paused in thought before gesturing at the younger man with a grin. "You know, while we're on the subject of change, I could certainly make an argument about you."

"A good one, I hope."

Israel waved a dismissive hand. "Without a doubt. Ever since I first saw you again during the ambush on PoH, I've had to come to grips with how much you've grown. Truly. The David that I knew on Floor Two was little more than a boy, self-conscious and eager to gain people's approval." He shook his head. "No longer. Now, here you are, strong, brave, loyal, outspoken. You're a skilled fighter- far more formidable with that scimitar now than you used to be- you have a woman you love and who loves you, and you would do anything to keep her, and all the others here, safe." Reaching out, he clasped David warmly by the shoulder. "You're a man now, David. I know we were never all that close, and that we don't know each other well, but I'm proud of you, for how much you've grown. And," he added, "I would be honored to be a part of your family."

David extended an arm. "Good luck getting rid of us now."

Israel clasped the arm without hesitation. "Good luck dealing with me. And don't even get me started on Sara."

David chuckled as he nodded. "She seems to be nothing short of a force of nature."

"A trial is more like it."

"Although," Israel said when they both stopped laughing. "From what I've seen of Avari, it seems to me you know all about forces of nature."

A huge, beaming grin spread across David's youthful face, and Israel saw his eyes gleam with what could only have been sincere, true love. "You don't know the half of it. You know, I never thought that I was empty before I met her, but once I laid eyes on her for the first time, I just knew. I knew what I had been missing in life, and what I needed to be whole again."

Israel nodded knowingly, his gaze turning to the rolling plain spread out before them, and the wall of trees beyond it. "Trust me, David, I understand exactly what you mean."

They were quiet for a time, each taken by his own thoughts, until David set down his hammer.

"I'm going to go get us some more nails." He explained. "Sara said she'd have another bundle ready by the time we ran out. Let's hope she accounted for your strength parameters."

Israel thanked him as David made his way down the length of the wall and disappeared around the corner.

Sara was only just inside, working hard at her self made crafting station, so he knew David wouldn't take long.

Taking the moment to enjoy the sunny day, Israel closed his eyes and leaned back against the beam behind him. The cool breeze caressed him, and now that he wasn't sweating any longer, he could actually enjoy it. Above, he heard Avari and Meifan having a heated argument about which one of them had placed a row of tiles wrong.

Sensing movement some distance around the corner, Israel opened his eyes and waited. A few seconds later, Jae appeared. His short cropped hair was slicked back with sweat and filled with wood shavings, and in his big arms he carried a dozen or so freshly carved wooden planks, two by fours, and other boards of various lengths. He studied the farmhouse wall as he made his way to Israel, then met his look with a small smile of greeting.

"Heard you were in need of some more wood." He dropped the armful of timber at Israel's feet.

Israel gestured at the rest of the wall he and David had yet to touch. "We're going to need a good deal more than that to finish up this side of the farmhouse."

Free of his load, Jae took the opportunity to stretch his arms. "Trust me, I'm well aware. But Vivienne and I can only chop down and prepare so much wood at a time. The system speeds things up some with automatic conversion here and there, but not enough. And, we have to divide all the timber we break down- Sara needs it for crafting tools, Avari and Meifan need it for the roof, along with the slate they keep running out of to repair the tiles, and…" Jae shook his head in weariness, then ran his hand through his hair to brush the shavings out. "At this rate, it could be over a month before we're done."

Israel waved off his brother's concern. "If it takes a month, it takes a month. No one is complaining."

Jae nodded. "I know, but still." he glanced up at the sun. "It's looking likely that the cold weather will hit early on this Floor. I don't want us to get caught without proper shelter this winter." Scratching his stubble, he looked back to Israel. "If you're alright with taking a break from the wall tomorrow, I was thinking you and I spend the day chopping down the trees on the north side of the farmhouse. If we work without rest, we should be able to get enough timber to last everyone for a few days."

Israel sighed. He had already postponed the quest four days in a row to help. If he didn't put his foot down now, it was looking more and more likely that he and Sara would be too busy until winter.

"Look, Jae, I want to keep helping, but I suspect I'll be busy for most of tomorrow. And so will Sara. We have something we both need to get done, but it shouldn't take the whole day. Soon as we're finished, we'll head right back here."

Jae waited expectantly. "Well?"

"Well what?"

"What is it that you and Sara need to get done?"

"Do you have to be nosey about it?"

"When it concerns you? Absolutely."

Israel rolled his eyes. He guessed it didn't really matter much.

"I have it on fairly reliably authority that there's a quest, down on Floor One, that offers a green cursor- permanently- to the players that complete it. I've spoken to Sara about it, and both of us want to be green players again." He shrugged. "This seems like the only way to make that possible, so we're going to try it."

Jae's brow furrowed in thought. "I've never heard of a quest to make you green again. Do you really think it's true, and not just hearsay?"

"I have no idea if it's true, but the info brokers who told me haven't steered me wrong yet, so I'm inclined to believe them. Besides, they told me that the quest won't be easy."

Jae frowned. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"In my experience, nothing I've ever done has been easy, and anything that looked easy ended up nearly getting me killed. I don't know about you, but I'm far more likely to trust the difficult path than the one that looks safe and peaceful at the onset. Not easy is a good sign."

A humorous smile overtook Jae's features as he nodded knowingly. "Now that you mention it, that about sums up the past two years of my life as well. How terribly bleak we've become. By that logic, I suppose it's a sign of good luck that this damned farmhouse is proving so much more of a pain than I expected."

"I know how much you want this place finished," Israel assured him, "and so do I, but I need to do this. I can't really explain why. It's just something I can't ignore any longer. As soon as Sara and I find out the truth and see for ourselves, we'll come right back and-"

"Say no more." Jae said with a wave of his hand. "Tomorrow it is then. We'll all go."

Israel blinked. "What?"

"Of course." With a grin, Jae straightened and puffed out his chest, as if to appear more imposing. "If you're going questing, you're going to want some professionals with you. What kind of brother would I be if I allowed you- a dungeon noob- to go off alone and with no one but Sara to protect you?"

Israel rolled his eyes. "I have been inside dungeons plenty, you know. Labyrinths too, back when I was hunting down Infiltrators. But...I suppose it wouldn't do any harm having you along." He smiled. "Thank you, Jae."

Jae opened his mouth to speak, but before he could respond, Avari let out a sudden shout from up on the roof.

"There are men moving out along the main road!"

At once, Israel and Jae sprang into action, both opening their inventories and equipping their weapons as they ran around to the front of the house. At the same time, they heard Avari and Meifan running along the roof.

"How many?" Jae shouted up at them as he and Israel ran. "Can you see who they are?"

"Hard to tell for sure," Avari answered, "but my guess would be no more than a dozen. Green players, but I can't see from what guild."

"Kibaou's men?" Israel offered quietly.

Jae shook his head. "Too few. He would never come looking for us with a mere twelve men. He's hot headed, not stupid."

Turning the last corner to the front of the house, they both saw everyone else already waiting on the porch for them. Avari, Vivienne, Meifan, and David all had weapons drawn. Sara, standing in the doorway, had the leather bag containing her potions on over her shoulder. From the corner of his eye, Israel could see the glint of a knife handle jutting from her boot, just beneath the hem of her black dress.

"Are they headed this way?" Jae asked as they stopped in front of the rest of the group.

"They appeared to be marching east along the road, but we couldn't tell for sure." Meifan answered. "Being up on the roof allowed us to spot them beyond the trees out past us, but not much more than that."

"They looked like they were about to pass over the small path leading through the trees on our northern side," Avari added, "but for all we know, they could be simply avoiding the path in fear that we would see them on it."

"If they were to head for the denser part of the forest on our right side," Vivienne said, "they would be able to move without fear of detection right up to where the clearing between the treeline and the farmhouse is smallest."

"Walking into the forest would be the worst mistake they could make." Israel said quietly.

Resting his sword hand on the pommel of Apocalypse at his hip, he took a short breath, mentally preparing himself for violence that he no longer wanted to commit. He considered for a moment putting on his steel fist again, but decided against it. The Fist of Furiel was what the Shadow used. It had always been his most reliable killing weapon, surpassing even Apocalypse. He was done with that part of himself, and wouldn't use it to harm players unless all else failed.

"Avari," Jae said, "you saw them last. You can lead Israel and I there to discover who they are. Everyone else-"

"We'll stay here and keep eyes on them from up on the roof." Vivienne said to him. "If you can confirm that they are a threat, give us a signal. I'll be waiting for it."

"And what if they see you and attack when it's just the three of you out there?" Sara asked. "You'll be too far away for us to help, even if we could somehow spot you in the trees."

Israel shook his head. "Once we get close enough for me to grasp where they are, I'll keep us back near the limit of my Detection. No one else has my level in it, least of all Assault Team members, so we'll be well out of their range long enough to see who they are and if they mean harm." He turned to Jae. "If that does end up being the case, the best course would be to let them pass so long as they keep to the main road and don't act suspicious. They won't be able to see the clearing or the farmhouse from out there; the trees block their view. It's possible that, even if they are Kibaou or Lind out for vengeance, they have no idea we're here."

Jae nodded silently.

"And if they do know we're here?" Meifan asked.

Israel glanced grimly over at the tank. "Then I think we should let them into the woods. I can deal with them all that way, quickly and safely, and we wouldn't have to risk anyone getting hurt in a skirmish over the farmhouse."

"All right," Jae said, gripping the double bladed staff at his back, "we have our plan. Let's go see who we're dealing with."

Setting out at a run, Israel and Jae followed closely behind Avari as she led them through the right side of the grassy field, and then into the treeline beyond. The clouds were still absent, and the clear, sunny skies wouldn't do a stealthy approach any favors, but the woods were thick enough and provided ample cover. Here and there as they ran, Israel had to stop them and divert their path, as continuing in the same direction would have frightened the nearby deer he sensed, and sent them running.

Before long, and once they had a grasp on where Avari had seen the men on the road, Israel took the lead. Keeping his pace rhythmic and steady as he ran, he tried to keep the other two quiet with hand signs and by avoiding louder spots, such as areas where branches, twigs, or jutting roots were, but it did little good.

Though it was clear Avari and Jae were both trying their best to be aware of their surroundings and keep quiet as they ran, it still sounded to Israel as they were crashing through the trees like lumbering beasts. He reminded himself that all Assault Team members shared the same lackluster talent for forest dwelling and natural awareness, so it was most likely that the group of men they were approaching heard nothing.

Just as they were nearing the treeline that marked the end of the small wood, Israel caught sight of the main road, perhaps some twenty feet beyond. On it, he saw ten men in two groups of five. The two men in the front he recognized immediately.

"Thinker." Jae whispered in surprise beside him. "And Heathcliff."

"What reason would they have for being here?" Israel whispered back, keeping his gaze on the two leaders. Neither they nor their men were garbed in the heavy battle armor he was so used to seeing on Assault Team soldiers, but all of them still appeared well armed, with swords at their belts and shields or shortened lances on their backs.

"They could be questing." Avari offered.

Jae shook his head. "Heathcliff maybe, but Thinker and his men belong on Floor One. I don't-"

He fell silent, and all three of them stared in alarm as Heathcliff suddenly halted in mid step. Thinker stopped beside him, and the rest of the men paused.

 _There's no way._ Israel thought in disbelief. _There's no way._

As if in defiance of his wordless contemplation, Heathcliff turned towards them and, with a look of utter surprise on his stern face, he peered at the trees, his straining eyes landing right where the three of them were crouched.

"Jae?"

Israel's jaw almost dropped. How on earth had Heathcliff heard them talking? The man was a heavy tank in the Assault Team; what need would he have ever had in leveling up his Detection? Before today, he was sure someone like Heathcliff would have been the last person to ever possess the natural sharpness and awareness of a forester.

A huge smile appeared on Heathcliff's face as he stepped off the road towards them, and Thinker, following him, quickly caught sight of them as well. His own grin seemed wider than Heathcliff's. Their men followed them to the treeline, all looking pleasantly surprised.

Their cover blown, Israel, Jae, and Avari all rose to their feet and moved to meet them at the treeline. Jae spoke first.

"What are you all doing here?"

Thinker laughed as he turned to Heathcliff. "You'd think we'd get a warmer greeting than that after not seeing each other for over a month."

Heathcliff nodded in agreement, then turned his attention to Jae. "Now that we've finally found you, how about showing us some hospitality? I've had about enough of the sun beating down on me-"

"What are you all doing here?" Jae asked again, his tone colder this time. "And how did you find us?"

There was silence for a moment, and Thinker and Heathcliff glanced at each other in surprise before looking back to Jae, their smiles replaced with confused expressions.

"Jae," Thinker said politely. "We didn't know you were here. We were travelling all the roads on this Floor because this is the Floor where you were last seen."

"Why were you looking for us?"

"Do you think we came here to hurt you?"

Jae shook his head. "No, but there are many who do want to hurt us, and all it takes is one of those men behind you saying the wrong thing to the wrong person, and then those people come here...if they don't already know where we are."

"No one knows where you are." Heathcliff assured him. "You have nothing to fear from Lind or Kibaou."

Avari stepped forward. "And what happens when some passersby reports to an info broker that he saw Commanders Heathcliff and Lind- both known friends of Jae- wandering around Floor Seventy together?"

"No one knows." Heathcliff repeated. "And no one will know. Thinker and I made sure we weren't followed at any point, and before we set out, we made it known that we were working on a quest on this Floor with two of our squads. I promise you, we have done everything we can to prevent danger from reaching you through us."

Thinker nodded, then spoke to Jae in as serious a tone as Israel had ever heard from him. "And if anyone wishing you harm were ever to discover where you are hiding- Lind, Kibaou, anyone- you can be sure that Heathcliff and I would fight without hesitation, and with all the men loyal to us, at your side. I swear it."

That surprised Israel, and when he glanced over at Jae, he saw that his brother was equally taken aback. It had always been clear that both Thinker and Heathcliff had great respect for Jae, but for the first time since Israel had met them, he now saw that they considered Jae, and probably Vivienne as well, to be true friends.

"That means more than you know." Jae said kindly. "Thank you both."

Both men clasped arms with him in turn, much like old war comrades meeting again. Then, to Israel's surprise, both of them extended hands to him as well.

"You do know who I am?" Israel asked them.

"Jae's brother." Thinker said with a firm nod. "And a good man, from what I've seen and heard."

"And one of the heroes of the Battle of Brakrun." Heathcliff said. "I saw you save the life of more than one green player during that bloodbath. I consider it a blessing that you were there with us."

Touched and surprised, Israel searched for words as he clasped both men's arms. "Thank you," was the best he could come up with.

"And who could ever forget the only woman strong enough to handle a two handed greatsword as though it were a stick?" Thinker joked as he pulled Avari into a hug. "Good to see you again."

Avari smiled and returned the embrace warmly. "I'm glad I didn't have to kill you today," she said pleasantly.

"It's good to see both of you again." Jae said. "And I trust you both, but you still haven't answered my question. Why exactly did you come to find us?"

"To make sure you were alright, of course." Heathcliff answered. "What kind of people would we be if we just accepted that you were gone forever? We want to help you and Vivienne, and everyone else, in whatever way we can."

Thinker nodded. "You're my friend, Jae. And so is Vivienne. When I heard that you had all gone, and that you left on bad terms with Lind as well, I knew that things wouldn't be easy for you. It didn't seem right to me that you and the others were the ones going into exile." He paused. "It doesn't seem right to others, either."

Jae narrowed his gaze at the Army Commander. "Lind, don't tell me you've been talking to Officer Retarin."

Thinker hesitated for only a moment before replying. "If it's alright with you, I think that Vivienne should hear my answer as well. If you don't want to bring us into your camp, that's fine, but she should be here-"

Jae shook his head, and with a hand he gestured everyone to follow him as he turned to head back the way they had come. "No need. I trust you both. If you have something important to say, everyone should hear it. Come on, I'm ready to get out of these trees."

Israel, Jae, and Avari took the lead, with Heathcliff and Thinker close beside Jae and their two squads of men following behind. Israel didn't recognize any of the men, but he supposed that they knew Jae.

As they walked, Jae asked several more questions about how things were going on the outside, and if any trouble looked to be brewing in the rest of Aincrad. Heathcliff mentioned that things were quiet, and that Holy Dragon Alliance members were appearing less and less during Labyrinth raids. In fact, during the Seventy-First Boss Fight which the Knights of the Blood-Oath had led a week ago, no HDA members showed up to help at all. Jae looked disappointed by the news, but said nothing.

Thinker spoke up next, saying how the divide between his men and Kibaou's was the same, and that only a few days ago, a fight was reported to have broken out in one of the inns of the Town of Beginnings, leading to a duel between one of Kibaou's men and one of Thinker's. Though the duel had been reported as fought within the city, Kibaou's man ended up dead. On Thinker's orders, the victor of the duel had been arrested and was now awaiting trial.

"And things don't look to be getting any better." Thinker said with a weary sigh. "Ever since the Battle of Brakrun, Kibaou has been growing more paranoid, claiming that I only participated in the battle to gain prestige over him. He lost some influence by not committing to the fight, but he still holds more sway than I do. My Second in Command, Yulier, has repeatedly warned me about Kibaou's greater numbers, should it come to some sort of civil war."

A worried look passed over Jae's face as he looked at Thinker. "Do you think such a thing would happen?"

Without hesitation, Thinker waved off the notion. "No. Yulier and the rest of my officer staff all mean well, but they have a bad habit of thinking the worst. Kibaou craves power, this I know. But even if he did have the mentality to want a war between green players- which I don't believe- a civil war would severely damage the Army in both economic and military terms.

"Even if he won, such an event would leave the guild in a hugely weakened state, and then where would he be? He's not fool enough to want to be king of the ashes. Say what you will about him, but he cares for the Army and has it's best interests at heart, if for no other reason that as a footstool for his ambition.

"Besides," he added with a shrug, "As I already said, I'm gaining traction among the guild for my participation in the Battle of Brakrun. Kibaou has taken a blow to his popularity because of it, and the numbers are slowly shifting in my favor. If nothing changes, I will soon have the advantage of numbers as an additional way of keeping his rashness in line."

"Having it known that one of your men murdered one of his is a good way to lose that advantage." Jae warned.

"A terrible thing." Thinker said with a slow shake of his head. "But Farron will receive his due punishment for what he's done at the trial in a few days. Hopefully that will be the end of it."

They soon reached the end of the strip of woods, and the treeline opened up on the huge clearing of flat, grassy ground. Towards the back of the clearing stood the farmhouse, it's shadow covering much of the surrounding area. Straining his eyes, Israel caught sight of Vivienne and Sara waiting up on the roof.

"This place is quite well hidden." Heathcliff mumbled approvingly.

"It looks rundown." Thinker observed.

"It was abandoned and half in ruins when we found it." Jae explained. "We're doing what we can as far as repairs go, but it'll take some time yet."

They hadn't gone far into the clearing when Israel and the others spotted Meifan, David, Vivienne, and Sara all marching forth from the house to meet them .

Before anyone could begin demanding explanations, Jae ran forward and swiftly explained the situation.

"Thinker and Heathcliff made sure that no one knew their true intentions." He said to Vivienne and the others. "They came looking for us to see if we were alright, and they have both assured me that they have done everything in their power to prevent Kibaou and Lind from discovering our whereabouts- though from what they've told me of recent events, I doubt either of those two are interested in us for now."

Thinker and Heathcliff both stepped up to join him, and though Vivienne was hesitant at first and asked much the same cautious questions that Jae had, she was the first to break into a smile and greet them.

"It's good to see you again, Vivienne." Thinker said warmly, pulling her into a hug as he had Avari. "I must admit, I was worried that I would find you again in a battle for your life, as when we first met."

"I think we've all learned to be a bit more cautious since then." Vivienne answered.

She went to shake Heathcliff's hand, but he smiled broadly and pulled her into a hug as well, taking her by surprise.

The obvious informality and awkwardness of the hugs between them was not lost on Israel, and he realized then just how worried the two commanders had been about Jae and Vivienne.

"So," Jae said once the greetings were finished and Vivienne stood again at his side. "Thinker. What is it you wanted to tell us together?"

Jae wrapped an arm around Vivienne's waist without even seeming to notice as he waited for Thinker's answer, and she happily accepted the gentle notion as an excuse to inch closer to him.

"The message I bring concerns all of you," Thinker explained, "But, it is Jae and Vivienne who it was directed specifically towards."

"So you _have_ spoken to Officer Retarin." Jae said.

Thinker nodded. "Retarin and Vitally both messaged me. They believed that I might know where you were, and when I spoke to them further, it was easy to see that they were trustworthy. They believe in you, Jae. They believe in both of you. They want you to lead them."

"I know exactly what they want." Jae said. "Retarin and Vitally both made it clear, and my answer is the same now as it was then: I will not depose Lind, and I will not take command of the HDA."

Thinker shook his head. "That's not what they asked me to tell you. They want you to lead them, and if you refuse to take command, they said that they and several dozen others would like to leave the HDA and go wherever you are, with your permission."

Jae frowned and raked his fingers through his hair. "I'm not starting a new guild. I'm here with my family, and that's all I need."

Thinker shrugged. "The decision is up to you, though I do not think they meant for you to start a new guild. They know that if Kibaou or Lind ever tried to find you and get some revenge, you would be in danger. Retarin wanted me to point out that he and the others with him would be able to help keep everyone safe, that there is strength in numbers together. He also wanted me to inform you that many have already left the guild and have settled in the towns. All he and those with him want is to settle with you, to be by your side and maybe even grow into a new town, the first man-made town in Aincrad." He looked from Jae to Vivienne and back. "As I said, the decision is up to you. I am just the messenger."

Jae and Vivienne shared a troubled look.

Israel stepped towards them. "What are your thoughts on this request?"

"I'm not sure." Jae admitted. He looked back at Thinker. "When you return, will you tell Retarin that I will consider it?"

Thinker nodded.

"Well," Heathcliff said as he strode forward and rolled up his red and white sleeves, "now that that is out of the way, I think it's time we got to work."

Everyone except Thinker glanced at him in confusion.

"What do you mean?" Jae asked.

Swiping a strand of long grey hair out of his face, Heathcliff gestured at the farmhouse looming before them. "We said we came here to help you with whatever we could. You look like you could use some help fixing up this new home of yours."

Thinker nodded with a smile. "I think we can get in a few hours of solid labor before our 'quest' time is up. We won't be able to come and help build every day, you understand- we are Commanders of our guilds, after all- but we can certainly contribute when possible. I imagine you have quite a few resources you're in need of for all this building and repairing as well. I'll add cut timber to the list of things we need and have it sent to you. Inconspicuously of course."

Jae, Vivienne, Israel, and everyone else were all speechless.

"Well?" Heathcliff said to his men gathered behind him. "Don't you see we have a house to repair? Spread out, and let's get to work!"


	126. Chapter 125

125

September 6th, 2024

Floor 1, Crossroads Teleport Gate

The world dissolved into a sheet of pure white light, as blinding in its brilliance as it was comforting in its warm and rapturous embrace. As quickly as the universe of light had come, however, it was gone, and the world returned with startling force.

Blinking his eyes back into focus as he stepped out of the Teleport Gate, Israel quickly gained his bearings and glanced around at the four roads coming in and connecting from each direction. He was standing in the center of the crossroads, and in the distance, he could see the town of Tolbana. It looked the same as it had the last time he had been there, nearly two years ago. In the back of his mind, he wondered if Naomi's house was still the same as it had been.

Light erupted around him, and a second later, Sara, Jae, and David appeared, quickly followed by Avari, Vivienne, and finally Meifan.

Israel stepped down from the slightly raised platform. "I don't remember this Teleport Gate."

"We never explored this area." Jae said, stepping up beside him. "If I remember right, we always came to Tolbana from the southern roads, because they led directly to Trevica."

"The monsters are supposed to be more difficult on this side of the Floor as well." Vivienne mentioned. "Back when Floor One was all we had unlocked, I remember traveling through the more unexplored areas between here and the Town of Beginnings, staying off the roads, in search of better gear and hidden chests. I was getting close to this region beyond Tolbana when I read in the Guidebook that the mobs here were higher leveled- tens and twelves mostly- and more aggressive. I stayed clear and forgot about the place once Floor Two was unlocked."

"Level tens and twelves." Avari shook her head in wonder. "Hard to believe how weak we all were back then." Brushing aside her bangs of black hair, she looked out at the distant white walls and buildings of Tolbana. "I haven't been in there since that first meeting called by Diabel to discuss the Floor One Boss raid. I went with Lind, and both of us got lost several times before we found the Arena meeting point. We nearly missed the whole gathering."

"Israel and I did miss it." Jae said with a chuckle. "We spent that morning oversleeping when we had talked about going the night before."

Israel arched an eyebrow. "If I recall correctly, you were the one oversleeping that day. Meanwhile I was up early, eating breakfast and saving lives like a productive member of society."

Jae rolled his eyes.

"You were all doing better than me." Meifan said cheerily as he scratched the top of his head. "I happen to remember Tolbana quite well; I spent most of the first week stealing anything and everything I could from there. I pickpocketed every NPC I saw and snuck into at least half of the houses. Then I pickpocketed the wrong person- a city guard- and spent the rest of the month in a cell."

"The rest of the month?" Sara stammered. "I had no idea the Thief skill line was so punishing."

Meifan held up a finger. "Ah, but the joke was on the guard. The day I was finally allowed to leave, he escorted me out, and I pickpocketed him again! I had to flee the city, of course, but I managed to steal his shield, which turned out to be a rare item and significantly better than the other shields on the Floor. That's when I started falling into the role of tank."

"Alright everyone," Vivienne said as she started out. "The time for reminiscing is over. We have a quest to complete for Israel and Sara."

"Quite right." Jae said as he and the others followed after her. He glanced over at Israel. "You said the NPC will be in a sewer?"

Israel nodded. "The sewer pipe leads out of the city and opens up for run off somewhere along the eastern outskirts, from what I was told. It'll be well hidden, so we all need to keep our eyes open. I suspect the end of the pipe will be covered by brush, or perhaps hidden in between the hills." He looked over at Sara beside him. "You ready to be green again?"

Her eyes said it all.

Following the directions Goliner had given him, Israel led the others off the road and into the lush, rolling grassland that made up most of Floor One's geography. The sun was out in all its glory, but a wall of dark, gloomy clouds was fast approaching from the north, threatening to soon catch them in a downpour.

It didn't take long for them to reach the hilly eastern outskirts of Tolbana. Though they were off road, the terrain was gentle and easily traversed, even when they had to trek up the small slopes of the hills. There were a great many clusters of Goblins, Gnomes, and other small monsters scattered throughout the region, but these were all severely underleveled, and thus remained docile as the party made their way to the top of one of the taller hills.

At the top, Israel and the others took a moment to observe the area in the hopes of quickly spotting the end of the sewer. In his mind's eye, Israel imagined a broken or simply opened off section of a massive pipe, wherein the NPC girl would be hiding. Scanning the area, he saw neither.

Trees dotted the slight hills and grasslands, meadows and wheatfields were scattered about, and a small, gentle river flowed through the center, splitting the region neatly in half. Here and there, Israel spotted NPC farmers going about their morning's work, and shepherds herding their grazing flocks. There was no sewer system or drain off that could be seen, but Israel wasn't disappointed; he had expected it wouldn't be so easy.

Leaving the hilltop, they decided to split off into groups of twos and threes to fan out and more efficiently combe the area. Sara and Meifan went with Israel, and together they kept at a northwesterly slant, slowly inching closer to Tolbana's white walls as they marched. The going was easy, but none of them saw any sign of a sewer.

The morning wore on, and by noon, the dark tide of rain clouds had closed the distance with them. Blotting out the peaking sun, the clouds quickly coated the plains in shade and looked ready to unleash their downpour, but as of yet, no rain came.

Another hour passed before they reached the river that divided the region in two. Pebbles covered the banks, and the crystal clear water burbled as it flowed southeast, back the way they had come. Large, flat stones jutted up in various places along the surface, boldly defying the river's course. Though the current was relatively gentle, the river looked quite deep; Israel couldn't even see the bottom through the clear blue water.

Not eager to get soaked, Israel instead stepped onto the nearest of the flat stones, testing its weight. The rock held, and he gestured for Sara and Meifan to follow behind as he stepped out to the next one. Droplets of water splashed up from against the stone, getting his pants and boots wet, but it was hardly noticeable. Behind him as he strode across, he heard Sara put more effort into her steps, almost hopping or jumping rather than walking, as her legs, while long, were shorter than his and Meifan's. The tank took up the rear, and though he too appeared to have slightly more of a struggle in crossing due to his heavier armor and shield, he managed to make each step.

Stepping widely across the second to last stone before the bank on the other side, Israel heard Sara slip forward as she landed wrong with a foot on the rock behind him. Spinning around, he reached out and gently took one of her outstretched arms as she attempted to find balance, and pulled her across to the disc shaped stone he was standing on. Still slightly off balance, she gripped his shoulder with her free hand to stabilize.

The stone shifted a bit under the strain, but otherwise held their weight. Small as it was, however, the two of them were forced to push up against one another in order to fit. Try as he might, Israel couldn't help but notice the softness of her breasts as they pressed against his chest.

"Thanks." Sara said gratefully, seeming completely unaware of how close they were. "That was harder than you made it look."

Israel smiled, doing his best to appear nonchalant. "Sorry. Here, you can take the next-"

A sudden glint of dim orange light from within the river caught his eyes. Narrowing his gaze, Israel glanced down to confirm what he was seeing, but the moment he blinked, the light was gone.

"What is it?" Sara asked above the burble of the river.

"Hey, are you two planning on having a dance on that stone?" Meifan asked behind them.

Glancing over his shoulder, Israel saw the tank standing on the rock Sara had slipped on, waiting to go forward.

The orange light flashed again, even dimmer this time, and again dissipated before Israel could get a proper look through the water.

Scooping up Sara's hand, Israel shuffled slightly to the side and helped her to the next and last stone. "Go on across."

"What about you?"

Unbuckling Apocalypse, Israel removed the weapon into his inventory. He kept the hunting knife at his belt, just in case.

"I thought I saw something in the water." He removed his vest and tossed it ashore. "Looks like I'm going for a swim after all."

"What did you see?" Meifan asked, his gaze suddenly searching the depths beneath him. "If it's some kind of river monster, I'm afraid I won't be much use. I can't swim."

"It looked like a light, from a large torch or lamp maybe."

"Could be an item." Meifan suggested. "Many hidden items glow or emit certain colors when players are near."

"Could be." Israel said with a nod. "Meifan, go ahead and finish going across once I jump in. Wait at the bank for me while I-"

"You can't go in alone." Sara argued. She dropped her leather potion pouch beside his vest and studied the water a moment before stepping to the pebble-strewn edge of the bank. "Fighting in water is difficult, and if there is some kind of fish monster down there-"

"This river is too small to hold some kind of fish monster." Israel pointed out. "The biggest fish in there is likely to be nothing more than a flounder or minnow. I'm only going to be down there for a moment anyway. I just want to get a look at that light."

"That's fine, and I'll just go see the light with you."

Israel shook his head. "No. Your dress is going to weigh you down, and you can't throw potions underwater. If by some wild chance there is something dangerous down there, you'll be at worse risk than me, and I won't be able to focus on swimming away if I see you sinking to the bottom. Just wait there a moment, and message the others to meet us here."

"You think this light has something to do with the quest?" Meifan asked.

"I can't say for sure, but I have my suspicions."

Glancing back at Sara, her arms folded angrily across her chest, Israel waited until she nodded in resignation. With the argument settled, he wasted no more time and dived headfirst into the river.

The cold water enveloped him at once, soaking his clothes and skin, and turning his layered blonde hair into a wild mass of weightless strands. His ears filled instantly, immediately immersing him in the dull, muffled sound of being underwater. A multitude of air bubbles surrounded him, briefly impairing his view, but these quickly dissipated or rose rapidly to the surface.

Kicking off with his legs, Israel began swimming down towards where he had seen the light. Beams of sparkling sunlight cut through the river from above, illuminating much of his path until he began going too deep for them to follow. Darkness threatened to soon envelop him as he continued his descent, and he was shocked to see just how deep the river was.

Just as he was nearing the eery darkness below him, the orange light flashed again, this time brighter and with more clarity as it shone past the earthy shelf wall directly underneath and to his right. Swimming down another foot or so, Israel was about to reach out and grab at the light when it faded again, revealing a large, wide hole that appeared to be going up.

Israel wasn't particularly thrilled about the possibility of swimming directly into the watery lair of a fish monster. Worse, he was beginning to run out of air. After a moment of hesitation, he swam quickly into the massive hole, following the water upwards. As he swam, he felt the urge to draw his hunting knife in readiness, though the small weapon did little to quell his unease.

Forcing aside rapidly rising fear as his lungs began to burn, Israel swam up harder. To his surprise, his head and shoulders burst suddenly out of the water, and he found himself in a small, subterranean pool within what looked like a cave. There was rocky ground right beside him, and as he climbed up out of the water, he saw a young woman sitting on a rock, watching him. She was bone thin, with dirty brown hair and filthy clothes. Israel guessed she had been sitting there for a long time.

Directly behind her was a massive, eight foot tall, open ended pipe with a smell that could only have come from a sewer.

In the girl's hand was a small white candle, and as she slowly rose to her feet, the orange light from the candle flame expanded, filling the chamber and forcing Israel to raise an arm over his eyes. After a moment, the light faded, and the candle became normal again.

The girl cocked her head. "Who are you?"

…

Water splashed across the shadowy rock walls as David and Avari emerged from the subterranean pool. Rising from the rock he was sitting on, Israel went to the edge of the cave floor to help them out.

"Finally," he joked, extending an arm to Avari first. "Where are the others?"

As if in answer, Jae, Vivienne, and Meifan all burst up from the water next, the first two grasping Meifan by the shoulders as they tugged him along. Sara came up last, her long mat of silver hair dripping as it stuck to her face, neck, and shoulders. Her drenched black dress clung to her, hugging her shapely form, and Israel found himself very impressed that she had managed to swim without any help, considering how much it must have weighed her down.

The others looked much the same as she did. Vivienne's brown hair, only slightly shorter than Sara's, was badly tangled and matted, while everyone else's shorter hair was simply plastered to their skulls.

"Nothing like the smell of human waste after a near death experience." Avari muttered as she helped Israel get everyone else up out of the water.

Rising to her feet on the rocky ground, Vivienne glanced around. "How in the world did your info brokers know about this?"

"They didn't know." Israel answered. "All the knowledge they had on this quest was from vague lore books and rumors- that the NPC girl who gives the quest was well hidden beside the exit point of the Tolbana sewers, east of the city. From here on out, we're going in completely blind."

"As long as we're not underwater again," Meifan sputtered in annoyance. He gestured in disbelief at the girl's candle. "Is that what you saw shining through the water?"

Israel nodded. "I suspect it's somehow magical. Every fifteen seconds or so it emanates a much stronger source of light than normal. That's what I was seeing."

"It's called Maya's Unwavering Light." The young woman said, holding up the candle. "It's been used to keep the Tolbana Library lit for centuries."

Israel considered asking what the Tolbana Library light was doing with her, but thought better of it and waited.

Glowing candle in hand, the girl strode forward to get a better look at the wet, bedraggled group. She glanced to Israel.

"Are these friends of yours?"

Israel nodded. "Yes, no need to worry."

Jae looked from the girl to Israel as he started rubbing Vivienne's wet shoulders to warm her up. "I'm guessing by the sewer behind her that this is our NPC?"

Israel nodded. "I avoided talking to her much, just in case some line of dialogue is what triggers the quest. Let's go ahead and party up so we can get started."

Opening his menu, Israel scrolled through various screens until he reached the Social tab. Selecting it, he next tapped on the Party and then Form Party icons before inviting the six others. Following his lead, everyone quickly accepted his invites.

"If the rumors about this quest are true," David pondered, "and its main reward is to turn red players green again, I suppose the rest of us shouldn't expect anything when we clear it?"

"Besides the usual XP and Col?" Vivienne asked. "Probably not. But we're already getting a bargain; two red player conversions for one quest event."

"As if you need a reward, David." Meifan harrumphed. "You already have a legendary scimitar now, thanks to Israel."

David's fingers absently found the pommel of the polished scimitar at his side as he nodded gratefully to Israel. "For which I am very thankful for, by the way. I'm looking forward to putting it to good use today." He chuckled. "I guess it's just hard considering a no reward quest after being spoiled for so long in the Labyrinths."

Still warming Vivienne, Jae shrugged. "This is supposed to be a rather difficult quest. Who knows, there may very well be loot along the way."

Sara shuffled forward beside Israel, her wet dress leaving a trail of water behind her as she smiled at the NPC girl.

"Hello, I'm Sara. May I ask your name?"

The girl, who looked no older than sixteen, smiled back sincerely, if a little suspiciously.

"I'm Lily. What are you all doing down here?"

The others gathered around to listen as Sara answered.

"We came because we heard about a young girl who was in trouble. We'd like to help you, Lily."

Lily waved her arms dismissively, as if Sara had it all wrong. "I can take care of myself. That's why I came down here through the sewers in the first place. I'm safe here, but Tolbana isn't. Please, you have to believe me. You have to help me save them!"

"Woah," Israel said in a soothing voice. "Slow down. We'll help you Lily, but first we need to understand what's happening. Why don't you start from the beginning? Why do you think Tolbana is in danger?"

Lily hesitated, pulling back a filthy strand of hair behind her ear as she looked away from Israel's gaze. Staring at her feet, she took a breath before sniffling once and starting again.

"I live in the garden district of Tolbana. The city is all I know. All I've ever known. Before this all started, I could count on one hand the number of times I'd been outside the Pearl Walls. I loved living there. Everyone was kind to me. Everyone smiled and waved when I would go to my work in the mornings. But then...a few weeks ago…"

A single tear made its way down her filthy cheek, creating a visible trail as it cleared away some of the dirt and mud in its path. Without hesitation, Israel knelt down beside her and took her in his arms. With his free hand, he rubbed her upper back warmly. Though she hesitated for a moment, unsure how to proceed, Lily quickly melted into his embrace, hugging him back gratefully.

At that moment, he wasn't thinking about the quest and it's reward, nor the fact that she was an AI. At that moment, it was just obvious that this young woman was alone and in pain, and he wanted to comfort her.

Gently, she pulled away from him.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't be acting so childish." She cleared her throat, then continued. "I'll tell you from the start, so that you can understand. A few months past, I met this boy. Arrius, the miller's son. We started talking, and soon he started coming to my work at the library often to see me. We became…" she paused, blushing as she looked away from Israel again. "Well, good friends. Anyway, a few weeks ago, Arrius came to my house in the night. He threw stones at my window to wake me, and when I came to the window, he had a mischievous look in his eye. He told me that it was too romantic a night for me to be asleep, and that he wanted to show me something outside of the city.

"I went with him, and he led me out past the Pearl Walls, to an old cabin on a hill by the woods. I told him that I was scared of the monsters that were said to roam the wild grasslands outside the city, but he told me that he would keep me safe. He kept his word, and we made it to the old cabin. No one lived there, but it was warm and cozy and had a fire already going in the hearth, as if it had been waiting for us. Arrius told me then that he loved me, that he wanted to take me away and make me his wife once we both came of age."

Lily's expression turned to heated, bitter anger. "I'm a stupid girl, and I believed him. He told me that he wanted me, and so we…" she shook her head in silent fury. "Afterwards, we left the cabin to begin heading back into the city. As we walked along the hill, though, we saw a fire from a camp below us, on the edge of the woods. There were strange men garbed all in red robes gathered in a circle around the fire, chanting in a strange language. As Arrius and I watched, we saw the fire they were standing around turn bloodred. The whole field around their camp turned black as pitch, as if the unnatural fire was sucking the night itself towards it.

"I told Arrius that we should get away, back to Tolbana, but as soon as we stood up to leave, one of the men in red robes came up from behind us. He grabbed us both, and said, 'Look what we have here. Two blood offerings for our Lord will do nicely in tonight's ritual.'

"We tried to struggle, but he was stronger than he should have been, and held both of us firmly. I had a knife, one that my father made for me when I was young, and taught me how to use. My father told me to keep it with me at all times, and I did, but the way the man in the robes was holding me, I couldn't get to it. He laughed as he carried us down the hill to his other men, and the entire time, Arrius cried and screamed, 'Take her! Please, take her and let me go! I don't want to die! Take her!'

"We were nearly down the hill when the man holding us shouted to his friends that he had found more sacrifices for their Lord. They seemed very pleased, and said that this was a good omen, that two more offerings were sure to win the Demon Lord's favor."

"Demon Lord?" Sara muttered.

Lily nodded. "The man holding us laughed as he said that we were serving a great purpose; that soon, when the ritual was complete and their Lord gave them enough strength, they would finally be able to bypass the Three Trials and summon him."

Israel frowned in thought. "Do you have any idea what these Three Trials are?"

Lily nodded again. As she spoke, quiet fear began to spread across her face. "All young children in Tolbana grow up hearing the stories. According to the legend, the Demon Lord Philariax, mightiest of all Demons, once roamed free in the world. He hunted and exterminated humans without mercy, and drank their blood to sate his hunger. Entire armies faced him, and entire armies fell before his dark power.

"Then, when mankind itself was on the verge of extinction, the Angels of the Ruby Palace descended from their gilded thrones to intervene. Alara, the Archangel, led them, and it was she who defeated Philariax. But she did not have the strength to kill him. So instead, in order to prevent the Demon Lord from regaining his full power and terrorizing the world ever again, she and her angelic hosts created a magical portal to another dimension, and locked Philariax within it. To guard against the portal being breached, she created the Three Trials- three insurmountable tests- both to prevent Philariax from escaping, and to stop any who would seek to summon him through evil means. The only way for someone to summon the Demon Lord, to free him, is to pass the Three Trials."

Sara frowned in puzzlement. "But you said that these men, cultists by the sound of them, claimed to have found a way to bypass these Trials."

"I do not know how." Lily said. "Yet that is what I heard them say. But, I also heard one of them say that blood offerings would not speed up the process, that they had to be patient and wait for the new moon before performing the last ritual. Only then could they bypass the Trials and summon Philariax."

Israel turned to the others all listening in rapt attention. "Does anyone know when the new moon is going to arrive?"

"The ninth." David answered. "Three days from now."

"So we still have plenty of time." Avari noted.

"That doesn't mean we should approach this casually." Jae said. "Three days or no, the best thing to do is get this done as soon as possible."

The others nodded in agreement.

"What happened next?" Israel asked, his eyes still focused on Lily. "What happened to you and Arrius?"

Lily studied her worn shoes.

"By the time we were nearly down the hill, I finally managed to get a grip on my knife. I stabbed the man in the arm, and the moment he let go of me, I ran. I didn't want to; he still had Arrius, and I wanted to help him in spite of what he was screaming. I swear to you all, I wanted to help Arrius."

Fresh tears began to leak down her face, but her voice remained level.

"But I couldn't. The other robed men, the cultists, they sprang forward to grab me when I broke free. There were so many of them, and they were all after me. They already had Arrius, so I knew there was no way I could save him. I ran as fast I could back towards Tolbana, and I didn't look back. It was dark, and I was faster than they were, so they soon lost me. As I ran, I heard Arrius' screams.

"By the time I made it back to the city, it was nearly morning. The gate guards saw me, saw that my clothes were red and I was holding a bloody knife, and they made me stay with them while they woke the city. Some of the guards said that they had seen me leave in the night with Arrius, and they demanded to know where he was. I told them everything, exactly as I told you, but they called me a liar. The townspeople gathered, and called me liar too.

"Then a girl came forward."

Lily had stopped crying, and she was no longer looking down. Now, her eyes wandered past them, as if seeing things that they could not.

"I knew the girl. Her name is Mariette. Same age as me. She's the baker's youngest daughter. She was crying when she came forward, and she looked like she wanted to kill me herself. She told everyone that she and Arrius loved each other, and that the only reason Arrius had pretended to be interested in me was to show me kindness and not hurt my feelings.

"I told her that she was wrong, that Arrius had told me the same things he must have told her, but she would have none of it. She revealed to everyone that she had been growing angry at seeing Arrius and I together, and so he had told her, just the day before, that he was going to speak to me alone that night and tell me that he loved another.

"Mariette screamed that Arrius had taken me outside into the fields to tell me kindly, and that I had without a doubt murdered him with my knife in jealous rage. I tried to explain that that isn't what happened at all, that Arrius had told me he loved me and wanted me to be his wife. She screamed louder. The townspeople started shouting that I was a murderer, that I must die for my crime, and as the guards began to close in to take me, I ran. I ran through the streets like a rat as they all chased me, until I found the sewer. I climbed down and it led out here, so this is where I stayed.

"At night I go back, when everyone is asleep, and steal what food I can to stay alive, and when dawn comes I run back here through the sewer. I don't want to stay down here forever, but I would rather that than the Demon Lord returning to the world."

Tears again began to flow down Lily's face. "In spite of what those people think of me, and in spite of what they wanted to do, I have to help them. They don't believe that the Demon Lord is returning, but I know the truth, and I need to do something. I would never be able to live with myself if he burned Tolbana to the ground and killed everyone I ever knew. Please, please, you have to help me. We have to save them..."

She looked to Israel in desperation, and he took her hand firmly in his.

"We'll help you, Lily. There's no need to be afraid. I promise, we'll help you."

 _Quest Accepted:_

 _The Return of Philariax_


	127. Chapter 126

126

September 6th, 2024

Floor 1, Tolbana Outskirts

Pushing aside a dripping fern branch in his path, Israel paused and pointed through the last of the trees. "There."

Jae nodded beside him, then turned to Lily for confirmation. "Is this the camp you and Arrius saw?"

Lily scooted up between them, stumbling a little on a tree root as she peered through the treeline that hid them from view.

"This is the camp." She said. She pointed up to an old cabin atop a hill overlooking their position. "That's the cabin Arrius took me too. And I recognize the cultists, not just from their red robes, but from their faces. This is the camp."

"Good." Israel drew Apocalypse from it's sheath.

It had been easy to see that these were the cultists Lily had described; there weren't many in Aincrad who dressed like that. There were around twenty of them by his count, all gathered in a large double circle around an unnatural looking fire. They were chanting in unison, speaking words that Israel didn't understand in rhythmic, almost mesmerizing patterns. Their strange, exotic robes were all crimson red and identical, and on each of the men's foreheads was a small pentagram mark. If such men weren't demon worshipping cultists, Israel didn't know who was. Yet, it never hurt to make sure. Lily was on hand, so he and Jae had figured they might as well get confirmation with her.

Lily had led them most of the way, but when she started heading towards the hill where she and Arrius had first run into the cultists, Israel took the lead and altered their path. It was still daylight, and it was easy for enemies- even AI enemies- to spot people on a hill above them in daylight. Instead, Israel had skirted the hills and led everyone into the small wood that Lily said bordered the cultists' camp.

It wasn't that he feared them, or that he thought an ambush was necessary against mobs, but he was worried that some of the cultists might turn and run once attacked. If they did, it would now be far harder for them to run uphill than it would have been to flee into the trees.

Israel drew Apocalypse, but it's distinctive ring was drowned out by the chanting of the cultists.

Lily grabbed his arm. "What are you doing?"

Israel turned a puzzled look at her. "I thought that was obvious. We're going to kill them before they can summon the Demon Lord you told us about."

"But there's only seven of you!"

Jae's staff twirled into his hands. "Lily, you should probably stay back while we take care of them. We wouldn't want you to get-"

Lily shook her head emphatically. Clutching her knife in both hands, she stepped up beside them. "Your small party is about to go up against all those cultists. You're going to need all the help you can get."

"You would just get in our way." Israel said firmly. He didn't want to sound unkind, but he had to make sure she wouldn't come running out of the woods during the fight. "Lily, if you want us to win, you need to stay here. If you put yourself in danger, we'll all be too distracted trying to protect you. People could get hurt. Is that what you want?"

The determination slowly left her eyes as she looked at him. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, she glanced away apologetically. "No. I'm grateful for your help. I don't want any of you to get injured."

"Good." Israel smiled at her. "Then stay here until it's over, alright?"

When she finally dipped her head in acquiescence, Israel rose up and took a breath. Jae came up beside him, staff at the ready, and Vivienne, David, Avari, and Meifan all drew their weapons on either side of them. Sara drew her dagger but held back just behind them as she got a potion ready in her other hand.

"I'll keep them controlled with impairments." She said. "And I can heal if it comes to that...though I doubt it."

Israel nodded, and together he and Jae charged out of the trees, closely followed by the rest of the party. Just behind him, and all at once, Israel heard David's legendary scimitar clear it's sheath, Avari's grunt of effort as she freed her huge greatsword, Vivienne's graceful spring forward, and Meifan's challenging shout as the tank slammed his mace against his shield in defiance. Only Sara remained silent, but even amidst the sudden cascade of noises and cries, he could still hear her footsteps as she took up the rear.

The circle of cultists scarcely had time to stop chanting and turn in surprise before Israel and Jae were on them. With a powerful overhead swing of Apocalypse, Israel cut the nearest cultist almost completely in half from head to stomach. A geyser of blood soared into the air for a moment before splashing down onto the dead NPC's red robes. At the same time, Jae's bladed staff ripped through the air, slicing open another cultist's throat before spinning into a lunge that pierced through a third man's open mouth and out the back of his skull.

All three NPC's shattered at once into a mist of pixelated shards.

With a cry of pure rage, the remaining cultists drew long, black handled knives from within their robes and surged forward, desperate to kill the two men that had just murdered their brothers. Israel and Jae met their attack, and this time, the rest of the party crashed forward alongside them.

In an instant, the whole world went red.

Hacking off the head of a cultist in front of him, Israel saw another rushing at him from the right, dagger raised. Though he didn't have the Fist of Furiel on, Israel still had his strength. Catching the man's wrist, he watched the NPC's face twist in agony as his hand was snapped backwards, his wrist bone shattered. Before the cultist could scream, Israel elbowed him in the face, knocking him back straight onto David's sword.

Another cultist charged him, wildly thrusting with his dagger. Parrying with Apocalypse, Israel kept the blade spinning and cut off the man's arm. Without missing a beat, he stepped forward and ran him through. Apocalypse's point glistened with artificial blood as it erupted from the cultist's back.

Amidst the violence, Israel caught sight of Jae beside him, his weapon a blur as he scythed through the men attacking him. Two rushed in at him with their daggers, but with a twirl of his staff, both men toppled to the ground, stomachs sliced open and guts following them to the earth. Both NPC's dissipated into shards before their blood could stain the grass.

Spinning around to deal with another cultist coming at him from behind, Israel was just in time to see Vivienne's saber cut him down with graceful efficiency. Without a second's hesitation, she danced away, kicking another cultist square in the chest as she went.

Nearby, Avari grunted with effort as her greatsword cleaved another cultist- a tall woman with long blonde hair- clean in half at the waist. Bloody streamers of red robes fluttered on their way to the ground with the two halves of the body. Just behind Avari, his back pressed against hers, David duelled a cultist armed with two daggers rather than one. After several seconds of trading blows, David dodged a slash and ran his opponent through before immediately crossing blades with another and punching him in the face.

Just off Israel's left, one of the cultists started screaming as his chest began to rapidly disintegrate into an ever widening hole. Broken pieces of glass from a vial flecked his robes. Beyond the mysteriously imploding cultist, Meifan tore forward, bashing another robed enemy away with his tower shield before finishing the man with a brutal blow of his mace. A second swing, and his gore covered weapon split the skull of another.

One cultist managed to dodge away from Vivienne's slashing saber and instead went to stab Meifan while his back was turned. Before the NPC could execute his attack, however, a glass vial smashed against the side of his head, paralyzing him instantly. Israel finished the downed enemy off with an unceremonious boot to the skull.

The fight was fierce, but lasted about as long as could be expected. To Israel, a better word for it would have been massacre. Though the cultists matched their levels- it was a common RPG mechanic to have quest enemies match player stats- and though they did seem to benefit from slightly enhanced speed and strength, they were no match for Israel, Jae, and the others of their party. Even if the cultists had had equal skill in combat to the players they were facing, they were armed with nothing but knives and protected by mere robes.

More than anything though, they were NPCs. After years of battling elite players bent on murder, often far outnumbering him, Israel had trouble picturing any AI enemy as a serious threat. Jae and the others didn't have as much experience fighting humans, but all of them had fought at the Battle of Brakrun, at one point even going up against PoH's Chosen bodyguards. Jae had gone head to head with Xaxa himself, and had put up a better fight against the Red Eyed demon than most anyone before, with the exception of perhaps Israel.

On top of that, everyone but Israel and Sara were hardened Assault Team veterans, and thus accustomed to fighting incredibly powerful monsters and Floor Bosses. Sara herself didn't have anywhere near the fighting ability or combat experience of the rest of them, yet in spite of that- or perhaps because of it- she had learned to fight with resourcefulness and clever tactics, using her intelligence as her main weapon. When that wasn't enough, she was only the greatest potion maker in all of Aincrad.

Against the seven of them, twenty cultists had no chance.

As battle swiftly turned to slaughter, two of the red robed men turned to flee. Most held their ground and fought on, but as Israel cut down another in his path with Apocalypse, his eyes caught on three separate cultists huddled together before the fire. Their heads were bowed, and as he watched, their lips began moving at an unnatural speed.

"Sara!" Jae shouted, sweeping his staff around to block a cultist attacking him, "Throw your potions at the two who are running! Bring them down!"

"On it!" She shouted as she broke into a run past the fighting.

Burying Apocalypse in the throat of another attacker, Israel swiftly wrenched it free and started for the three cultists with their heads bowed. They were further back behind the fighting, and with each passing second, their lips seemed to be moving faster. Israel wasn't sure what they were doing, but he wasn't about to wait and find out. Before he could break into a run, Israel heard the whoosh of a dagger flying towards him. Just as he started turning to respond to the threat, he felt sharp steel bury itself deep into his left arm, stopping only when the tip reflected off bone.

Drawing the sudden explosion of pain within himself in furious irritation, Israel channelled it into an inferno of boiling rage. Gritting his teeth against the pulsating wrath that raced suddenly through his entire being, he spun around with a speed that surprised himself. Right hand raised, he seized the neck of the cultist who had stabbed him.

With the incredible momentum of his turn powering him, and with his vision dimmed by the sudden tide of anger sparked by his annoyance at being hindered, he raised the NPC high into the air by the throat. With a cry of fury, he slammed the cultist back to the ground with such force that the man's spine shattered and the earth beneath him caved in on itself, creating a roughly human shaped hole several inches deep.

Ignoring both the shower of pixelated shards and his injured sword arm, Israel ran forward through the last of the fighting, eyes glued on the three cultists before the fire.

"Jae!" He shouted as he sidestepped a clash between Avari and another cultist. "Those three by the fire!"

Jae, already running, turned to go after them.

Before either of them could reach the three cultists, the air suddenly began to thrum with energy. The unnatural fire went out, and a circular portal materialized in its place. The portal looked like the start of a moving, living tunnel made of red light and matter, and before anyone could stop them, the three NPC's jumped into it.

Israel half expected the portal to vanish from sight the moment the last of the three cultists disappeared within it, but fortunately, it held fast. The strange particles and light that made up it's walls appeared to shift and move in the same likeness as clouds, but it also looked solid enough to stand on.

Jae reached the portal first and cautiously lifted up his hand before it. Israel stopped beside him, letting his injured left arm go limp at his side.

"Well, that looks inviting." Israel said.

A tingling sensation washed comfortingly over him, dissolving both the pain in his arm and the wound itself. Turning, he saw Avari behind him with an empty healing potion in her hand. She shrugged.

"I saw that you were hurt."

"Thank you."

Vivienne, David, and Meifan emerged through the slowly rising mist of pixelated shards to study the portal. A breathless Sara returned a second later, nodding her confirmation that the two cultists she had pursued were taken care of. She glanced to the portal.

"That can't be good."

"We have to follow them!" Came Lily's voice as she pushed past David and Meifan. "We have to go in!"

The girl looked ready to dive straight into the portal herself when Israel gently caught her arm.

"Lily, where does this portal lead?" He asked. "And why hasn't it faded?"

She yanked against him, trying to break free. "This is no regular portal! This will lead them to the alternate dimension, where Alara sealed away the Demon Lord! We have to stop them!"

"You said that they wouldn't be able to summon him until the new moon." Sara reminded her.

Lily shook her head in agitation, sending strands of her long, filthy hair flying.

"They aren't trying to summon him! This portal will lead them to the path of the Three Trials, as it was said in the stories."

Jae frowned. "I thought they were trying to bypass these Trials? You said they were almost impossible."

"That is why they were going to wait until the new moon," Lily explained impatiently, "when Philariax's power would aid them in skirting the Trials and they could simply summon him to the world of life. Once they saw that you were winning the fight, that you were going to kill them all, they must have decided that the only chance they had was to undertake the Trials and try to free him that way, in spite of the danger. The only way for us to stop them now is to follow them inside and kill them before they pass through the Trials."

"From what you've told us," Vivienne said, "it seems to me there is a good chance that they will die attempting these Trials."

"Do you really want to take that chance?" Lily pressed. "Do you want to just sit here and wait and see if the Demon Lord of Despair shows up?"

Israel and Jae looked at each other.

"She's got a point." Israel said. "Maybe this is just how the quest was supposed to go: with us chasing them through the Trials. It was obvious from the start that the whole goal of the quest was to stop them before anyone summoned Philariax rather than actually fight him, so it makes sense that we have to do something like this to make the quest longer and more difficult."

"She said that the Trials are extremely dangerous." David argued. "We could be in serious trouble if we go in there. We won't know what to expect or what we're up against, and I have no doubt the place will be an Anti-Teleport zone."

Israel nodded. "If you don't want to go in, I completely understand. No quest is worth a life. But this is something I have to do. I won't turn back."

"Neither will I." Said Sara.

"Of course we're going with you." Avari said wearily. She shot David a scolding look. "David here is just being difficult because he's worried about me for some reason."

Jae stepped up to the portal. "We've all been through far worse than some standard quest event. As long as we stay careful and watch each other's backs, we'll be fine. Come on. Let's get Israel and Sara their green cursors back." He nodded to Israel. "We're with you, brother."

"All right then," Vivienne said as she strode up to the portal in front of Jae. "Let's go stop a Demon Lord."

She and Jae went in first, and Israel and Sara followed directly after.

The moment Israel stepped inside the portal, the world fell away into a blur of splattered colors, lights, and sounds. He felt almost like he was underwater, as a kind of current of force pulled him along at lightning speed, but each time he gasped for air, it felt as though he were breathing in a cold gel-like substance. He tried to grab at the alien texture, but his hand passed in front of him as if there was nothing there but air.

After what felt like both an eternity and no time at all, Israel realized he was no longer moving. The blur of colors and lights were gone, and in their place, he found himself standing before a beautiful gilded gateway, with massive silver wings jutting out from either side. The gate emanated light, which revealed some of the massive chamber around him.

Turning, Israel saw the others all beside him, gazing at the gateway and at each other. Lily stood in the middle of them, her scrawny figure and worried gaze sharply contrasting the formidable and warrior-like bearing of the men and women around her.

"This is the entrance to the First Trial." Lily said in awe. "Alara's wings guard the door."

"It's still closed." Jae observed with an undercurrent of caution. Clutching his legendary staff in hand, he turned to slowly scan the darkness around them. "They might have been lying in wait for us."

Hands began reaching for swords, but Lily stopped them with a fervent shake of her head."The gateway wouldn't have remained open. Whatever they did to get through, the doors would have sealed themselves behind them to prevent others from breaching without effort."

Jae slowly lowered his staff. "Yes, that makes sense. Dungeons usually work the same way." He returned his gaze to the gilded gate. "If that's true, how are we supposed to follow them? How do we get through?"

As if in answer, the gilded gate began to glow. A beam of pure light appeared before it, lighting up the entire chamber in its intensity. The light grew brighter, and everyone either threw up their hands or averted their eyes from the sight.

Wincing at the blinding rays through his spread fingers, Israel was about to close his eyes when the light suddenly dimmed. The beam seemed to come alive, for it moved as it faded, and soon, he began to see a vaguely human shape take form.

The being sparkled with glorious light, and though the shape had dimmed, it still glowed with a brilliance that could only be described as divine. Peering at it with wide eyes, Israel's jaw dropped.

The being was, without a doubt, a woman… and easily the most beautiful one that he had ever seen in his life.

Her feet, which hovered a foot or so above the stone floor, were protected by glowing masterwork silver and gold armor that carried up to her ankles. Her legs, long and smooth and undoubtedly feminine, were protected below the knees by two greaves of the same gold and silver likeness as her footwear. A skirt of silver plates, each fashioned in the shape of large flower petals and trimmed in emanating rays of white light covered her waist and thighs.

A gorgeous and elegant silver breastplate with wire wrapping covered the woman's upper body, fitting perfectly over both her lean abdomen and chest. There was no cleavage- the chestplate continued up to the nape of her neck- but the armor fit her form so perfectly that the swell of her breasts beneath it were unmistakable. In fact, as he looked at her, Israel wouldn't have been surprised if the armor was really part of her body.

Her sides, from the curve of her hips up to her underarms, were bare, revealing twin strips of smooth, supple skin that seemed to sparkle as it emanated faint hues of light. Thin pauldrons of masterful design covered her shoulders, and at the ends of these pauldrons hung two small sleeves of chainmail that fell halfway down her upper arms.

Her forearms themselves were protected by bracers that matched the rest of the silver and gold theme to her armor. Her hands, which appeared delicate but betrayed the subtle traces of a hardened warrior, rested atop the pommel of a longsword that was nearly as beautiful as the figure it belonged to: a powerful and elegant blade of pure white, with a silver handle whose crossguard was two outstretched wings.

A majestic mane of golden hair tumbled down the figure's shoulders and part way down her back, adding lustre and brilliance to the noble, proud, intelligent, and breathtakingly beautiful face. Green eyes glowed with a power and intensity far beyond that of humans, adding an alien look that seemed to only heighten her aura of divinity. High cheekbones, smooth, silken red lips, and a narrow, feminine jaw complemented her regal bearing, and as she looked down at them, Israel could just make out the slightest arch of one of her perfect eyebrows, as if she had just stumbled on a row of ants and was deciding whether or not to crush them. She leaned the tiniest bit closer, and two huge, gorgeous white wings suddenly unfurled behind her.

At that moment, as he looked at her in amazement, Israel wasn't sure if he was terrified, overjoyed, or helplessly in love. After a moment's hesitation, he realized that it might very well be all three.

"I am Alara." The glowing woman said in a voice that was at once both feminine and godlike. "Archangel of the Heavenly Hosts, and Defender of the Mortal Realms. Whilst my physical body may not be present, know that I can yet channel some of my power through this apparition. Therefore, I advise you to think carefully on what you say to me." Her eyes glowed brighter in hot warning. "Now, tell me why you have entered the prison of Philariax."

For a brief moment, no one spoke. Israel licked his lips, but found that his mind had been scrambled by the vision that stood before him. Her very presence seemed to exude a wave of might, awe, and, in a lesser sense, seductiveness that left him temporarily unable to form words. As he was able to sense the presence and auras of those around him, Israel guessed that he was feeling an even greater tumult of emotions than the others. If what he was seeing was truly a mere appariation, he wondered what it would be like to witness Alara in her physical body.

 _Wait,_ he reminded himself. _Alara isn't real anyway. This is just an NPC, no different from Lily or Bulwin or any other AI living in the safe zones._

He knew it was true, but he had a hard time remembering it. NPC or not, his mind's reactions to her were very real, as was her powerful presence.

Kayaba never ceased to amaze.

Jae cleared his throat and stepped hesitantly forward. "We've come to stop the three cultists of Philariax who entered this place before us. They intend to pass the Three Trials and free Philariax back to our world. We must catch up to them before they do."

Alara studied him a moment.

"I believe you." She said at last, her voice both stormy and radiant at once. "I know the three you speak of. They have passed through this gate and are even now undergoing the First Trial."

That brought Israel out of his reverie.

"What?" he asked in shock. "If you guard this door, and you know who they serve, how could you let them pass?"

Without moving, Alara shifted her glowing eyes towards him. Her eyebrow raised slightly higher, but not in anger.

"I cannot prevent those who would pass through the Three Trials from entering. That is not how they were constructed. Even if I could, it is not my physical being that guards the entrance, as I have said. What you see before you is a corporeal presence; an astral projection of my true self. I have little power in this form."

"We need to stop them." Jae said. "Can we go through this gate?"

Alara returned her gaze to him. "Do you wish to begin the First Trial?"

"Yes."

"Then you may pass."

The angel lifted a hand from the pommel of her sword. A second later, the gilded, winged gate behind her began to groan as the double doors of silver and gold slowly opened.

"Go now," Alara urged them as she drifted to the side. "Stop those would free the Demon from his prison. Go, and know that you have my blessing."

"Wait!" Israel held an arm out to his side to stop the others from going forward. He met Alara's gaze and forced aside the powerful senses brought on by her presence. "Is there anything you can tell us about the Three Trials that will help us?"

Alara casually returned her hand to it's resting place atop the pommel of her sword.

"Once you go through this door, there will be no way to go back. To be free, you must either complete the Three Trials, or die. The First Trial you will face shall be the Trial of Courage. The second shall be the Trial of Strength. The third shall be the Trial of Will. Pass the Trials and you will be given a choice: either free Philariax and command the Demon Lord's power, or restore his prison to balance. In either case, you will still be allowed to return to the Mortal Realm." Alara's eyes darkened. "But I will know if you have freed him. Do not forget that, if you succeed."

"So it's a race," Jae said. "Between us and the cultists to see who gets to him first."

"Can you tell us what we can expect from the Trials?" Israel asked. "What we must face?"

A skein of perfect blonde hair fell over Alara's armored shoulder as she slowly shook her head. "I can say no more. Now you must go, while there is yet time."

Nodding in resignation, Israel drew Apocalypse. Beside him, Jae's staff twirled into his hands.

"Alright," Jae said to everyone. "This is it. Let's go."

Alara watched them in silence as they passed her, but for a brief moment, Israel thought he could see worry in her glowing eyes.

Israel and Jae were the first through the gate, and Israel could hear the footsteps of the six others all just behind them as they plodded into darkness. He had no idea what to expect, so he kept a tight grip on Apocalypse and focused his concentration on listening for any sound of a threat. With each step they took, the darkness grew thicker, until soon he was unable to see his own hand in front of him through the pitch black air.

The darkness didn't worry him; Israel had always done his hunting of red and orange players in conditions such as these, when the night sky was so black that it appeared as though the whole world had gone blind. He had long ago learned to use the darkness, to become a part of it. In this, he was within his element. As he walked on and the room continued to grow blacker still, he realized that the others would not be so comfortable.

Turning, he opened his mouth to assure them that he would be able to identify any threat.

The hair at the back of his neck rose before the first word ever left his lips.

Everyone was gone.

Israel stopped walking. Closing his eyes, he concentrated on listening to any footsteps, as the most likely answer was that they had all begun to wander off in the dark. He heard nothing. He tried to sense Sara's presence, then Jae's, and finally Vivienne's. There was none.

"Jae?" Israel asked into the void. There was no response.

"Sara?"

Icy panic began to crawl up his spine, threatening to catch him in it's grip. Israel forced it aside.

"Jae?" He called out, louder this time. "Sara?"

Gripping Apocalypse tighter in his fist, Israel raised the weapon. He couldn't see the sword, couldn't see anything, but he knew it was there. He felt it. He also felt the oppressive weight of the darkness all around him. He no longer felt like he was in his element. Was it possible that there was something out there, and that it had come close without his notice? No. But how then had everyone else disappeared?

The panic took hold inside of him and grew as Israel imagined Sara in danger out there in the darkness, or Jae being dragged off by something. He could almost see Vivienne and the others fighting desperately against what they could not see. This time, he couldn't hold back the fear.

"Jae!" Israel screamed in desperation. "Sara!"

There was no answer.

He was alone.


	128. Chapter 127

127

Date Unknown

Floor Unknown, Location Unknown

Clinging to the faint bluish light emanating from his open menu as if it were water in a burning desert, Israel wandered aimlessly through the black void. Though he had long ago given up trying to escape or even find Jae and the others, he still continued his lifeless march. At this point, it was simply habit to keep going. Walking, pointless as it was, was all he had left now, and if he stopped, he would be truly empty. Truly alone.

Keeping his eyes on the dim light hovering about a foot in front of him, Israel took another slow, weary step. His eyes subconsciously studied the rows of letters making up the words he had once been so shocked to see:

 _Date Unknown_

 _Floor Unknown, Location Unknown_

He felt like he had an intimate knowledge of those words. He admired each and every letter that made them, not just in terms of their beautifully styled structure- he especially loved the way the _U_ 's curved and slanted- but also in how they formed audible fragments of thought, and how they worked together to make a unique sound that each of them would have otherwise been unable to make on their own.

He remembered being frightened of those beautiful words once. Opening his menu to provide light amidst the horrific abyss of darkness had been one of the first things he had done after finding himself lost and alone. That moment had been filled with a plethora of heady emotions, completely unlike how mired and dim his thoughts and feelings were now.

Tremendous, heartstopping joy had come first. The bluish, digital light, small as it was, had all but dropped him to his knees in relief even as it blinded his eyes. It provided him with an escape from the terrifying and nightmarish weight of the dark all around. It gave him something to see, but more than that, it gave him something to stave off the raw panic and icy fear brought on by the void in which he was trapped.

The next emotion had been remarkably different. After a moment, once his eyes adjusted to the source of light, he had been able to read the words displayed at the top of the screen. Date Unknown, Floor Unknown, Location Unknown meant that he truly was lost, cast adrift in the sea of darkness without a rope to cling to, and with no hope to keep him warm. Waves of icy fear and paralyzing panic shot through him then, in such contrast to the previous relief that he had been temporarily unable to think.

Next he tried contacting the others through his messaging screen, painful as it was considering that the brightest light was emitted by the home screen. Upon finding that he could neither message the others or spot their location on any map, he made several fruitless attempts to Teleport out in spite of Alara's words. He tried a few other things after that, and when all failed, he tried using the light from the main menu as a lamp to guide his way through the never ending dark.

He wasn't sure how long he had searched. Losing track of time somewhere around the first week and a half, he guessed that it could only have been a few more days before his last shred of clinging hope finally faded, and his frantic search devolved into a walk of stagnation and slow, weary decay.

Through it all, he never once took his eyes from the main menu in front of him, from it's life giving light. He was gradually becoming aware that he would soon begin to lose his mind, and feared the acceleration of such an event should he ever turn from the only source of hope his menu's light gave. The threat of being in the empty, meaningless dark again, though, was a far greater fear than any future insanity. The very idea of again being wrapped in the void's black embrace often set his heart to racing and left him in a cold sweat. Sometimes he would doze off as he walked, and in those trances he would have nightmares about his menu disappearing and leaving him alone in the dark. Each time, he woke up screaming.

These days, Israel had gotten better at keeping himself awake. Whenever he grew tired or felt his eyelids drooping, he would force himself to trace the words displayed at the top of his main menu, to study each letter and ponder why it was shaped the way it was. Soon, he found himself staring at the words even when he was wide awake. They were truly fascinating; undeniable proof that mankind was far more complex and unusual than any other living creature in Aincrad.

Whenever he blinked, he saw bright flashes of the words in his mind's eye. Whenever his eyes were opened, they invariably strayed to those words even on the rare occasion that he was thinking about something else. Not that there was much else to think about. Outside of the dim light of his menu screen, there was only black, and in that black was only fear.

And so time passed, with Israel wandering alone in the void so dark that there was nothing under him, around him, or above him, nor could he have seen anything if there were. The light from his menu only revealed a small portion of the space in front of him, and oftentimes he found himself reaching at it with his hand to be sure that he was still there. The proof of his visible hand was something he needed to see more and more as time wore on, lest he forget that he inhabited a physical body and was actually no more than a spirit floating after the dim blue light.

Sometimes he found himself wondering why he felt little hunger or thirst and yet continued to feel weary and tired. He hadn't packed much food with him at all, but he ate the little that he had in small portions when he felt drowsy. He never felt like he needed to eat, and for a time he considered that that might mean something, but eventually he decided to simply be grateful that it didn't bother him. And so time wore on.

It was in the middle of one such eternal night that Israel, staring with eyes glazed over and glued to the menu in front of him, suddenly noticed a dim shape take form out ahead, where only the thinnest rays of his menu's light could reach.

Time itself seemed to stop.

Israel's eyes widened with hitherto forgotten awareness, banishing the weight of constant weariness and lethargy. He couldn't believe what he was seeing.

And then the shape shrunk back into the wall of darkness.

"No!" Israel screamed, desperately reaching out with both hands past his menu.

His heart hammered in his chest as he shot forward. This was the first time he had seen anything other than empty black in so long. To have seen something at all was at once the most unbelievable and frightening thing he could have imagined. But it had disappeared so quickly, before he could even properly register it.

Panic flashed through him as Israel considered the worst. Was he finally losing his sanity? Was his mind at last starting to slip away, making him see things in the dark as it went? Would he end up a raving madman, forever trapped in this universe of nothing?

"No!" Israel screamed again, stronger this time. His legs were unused to running now, and he stumbled and fell. Without hesitation, and with the menu's light aiding him, he forced himself to his feet and started off again. For the briefest of moments, he thought he saw a silhouette of someone running out in front of him, but then it was lost again.

"Please!" he cried, tears running down his face. "Please stop! I beg you, don't leave me here alone!"

"Turn off the light!" A young woman's voice shouted from somewhere ahead. "I can't come to you unless you turn off the light!"

Israel froze.

What a horrifying idea. How could someone even think of doing such a thing? The light from his menu was all that kept the darkness at bay. It was all he had to protect himself. He could never…

"Turn off the light!" The shadowy form shouted again. It was a female voice, and it was beginning to sound vaguely familiar. "I will come to you, but only in the dark. You must get rid of it before I can get any closer!"

Madness.

"I can't!" Israel shouted. He was no longer running after the source of the voice. He no longer wanted to. "If I close my menu, the darkness will have me! I'll be all alone again! You don't know what that's like!"

"I do know." The girl assured him. "I've been alone too, just as you have! I had my candle with me, and I had to force myself to put it out so that I could see better in the dark. You have to do the same now! If I come to you, that blue light of yours will blind me to the dark again, and I will be too afraid to go back. Turn it off!"

Israel stepped back in fear. He couldn't do that. He wouldn't. She was obviously lying, cruelly attempting to plunge him back into the eternal night. Even if she wasn't, how could anyone even suggest such a thing?

"Israel, you have to trust me!" She shouted. "Do not let your fear rule you. Turn off the light!"

At first, Israel considered simply turning around and leaving the shadow behind. But to do that, to wander back into the black monotony that he had come to know so well, to accept living like an empty shell as his mind whittled away under the darkness, to leave the one person he had been able to contact in who knew how long, was nearly as difficult as closing his menu.

Icy terror held him in it's grip. Israel didn't know what to do. It was all so hard. Too hard. He couldn't do what she was asking him. He couldn't be alone in the dark again. The light from his menu was his only anchor to reality. If he lost that, he lost everything.

 _Do not let your fear rule you._

The shadow's words echoed in his ears, resonating within him. He had never let fear dominate him before. How had he come to such a fate now?

Slowly, very slowly, Israel considered who he was, all that he had been through. He had suffered more than most, feared more, hurt more. Each time, no matter how terrible things had been, he had forced himself to persevere, to overcome his fear, to fight.

He remembered Drefan. Those endless days of mind shattering torture, both in body and mind, he would never forget for the rest of his life. He remembered what it had been like to hear Drefan waking up in the mornings, or coming in through the wooden door. He remembered the horror, the rising panic, the desperate whimpers, even the whispered pleas to the air. Yet none of those things had saved him. In the end, it had been only his courage that had enabled him to slowly learn to embrace the pain, to wallow in it, to draw every fiber of the agony within himself.

In the end, it was his courage that set him free.

Israel blinked in realization. The shadow girl was right. He was better than this. He was stronger. Fear did not rule him. Fear was not his master. He was the one who had wielded it, used it. He was the master of fear.

Summoning his courage, Israel slowly reached out to his menu. The inner panic grew, threatening to shatter his resolve as well as his galloping heart. He didn't back down. He was stronger than this. He would not yield. He would win, just as he had won against Drefan.

Gritting his teeth against the sharp claws of fear raking his mind, Israel shot his arm forward and, at the same time as his determination and bravery burned away that fear, his fingers pressed the _Close_ button on his menu screen.

The blueish light disappeared.

The black void engulfed him, and instantly, Israel broke out into a cold sweat as he struggled to breathe. He felt like he was drowning in the dark abyss, like it was crushing him with it's awful weight. He struggled with all his might to keep his emotions in check.

"Where are you?" Israel called out, feeling at the black emptiness with his hands. "You promised to come to me!"

"Wait a moment!" The female voice shouted back firmly. "You must let yourself grow accustomed to the dark again. I'm walking towards you, but you won't be able to see me until you've waited. Whatever you do, don't turn on the light again!"

Israel clenched his fists, palms going white beneath his fingers. He stood stone still, frantically fighting the urge to open his menu again. He hated the darkness. It wasn't natural. It wasn't like the dark he had once been used to. This dark void was frightening and evil.

Seconds turned into minutes, and more than once, Israel's hand came up to open his menu, only to be forced down again at the last instant. He squeezed his eyes shut, unable to bear the darkness all around him. He forced himself to reign in his fear, but it took everything he had, and soon he began feeling exhausted from the effort.

"Are your eyes closed?" The voice asked him.

"Yes." He admitted.

"Open them."

Reluctantly, Israel did as she said, and stared ahead at the void beyond. He saw nothing but black, and couldn't really make any distinction between his eyes being closed or open.

"I can't see any…" Israel fell silent as his eyes suddenly began to take in the shape of a face standing several feet in front of him. She was still shadowy in the dark- he could see little more than the outline of her eyes, nose, and mouth- but it was easy enough to make her out. He gasped in relief.

"I can see you!"

The girl, who he suddenly recognized as Lily, smiled. "And I can see you."

Without hesitation, Israel reached out and hugged the NPC. She seemed taken aback at first and stiffened against him in embarrassment, but quickly relaxed and smiled as she returned the grateful hug. When he pulled away from her, Israel couldn't help but trace the features of her face. She was real. Well, as real as an NPC could be anyway.

"Thank you, Lily." Israel finally said. "Thank you for helping me."

"You don't know how happy I was to see your shadow as I walked." Lily shuddered as she glanced around. "It was so frightening, walking aimlessly through the darkness like that. But I had to. Once I realized that the light from the candle was what was stopping me from finding anyone, I had to fight myself for hours before I managed to blow it out. Then I started looking for someone else."

She reached out for his hand, and Israel took it without thought.

"I think it would be best if we held on to each other from here on out." He said. He could feel the last of his lethargy fading away, leaving him room to think fully again.

Lily nodded. "I was hoping you'd say that."

Using his newfound sense of sight- dim as it was- Israel looked away from her and glanced around at the empty black world around them.

"The others have to be out there somewhere." He again imagined Sara and Jae in danger, and his sense of urgency rapidly returned to him. "We have to find them." he looked back at Lily. "Have you been able to spot anyone else? Do you have any idea where they might be?"

Israel saw a pale, shadowy arm lift from Lily's side and point off behind them.

"A while ago, I have no idea how long, I saw two of the cultists together back that way."

Israel's eyes widened in alarm. "The cultists? Were they using light?"

Lily shook her head. "Both of them were in the dark, as I was, and they seemed to know what they were doing. It looked like they were searching for the last member of their party. As soon I made out who they were by their shapes, I backed away and then ran for a long time just to be sure I was safe. Sometime later is when I spotted you. I saw the light you had, so I closed my eyes as I got closer. I knew that you would have to see me to believe what I needed to tell you, so I let your light fall on me without looking at it. I knew I couldn't look at it or it would blind me."

Israel nodded thoughtfully. "The cultists are ahead of us. I suspect that once they find their third member, it won't be long until they pass this Trial and move on to the Second. We have to hurry."

For a moment he considered following the direction Lily had pointed to and going after the cultists, but quickly thought better of it. The odds of finding the two were slim, and that was assuming they hadn't already found their third member and moved on to the next Trial. If that was the case, then he would have spent precious time hunting NPC's who weren't even there.

Furthermore, he wasn't about to let the people he cared about suffer in the dark as he had any longer than they had to. He and Lily had to find the others.

Holding hands, the two of them quietly made their way forward, both constantly searching the darkness around them with each step. They kept on the lookout for blueish lights, as the others were undoubtedly wandering around the same way Israel had been. As they looked, though, they also had to be wary; if they accidentally looked too long at a light source, their adjusted night vision would fail.

Israel had no idea how long they searched. Time seemed to meld together in their empty prison, tricking the mind and turning hours into days. With each step, however, he felt his old self returning, and it wasn't long before the darkness no longer bothered him. He found it strange that he had been so profoundly affected by it in the first place, considering the dark had long been his element.

Israel was in the middle of trying to figure out just how long they had truly been in the First Trial when both he and Lily stopped walking at once. There in front of them, and only a short distance off, they saw the shadow of a woman sitting down. She had brought her knees up and was hiding her face within them, making it difficult to make out much detail. Her hands were up as well, and it looked like she was covering her ears. She was trembling slightly, and as he focused on her, Israel finally began to make out long silver hair.

"Sara!" He cried out in fear. Tearing away from Lily's hand, he sprinted towards her, desperate to provide comfort. "Sara, I'm here!"

Just as he reached her, Israel felt his boot knock something out of the way. The clang of metal filled the air as whatever it was clattered back to the dark ground. He ignored it and fell to his knees before Sara, who didn't move.

"Sara, are you alright?" Israel took her hand and gasped. Her skin was cold as ice.

Gently brushing aside some of her silver hair, he saw a face that was pale and still. Though he couldn't make out her eyes very clearly in the dark, he did see the horror in them.

"Sara, please," Israel begged, worry filling his voice. "Please believe me. It's alright. I'm here. The darkness isn't going to hurt you. It's just a trick of the mind." He wrapped his arms around her desperately. Something was wrong.

A few feet away, he heard Lily bend down and pick up the metal object he had kicked aside. It was then that he saw what it was.

Israel's eyes widened in disbelief. Goosebumps tingled up his flesh. "PoH's cleaver."

"Who is…" Lily paused, as if taken by a sudden thought. Her eyes seemed distant as she looked ahead, past Israel and Sara. "PoH. That name sounds familiar to me. But I don't know why. I've never met anyone of that name before."

Israel struggled to reign in his rising panic and worry for Sara. Her skin was ashen, and her eyes, though open, seemed to be far away from him. She looked petrified with trauma and fear.

Israel shook her gently. "Sara, it's alright! You're safe now! Please, Sara, fight it! You have to listen to me!"

Rather than wake her from her trancelike state, he feared that he was only making her withdraw further. He didn't know what to do. He had to help her.

Forcing aside his growing fear for her, Israel mentally braced himself, calming his mind. He had to think of the solution.

It was clear that Sara's fear, already enhanced by the strange effect the darkness of the First Trial brought on, had turned to traumatic shock when she spotted PoH's cleaver. No doubt that revelation was what dropped her to the ground just feet away from the weapon. To already be burdened with the crushing weight of isolation and darkness, only to add to it the fear that PoH was out there somewhere, must have damaged her in ways Israel could barely imagine. Sara had already been suffering nightmares since PoH's escape from the Battle of Brakrun.

To be alone here, and to find that cleaver, must have been a nightmare come to life for her. That thought alone was enough to bring tears to his eyes. The answer suddenly came to him.

Such trauma, such mad panic and fear, could only be cured with calm.

Closing his eyes, Israel levelled his breathing until it came slow and steady. Gently, very gently, he took Sara's hand in his own. With his other hand, he laid her head back into the crook of his arm and slowly stroked her smooth, pale cheek with the backs of his fingers.

In the still quiet of his calm, of his silent determination to save her, he focused his strength, his will, and his heart into an inner beacon of love and care meant only for her. In his mind's eye, he reached out to her.

"Sara." Israel said in a gentle, firm voice. "I am here. You are not alone. I won't leave you. Come back to me, Sara. Come back to me."

He felt her shudder in his arms, heard her low, ragged breathing as her empty eyes searched the air between them, but he didn't give up. He would be her light in the darkness. He would guide her back, no matter the cost. He wouldn't let her go.

"Listen to my words, Sara." Israel softly squeezed her hand. "Feel my hand. Remember me. Remember where you belong. Come home to me. Come home to me, Sara. I am here, and I always will be. Come back to me now."

Her ragged breaths began to soften as they calmed. Her chest stopped heaving. Life seemed to return to her pale skin, and her eyes suddenly focused on him. The stricken terror left her face, restoring the beauty that belonged there.

"Israel?" She blinked in surprise, then smiled as she realized that he was holding her in his arms.

Israel smiled back through glistening eyes, ignoring the tear of relief trickling down his face.

"I'm here, Sara. I'm here."

With her free hand, she reached up and gently wiped the tear from his cheek. Her fingers, still a little cold, hovered there for a moment, slowly tracing his skin. Their eyes were locked on each other. In that moment, Israel wondered if she felt as natural in his embrace as he did holding her.

"I heard your voice," she said, and he could hear the wonder in her tone. "I heard you, and I felt your presence. What did you do?"

Israel shrugged uncertainly. "The only thing I could think of. I knew I had to help you escape the place you were in, so I did my best to reach out to you. Are you alright now?"

Sara nodded slowly. "Yes. I wasn't before, but now, I feel as though I've just woken up from a dream. I'm not even sure what started it. I was walking in the darkness with a potion of Luminescence, looking for you and the others, and then..." Her eyes widened in alarm. She sat up abruptly and snagged his shoulder. "Israel, PoH is here. I saw his cleaver, the one he always keeps at his side. He's out there somewhere-"

Israel shook his head. "No, he isn't."

She frowned at him. "What? How do you know?"

Israel pointed back at Lily. "Because she's here with us. Lily is the NPC quest giver, remember? She's been with us ever since we started this whole thing, meaning she accompanies the players assigned to her quest. If PoH were here, she would have to be with him, not us. If he were here, she would never have been there in cave beneath the river in the first place." He stood up and extended a hand down to Sara. "My guess is that PoH found out about this quest in much the same way we did, and got at least this far. Lily recognizes his name, which must mean that he did this quest recently, days ago at most."

"Days?" Sara blinked at him in disbelief. "Israel, we must have been here nearly two weeks already. How could-"

Israel shook his head again. "I don't think it's been weeks. It may not even have been more than a day. I believe the Trial has altered our perception of time, adding to the fear the darkness creates. Discarded items take days to deteriorate on their own, and PoH's cleaver is still here."

He looked out into the darkness, considering.

"It makes sense for him to want to be a green player. This way, he'll be allowed access into any town and can simply hide away in a tavern or inn somewhere. If he has the money, he could even buy a house. With all the cities and villages in Aincrad, it would be impossible for someone to track him down, and even if they did, he would be protected from death by the safe zone."

Sara took his hand and slowly rose to her feet. She was still a little off balance, but looked for the most part to be back to her old self. Israel was relieved to see that she was really alright.

"You're not wrong." She said as she mulled over his words. "But then, if he really started this quest with the intention to beat it, why would he leave his legendary cleaver behind? That's his primary weapon alongside his sword."

Israel turned to Lily's silhouette in the darkness.

"May I see the cleaver, Lily?"

With a nod, the NPC handed him the menacing weapon. The handle was quite long, almost two feet in length, while the butcher's blade itself, thick and jagged and razor sharp, was a little less than a foot. As he held it, Israel felt heat emanate from the weapon. Curious, he gave the cleaver a swing.

In a blinding flash, a line of red flame erupted along the blade, coating the entirety of the steel as it danced in the darkness. Both Lily and Israel jerked their faces away from the source of light as quickly as possible, and Israel dropped the cleaver immediately, but he knew it was too late: his eyes had lost their night vision.

The strange panic that had gripped him before Lily found him filled Israel's mind again, and for a moment he felt the terrible, oppressive weight of the pitch black darkness all around. With everything he had, he focused his thoughts on fighting the fear and retaining his control. An urgent need to either pick up the cleaver again or open his menu filled his thoughts, and he had to wrestle them back into submission.

As he fought, he heard Lily whimper and paw at her clothes, no doubt looking for the candle she had tucked away there.

"Don't do it, Lily!" Israel shouted as he fought his panic. "We have to stay in darkness, remember!"

"I can't!" Lily cried. "I knew I wouldn't be able to fight it a second time! I need light! I can't go on like this!"

Israel heard her hands tear at her clothes, but he couldn't doing anything about it; his eyes were squeezed shut with effort, and his mind was still not fully under control. It was all he could do to restrain himself picking up the cleaver or opening his menu again.

A rush of wind hit him, followed by Sara's unmistakable scent, and Israel heard Lily cry out in protest.

"Let go of me!" The NPC screamed. "I need to see!"

"Israel said we need to stay in darkness!" Sara shouted back. "Try to calm down, Lily! Whatever is wrong with you, it happened because you saw the light from the fire! You have to put the candle away! Do it now!"

Israel heard the two women struggle against each other in the darkness, both grunting with effort as they fought. The sound of a sharp slap reverberated through the air, immediately followed by a cry of pain from Lily and a crash as someone hit the ground. Worried that Sara was about to be hurt, Israel blocked off the last of his panic and made for the noise, running in between the two. His night vision was slowly starting to come back, and he made out Sara's shape hovering over a fallen, silent Lily. Reaching out to Sara, his fingers felt warm blood on her face. Volcanic fury erupted within him.

"She hurt you." Though he spoke the words calmly, he couldn't hide his anger.

Sara took his hand. "I'm fine, she was just lashing out with her nails. She didn't know what she was doing. I hurt her worse." She stepped past him and knelt down beside the NPC. "Lily, I'm sorry. Are you alright?"

Lily nodded her head and slowly sat up. She glanced to Sara. "I'm sorry too. I should have been stronger than that. Thank you for bringing me to my senses. I can't believe it took control of me again, and so quickly."

Reluctantly forcing down his anger, Israel helped Sara get Lily back on her feet and softened his voice as best he could. "The fear nearly had me again, too. This darkness isn't natural, that's for sure." He frowned and turned to Sara as a thought took him. "How did you manage to keep such good control? You didn't even seem bothered."

"I wasn't looking at the cleaver when you swung it." Sara explained quietly. "I was...well, looking at you." She cleared her throat and changed the subject before he could say anything. "So, I guess that explains why PoH left his cleaver behind. He must not have trusted himself to keep it's flame extinguished as long as it was on him."

"Yes, my thought as well." Israel muttered. Glancing down at the weapon, he considered recovering it and packing it away within his inventory, but decided not to. It seemed fitting that PoH's brutal weapon of choice would remain here, in the dark and empty void.

"Which way do you think we should go now?" Sara asked. "We have to find the others."

Israel looked around. "Well, Lily and I were just trying to cover as much as ground as possible when we spotted you. The best thing we can do is stay together, hold on to each other, and take it one direction at a time. Did you ever run into anyone or spot shapes out in the dark when you were alone? Any lead would be helpful."

Sara shook her head. "I was completely alone from the moment we stepped into the First Trial. I had my potion light in my hand and never saw anything."

Israel had expected that answer, but it was still disappointing. He was worried about the others. He was sure that PoH wasn't in the darkness with them, but the same could not be said of the two cultists Lily had spotted. If they ran into Jae or Vivienne or anyone else alone, there was no telling what could happen. Israel wanted to hope that perhaps some of the others had already found each other, but deep down he knew that it wouldn't be that easy.

Alara had said that the First Trial was Courage, and now he understood what that entailed. Somehow, all of them had been teleported away from each other when they entered the darkness, to further instill fear and panic. Together, he, Sara, and Lily would have to find and free everyone else, one after another. It was their only hope.

"Come on." Israel said. He had Sara and Lily take his hand. "We'll go as far as we have to until we find them. Keep hold of me at all costs. We can't risk getting separated from each other again. Lily, you keep your eyes left as we walk. Sara, you focus your attention right. I'll look forward, and that should help us spot anyone nearby as we go."

They set out at a brisk pace into the depths of the black void, all clinging cautiously to each other. Israel was more than a little relieved to have their touch with him as he led the way. Knowing that he wasn't alone gave him strength, as did the knowledge that Sara, at least, was all right. But he would not rest until his brother and each and every one of the others was safe. He remembered David telling him about family, about how he was now, by extension, a part of that family, and the thought drove him to walk even faster.

 _Just hold on a little while longer, everyone. We're coming._


	129. Chapter 128

128

Date Unknown

Floor Unknown, Location Unknown

"There," Jae said in a low, hopeful voice.

"I see him," Israel replied.

Straining his eyes, Israel set aside his excitement and tried to make out the figure's face. He didn't want to believe that it was Meifan only to end up discovering it was the missing cultist. Whoever he was, the figure was too far yet to make out, even with night vision.

"Well?" David asked over his shoulder. "Is it him?"

"We have to get closer." Tugging on Sara and Lily's hands, Israel started forward, leading the rest of the line. It's possible it could be the last cultist."

"Doubtful." Vivienne said quietly.

"She's right." Sara agreed. "Lily said she had already seen two of them together without lights before she even found you. I'm afraid they have quite a bit of time on us."

Israel didn't argue the point and simply kept walking towards the distant shadow. He wanted it to be Meifan just as much as the rest of them, but he was also hesitant to start getting excited. They had been in the dark for so long now, it would be torture to see the light, as it were, only to have it snatched away. He just wanted to be sure.

It had taken a great deal of time to find the others. Israel had no idea how long he and Sara and Lily had wandered the abyss in silence before they discovered Vivienne. She had been alone, walking in an almost trancelike state with her menu open in front of her. The faint blue light hadn't affected Israel's eyes when he first spotted her- she had been too far away- but as they drew closer, all three of them had to close their eyes. They let Vivienne spot them first, stepping just within sight of her menu light, before explaining to her what she had to do.

At first overjoyed to hear their voices and to know that she wasn't alone, Vivienne's behavior had, much like Israel's when Lily found him, quickly changed to suspicious and afraid once they told her she had to close her menu. The resulting argument to convince her had taken time, but not as long as Israel had expected. He guessed that hearing three voices rather one made it easier to trust them and accept the darkness.

After Vivienne, they eventually found Jae, who was also using his menu for light. Vivienne helped the most when they told him what he had to do. It was as if simply hearing her voice instilled in him hope and courage, for when she told him to close his menu and come to her, he stopped fighting them and did as she said. Their reunion after that was touching, and Israel couldn't help but feel eternally grateful that his brother had found someone he could truly love and cherish in that way. He was also happy to have a person as kind and strong as Vivienne as his sister-in-law.

Once Jae had shaken off his chains of fear, he told them that he had stumbled briefly past another person at some point during his time alone. Following Jae's direction, they found David soon after.

Avari had taken the longest to find, but once they did, and once she managed to turn off her menu and join them in the dark, she held back no reservations and all but wept with joy as she kissed David in front of everyone.

After Avari, however, their search seemed to grind to a halt. No matter how long they marched in the dark, all in a line as they held each other's hands, they never spotted Meifan. Time slowed to a crawl, and as what felt like days wore on, Lily began to lose hope. She told them that she feared he might not have survived, but they would have none of it, and the search continued.

Now, after walking in the world of darkness for so long, they had finally stumbled on this other shape out in front of them.

"It is Meifan!" David exclaimed. He pointed at the figure's back. "Look, I can see his shield!"

Straining his eyes, Israel saw the rectangular shape block out the shadow's shoulders and back. It was a tower shield. Which meant…

"You're right!" Sighing in relief, Israel bounded forward, leading the line.

"Alright everyone," Jae said as they neared him. "You know what to do. Don't let his light blind you."

Keeping their eyes down, the group entered within the light of Meifan's menu so that he could see them. The tank staggered back in shock.

"Is that...are you…" An overwhelming smile creased his weathered face, and he reached out to them. "Jae, Vivienne, David! I thought I would never see you again, any of you!"

"You have to close your menu, Meifan." Jae said firmly. "Your eyes must be in darkness before you can see properly and abandon the fear of the First Trial."

Meifan drew back. "What? But I can't. If I close it, I'll be...the darkness will sweep me away!"

Taking turns, everyone spoke gently but bluntly with him, letting him know that they had all done it and now were all together and unafraid. Israel explained how the First Trial was all about Courage, meaning they could only pass it if each of them summoned their bravery and got rid of their lights. Jae and Vivienne, who were closest with Meifan, closed their eyes and let him feel their hands and faces to be sure that they were real and he wasn't going mad.

It took several minutes of persuasion and frightened refusal, but soon Meifan summoned his courage and closed his menu. Gathering around him, the group told him to stay strong and wait until his eyes adapted to the dark. Finally, after a short but tense watch, Meifan blinked and looked at each of them.

"I can see!" He sighed in relief, then offered an apologetic look. "I'm sorry I didn't believe you at first. I should know by now not to doubt any of you."

"It wasn't your doubt." Jae assured him. "The Trial enhances our fear somehow, and makes us unable to think clearly. It took some time for Israel and Vivienne to convince me."

Meifan nodded thoughtfully, then broke into another smile. "I feel like myself again, but I'm just happy to see that everyone is safe and that we're all together."

"Which leads us to the question of what are we supposed to do now?" Avari asked as she glanced around the dark void. "Everyone in our party has passed the test, haven't they? What do-"

As if an answer, a great clang echoed suddenly across the empty air, followed by a resounding boom. A bright light appeared in front of them, but this time, no one was blinded by it. The light faded somewhat, revealing another silver gate carved in the style of two angel's wings.

"The Second Trial," Sara murmured.

Another light, brighter and more brilliant than the one emitted by the gate, flashed forth, and another angel appeared before it. Though the glowing being was female and possessed the same level of awe inspiring beauty as Alara, that was where the similarities ended.

Shorter, and with long brown hair rather than blonde, this second angel also emitted a light less brilliant and blinding than Alara had. Her aura was different as well; less powerful and terrifying, less seductive, and more noble and hopeful.

Rejuvenating warmth spread through Israel at the sight of her. At once, he felt his spirits lift. Lingering traces of the fears and weariness of the darkness of the First Trial were swept from his mind, and in their place, he felt hope and determination flood through him.

Though less fearsome and imposing than Alara, this angel was also garbed in beautifully designed silver armor, and in her hands she held a white sword and a large, gilded circle shield that seemed to channel and reflect the light around it. From what little he could see of the shield itself past the beams of light refracting off it's outer surface, it was clear to Israel that the defensive weapon was made of something far stronger than steel.

"I am Reyna," The being said. "Angel of Valor, and Guardian of the Gateway to the Second Trial; the Trial of Strength."

Reyna's voice, while still quite powerful, had less of a divine tone and more of a courageous, inspiring, and feminine sound that further increased the reviving warmth Israel felt emanating from her.

Reyna's wings unfurled behind her as she glanced at each of them, and a small, proud smile appeared on her face, enhancing her already mesmerizing beauty.

"I am pleased to see that all of you have successfully passed the First Trial. Alara told me of you, and of your purpose."

"All?" Jae asked. "Are you saying that you expected some of us to remain trapped there?"

Reyna dipped her head. "I did. Few humans who have attempted the Trials have ever managed to overcome the First. Alara's Dark Realm was specifically created to sap the courage and fortitude of all who enter there."

Vivienne stepped forward. "If Alara told you about us, she would have also told you about the three cultists of Philariax we are trying to stop. Can you tell us if they have started the Second Trial yet?"

A worried look passed over Reyna's face as she dipped her head again. "You are falling behind them, I fear. Two cultists, male and female, successfully passed the First Trial some hours ago. Even now, I can sense them nearing the end of the Second."

"Only two?" Israel asked in alarm. "Where is the third?"

Reyna's eyes, blue and starry as the night sky, met his. "The third is dead. He could not bring himself to pass the test of courage and turn from light, even when found and prompted by his two comrades. Knowing that they could not pass the Trial unless all in their party succeeded, the two remaining killed him in order to continue."

Silence permeated the air for a brief moment, and Israel knew everyone was thinking the same thing: if any of them had failed the test of courage, the others would have been forced to either remove them from the party- thereby leaving them to wander the dark void forever- or kill them to move on.  
Jae looked up at Reyna. "I know you can't reveal anything about the Second Trial, but I have to know...will this be worse than the First?"

The angel's expression was unreadable. "Yes."

"Do you believe we can succeed? Do you believe we will be able to pass and move on to the Third Trial?"

Reyna didn't hesitate, but the sadness in her voice was unmistakable. "No, I do not." The sadness left her voice, and she looked at them with a stern expression and a slight smile as she continued. "I want you all to prove me wrong. Prove your valor. Pass the Second Trial before those cultists do, and save your world from Philariax's return."

Jae nodded, then turned to the others. "Let's go."

Reyna lifted her shielded hand slightly, and the gilded gate before them opened with a loud creak.

"Go with my blessing, humans."

Everyone started forward, and as they passed through the doors, Sara fell in beside Israel. They said nothing to each other, but he was happy to have her near him. Deep down, he was beginning to feel guilty over the growing danger everyone he cared about now faced. He had been the one who told Sara about the quest, and he had told Jae that he was determined to undertake it. Jae and the others may have decided to go of their own accord, but Israel still couldn't help but feel like he was responsible.

Sara's gentle presence helped ease that worry, and made him instead determined to protect her and the others.

Darkness lifted, and suddenly they found themselves in a vast chamber lit with lines of torches on either side of it's grey walls. Israel turned to look behind him and saw that both the gate and Reyna were gone.

They had begun the Second Trial.

"Where are we supposed to go?" Meifan asked cautiously as everyone drew to a stop.

Glancing around, Israel saw at once what he meant; the huge chamber was completely sealed off. There were no doors or windows, no stairs, and nothing on the walls except for the flickering torches.

"I don't think we're supposed to go anywhere," Vivienne muttered.

At that moment, the stone floor began to shake. Loose bricks started falling from the walls, filling the chamber with loud crashes as they shattered apart on the floor. A multitude of long, jagged cracks broke open along the floor around them, halting only when they were within ten feet of Israel and the others. The moment the cracks finally stopped ripping open gashes along the floor, metallic, yellowish-brown hands appeared from within them.

Dozens of bronze humanoid statues started climbing out of the cracks, and as Israel turned to examine the rest of the room, he saw more and more emerging from all sides. Each of the bronze statues appeared to have been made to look like ancient warriors, for all the figures were armored and carried swords or axes. Even as more bronze arms and heads appeared from within the cracks in the earth, the rapidly growing horde of statues already standing started running for the group of humans in the center of the room.

"They're all around us!" Lily shouted behind them.

"Form up!" Jae bellowed above the din of advancing statues. "Circle around Lily and Sara!"

Without hesitation, Avari and David shoved Lily and Sara behind them, then formed up their corner of the circle. Meifan, taking up the rear beside David, planted his heavy tower shield in front of himself. With half the circle already formed, Israel, Vivienne, and Jae took their places on the opposite side, finishing it and closing off Sara and Lily.

"We need to keep Lily alive!" Israel shouted over his shoulder as he drew Apocalypse.

"Already done!" Sara yelled back.

Glancing behind him, Israel saw Sara hand a small vial to Lily. Raising it to her lips, the NPC girl blinked in surprise at the taste, and then disappeared before his eyes.

 _Invisibility Potion,_ Israel realized in surprise. Sara's resourcefulness never failed to impress him.

Pulling a dagger from her boot, Sara reached into her satchel with her free hand and took out a large black vial.

Israel wanted to tell Sara to take an Invisibility Potion herself, but was forced to turn back to the front as one of the first bronze statues reached him. Now that one of them was so close, Israel was able to see what the mobs were called- Automatons- before dashing forward, blocking it's attack, and cleaving it in half with Apocalypse.

Pixelated shards exploded in front of him, and Israel's eyes widened at what he saw past them. Hundreds upon hundreds of bronze statues now filled the entire chamber, all rushing forward with heavy, metallic steps as they pushed past each other to reach the circle. It was far more mobs than he had ever seen in one place before. It was an army.

Israel knew at once that he was going to have to use his all this time. Opening his menu, he selected the Fist of Fariel. The masterwork steel gauntlet appeared in an instant, it's familiar weight covering his right hand and arm up to the elbow. Taking a breath, Israel closed his fist.

 _Here we go._

The bronze statues crashed into Vivienne's slashing saber on his right first, then reached him. Dodging the first sword, Israel stepped smoothly forward and slammed his armored fist into the statue's chest. Chunks of bronze exploded into the air as the statue's upper body was blasted apart by the punch.

The wave of Automatons hurled themselves through the flying pieces of bronze to get at him, and Israel quickly dodged two overhead blows and a stab. With a shout, and holding his sword arm outstretched, he wheeled around, using the momentum of his body weight to power his cut. Apocalypse's red edges gleamed with delight as the blade ripped through two attackers side by side before embedding itself into the bronze head of a third.

Wrenching his sword free at the same time as he ducked an oncoming axe, Israel caught another blow on his armored forearm before lunging with his sword and impaling the exposed statue through the gut. Another sword came for him, and he parried the blow while at the same time throwing his fist forward to obliterate the statue's bronze head.

Though the enemies were AI's and thus no match for him individually, Israel had no doubt that, had he been fighting alone, he would already have been overwhelmed by the sheer numbers charging at him. As it was, the circle Jae had called for was proving effective; with Vivienne on his right and Meifan a little further away on his left side, Israel didn't have to fear any attack from the flanks and could instead focus on his front. At the same time, Vivienne and Meifan were both spaced far enough apart from him that he could still fight without any hindrance or worry about overlapping swings.

As he fought, hacking, slashing, blocking, and punching all while dancing in between a flurry of oncoming bronze swords, Israel found himself frequently aided by Sara's handiwork. Vial after vial of stunning potions, blinding potions, and paralysis tonics sailed over his head, often incapacitating multiple Automatons at once and leaving them open for his sword and fist.

Every now and then, Israel would wheel about to evade a death blow or to reposition the angle of his attack, and in so doing would be briefly able to see what was going on with the rest of the group. To his right, Vivienne fought with impressive grace and speed, her saber flashing like lightning as she darted constantly in and out of reach of enemy blows. Whenever an Automaton near her turned to target either Israel or Jae, she would fluidly extract herself from her own engagement and swiftly eliminate them before returning her attention to holding her part of the circle.

On Vivienne's right, Jae was wreaking havoc; constantly moving, with his double bladed staff almost invisible as it scythed through multiple statues with every inhumanly fast swing, he was a picture of skill, elegance, and raw violence in action. Several times, Israel saw him effortlessly bat aside three or four bronze swords at once before retaliating with brutal efficiency and laying about him with wide, heavy swings of his staff. On the rare occasion that the tide of Automatons pressed in too close for him to use his weapon as effectively, Jae would be promptly aided by a stunning potion hurled over his head.

Towards the back of the circle, David and Avari fought close to each other, both often supporting each other whenever one was about to be forced back or overwhelmed. Sara assisted them as well, but it was Avari's greatsword and her powerful, two handed swings with it that did the most damage, as each brutal blow cleared several feet of space for her and David to regroup and prepare for the next wave.

Meifan, holding his ground between them and Israel, stayed behind his tower shield as he crushed bronze heads with heavy swings of his maxe. When the Automatons hurled themselves at him in order to topple his shield, he threw his shoulder into it and planted his feet square, taking the full weight of their brute force attempts before surging forward and shield bashing anyone in his way. The man was a true tank, and was so sturdy that he reminded Israel of a stone wall.

The cloud of pixelated shards above them thickened rapidly as the fight raged on, and bronze torsos, arms, and legs were piling up on the ground around the circle, but the horde of Automatons kept coming. As the minutes passed and Israel began to suffer his first scratches and cuts, he quickly realized that the numbers of spawning statues was growing rather than lessening, and the crowd of Automatons surging forward was quickly growing denser.

 _They're coming faster than we can kill them._

Dodging a sweeping axehead, Israel heard it bury itself into the bronze chest of a statue on his left as he hacked off the head of another mob trying to impale him. A sword swept past his guard before he could parry it with Apocalypse, but he caught it in his armored fist before it could reach him. With a squeeze, he shattered the bronze blade into pieces and was about to retaliate with a punch when another blade sliced through the air towards him, forcing him to abandon his attack and instead raise his steel backed forearm to ward off the blow.

More and more Automatons rushed forward to get at him, and it seemed that for each one that he cut down or crushed with his sword and fist, two more took their place. Before long, and in spite of both his own attempts to force them back and Sara's occasional potion assistance, Israel was forced to give ground. The army of statues never stopped coming, and soon it was all he could do just to keep from being pulled down beneath the press of them.

"Don't break rank!" Jae called above the roar of battle.

"There's too many!" Meifan shouted desperately "They're going to break the circle!"

"Everyone, AoE sword skills on your fronts!" Jae yelled. "Now!"

Blinding lights of all colors suddenly filled the chamber, followed by a thunderous blast of explosions, shockwaves, and fiery infernos. On either side of him, Israel saw the thick, congested packs of bronze statue mobs fly backwards, burst apart, and melt away before the heat and power of what just struck them. In front of him, however, they kept coming.

Holding his sword aloft in preparation for an overhead blow, Israel hesitated. Though he had just seen the effect of the wave of sword skills all being activated at once, it still felt completely wrong to him to activate any of his own. In fact, it had been so long now since he had used any that he didn't quite remember how many he had, or which were AoE.

Having fought against real players for so long, the very idea of utilizing a sword skill in battle simply felt contrary to everything he knew, contrary to his entire fighting style. To use one against a real player was an invitation to death, and that fact had ingrained in him the habit of depending only on his own skill and strength. To use one now…

Before he could recover from his initial surprise and hesitation, Israel felt a sword slash across his chest. Searing pain burned through him, and just as he mentally focused on drawing it within himself, three Automatons, all being pushed forward by the press of the horde behind them, crashed into him at full force.

Knocked from his feet, Israel gasped in horror as the column of mobs still coming from his section poured through the now open circle. He hit the ground hard, and the force of the fall would have already been enough to drive the wind from his lungs without the aid of three statues crashing atop him. He felt his head bang against the stone, followed by the clatter of Apocalypse dropping from his hand before the world grew suddenly hazy.

"Israel!" Sara screamed somewhere behind him.

Snarling in anger, Israel ignored his throbbing head and wrenched his armored hand free of the pile of bronze statues all crumpled atop him. One of them had fallen directly above him, and now struggled feverishly to yank it's sword free from under his back. Gripping it's metallic face in his armored hand, Israel gritted his teeth and squeezed as hard as he could. The Automaton itself made no sound as it's head began to dent and collapse inwards, but the bronze that it was made of emitted a high pitched screech, like a bar of iron being bent in half.

With his armored fingers now embedded in the bronze face, Israel ripped his arm to the left, shoving the nearly dead Automaton into the other two statues atop him and knocking all of them aside. Seizing the second of time he had given himself, he jumped to his feet, but was unable to reach down and seize Apocalypse before more mobs were on him. Backhanding an Automaton out of his way and kicking another into those rushing up behind him, Israel spun around to stop the ones that had already broken into the circle.

His heart stopped in his chest.

Over a dozen of the bronze statues were inside the circle, and while some of them were already being engaged by Jae and Vivienne, most of them were descending on Sara, swords lifted to strike. And Israel was too far away to help. He started running, but knew he would never make it in time.

"Sara!"

Dodging a sword, Sara managed to smash a stunning potion against the side of her attacker's head, but could do nothing but glance with wide eyes to Israel as the others brought their weapons down on her.

"No!" Israel screamed.

A thunderous, defiant roar filled the air, followed by a booming metallic thud, and the Automatons stopped in their tracks.

Turning to the source of the noise, Israel saw Meifan standing still several feet from Sara, his mouth still open as his ear splitting shout echoed across the chamber. With a swing of his mace against his shield, another boom rang out behind the echo of his voice.

Without hesitation, the Automatons all around Sara turned their attention to Meifan and charged straight for him, as if they had completely forgotten her. Not at all surprised, Meifan grimly planted his shield before himself to brace for their attack. As prepared as the tank looked, though, Israel knew he would be unable to withstand the assault of so many all at once. The horror of realization washed over him.

By activating whatever skill he had used to draw their attention, Meifan had just sacrificed his life for Sara.

Before the Automatons could crash into the stalwart tank, however, Avari spun suddenly around. With a lethal, determined look on her face as her greatsword began to glow, she let loose a mighty swing and unleashed a wave of light and force outwards. A shockwave of energy blasted out behind the force, and Israel, already blinded by the light, had to fight to keep from being thrown through the air by the power of the surge.

The pack of Automatons weren't so lucky.

Caught up in the full power of the blast, every bronze statue within the circle went flying backwards, nearly all disintegrating into pixelated shards as they sailed through the air. Only two survived long enough to hit the ground, but the moment they did, the fall damage finished them, and they exploded apart into shards.

Letting out a weary breath, Avari dropped her sword and fell to a knee. In an instant, David was there beside her, as were Sara and Meifan.

"Avari, are you alright?" David asked worriedly.

Israel wanted to go over to them, but the Automatons were still coming from his side, and he quickly turned to face them. He didn't have Apocalypse, but he had to do what he could to stop them.

Ducking underneath a sword swing, he kicked one away on his left and caved in the face of another with a swing of his fist. Raising his forearm, he blocked an overhead swing and was about to retaliate when Jae's bladed staff erupted out the back of the monster's bronze head.

The mob disintegrated, and Jae appeared in its place. After a brief nod to Israel, he pivoted on a foot and swiftly decapitated another Automaton with a twirl of his staff.

"Now Vivienne!" Jae shouted.

Dashing in front of them from the right, Vivienne faced the thin column of advancing statues and slashed her glowing saber in a wide arc at them. There was no explosion or shockwave from this sword skill, and other than a sharp, piercing whining sound that abruptly filled the air, her slash appeared the same as a normal attack.

The second she swung her glowing saber however, Vivienne's long brown hair sailed out violently behind her, and she teetered back a step. A thin, horizontal line of blue light arced outward, rapidly growing wider as it advanced and scythed into the column of Automatons, slicing them cleanly in two at the waist. Within seconds, the entire column of at least twenty bronze statues exploded into pixelated shards.

The chamber fell silent, and while some Automatons near the back of the room began slowly rising to their feet- the only survivors of the simultaneous wave of AoE sword skills- there weren't enough left to be a threat, and it would be several minutes before they managed to regroup and attack the circle again.

Quickly retrieving Apocalypse from the stone floor, Israel made for Avari, who was still trying to catch her breath as she leaned on David for support.

"Is she alright?" Israel asked.

David hesitated, looking more than a little worried. "All sword skills have side effects, but I don't know any this demanding."

"Maybe it was because she initiated that second one to save me before she had properly recovered from the first," suggested Meifan. He knelt down beside her and smiled gratefully. "You shouldn't put yourself at risk like that, Avari. I might begin to think you like having me around."

Avari chuckled and rolled her eyes at the tank through her black bangs. She looked ready to hurl a snarky comment his way, but thought better of it and sucked in another breath of air instead.

Jae sidled up beside Israel. "She'll be alright. I remember that sword skill of hers. It's her strongest ability, but it saps her strength and knocks the wind out of her, making her vulnerable for a few minutes until she recovers. She used it to save us both against an army of skeletons once."

"Good times." Avari managed with a grin.

"She's not the only one who risked her life just now," said Sara. She turned to Meifan with a smile. "I'm not sure what you did, but you saved me, Meifan. Thank you."

Meifan waved a hand humbly. "No need, Sara. I know you would have done the same for me."

Israel shook his head shamefully as he stared at Sara. "It was my fault. You almost died because I hesitated when Jae told us to use our sword skills." He turned a grateful gaze to Meifan. "You saved her when I failed to. I won't forget it."

Meifan smiled. "As I said, it's fine, Israel. You've already saved my life more than once. You owe me nothing."

"Was that some sort of taunt ability?" Sara asked, changing the subject.

Meifan nodded. "Any tank worth his salt has something to draw the focus of attacks. In the Assault Team, when you've got an entire squad of fellow shield users beside you, there isn't much call for it, but I made a point of always having it on hand for smaller parties. Now I'm very glad I did."

Clutching David's arm, Avari picked up her greatsword and slowly rose to her feet. She still looked exhausted and a little unsteady, but other than that she appeared fine.

Lily materialized slowly in front of them, and Israel remembered the Invisibility Potion Sara had given her.

"You should have taken one of those," Israel grumbled as he took Sara's hand and helped her to her feet.

"I only had one ready. They're not that easy to make, you know." Sara's intelligent eyes met his, and he caught the hint of a smile light up her face. "You sound like you were awfully worried about me."

"Very funny. Now let's-"

Israel fell silent as a loud rumble rippled out from the end of the chamber, shaking the ground beneath them. Everyone turned to the source of the noise, and both Israel and Jae dropped into defensive stances.

There, at the far end of the massive chamber, entire layers of brick were giving way, as if pushed from the inside, and falling to the stone floor. A single door appeared behind the rubble of shattered bricks, accompanied by two torches on either side that flickered to life of their own accord.

Before anyone could comment on the strange phenomena, the ground shook again. This time, hundreds upon hundreds of Automatons began clawing through the cracks in the earth, heaving themselves up into the chamber and brandishing longswords as they began running for Israel and the others. Within seconds, the number of bronze statues doubled, and still more began climbing up out of the ground with no signs of stopping. Israel looked on in dread. There were now far more Automatons filling the chamber than there had been the first time, and those numbers were rapidly increasing with each passing moment.

The distinctive ring of Apocalypse being drawn was drowned out by the churning, overwhelming press of thousands of mechanical beings advancing forward.

"We make for the door!" Jae ordered in his commanding tone.

"We won't be able to push past that many!" David cried. "Avari can't fight right now, and even if we all used our sword skills again, they're respawning too quickly this time!"

"We can't hold a circle against that many!" Jae argued. Turning his attention to the door, he was quiet for but a moment before glancing to Israel, who knew exactly what he was going to say.

"Together?" Jae asked. "We only need to clear a narrow path, and only for a few seconds at a time. You and I are the only ones who can do it, and we have to do it as one."

Israel nodded without hesitation. "Together then." He glanced over his shoulder at Sara. "Get behind me."

"Form a driving wedge behind us! Jae shouted. "Sara, Lily, and Avari in the middle, everyone else on the flanks. Keep it small and narrow! Don't let them crash in on our sides, and follow behind the path Israel and I make. Sara, if you have any potions left, it would be a great help to us."

Sara wrapped one of Avari's arms around her shoulder and nodded back at them. "I'll use everything I have left. Lily, help me hold her!"

"I can fight!" Avari protested wearily as she tried to stand on her own. "I'm getting my strength back!"

Jae nodded. "Which is why you will guard the rear of our wedge the moment you no longer need Sara and Lily to help you. They're going to be right behind us."

Without waiting for any further protest, Jae started running. Israel fell in beside him, and together, they led the charge forward. Though he didn't look back as they began picking up speed straight towards the immense, densely packed horde of thousands of Automatons directly in their path, Israel felt and heard the presence of everyone else in a wedge behind them. Knowing that Sara was running forward towards the same army of enemies filled him with dread, but also instilled in him a fierce and powerful surge of determination. If he and Jae managed to break through, she would be safe. It all came down to how hard he was willing to fight.

Israel clenched his armored fist and pressed his white knuckled fingers against Apocalypse's hilt, preparing himself for the tremendous violence he was about to unleash.

Side by side, Israel and Jae kept pace and braced themselves as they shot forward towards the first line of densely packed bronze statues. Time seemed to slow for a brief second, and then the world exploded into chaos as they crashed headfirst into the mobs.

Swinging Apocalypse before him, Israel beheaded the first two Automatons in less than a second. At the same time, his fist obliterated the bronze chest of another. Jae's staff was a blur beside him, and the only evidence that it was being used at all was the dense mist of pixelated shards that exploded all around, joining Israel's in the air.

Picking up speed, Israel hacked and slashed in a fevered frenzy, completely annihilating everything in his path. Since their goal was to clear a path to the door as quickly as possible, he didn't bother being defensive. Whenever a sword or axe sliced through the air to cut him down, he jerked his body away and used the momentum to power another blow, never stopping, never slowing down. Apocalypse never stopped either; angling every cut, every slash, every slice with both careful precision and unrestrained brutality, Israel kept his sword in a constant arc of attack. It was like a dance demanding non-stop movement and energy.

Jae kept pace with him, his staff twirling at speeds Israel could barely comprehend, and against their combined onslaught, the first few ranks of Automatons melted away like snow before a hearth. The rest of the tight wedge kept in formation as they followed behind, and Israel heard the shouts of grim determination from David, Vivienne, Meifan, and Avari as they eliminated any Automaton attempting to cut them off from the sides.

As Israel and Jae fought, shoulder to shoulder and with no thought but towards the fight, Israel felt his body, his mind, his very soul become one with his brother. They fought like men possessed, both in the grip of white hot fury. The bronze statues in their way were trying to hurt them, trying to hurt the ones they loved. That knowledge drove them both on to even greater heights of bloodlust, and they mowed down every enemy that dared stand before their twin onslaughts.

Both of them soon began receiving light wounds as they drove deeper into the mass of Automatons, but Israel could simply draw the pain into himself, and Jae, while suffering, summoned his considerable will and forced his body onward, heedless of the peril. Each time one of them took a cut, the other would spiral into a temporary rage of unparalleled proportions, and all before them would disintegrate into pixelated shards.

They fought as one, and both felt like their power and ability were somehow joined. They knew each other better than anyone, understood each other's combat styles, and complemented one another's techniques. Their weapons were a blur of light, but somehow, both knew where the other was going at all times. Together, they punched through the endless ranks of Automatons, their minds focused on only one thing: Cut.

They cut without hesitation, without thought. They cut into their enemies weaknesses while at the same time relying on each other to keep the other safe. They cut with lethal intent, singular precision, and joined commitment. They cut with the strength of their rage, the combined ferocity of their united talents for violence and death. They cut to protect the ones they loved, but more than anything, they cut to protect each other. They cut without stopping, they cut to keep pace with each other, and they cut to eliminate the threat that dared stand before them.

Together, they were invincible.

Soon, Israel became lost in the swirl of unending combat and the strange, alien feeling that resulted from his and Jae's shared mental state. His vision became two small tunnels, and yet at the same time, his sight was heightened. The world slowed, time stopped, and the two of them continued to move without thought or restraint. He know longer knew who's steel fist it was that completely obliterated the bronze face of a statue trying to kill them, or who's twirling, bladed staff ripped open the metallic chest of another, or who's red sword gleamed with menace as it hacked off the arm and shoulder of a third, melting through the metal in a single swing.

Eventually, the innumerable horde of enemies blocking their path finally began to slow them. A dozen swords swung and stabbed at them every second, and their shared momentum started to slow.

Again and again, Israel would block attacks going for Jae, who in turn did the same for him. Swinging Apocalypse in weaving patterns before himself, Israel would cleave enemies asunder even as a sword laid open his cheek and another stabbed into his leg. Each time he saw one too many blows coming for him, Jae's staff would fly overhead, batting them aside.

Beside him, Jae laid waste to anyone within reach of his twirling staff; slashing, cutting, and knocking aside every Automaton he could get his hands on while doing his best to evade the never ending array of steel slashing at him. He moved with skill and technique easily rivaling Israel's, and he moved so fast that often the bronze statues before him wouldn't know where to lift their swords to block before they were dead. Unlike Israel, he would cry out in pain each time a blade made it passed his guard and slashed him open, but he forced himself onward, albeit slower than he had been a moment before.

Israel destroyed chests, caved in heads, and shattered blades with his fist while simultaneously drawing the pain into himself and lifting Apocalypse over Jae's head to save him from a descending sword on more than one occasion. Daring to look past the endless fight before them, Israel saw that the door at the end of the chamber was drawing nearer, but even more Automatons now stood between it and them.

Panic flashed within him. He was growing exhausted, and both his arms now felt like lead. His heart pounded in his chest, and it was taking more focus and concentration to draw the pain into himself. Beside him, Jae was starting to look even worse; not only was he as tired as Israel, but his wounds were quickly beginning to take their toll on him. The pain was sapping his strength, and Israel could see the immense willpower his brother was calling upon just to keep on his feet. Sweat and blood covered them both, and Israel's left leg, already hurt, was cut again, forcing him into a limp.

With each step they took towards the door, the crowd of Automatons grew thicker. The bronze statues pushed and knocked over each other, flattening many of their own in their determination to get at Israel and Jae. Weight of numbers soon began to overwhelm them, and Jae roared in pain as a sword stabbed deep into his shoulder.

Israel swung Apocalypse with renewed fury and desperation, but he couldn't cut through the numbers now arrayed against them. A sword lunged for his face and he ducked aside, only to be immediately cut across the side and pierced in the ribs simultaneously.

Stumbling back, Israel barely managed to lift his armored forearm in time to block an overhead attack. Already off balance, the blow dropped him to a knee. The Automaton lifted its sword once again, but before it could finish him, Jae's bladed staff erupted through the side of it's head.

Two statues lunged for Jae, who only just managed to knock aside the first sword. Israel stopped the other with Apocalypse, and together, they somehow managed to kill the two mobs.

"The door…" Jae panted weakly, pointing to the exit that was now only twenty feet or so in front of them.

More Automatons attacked, and Jae nearly dropped his staff warding off another blow. A second blade cut open a gash along his back, and the last of his strength dissolved away. He toppled over, but Israel caught him before he could fall and wrapped his brother's left arm around his shoulders. Still holding his staff in his right hand, Jae fell back on Israel's weight and managed a lunge, stabbing another statue through the heart.

Gasping desperately for breath as he blinked his own blood out of his eyes, Israel parried another sword coming for them, but didn't have the strength to follow up with an attack. More swords came through his meager defense, and he felt steel slash open his chest. Still clutching Jae, Israel dropped to his knees.


	130. Chapter 129

129

Date Unknown

Floor Unknown, Location Unknown

Just as the horde of Automatons closed in and Israel braced himself for the end, two vials of potion shot over his head and shattered into the bronze statues nearest him and Jae. The mobs crumpled to the ground, stunned.

A rejuvenating feeling surged suddenly through his veins, and Israel felt his head clear a little. Glancing down at his bloody arms and chest, he saw some of his wounds dissolve away. Beside him, Jae took a breath of relief.

Struggling to their feet, they both glanced back to see Sara standing directly behind them. Her black dress was torn and stained with blood as she dragged an injured Lily over her shoulder, and in her hand was an empty health potion. On either side of her, Meifan, David, Vivienne, and Avari were desperately unleashing sword skills into the hordes of Automatons pressing in all around, though these only served to hold off the mobs for a few seconds before more poured in to take their place. Already, Avari looked at the end of her strength again, and both Meifan and David were taking wounds and falling back. Only Vivienne managed to hold her ground, her saber flashing brightly as she cut away at the endless ranks of statues assaulting her.

"Come on," Jae breathed as he struggled to his feet. "We have to...get to the door."

Though they were only partially healed, it was enough to get them back into the fight. Israel wasted no time and surged forward alongside his brother, knowing that if they didn't make the final push right now, they would never get another chance.

The sea of Automatons met their renewed attack, and immediately, Israel found himself fighting for his life again. Pixelated shards billowed out without cease as Apocalypse and Starfire cut through the air together, hacking apart bronze weapons, limbs, and bodies. Every second, a dozen sword blows came down to finish them, forcing Israel and Jae to time every attack, every block, and every step forward with perfect precision. A single mistake, and the wall of flashing blades would cut them down.

They managed to advance another ten feet before their attack was again ground to a halt. Already, Israel felt the reviving effects of Sara's healing potion fading. Exhaustion again began to slow him, and his arms burned. Beside him, Jae lashed out wildly as a sword sliced open his shoulder. A knot of mobs crashed forward, attempting to split them apart, but another timely potion from Sara put a stop to their advance long enough for Israel and Jae to cut down the attack.

"That's my last one!" Sara shouted wearily as she struggled to drag Lily along.

Avari cried out in sudden pain behind them, and David screamed in rage, but Israel and Jae couldn't afford to turn back.

"Take her!" Vivienne shouted to someone above the clash of steel. "I'll keep them back!"

Desperate, Israel and Jae threw themselves forward at the wall of Automatons blocking their path. They could both hear the others taking wounds and struggling behind them. If they didn't break through the front, everyone would die.

Swinging Apocalypse horizontally before himself to sweep aside the oncoming blades, Israel crashed forward into the Automatons. With a punch of his armored wrist, he crushed a bronze head. A blade sliced across his stomach, but Israel caught the sword arm of the statue who had dealt the wound and forced it back, burying the blade up into it's wielder's throat.

Jae grunted in pain beside him at the same time as a foot of steel buried itself into the back of Israel's shoulder. He didn't feel the pain, but it was the last his body could stand, and he fell to a knee. Jae's wavering staff swung past him, cutting down one more Automaton in their path, and suddenly the closed door was right in front of them.

They glanced at each other in utter surprise for a brief moment, and then Jae hurled himself into the door, causing it to creak and groan as it slowly opened.

Summoning every last reserve of strength he had left, Israel stumbled to his feet and pushed himself against the door. With both of them now putting their all into it, the door swung inward, but not before showering them in dust.

Without hesitation, Israel and Jae spun around to get the others inside. Sara was closest, and looked ready to collapse as she hauled herself, Lily, and Avari forward. On either side of her, Meifan and David were fighting a desperate, losing battle to stave off the tide of Automatons. Vivienne, her braid of brown hair undone, her clothes and armor stained with blood, and her sword arm now swinging perilously slow, made up the rear, fighting without respite against the army of bronze statues trying to reach her.

"Go!" Israel shouted as he and Jae rejoined the fray. "Everyone inside!"

David and Meifan fell back behind them and quickly took up Lily and Avari's extra weight. Sara tried to turn to go back with Israel, but Meifan held her fast and urged her in after him.

"Vivienne!" Jae yelled in near panic as he and Israel fought their way towards her. "Get back!"

Struggling to break away from the swarm surrounding her, Vivienne swung her saber in wide arcs to make some space. Each time she tried to fall back, however, a sword would come through and cut her. Each time Jae saw her get hurt, he seemed to grow stronger, and soon broke through ahead of Israel.

"Vivienne!"

With a desperate shout, Vivienne unleashed another sword skill, this time a multiple attack combo that quickly cut down a half dozen mobs in front of her. Seizing the moment she had given herself, she wasted no time and started running for the door. Israel and Jae met her halfway, and together, the three of them all but threw themselves inside just as the army of Automatons caught up with them and piled up before the door.

The moment they hit the ground following their desperate leap, Israel rolled over just in time to see the door slam shut. It had taken all of his and Jae's strength to push it open, and just like that, it crashed back into place within it's frame.

The room they were in was dark, but not nearly as terrible as the First Trial had been. Silence permeated the hall, broken only by the ragged, tired panting of all eight of them. For a moment, no one said anything. Vivienne rose slowly to her feet, but Israel and Jae stayed where they were. Israel's arms were so tired that he doubted he could swing Apocalypse if his life depended on it. His heart hammered within his chest. Unable to summon the mental energy required to pull the pain from his wounds into himself, he simply let the agony wash over him.

Jae laid beside him, equally as drained and exhausted. They had both called on every last fiber of will, strength, and determination within themselves just to survive. Now everyone was safe, and they needed to rest.

"Heal," Vivienne murmured behind them.

Israel exhaled in relief as the familiar warm, revitalizing sensation passed through him. The throbbing pain from his more serious wounds, along with the burning of his tired arms, faded gently away. Beside him, he saw a cut on Jae's forehead grow smaller until it disappeared.

Vivienne used another healing crystal on them, bringing them back up to almost full health and vitality.

"That's all I had left," she said when she was finished.

Jae frowned in unpleasant surprise. "What about you?"

His wife smiled at him. "I knew you'd make a fuss."

David stepped forward, holding out two. "I just healed Avari, and Meifan got himself and Sara. You take these, Vivienne."

Nodding gratefully, Vivienne quickly healed herself.

Rising to their feet, Israel went over to Sara while Jae pulled Vivienne into his arms, reprimanding her until she rolled her eyes and kissed him to shut him up.

Sara was sitting with her legs pulled up before her, grinding some kind of powder in a small bowl. Israel guessed she was working at a stunning or health potion to begin replenishing her stores. He found it remarkable that, even with her black dress torn and stained red with blood, the weariness clearly etched in her face, and after all the desperate strength she had shown in hauling Avari and Lily along with her, to say nothing of the fact that they were in the middle of another dimension and about to undergo a challenge potentially even harder than the one they had just faced, she still found time to get to work on another potion.

When he approached, she stopped working to smile wearily up at him.

"You look awful."

Israel sat down beside her and started examining a cut on her cheek. "You're one to talk."

Though they were out of potions and crystals, Israel did have a lesser form of healing substances that he knew of. Opening his menu with a free hand, he quickly selected what he was looking for. A small tin container appeared in his hands. Popping it open, he reached in with two fingers and scooped out some of the light green alm. It smelled of sweet bark and pine needles, exactly as it had back, months ago, when he had made it with Sara's help.

It had taken them several hours that day to find the natural herbs and plants necessary to create the alm, but Sara had never once grown bored. On the contrary, she had been fascinated with the process and eagerly listened to his instructions and explanations in rapt attention as they put it together. Walking for hours through dense woods with Sara as they hunted for the various herbs had been the highlight of the day for Israel.

The sudden memory took him by surprise, reminding him how much he missed the Treehouse, and the time he and Sara had shared there.

Gently, he cupped Sara's soft cheek with his armored hand and turned her face a bit to apply the alm along the length of her cut. As he worked, he noticed her beautiful, intelligent eyes on him.

"That smells familiar," she said quietly .

Israel arched an eyebrow as he worked. "I should hope so, considering how long it took us to make this stuff."

Sara's eyes twinkled, and Israel couldn't help but wonder what she was thinking.

"If I remember correctly, you said that this alm was very difficult to make, even for you with all your woodland skills, and that it should only be used in dire situations."

"This is dire." Israel dipped his head to the cut he was treating. "You're hurt."

"A scratch on my cheek?"

"You're hurt," he said again. "This will make you better. Best use of anything I've ever made."

Finishing up the coat he had applied, Israel was about to remove his hand from her cheek when she reached up and held it there with hers. She never took her eyes off him. Israel blinked and felt his face warm in response to her tender, caring touch. For a brief second, he considered what it would be like to lean forward and kiss her in response. Catching himself, he instead merely squeezed her hand affectionately before scooping out more of the alm and applying it to another cut, this one on her shoulder. Sara didn't resist.

"That was a good day," she said with a smile as she looked away.

Israel nodded as he worked. "Yes, it was."

He was just finishing up tending to her when a bright light came slowly to life before them. Standing, he held his hand out to help Sara to her feet. Jae, Vivienne, and the others fell in beside them, and together they watched as the light expanded and then transformed into another angelic gateway clad in silver and gilded with gold. Another light appeared before it, brighter and more alive, until it too fell away to reveal a third angel. This one though, was far different from the others they had seen.

It was a man, strong and tall and powerful. Silver battle armor, less elaborate than Alara's but thicker and far more imposing, covered his entire body, and on his head was an ornate helmet similar to the one Jae had once worn. Light beamed from out of the eye holes of the helm, and as the figure raised his chin to look at them all, Israel felt the radiating aura of his deadly power. It was immediately clear that this angel was a warrior, and one who could make death and violence appear an elegant art.

The angel, who somehow appeared vaguely familiar, slowly spread his wings as he rose a foot or so into the air, and Israel was again taken aback by the power and majesty of them. In the angel's hand was a two handed greatsword, far bigger and deadlier looking than Alara's and Reyna's thin longswords had been. The weapon, which made Avari's look like a shortsword by comparison, glowed red and gold before them, and thrummed with energy.

Initially overcome by the angel's lethal and glorious presence, it took a moment before Israel noticed that the being was not wearing a gauntlet on his right hand, while the one on his left looked exactly like Israel's. And then he realized.

Israel's jaw dropped.

"I am Fariel," the being said, in a voice so deep and powerful that the very ground seemed to rumble around him, "Angel of War and Guardian of the entrance to the Third Trial; the Trial of Will. Alara has told me of your presence. I am pleased you have successfully passed the First Trial, but know this: though the humans you are pursuing have dwindled to but one as a result of the Second Trial, the last is determined to succeed, and has already begun the Third..."

Fariel paused, as if taken with a thought. With the slightest turn of his armored head, his beaming eyes centered on Israel. A low, curious sound passed his lips, causing the ground to ripple around him. The full force of Fariel's nobility, strength, and might hit Israel all at once, and he took an involuntary step back.

"You are the human who now possesses my Fist."

It wasn't a question so much as an announcement, and as he spoke, Fariel lifted his unarmored right hand before Israel, as if to show him what he meant.

Unsure how exactly to respond, Israel nodded in awe and cleared his throat as he glanced down at at his armored gauntlet.

"I am...I took it from others who would have used it for evil. It has served me well, and is the only reason I am not dead." Reluctantly, Israel raised his steel covered arm up in offering. "But it belongs to you, and I will return it, if that is your wish."

Fariel stared at him a long moment. He cocked his head for a moment, as if considering, then chuckled pleasantly, but the noise was so deep, powerful, and thunderous that the air around him began to vibrate, and a tremor shook the ground.

"Hmm...You are an rare one, human. I like your heart. You have accomplished impressive feats with my Fist, with many good deeds among them. You may keep it for now, so long as you continue to use it well. Besides, where you are going, you will need it more than I."

Israel dipped his head graciously and withdrew his hand. "Thank you."

Straightening, Fariel gestured to the gate behind them. "It is time."

Jae cleared his throat. "We wish to enter the Third Trial."

With a nod, Fariel slightly lifted a hand from the pommel of his greatsword. Beside him, the glittering gate shuddered, then began to open.

At that moment, another beam of white light appeared, blocking off the opening gateway. Israel and the others took a wary step back, and even Fariel looked surprised. Unfurling his wings, the Angel of War gazed at the light forming before him.

"Reyna?" He asked in his deep, booming voice. "What are-"

Another pillar of light slammed down into the ground beside the first, and Fariel's armor clanked as he hefted his greatsword and strode towards the two beams. The light quickly faded, and was replaced by the two hypnotically beautiful and frighteningly powerful angels that Israel and the others had already met. Reyna's aura of hope, pride, and inspiration washed over him first, rejuvenating his body and dispersing the soreness of his limbs. Her sense of Valor met Fariel's own aura of strength, might, and raw power, causing the air to hum with coalescing energy.

When Alara's presence entered the dark chamber, however, the combined auras of the other two angels instantly scattered. The very air crackled with the Archangel's aura; a palpable blend of perfection, intimidation, seduction, pride, and power that easily outweighed Fariel's.

She appeared between the other two, immediately revealing that she was both taller and brighter than they. Her wings, already unfurled, were greater than theirs, and her armor glittered menacingly. Her sword was in her hands, and she looked ready to use it. Righteous anger creased her perfect face, and her thick mane of blonde hair cascaded over one shoulder and down her chest as she landed.

"Alara," Fariel exclaimed, "what is-"

"The cultist has reached Philariax." She said the words with a biting, barely contained fury, and the ground trembled in her wake. Israel half expected to see lightning bolts flash down from on high, or for the entire chamber to suddenly catch fire.

"What?" Jae blurted out. Immediately, he looked like he regretted speaking, for Alara turn her fiery gaze down on him. Fortunately, he didn't burst into flames.

"It is true," she said. "I felt the hidden gateway to his prison open not a moment ago. There is some dark sorcery at work here. The cultist all but bypassed the Third Trial upon entering, and I do not know how. I attempted to go there, to the demon's cell, but his powers have awakened. He has put up shields to prevent us, in our weakened forms of apparition, from entering the room."

The terrifying news overrode Alara's frightening visage, and Israel stepped forward.

"Are you saying the cultists have done it?" He asked. "Philariax is free?"

The Archangel glanced down at him. She shook her head. "Not yet, but in a matter of moments, he will be. It is with his mind that he summons the shields. There is one cultist in the room, and I sense the ritual he is performing as we speak. When he is done, Philariax will awaken, freeing his physical being alongside his mind." She turned her eyes to all eight of them. "You must stop the cultist before he does this. It is our only chance."

Jae frowned in confusion. "What? How? You said that he put up some kind of shield around the place. We can't enter, and even if we could, we haven't completed the Third Trial."

"His shield prevents my kind from entering," Alara explained. "But you humans can still go through. As for the Third Trial, we will have to help you with that, just as Philariax seems to have helped his minion."

Both Reyna and Fariel glanced to their Archangel in alarm.

"But, Alara," Reyna said, "To teleport them passed the Trial will trigger your own counter wards-"

"I know, yet it must be done."

"Alara," Fariel exclaimed, his mighty, booming voice strangely hesitant. "We are all of us weak, and absent much of our power. To attempt such a thing from within these lifeless forms-"

"It must be done!" Alara bellowed. Her wings opened threateningly, and the power of her words sent out a shockwave of heat and wind that rattled the chamber and ripped open gashes along the stone floor. Huge bricks flew out of the trembling walls to shatter on the ground below, and for a second, Israel feared that the entire chamber would collapse. Fariel shrunk back before the Archangel's wrath.

"It must be done." Alara said again in a stern tone. "Whatever happens to us, it will be worth it if it means the Demon Lord is thwarted." She again turned her gaze to Jae, Israel, and the others. "Yet our pain will be for nothing if you do not stop his servant."

"If you can get us inside," Jae declared, "We will kill the cultist. We will stop Philariax."

Israel and the others nodded their agreement.

Alara, though still rigid with rage, looked pleased by their assurance. She turned her eyes to Fariel and Reyna on either side of her.

"Let us begin then."

She closed her eyes, and concentration replaced the fury in her perfect face. Without hesitation, the other two followed suit. Distortions of light blinked into existence around them, and the air began to shimmer. Israel felt a strange tug to the air, as if he were being drawn to a huge magnet, and had to resist the urge to step forward. The strange blurs of light flashed suddenly, and both Reyna and Fariel winced as their lips moved without sound. Alara didn't wince, but Israel could see pain register across her face. She didn't even seem to notice.

The lights flashed again, and all at once, they transformed into eight blinding beams. The beams crashed down like pillars, enveloping first Israel and Jae, then everyone else, within them. The chamber vanished, the ground gave way beneath his feet, and an abrupt surge of movement sent a wall of wind slamming into his chest, knocking the wind from him. He was flying in a tunnel of light around a universe of nothing, and then, just as quickly as it all begun, it ended.

The ground returned, settling beneath his feet. The light faded away, and Israel blinked. He and the others were standing exactly as they had been before the beams of light descended on them, as if they hadn't moved, but everything around them was different. Instead of three angels hovering in the air before them, there was a gate, though far different than the others had been. This one was black as night, and emanated such cold that ice coated it's bars. It's double doors had been slightly pushed open, and torchlight emanated from within. Dread hung heavy in the air, and through it, Israel could hear a tortured, dying whisper.

He didn't know how, but he knew they had to end this, right now.

The air rang as Apocalypse sprang from it's sheath.

"Come on." Israel pushed open the gate, ignoring the icy cold that burned his skin through the steel gauntlet.

Jae's staff twirled into his hands as he fell in beside him, and the others charged in right behind them.

The moment he was inside, Israel froze in his tracks.

There before him, filling nearly a third of the large stone chamber, was Philariax. It was easily twice as tall as a man. It's body was a choking black, and every inch of it was musclebound. It's hands were claws, and each looked sharper than any sword. Clasped in those claws was a cruel five foot long black sword, jagged and warped to rip apart flesh, and a coiled whip covered in sharpened iron thorns. Huge, leathery black wings lay furled and tucked on it's back, and it's wicked, terrible face was complemented by two twisted, gnarled horns jutting out from either side of it's head. It's eyes were closed, and it was slumped over, as if asleep, but such trivialities did nothing to hide the true extent of the horrific danger before them.

Israel had seen and fought a demon once before with Naomi, but this felt different, and far, far worse. This was the embodiment of pure evil.

Recovering from the initial shock of seeing such a thing, Israel's eyes darted to the sound of pained, reverent whispering by the demon's feet. The last cultist was on his knees within a red circle of blood. He was facing the lifeless body of Philariax, chanting in tortured tones. Though he wore red robes, there was no mistaking the amount of blood drenching him. As he spoke, more blood stained his robes and dripped down his bare feet, creating a puddle of crimson red beneath him.

"Come on!" Jae shouted as he and Israel took off running. "We have to kill him!"

As if snapped out of a trance, the others broke their gazes away from the terrifying demon and rushed forward. Even Lily, armed only with her simple dagger, charged bravely among them.

Israel and Jae reached the cultist first, and both of them unleashed a killing blow at once. Apocalypse's red blade hurtled through the air towards the AI's neck at the same time as Jae's staff shot forward, straight as an arrow, to pierce his heart.

Both weapons crashed to an abrupt stop in midair, mere inches away from their destinations.

Both Israel and Jae stumbled as the weight and momentum of their attacks faltered, knocking them off balance. Catching themselves, they glanced to each other in surprise for a brief second before trying again, this time angling their attacks to hack apart the cultist where he sat. Again, their weapons froze just before reaching the chanting man's flesh.

"What happened?" Vivienne asked as she and the others caught up to them.

Lowering his sword, Israel slammed his armored fist at the cultist, putting all his strength behind the blow. Once again, he was unable to do any harm, but this time, he felt the air around his knuckles tighten and resist before pulling against him.

"There must be a shield around him," Jae muttered in fearful revelation. "Like the ones Alara told us about."

The cultist twitched violently as more blood seeped down his face and neck, mingling with tears of pain. His chanting grew louder, and alarm flashed through Israel at the sight.

"Everyone attack him!" He shouted as he swung Apocalypse again. "We have to break through the shield! We have to kill him!"

Summoning all his power, Israel hacked away at the invisible force protecting the cultist. The others joined in, unleashing a lethal flurry of attacks that crashed against the constricting air. None of their attacks got through, but as he brought down Apocalypse again and again in rapid succession, Israel thought he could feel the invisible resistance began to weaken.

In the midst of their combined barrage, the cultist continued to twitch and tremble. His chanting grew louder with each passing second, and soon he began to speak faster as well. The strange, alien words he uttered were unknown to Israel- he doubted they were even a language- but the rhythmic pattern to them, and their dark, guttural sounds filled him with unease.

Abandoning his attacks with Apocalypse in frustration, Israel coiled his armored fist again and proceeded to pummel the unseen barrier keeping them from getting at the cultist. Throwing all of his considerable strength into each punch, he let loose a violent chain of vicious punches, each one of which could have caved in a chest or crushed a skull. Jae's bladed staff slammed into the air beside him at incredible, almost inhuman speed, performing dozens of cuts and slashes within seconds. Avari grunted each time her greatsword crashed down atop the invisible wall, and the air shook with the weight of each blow.

David, Vivienne, and Meifan were each putting their all into their attacks, delivering a desperate and brutal assault to the barrier before them. Even Sara and Lily, using only their small daggers, contributed with a rapid succession of lethal stabs.

The chanting grew louder, and now the cultist was all but shouting as his eyes bulged within his skull.

With a shout, Israel crashed his steel fist against the resistance blocking him, and though he was again repelled, he felt something give. The cultist screamed his strange, dark words as blood streamed down his pale face. Jae's staff slammed downwards, and the air seemed to shudder around them. The chanting rang in Israel's ears, and he felt pain somewhere in his eardrums. Avari's greatsword flew downward, and Israel felt a rush of wind hit his face as the huge weapon carried through the last inch of space and cleaved through the cultist's shoulder all the way day down to his back.

The cultist stopped chanting.

For a brief second, no one moved.

Still kneeling, the cultist slowly turned his head over his ruined shoulder to look back at them. Rivulets of glistening blood streamed down his ashen face, getting into his bulging, red shot eyes and open mouth. Without even seeming to notice, he smiled over his shoulder at them.

It was as disturbing a sight as Israel had ever seen. And then he realized. They hadn't stopped the cultist from completing his spoken ritual; he had just finished.

With a look of ecstasy on his bloody face, the cultist closed his eyes and screamed. Black flames exploded to life all over him, engulfing his body. Everyone stepped back in surprise, and Avari only just managed to pull her greatsword free of the body before the fire could leap onto the blade. The cultist let loose a piercing shriek of incredible agony, and then disintegrated into pixelated shards.

The torches lining the walls of the chamber flickered uneasily. A dark feeling crept over Israel's skin, and he felt himself shudder. The circle of blood, as well as the puddle within it, began to flow along the floor in long, narrow streams, like arms clawing at something across the room. Each fragmented stream traveled towards the body of the Demon Lord.

A tiny ripple emerged atop the flowing blood, and Israel glanced up to see the red and black eyes of Philariax suddenly open. The demon raised its horned head and slowly cocked it from side to side, as if awakening from an uncomfortable night of sleep. It's black wings unfurled as it rose up before them, claws tightening around sword and whip. It looked at them, and it's bloodless lips twisted into a malevolent, sinister grin. This was evil incarnate, and it had just woken up.

An aura of petrifying dread filled the air, locking Israel in its grip. Goosebumps prickled up his arms. The hair at the back of his neck stood suddenly on end, and for the first time in a long time, he felt true fear.


	131. Chapter 130

130

Date Unknown

Floor Unknown, Location Unknown

"So," the Demon Lord said in a deep, silky smooth voice as he took a step forward. "You are the humans that tried to stop my slaves from freeing me. I can't help but wonder, why? I have never harmed you. Before today, I didn't even know you existed."

Israel tried to move, to lift his sword and prepare for a fight, but the dread that filled his mind had completely incapacitated him. He felt as though he had just been hit with a paralysis dart, only much worse.

Philariax took another step towards them, and the tendrils of dread and fear grew stronger as he continued to speak. "My slaves held no grudge against you either, and yet, you killed them without hesitation." He paused, and the bulging muscles in his arms tightened as he sniffed at the air. "You reek of angel." Black and red flames erupted to life within his already terrifying eyes. "I hate angels, and their puppets. I think I'm going to kill you now."

Striding towards them, Philariax uncoiled his thorny whip. The weapon looked to have been designed to cause horrendous wounds with each strike; the sharpened iron studs and thorns all over it would easily rip out huge chunks of flesh while the lash itself delivered deep gashes and tripped up enemies. To see such a weapon being lifted to strike at Sara and Jae filled Israel with a fervent drive to act. He couldn't let this monster hurt them.

Feeling the rage and desperation ignite within him, Israel let out a fierce cry and drew his sword, shattering the unseen tendrils of dread that had rendered him immobile. Jae broke through at the same time, and a moment later, the others staggered suddenly forward, likewise freed from the invisible grip.

"Impressive," Philariax chuckled in malignant amusement. His red eyes widened with delight as he drew back his whip to strike. "But meaningless."

With a demonic bellow, Philariax attacked, his whip cracking as it shot towards them.

"Get down!" Jae shouted.

Israel and the others closest to the whip barely managed to drop to the floor fast enough as it whistled overhead, and David had to knock Lily to the ground with him to save her.

The thorny lash flashed by at impossible speeds before striking against the wall at the far end of the room. Dust and bits of brick exploded forth, while larger chunks wobbled dangerously in the wall.

Rising quickly to their feet, Israel, Vivienne, and Jae shot forward to attempt to close some distance. Before they had taken two steps, Philariax lashed out with his whip again, intent on ripping them in half with it. Again they had to throw themselves to the floor, and Israel felt thorny steel graze his back and tear his leather vest as he dropped. Jae and Vivienne managed to escape any contact, but Israel knew it was only a matter of time.

Meifan, Avari, and David charged past them to draw the demon's attention. Immediately, Philariax altered the swing of his whip and launched it at them. Avari and David both lurched aside to get out of range, but Meifan raised his shield and held his ground. The initial strike of the spiked lash raked the front of the shield before rebounding off it's surface, but the rest of the whip, powered by the momentum of it's speed, bent around the edge and struck Meifan's upper leg.

Crying out in pain as the steel spikes of the lash tore open his thigh, Meifan stumbled back. Blood gushed down the length of his pants, and as the whip carried away from him to complete it's swing, Israel saw small chunks of flesh go with it.

Meifan dropped to a knee, and David and Avari had to tackle him to the ground to save him from the next crack of the whip. The tank's health had dropped into the yellow, and Israel remembered with horror that they had no health potions left between them. He wanted to throw what was left of his salve to Meifan, but applying the paste would take time that they didn't have, especially when none of them could afford to look away from the deadly whip.

Israel, Jae, and Vivienne took up the desperate advance again, only to be immediately stopped by the flying whip. Again they were forced to the ground, but this time, Jae was caught by the end of the lash just as it sped by him. Thin lines of blood emerged along his back, but he managed to avoid any further injury.

Israel was about to get to his feet again when, to his horror, he saw the whip coming down in an overhead strike straight for where he lay. The length of the whip hurtled down towards him, and he rolled aside blindly, only just missing the attack. The floor beside him was rent open by the impact, sending tiny fragments of stone shooting out across the floor. Several of these buried themselves in Israel's arm, side, and leg, creating tiny cuts across the left side of his body that oozed droplets of blood.

A wave of white dust coated his clothes, and Israel had to suppress the urge to cough as he struggled to his feet. The whip came down again, this time going for Jae still on the floor beside him, and his brother barely managed to kick himself away before the floor was again ripped open.

Ignoring a drop of blood trailing down between his eyes, Israel quickly helped Vivienne to her feet, only for both of them to duck down again as they heard the crack of the whip coming overhead.

"We can't get near him!" Vivienne exclaimed in alarm as she and Israel again rose to their feet. "We can't-"

At that moment, a wave of bright orange light came to life behind them, sweeping forward and filling the chamber. Israel recognized it at once as the magical candle Lily possessed. Glancing back over his shoulder, he saw her holding it nervously aloft.

The second the light flared to life before him, Philariax drew back and wailed in pain, lifting up both black, scorched arms to cover his eyes.

"He's stunned!" David shouted as he sped forward.

"The light will go out in a matter of seconds!" Lily reminded them. "It will take a short while in between each flash!"

Without hesitation, Jae seized the brief moment to regroup and jumped into action.

"Stay where you are, David!" He ordered. He glanced to Lily and Sara. "Both of you, get as far back as you can and stay there! Lily, keep your candle up and tell us whenever it's about to go out! Sara, start making a health potion or anything else you know as quickly as you can to keep us in the fight!" He beckoned with his staff at the others. "Everyone else, form a line on me and Israel! We're going to stay out of reach of the whip while keeping his focus in between flashes of Lily's light! When he's stunned, attack quickly wherever you can, but don't attempt any large combos!"

The light from Lily's candle faded away just as everyone finished rushing to their positions. Israel felt a little better knowing that Sara was out of harm's way behind them, but he also wanted to protect the others standing beside him. At that moment, they were fully dependant on Lily's candle, and if anything went wrong, they would have to face the whip again.

Growling in rage, Philariax stomped menacingly forward and lashed out, determined to cut them all down in as brutal a fashion as possible. Most of them managed to jump back out of reach of the flying lash, but Meifan and Avari, both weighed down by their weapons and armor, had to duck down low to avoid the blow. The moment the danger had passed, they all formed back into their line again and prepared for the next crack.

Again Philariax attacked, and again they dodged or leapt aside just in time. The whip cracked, but before the demon could deliver his third strike, Lily's candle flared to life. A wall of orange light again filled the chamber, and Philariax recoiled in blind pain.

"Now!" Jae shouted.

Charging forward, the six of them forced the Demon Lord back another step as they hacked and slashed in quick, furious retribution. Israel and Jae dealt the most damage, both cutting with a vengeance into whatever part of Philariax they could reach. Apocalypse gleamed with delight each time Israel delivered a slash to the enemy, cutting first at his leg and lower stomach, then stabbing deep into his exposed side. Smoking black blood oozed from the demon's wounds.

"Get back!" Lily called out to them.

At once, Israel and the others darted away to gain some distance and reform their line just as the orange light faded away, leaving the chamber once again dim and filled with dread.

Philariax glanced down in surprise at his wounds, then let out a roar of fury as he sped towards them, his whip cracking in the air.

Again their small line fell back before the attack, but this time they barely managed to keep away from the spiked lash without getting torn apart. By the time Lily's light flared to life once again, Israel and Jae had both sustained more cuts due to the steel spikes, and Meifan, already slowed by his injured leg, struggled to keep up with them.

Wailing in pain and anger, Philariax shielded his eyes from the light, and once again they cut into him with everything they could muster. This time however, the demon recovered from the light before it had gone out, and they were forced to abandon their assault.

Three more times they waited until Lily's candle came to life before injuring Philariax as best they could, but each time, the demon recovered faster than he had before. By the time the orange light expanded and filled the room a fourth time, it didn't seem to bother him at all.

"He's become immune to it!" Vivienne shouted as she dodged an incoming whip attack.

Israel and Jae jumped to the right as the floor next to them was ripped open, then immediately flew to the ground as it whistled through the air overhead again. David cried out as the end of the lash struck the calf of his leg, knocking him over.

"We have to stop the whip," Jae gasped. "We won't last another minute of this otherwise."

Israel drew himself back up to one knee. He didn't know if it would work, but he had to try. "I'll get him in position. Be ready."

Jae nodded, and together they got back to their feet. Without hesitation, Israel rushed forward, ahead of their broken line.

"Israel!" Sara cried out in alarm from behind him.

Deliberately running in the demon's line of sight, Israel moved closer. To make sure the monster would focus on him, he retrieved a paralysis dart from his belt and hurled it at Philariax's face. The tiny blade shot through the air with lightning speed before embedding itself into the demon's cheek.

Wincing in annoyance, Philariax turned his flaming red eyes down to Israel. Angry smoke steamed forth from his nostrils, and in one smooth motion, he focused the crack of his whip down at Israel with incredible speed and power.

Israel had expected the paralysis effect to be of no use against a Boss of this magnitude, but the dart itself had certainly achieved its purpose; now all the attention of a Demon Lord was focused on ripping him in half. He hoped Jae was in position.

Standing his ground, Israel lowered his sword as he waited for the whip to close the distance to him. If he didn't time it right, he would be torn to shreds where he stood. The spiked lash cracked as it drew near, and right before it reached him, Israel threw his armored forearm up in front of himself.

The whip struck with blinding speed, and Israel felt a jarring pain shoot up his arm for a fraction of a second. His right arm recoiled, but the whip was already caught on it, and Israel knew it wouldn't come undone. The iron thorns of the whip buried themselves deep into Fariel's gauntlet as the lash, powered by the momentum of it's speed, coiled around and around, piercing and damaging the steel. The screeching sound of armor being rent as the thorns continued to penetrate the gauntlet filled the air, and Israel readied himself for the pain of those thorns stabbing into his arm and hand.

To his surprise, that pain never came.

Though the entire forearm section of the gauntlet had been pierced through, it still managed to stop the dozens of iron thorns from reaching Israel's skin.

In an instant, several feet of the lash had wrapped itself completely around Israel's arm and wrist, making the rest between him and Philariax taut as a rope. The thorns buried in the gauntlet helped keep the whip in place, and just to be sure he had it held fast, he seized a handful more with his armored hand and held on fiercely.

Philariax frowned in puzzlement.

"Now Jae!" Israel cried.

From off on his right, Jae shot forward with a shout and his weapon held high, and before Philariax could even attempt to tug on his caught whip or take a step forward, the double bladed staff came down, severing the spiked lash in two.

Philariax glanced down in surprise as the length of whip in his hands shattered into pixelated shards. At the same time, the coils around Israel's arm also disintegrated, and he was able to see just how much damage had been done to the Fist of Fariel.

While the armor around his hand and fingers was still mostly in place, the wrist and forearm sections had been almost completely shredded or impaled. Bits of steel still clinging to the gauntlet hung in tiny strands off his arm, and when he checked it's durability, he blinked in disbelief. The Fist had been his most reliable weapon and armor item for as long as he could remember, and in all the countless fights and battles he had been a part of, never had it come so close to destruction as it was now.

Yet it had had to happen.

Glancing up, Israel saw Philariax step forward and brandish his jagged black sword. Now the monster would have to fight close quarters, and in close quarters, they could cut him down.

Jae fell in beside him, and without hesitation, the two of them charged the demon. Philariax stomped forward to meet them, and the moment they drew within range, he swung his huge sword. They both dodged, but neither slowed. Driving forward underneath the attack, Israel delivered a deep, wide slash across the monster's stomach while Jae stabbed forward with his staff, burying it deep inside the demon's side.

Bellowing in rage, Philariax tried to cut them down with his sword. Israel lurched to the left while Jae swung right, and they both ended up behind him. Seeking to surprise them, Philariax jerked violently around as he lashed out, only to find that neither of them had taken the bait. Again Israel and Jae shot forward, quickly delivering two more blows. Rather than seek to get behind him this time, they instead retreated, forcing him to follow. The demon, now fuming with unbridled fury, lurched after them, swinging his sword with such ferocity that a wind picked up in his wake, sending a cloud of dust billowing outwards.

The moment the powerful assault opened up an exposure in the demon's guard, Israel and Jae shot forward. Just as they drew near, however, Philariax chuckled with delight and swung his sword back down with blinding speed. He had tricked them.

Colored lights of various hues flared angrily to life behind the demon, and Israel heard the fierce shouts of Vivienne and David as sword skills activated. Smoking black blood gushed from Philariax's back and sides, staggering him off balance just before he could cut down Israel and Jae. He turned to strike at the threat to his back, but Israel and Jae were having none of it and laid into him with rapid blows.

Beleaguered on all sides now, Phailariax struggled to fight back. Israel, Jae, Vivienne, David, Avari, and a limping Meifan renewed their attack, refusing to give the demon a moment of breathing room. Together, they prevented a proper counter attack by continuously hacking and slashing at whatever part of him they could reach. Again and again the Demon Lord attempted to stop the onslaught by fighting back or breaking free of the circle of slashing blades, but they refused to let up. Several times, Philariax's black sword managed to drive back or wound one of them, but before he could follow up, the others would be on him, driving home their glowing blades with redoubled effort and violence.

As the fight wore on, Israel began to grow weary, and he sensed the others slow as well. Wounds taken from the wicked black sword forced several of them to take a moment before rejoining the fray, and even then they moved less effectively than before.

Over time, the injuries began to mount; Vivienne received a long, jagged cut across the length of her arm, Jae took a minor slash across the side of his face, David's shoulder was pierced, and Avari was temporarily brought to her knees by a pommel blow to her gut.

Thanks to his shield, Meifan managed to avoid any further wounds- fortunate considering the fact that his injured leg continued to bleed and slow him.

Israel wasn't sure whether he had taken no wounds or several; focusing all of his concentration on the fight, and channeling all the strength within him to keep up the pressure of the onslaught, it wouldn't have surprised him if he was drawing the pain within himself without even trying.

At last, amidst the fierce struggle that seemed to have been going on without end, Israel saw the demon's red health bar drop into the final ten percent.

And then the room suddenly darkened.

The torches flickered, half of them burning out in the process.

In the middle of an attack, Israel paused with his sword held overhead as Philariax suddenly shuddered. He frowned in confusion.

"He's about to change attack patterns!" Jae shouted in alarm."Get-"

A shockwave of heat and power blasted outwards from the demon in all directions, knocking all of them violently from their feet. Black flames ignited along the length of Philariax's sword- a dark inferno from the abyss brought suddenly to life- and he roared with frightening fervor. Unfurling his wings, the demon straightened and stood to his full majestic, terrible height. Black blood oozed down his charred skin, but he no longer seemed to notice. Facing Israel and Jae, his red eyes gleamed with newfound strength.

"I will purge the world of your filth, humans. And then I shall torture your twisted souls for all eternity."

Israel and Jae tried to get to their feet, but Philariax struck them both down with a sweep of his hand. At the same time, he raised his flaming black sword, and Israel felt the immense power gathering within the blade. He knew without a doubt that this blow would be death.

Corded muscles went rigid in Philariax's arms as he swept the evil sword down. All of his own considerable strength was gathered in the blow he was about to deliver, a blow of otherworldly dimensions.

A glaring, defiant shout rang suddenly through the chamber, and Israel recognized the sound immediately. It was Meifan's taunt ability.

Philariax paused, blinked his red eyes, and then altered the path of his titanic blow.

"No!" Jae screamed as he stumbled desperately to his feet.

Meifan was down on one knee, but the moment Philariax refocused all the power and fury of his attack, the tank gritted his teeth and forced himself up. Planting his huge tower shield before himself, he spread his feet and leaned in with a shoulder, bracing for the impact.

The moment the flaming sword came down on the shield, the chamber shuddered. A concussive blast erupted outward, and Israel thought for a moment his eardrums might explode. Meifan's tower shield exploded apart as if it were nothing more than plywood, sending flaming fragments bursting out across the room. He flew backwards through the air, his heavy chainmail armor dissolving into a trail of pixelated shards that followed him back down to the ground.

Israel saw Meifan's health plummet as the tank sailed violently across the room, but could no longer see if it had reached zero by the time he hit the ground again. Meifan lay unmoving where he fell, and pixelated shards rose gently around him even as tiny black flames clung to his ruined clothes.

With a murderous shout, Vivienne sprang abruptly forward. Her saber flashed blue as she dodged a swing of the flaming black sword, and she lashed out with a series of rapid cuts. Philariax uttered an angry, pained growl deep in his throat as he took a step back, then attacked her with a series of strikes himself. For a moment, it looked almost like a duel between the two of them as they exchanged blows, with Vivienne darting and sidestepping to avoid being cut in two by the massive flaming sword.

To hold her own against such a monster, even if was only for a moment, revealed to Israel the true extent of her bravery and skill. Still shaken by the blow of Philariax's sweeping fist, he staggered to his feet to help her. Jae was already running past him, shouting orders for everyone to get to their feet and for David to see to Meifan and get a health potion from Sara even as he charged relentlessly to the aid of his wife.

As Israel drew closer, he saw Vivienne unleash another minor sword skill before retreating away from the demon's aggressive counter blows. She dodged a slash, evaded an overhead attack, but was then abruptly struck by the monster's closed fist. The punch connected with a harsh thud, knocking the saber from her hands and tossing her across the floor.

In a rage, Jae completely outpaced Israel and hurled himself madly at the Demon Lord. With a twirl of his legendary staff, he deflected a slash of the flaming sword. Without a moment's pause, he launched himself forward and stabbed Philariax at the knee, burying nearly half of the weapon into black flesh.

Philariax tried to grab at Jae with his fist, but he dove quickly underneath the demon's legs, got behind him, and then slashed at one of the unfurled wings, severing it nearly in two.

Screaming in pain as his ruined wing flailed, Philariax twisted around to get at Jae, who now had no escape. Before he could completely turn, Israel threw himself forward and slammed what was left of his armored fist directly onto the knee wound Jae had inflicted. The demon's muscled leg buckled under the impact, and he pitched wildly forward. He somehow managed to stay on his feet, but by the time he had regained balance, Israel and Jae were already on him again.

They struck with desperate determination and with no thought towards themselves, but before they could truly begin to unleash their all, Philariax's sword swept them both aside. Israel felt searing pain shoot through his veins, but he quickly reached for it and drew the agony within himself. Jae cried out in pain beside him, and Israel saw that both of them had been slashed across their chests. Much of their leather armor was damaged or destroyed, and small black flames clung to life on patches of their clothing. Worse, their health had dropped into the red.

Israel could only imagine how much worse the powered attack on Meifan had been.

Before Philariax could close in to finish them, Avari and David rushed forward. The demon made to cut them aside with his sword, but the two carefully avoided the attack and Avari closed the distance to deliver a heavy overhead blow with her greatsword. When Philariax responded by stabbing at her, she dove aside, and David took her place. Slashing with his legendary scimitar, David cut open deep gashes alongside the other wounds inflicted by Israel and Jae.

Enraged, Philariax suddenly switched tactics. In one wild movement, he swung his flaming sword at Avari and, though she attempted to block the blow with her greatsword, sent her flying as blood gushed down her face. At the same time, he swiped up David with his empty left hand. David cried out in anger and pain as the demon's claws pierced his flesh. Philariax held him close, and to his horror, Israel realized that the monster was about to bite him in half.

Hovering just inches away from Philariax's face, David suddenly lashed out. Ripping his scimitar free of the demon's clenched fingers around his middle, he grasped the blade in both hands and, with a shout, drove it into the monster's red eye.

Jerking violently back, Philariax uttered an ear-splitting howl. The chamber shook before the intensity of the scream, and David, still in his grasp, recoiled in pain.

In an instant, Philariax's howl of agony transformed into one of pure rage. He snaked his head back, and his good eye glowed with menace as he fixed David in his sights. Clawed fingers already wrapped around David's lower body squeezed. The sound of crushing bones pierced the air, and the scimitar clattered to the ground.

Then David started to scream.

Summoning all his remaining strength, Israel rose to his feet with Apocalypse in hand. Avari was on her knees several feet in front of him, and before he could go to her or race to help David, she somehow managed to pick up her greatsword and get to her knees. Tears mingled with the blood all over her face as David's screaming intensified, and with a gasp of final effort, she leaned back and hurled her greatsword at Philariax.

The huge blade sailed through the air for but a second, spinning as it went, before embedding itself deep into the chest of the Demon Lord.

Wailing in agony, Philariax released David and started ripping at his black chest with both claws. In his effort to reach the sword buried within him, he raked his own flesh with his claws, causing black blood to smoke as it poured free.

David hit the ground hard, but didn't even seem to notice as he continued to scream. Both of his legs were mangled and crushed beyond belief, and Israel knew that if he wasn't dragged away from the fight, he would die where he lay.

"Avari," Jae groaned as he got to his feet, "Get David back. We'll hold the demon off."

"We have to get his attention," Israel managed in between breaths. "Make sure he doesn't go for them."

Leaning on his staff, Jae nodded breathlessly. Blood soaked his leather armor and clothing, and much of the skin on his arms and face was burned or cut. Israel knew he didn't look much better. Though they were both at the end of their strength, they were now the last two standing.

Clutching the handle of Avari's greatsword in between bloody claws, Philariax finally managed to rip the blade out of his chest. Stumbling forward, he lifted his own sword to finish off David and Avari. Just before he could execute the blow, Israel and Jae reached him.

"Aim for his wounded leg!" Israel shouted as they attacked.

Together, they stumbled forward and let loose a final flurry of blows. Again and again they hacked away at the demon's injured leg, and Philariax faltered. His ruined wing flapped ineffectually as he dropped to a knee, and out of the corner of Israel's eye, he saw Avari seize the time they had given her and drag David out of harm's way. They were safe, but only for the moment. In reality, Israel and Jae had but delayed the inevitable.

Black blood seeped from Philariax's ruined eye as he turned to face them. He was gasping for breath, and his mouth foamed. He looked near the end of his ability to fight on. His health had dropped to barely more than two percent, but it hadn't been enough. In spite of all their efforts, they had been defeated.

As if to ensure the end of the battle, Philariax drew his sword back and initiated his most powerful attack- the same one that had destroyed Meifan's shield and all but killed him. The air thickened with the sudden onrush of incredible power, and the demon's huge sword ignited once more into an inferno of black flame. And all Israel and Jae could do was watch it come.

"I'm glad we fought that day," Jae breathed beside him as they watched the sword come down with all the speed and power of an avalanche. "I'm glad we got to be brothers again."

Though he was completely exhausted, his body burned and battered, and his strength gone, Israel felt something come to life within him.

He couldn't let his brother die.

Jae wasn't going to die.

The words rang through him, filling his veins and defying everything he thought with their truth. The words were there, lighting up every fiber of his being, waiting to be given life. In his mind, there was simply no other option for the universe to take. Jae wasn't going to die.

The words were there.

It was up to him to bring them to fruition.

Israel remembered then the earlier fight against the Automatons. He recalled his failure to utilize a sword skill, and how that failure had nearly brought about Sara's death. He wasn't about to fail now. It was obvious that if he was to save Jae, he had to correct his mistake. But how? A simple sword skill wasn't going to save them from the overwhelming power and force crashing down to obliterate them where they stood. Even if he had a hundred sword skills and had never stopped using them, even if he had any strength left to use them, none could stop…

 _Particularly effective against Demons._

Israel blinked.

He knew what to do.

Without hesitation, without thought, Israel swung Apocalypse forward through the air to block the flaming avalanche of death coming down. As he swung, bracing himself for the impact, he unleashed his Unique Skill, Demonic Blade.

He hadn't given the Unique Skill a second thought ever since he had first acquired it back when he killed Ranson and all the members of Fury's Fire, but he remembered it well. And he remembered the first Sword Skill it came with.

As Philariax's flaming sword came down with all the power of his evil and otherworldly strength, as Apocalypse hissed fearlessly through the air to meet it, Israel activated Unholy Counter.

Apocalypse's red blade turned inky black, and Israel felt the weapon arc faster through the air of its own accord. It struck Philariax's massive flaming sword, and for an instant, time froze.

Before Israel could even begin to contemplate what was about to happen, the world exploded.

Beams of light and dark warped violently through the air, moving at such speed that the entire room became suddenly caught up in a whirlwind of chaos. Black flames churned angrily amidst the swirling gale, and the immense concentration of power and force that Israel had felt coming down upon him was redirected backwards. A blast of energy erupted from the point at which Apocalypse had met the attack, creating a shockwave of such immense and violent proportions that the outer walls of the chamber were ripped apart. Hundreds of bricks were shredded like paper, and the debris left in their wake was swiftly picked up by the churning, raging storm of light and dark, fire and wind.

Philariax's huge sword, it's black flames now extinguished, shivered and rang under the strain of it's impact with Apocalypse, and though it didn't shatter, it did fly out of the demon's grip.

"Now Jae!" Israel roared above the swirling storm. His blonde hair flew angrily across his face, and even as he watched, it became coated in so much dust that it turned almost grey. "Hit him with whatever you have left!"

Jae's face, at first a picture of utter shock and amazement, transformed at once to one of grim determination. Clutching his staff in both hands, he jumped fearlessly forward through the hellish storm that was already beginning to die down. A sharp ray of bright light overtook the staff, and then he stabbed it deep into the demon's gut.

With a roar of anguish, Philariax fell to the ground. Mere feet in front of him, Jae collapsed in utter exhaustion. He had used every last reserve of strength to deliver one last blow, even the energy to stand. Israel prayed it would be enough .

As quickly as it had erupted, the storm faltered. Clouds of dust and debris fell to the ruined stone floor. Undamaged, Apocalypse returned to it's gleaming red hue, and the chamber turned suddenly silent.

Israel's sword arm trembled, and somewhere in the back of his mind, he felt a dull pain shooting through his veins. He tried to release his hold on Apocalypse, only to realize that his fingers were clamped tight around the handle. His knees shook and threatened to buckle, but he forced himself to stay on his feet.

Before he could consider what to do, Philariax squirmed suddenly forward. Clawing at gashes in the stone, he heaved his considerable length across the floor towards Jae. His one good eye betrayed his exhaustion and pain, but also the rabid fury of a cornered and injured animal. He had lost, and he knew it, but Jae, laying helpless on the floor, was still within his grasp.

Israel staggered forward, only to see Vivienne stumble past him. She was limping, and her face was bruised and battered, but she still had more energy left to her than he did. Just as Philariax reached out his clawed fingers to seize Jae, she stepped in between them, raised her damaged saber in both hands, and hacked off the demon's hand in one blow.

Black blood gushed forth like a river across the ground, only to seep into the great rips and tears along the floor.

Unable to summon even a cry of pain, Philariax merely shuddered and drew back his ruined arm. He tried to get up or crawl, but couldn't move. There was practically no red left in the health bar above his head.

In the grip of lethal commitment, Vivienne kept limping forward. The moment she was within range of the demon's face, she drew back her saber once again.

"Wait…" Philariax groaned.

Fear and humiliation coated his plea, but his voice still managed to retain some of it's deep throated, silky charisma.

Vivienne paused in obvious surprise, but didn't lower her sword. Israel guessed that none of the Floor Bosses they had killed had ever begged for life before.

"Wait…" The demon said again. He flicked his red eye up to Vivienne, then over to Israel as he helped Jae up onto a knee. "You have...defeated me, humans. There is no greater feat. Yet, there is a way you could gain…" He shuddered in pain. "You could gain far greater reward by...letting me live."

Slowly, very slowly, Jae rose to his feet with Israel's help. He picked up his staff, never taking his eyes off the demon.

"What are you talking about?"

A black tongue darted out of Philariax's mouth, wetting his chapped, bloodless lips.

"You have a choice. Kill me, and the angels will get you out of this realm, yes, but nothing else. You will receive...no compensation for your trouble. But, if you allow me to live…" he shuddered again as his ruined wing flapped involuntarily. "Allow me to live, and I can get you out of here just as easily as they, as well as reward you."

"Reward us how?" Jae asked.

"My slaves benefited from an essence of my power, gifted to them in the form of an aura. I can...I can do the same for you and all those with you, but with an additional gift, as gratitude. The aura will enhance your physical capabilities and limits, while the gift will allow you to summon a fraction of the power of the Underworld from which I come, strengthening your weapons."

Philariax coughed, and black blood leaked from his mouth. He gazed at the three of them. "But I can only give you this power while I live. If you accept, and then kill me, you will lose the reward. Therefore, you must choose."

A small digital screen appeared suddenly in front of Israel, and he saw that Jae and Vivienne also had one. It looked similar to a Quest screen, but with slightly different wording.

 _You have been offered a Permanent Passive Ability:_

 _ **Aura of Philariax**_

 _+3,000 Healthpoints_

 _+30 Strength_

 _+30 Dexterity_

 _(can be stacked with other Passive Abilities)_

 _You have been offered an Active Ability:_

 _ **Fire of the Underworld**_

 _Your weapons will ignite with black flame from the inner circles of Hell, boosting your base damage by 25% and weapon durability by 50% for 5 minutes (can be stacked with other buffs)_

 _Do you Accept?_

 _Yes_ _No_


	132. Chapter 131

131

Date Unknown

Floor Unknown, Location Unknown

"Are you sure you're alright?" Israel asked as he helped David to his feet.

David nodded his assurance and glanced down at his legs. "Some of the pain is still there, but everything feels like it's back in place. I guess the system recovery over time is good for something after all."

"You should sit and rest," Avari said in a worried tone as she squeezed his hand. She glanced back over her shoulder at Philariax lying in the center of the room. It had only been a few minutes since Vivienne cut off his hand and he had made his offer, and she was still standing by his head with her damaged saber at the ready. Jae was close beside her, with Meifan, now freshly healed thanks to Sara, helping tend to his wounds. In spite of the threat to his life right next to him, Philariax's red eye was staring at Avari, Israel, and David. Avari met the look with a chilling glare as she added, "And you should stay well away from him."

"I suggest you listen to her," Sara said in a low voice on the ground beside them. She hadn't stopped working for a second, and she looked exhausted by the labor of working on health potions so quickly, but she never faltered. At the moment, she was working on her fourth potion of the hour- a tremendous feat considering they had only been inside the chamber for around thirty minutes.

"The system returns our bodies to the way they were after a time, but it does not return our health," Sara continued as she worked. "Yours is still very low. I'll have another health potion ready soon, but until then, you need to be careful in case that thing tries us."

"We should have killed it already," Avari muttered.

"I agree," said Sara.

Israel nodded. "I know, but we have to ask everyone before we make the decision. We all have to agree." He returned his gaze to David. "So? What do you think we should do?"

David thought it over a moment as he rubbed his thumb along Avari's knuckles. At last, he shook his head. "Personal feelings aside, it seems a good deal, and it would certainly help, but something tells me that letting him live would only be putting ourselves at risk. Choices like this always have consequences in MMOs, no matter which one you take. Who's to say a year from now we don't get an unexpected visit from our old friend Philariax, come to get some revenge?" He shook his head again. "We have to kill him."

With a nod, Israel turned to head over to Jae. As he walked past Sara, he extended a hand and reached out for hers. Her fingers met his, and he gave them a gentle squeeze before shuffling past. In the short, simple touch, they were nonetheless able to convey worldless comfort at the other being safe. He had no idea how.

The screen bearing Philariax's reward was still in front of him, and Israel looked it over again as he walked back the half dozen feet to Jae and the others.

It was a generous offer to be sure. The Passive buff alone was worth nearly ten level-ups, and these days, ten levels would take months to earn. The Active ability was also exceptionally good. Twenty-five percent went a long way in MMOs. Yet, neither was really necessary. Had it been just for himself, Israel wouldn't have hesitated in declining the offer; after all that he had learned and been through, he was confident in his strength and ability. Besides, he already had a Passive given to him by his Unique Skill Demonic Blade: _Servant of the Underworld._

However, this offer wasn't just for himself. The entire party would receive it, meaning everyone he cared about would be a good deal stronger, and, most importantly, safer. There was little in Aincrad he could ever want more than that.

In the end though, he knew what this offer really was. To achieve what he came for, he would have to decline.

"And?" Jae asked when Israel stopped in front of him and Vivienne.

Israel met Philariax's red eye as he answered. "They say no."

Jae nodded. "So does Meifan."

Meifan glowered down at the demon. "Bastard destroyed my shield, and nearly killed David. He doesn't deserve to live."

Jae turned to Philariax with a shrug. "Looks like we're going to have to decline your offer, Demon Lord."

Philariax's good eye snapped from Jae, to Israel, to Vivienne. He looked genuinely surprised. "No, wait-"

Without hesitation, Vivienne brought her saber down. The blade pierced through the demon's skull with a dull thud, and Philariax shuddered in anguish. His red eye flitted back to reveal a final flash of utter astonishment and anger, and then rolled back into his head. The massive body of the Demon Lord went still, and then exploded into a thick mist of pixelated shards.

A sign appeared before each of them, followed by a second, much more familiar one:

 _Congratulations!_

 _You have completed the Quest, The Return of Philariax_

 _Congratulations!_

 _You have reached Level 82!_

"You did it," Lily gasped in relief as she watched the pixelated shards float up and dissipate into the air.

Israel smiled at her. "We did it. Don't forget, we would never have gotten this far without you."

The NPC smiled back and shyly hooked a skein of her dirty black hair back behind an ear.

"Did we all level up?" Meifan asked as he glanced at the screens hovering before each of them.

"Looks like," David replied. "Good to know we at least got some good EXP out of all this trouble. Personally, I think I'll settle for slightly less extreme quests in the future."

Vivienne scoffed. "I'll still take a demon battle over collecting forty identical items scattered across an entire forest any day, thanks."

"Or hoping for said items to drop from generic mobs with remarkably slow respawn times," Jae added. As if taken by a sudden thought, he turned to Israel and waggled a finger. "Oh, and by the way, don't you think I forgot about that natural disaster of a sword skill you let loose back there. Mind explaining what in Aincrad that was? Your sword turned black!"

The others nodded their agreement, and Israel suddenly felt a little hesitant as Jae crossed his arms expectantly. He didn't want them to know how he had acquired the skill.

"It's called Unholy Counter," Israel said. "It's a defensive skill. That's how I was able to block and reflect his attack."

"Unholy Counter?" Meifan repeated in confusion.

"I've never heard of that skill before," Jae said. His eyes lit up with interest, and suspicion. "I don't use swords, but I know for a fact that whatever you did isn't part of the standard One-Handed Longsword Skill tree. How did you get it?"

Israel shifted his weight uncomfortably. He supposed there was no way out.

"It's a Sword Skill belonging to a Unique Skill I have. It's called Demonic Blade."

Except for Sara, who seemed preoccupied with her own thoughts, everyone's eyes widened.

"You have a Unique Skill?" David grinned . "That's incredible, man!"

"How did you unlock it?" Jae asked excitedly. "As far as we know, you and Heathcliff are the only ones with Unique Skills."

Israel racked his brain to think of a way to explain without actually revealing the truth, but before he could say anything, Sara stepped towards him and Jae. She looked somber, and more than a little worried.

"Do you think PoH could have defeated Philariax?" She asked in a quiet, serious tone.

Forgetting his excitement about Israel's Unique Skill, Jae nodded. "PoH was alone, but that means Philariax would have been significantly weaker compared to when we fought him. Remember, quest and event difficulties rise based on the size of the player groups taking them on. Not counting Lily, there were seven of us here, meaning both the Automatons and Philariax were roughly seven times stronger and had seven times the health. Fighting alone is always dangerous, but PoH would have been given a fair chance to survive."

"And he wasn't actually alone," Israel pointed out. He gestured at Lily. "Lily's magical candle probably worked against Philariax better with him than with us."

Lily looked genuinely confused. "I told you, I don't know this PoH. And are you saying that I somehow helped fight the Demon Lord twice?"

Unsure how to explain such a thing to an NPC, or even if it was worth trying, Israel turned to Jae for help. Before either of them could speak, however, a warm shiver ran through the air.

The familiar aura of the three angels flooded into the room, and Israel felt at once rejuvenated, inspired, fearful, intimidated, and in love all at once. The others straightened beside him, and he knew they felt it too. A second later, three glowing beams of pure light flared to life in front of them, only to fade slightly and reveal the three to whom the auras belonged.

Reyna, Angel of Valor, hovered on the right with her beautiful wings half outstretched. Her starry eyes glowed as she smiled proudly down at them.

Fariel, Angel of War, took up the left, and though they couldn't see any part of his body or face beneath his masterwork plate armor or helm, Israel did see the surprised glow in his eyes.

Alara, the Archangel, hovered regally in between the other two, with her chin held high and her bearing proud and stern. Her radiant beauty, as it had twice already, threatened to take Israel's breath away, and yet, in spite of both her physical perfection and the seductive aspect of her particular aura, he believed Sara to be even more beautiful.

Alara betrayed no grin, no hint of pride, no fleeting surprise. She remained stiff and straight, her face all business but for the slight rise of one of her perfect eyebrows. Then slowly, very slowly, the corner of her lip turned up into a small smile. Israel guessed it was her equivalent of wild jubilation.

"It appears we owe you a debt of gratitude, humans."

"There is no need," Jae assured them. "Are you all alright?"

"The injuries we received in transporting you here were slight by our standards," Alara explained, "and in time, we will recover fully."

"What about the shields that kept you out of this chamber?" Israel asked.

Reyna leaned forward. "We were attempting to breach the dark sorcery of Philariax when the wards suddenly failed. The only way for such a thing to happen is if the maker of those wards removes them, or dies. We entered immediately to check on you."

"And to reward you," Alara said as she gazed down at them, her light shining through her golden hair. "For making the right choice."

Israel met her eyes. "This was the Third Trial, wasn't it."

Alara's perfect brow lifted slightly higher, and she looked almost impressed. "Yes, it was. I assume your knowledge of that fact is what drove you to decline the Demon Lord's offer?"

"Partly. You should know though that none of my friends knew the truth, and yet they all declined as well."

Alara's slight smile curved as she nodded. "Then I am pleased." She glanced slightly over her shoulder to Reyna and Fariel, then hovered closer. The others followed suit.

"You humans have risked your lives to stop our ancient enemy, and to correct our mistakes. That in itself deserves honor and recognition. Yet you have also managed to defeat him. Let it never be said that the angels let such a feat of prowess go unrewarded. Fariel, Reyna, begin."

Fariel came forward first, making straight for Israel, and he had to suppress the urge to step back before the angel's might and warlike splendor.

"You have damaged my Fist," Fariel stated bluntly as he stopped in front of Israel.

Israel nodded sadly and lifted up the ruined gauntlet on his arm.

"I had to. It was the only way to give us a chance against Philariax. I don't know how to repair it."

Fariel nodded matter of factly. "You cannot. It an angelic weapon, and thus requires power beyond that of mortal men to repair. Fortunately for you, I have already decided that you are worthy of it. As such, it would not do to see it destroyed. Hold out your hand."

Israel did as he was commanded, and Fariel reached out with his right hand- the hand that wore the twin to Israel's gauntlet. There was a blinding flash of white light, followed by an intense burst of heat, and then Fariel withdrew his hand.

Glancing down, Israel gasped at the fully repaired gauntlet covering his hand and forearm. It looked in even better condition now than when he had first found it in the Laughing Coffin armory. Israel checked it's durability, and was surprised to see that not only had the durability gone back to one hundred percent, but the stats themselves had slightly increased.

"Thank you," Israel said gratefully.

Fariel merely nodded as he stepped away.

Reyna came next. Gliding forward, she removed the shining circle shield from her arm and stopped before Meifan.

"For daring to stand between the full power of the Demon Lord and your friends, and for nearly sacrificing yourself in the process, I give to you this shield, Valorlight."

Meifan's jaw dropped, and the man looked completely stunned. It took several seconds- and an elbow to the ribs from Jae- before he took the shield and managed to fumble over a few words of thanks. Reyna seemed to find the whole thing amusing.

Alara came forward last, and the other two angels wordlessly fell back to allow her center stage.

The Archangel, as radiant and gorgeous as the sun itself, stopped in front of Vivienne and drew her shining white sword.

"For dealing the final death blow to the Demon Lord, and in so doing proving yourself a hundred times over, I give you my own sword, Dawnbringer. Use it well."

"Thank you, Archangel," Vivienne said in amazement. She held the sword lovingly as she admired it. Then she stopped and looked up in puzzlement at Jae and Israel.

"What is it?" Jae whispered.

"Next to the sword's name in my inventory, it says 'Unique Weapon.'"

Israel frowned. "There are unique weapons too?"

Jae nodded in surprise, then raised a hand to tap the top of the bladed staff on his back.

"My staff, Starfire, is a Unique Weapon, though I'm not sure what that even means."

Before the three of them could contemplate any further, Alara spoke again.

"As I have promised, a portal to your world now lies in wait beyond the entrance doors to this chamber. Thank you, once again, for all that you have done."

Three beams of light descended slowly from the heavens, enveloping the angels.

Both Israel and Sara, shocked that the angels were actually leaving, moved forward in alarm.

"Wait!" Israel shouted. "You're leaving?"

The light faltered for a moment, and Alara gazed down at him.

"Of course."

Israel shared a glance with Sara. They both still had their red cursors.

"But, you can't!" Israel protested. "I am a red player, and so is she. We came here to have our cursors cleared to green again. We completed your Three Trials. I thought that-"

Alara cocked her head curiously at him. "Completing the Three Trials does not free you of what you are, nor did I ever claim that what you want would be the prize for doing so."

Israel was taken aback. He didn't know what to say. He hadn't voiced it, but he had been more than a little eager to become a green player again. He had been determined to do the quest solely for that reason. How could it all have been for nothing?"

Sara stepped forward. "Are you saying that there is no way for us to become green players again? There's no way you can help us?"

Alara paused. "I did not say that."

Israel glanced back up at the Archangel with renewed hope.

"Wait, so you know how to…?"

With a sigh, Alara glanced over her shoulder to Reyna and Fariel.

"You may both go. I will join you once I've attended to this."

Both angels nodded, then disappeared within the beams of white light as they sailed through the chamber, and vanished.

Alara turned her gaze back to Israel and Sara.

"If you wish to be seen as lawful mortals, then you must first meet the requirements. You must pass the test."

Israel hesitated. "Test?"

"Are you saying they haven't been through enough already?" Jae asked in disbelief. "If it wasn't for them, we would never have defeated Philariax. They deserve to be green players just as much as us."

Alara didn't take her eyes off Israel and Sara.

"This is a different matter entirely. If you wish to have your green cursors back, you must pass the test."

"What does this test consist of?" Sara asked.

"You must tell me your true names."

Israel frowned. "What does that mean?"

Alara regarded him with a cool expression. "It means exactly what it sounds like. If you can tell me your true names, I will return your green cursors to you. If not, you will remain red. It is as simple as that."

There was silence for a moment, and Israel and Sara glanced at each other in confusion as they contemplated Alara's words."

"So?" The angel asked.

Israel shrugged his shoulders. "Israel. My name is Israel."

Alara shook her head. "Your true name."

Israel considered that for a moment. "I am known by several names, if that is what you mean. Some call me the Spirit of Vengeance."

Again, Alara shook her head.

Reluctantly, Israel continued. "The Shadow of Death."

Another wrong guess.

"Phantom."

Alara gave him a questioning look, as if asking if he really thought that would be it.

Israel looked away from the angel's eyes. There was only one name left that he knew of, and it was the one he feared and disdained the most. If he said it, and Alara accepted it, it would prove true.

Still looking away, Israel gritted his teeth. "The Monster."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Alara consider it. At last, she shook her head.

"No."

Israel exhaled in quiet relief. He wasn't proud of the person he had been, the things he had done. To know at least that his true name- whatever that meant- wasn't a result of who he had been felt good. Yet, now he was out of names and no closer to the answer.

He looked to Jae and the others for help, but all they could do was offer apologetic shakes of their head. He glanced to Sara, and saw that she was watching him. Whether she was thinking about what her own true name was, or simply waiting for him to guess right first, he didn't know.

"Think of the solution," Jae suddenly said with a confidential nod.

"And not the problem…" Israel finished thoughtfully.

For the first time, he considered everything he knew about himself. Who was he?

He remembered who he had been. He had once been hot headed and rash, driven more by impulse and emotion than anything else. He had been young, and in many ways little more than a boy. Now, he knew he was different.

He was a man, fallible and flawed. He had experienced unimaginable pain, and had committed more than his fair share of unimaginable acts. He had loved, hated, feared, and cherished in the purest sense of each word. He had learned how to kill without thought, and, far more difficult, he had learned to abhor killing.

It was easy for someone to sit atop their moral high horse and say, 'killing is wrong.' In reality, those people had no idea what killing really was, what it meant, or why it happened. Israel had an intimate understanding of all three.

He had learned to overcome the very concept of physical pain, but it had been far more difficult to withstand it's mental and emotional aspects.

He had people around him who he loved, and who loved him. He had Sara, and he had Jae.

It occurred to Israel that he had always had Jae.

From the moment they had first met, Israel knew that they were bonded. At the time, he hadn't known how, or even understood the feeling. He knew that Jae had felt the same, and he knew that for as long as he lived, he would never trust anyone more.

They had often had fights. Even before Aincrad, Israel vaguely recalled the number of times they had ended up at each other's throats. As similar as they were in so many ways, and as fiercely as they cared for each other, they had each always maintained certain characteristics that for a long time seemed to repel off that of the other. It had taken them years to recognize that their differences brought balance, and in reality strengthened rather than repelled their bond. That, Israel realized, was part of the reason why, when they fought together, they fought as one.

In the end, their worst mistake had been abandoning each other. And yet, as true brothers always did, they had inevitably come back together.

Israel loved his brother. If it came down to it, he would die for him without hesitation. He knew that Jae felt the same way.

Israel blinked as realization washed over him. It was so simple, so obvious, he wondered why he had taken so long to figure it out.

He looked back up at Alara.

"Brother."

She batted an eyelash curiously. "What?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Israel saw Jae straighten as realization passed over his face as well.

"My true name," Israel said confidently, "It's Brother."

A sparkling smile creased the Archangel's perfect features. She dipped her head.

"Well done."

She turned to Sara, but before she could say anything, Sara raised a hand.

"There is no need to give me time to guess. I know my true name."

Israel's eyes widened in surprise. It sounded like Sara had had no difficulty at all in discerning her true name. Or perhaps, she had somehow known it all along.

Sara glanced at Israel beside her, and he saw the depth of emotion within her sky blue eyes. She smiled slightly.

"My true name is Love."

Israel was taken aback. He was shocked, but at the same time, it made sense. Sara was one of the kindest people he had ever met. All of her actions, even during her time as Potion Master to Laughing Coffin, had been based on her love- love for her son. During her time as his prisoner, she had fought him and risked torture out of love for the lives of red players she wanted to defend. After Israel revealed to her the truth of PoH's deceit, Sara had devoted herself to giving back to the green players she had unknowingly helped fight. Her love for people drove her to give them all that she knew to make.

And it was her love for Israel that had kept her by his side for so long, and through so much.

In reality, she truly was the embodiment of love, in the purest sense of the word.

Alara nodded slowly. "Well done." She glided towards them and raised a hand above both of their heads. "You have both passed the test. You are no longer stained with the blood of the past."

Israel felt a warm tingle seep down into his soul. Blinding light filled the room, and for a moment, he thought he was in paradise. Then Alara withdrew her hand, and the familiar light beams that the angels used to teleport flared to life around her.

"Go now humans," Alara said as she disappeared within the light. "Live, and know that you will forever have my gratitude."

And then she was gone, and the light faded into the air.

Israel looked up, and saw that both his and Sara's cursors were now green. It felt like a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and he smiled in relief.

No one spoke for a long moment.

"Come on," Israel finally said. He started out towards the entrance of the chamber where they had come in. Alara had said that that was where the portal was. "Time to go home."

The others fell in beside and around him, and there was no sound but for the soft thuds of their boots on the uneven stone floor.

Beside him, Jae scratched his jaw.

"Well, I must say, I had no idea you had so many names."

Israel rolled his eyes. "You're one to talk."

Meifan leaned in. "It could just be because it's the name I've heard most often, but I think, other than your actual name, Shadow of Death always suited you best. At least, it did back when you wore the cape and hood."

The others mumbled their agreement.

"It is the one I'm most used to," Israel admitted.

"Where did you come up with it anyway?" Jae asked.

Israel cleared his throat and looked straight ahead. "I got it from an old T.V. show."

Jae shook his head in disapproval. "I might've known. There's just never any creativity anymore. You couldn't even come up with an original name?"

Israel scoffed indignantly at his brother. "You're going to accuse me of not being creative? ' _Hero of Floor Twenty-Five_?' That's got to be the laziest title I've ever heard!"

Jae threw up his arms in protest. "That doesn't count! I didn't give myself that name. People just started saying it after I killed the Boss."

"After _we_ killed the Boss," Vivienne corrected with an annoyed shake of her head. She glanced to Meifan, Avari, and David behind her. "I swear, every time he tells that story there's less and less of us present during the fight."

Meifan and David nodded knowingly as they cast Jae dirty looks.

Jae's jaw dropped as he glanced around. "Now hold on a minute-"

"Next thing you know," Avari interrupted with a sad glance to Vivienne and the two men, "he'll end up saying he duelled the damn thing all by himself!"

Jae stared aghast at the others all teaming up against him, but before he could protest, Sara spoke up.

"You think that's bad?" She pointed a thumb over at Israel. "Our 'Shadow of Death' over here would have been kebabed on Xaxa's estoc ages ago if it wasn't for me."

"Or burned alive in a giant tree, as I hear it told," Avari chimed in.

"Exactly!" Sara rested a hand on her heart, as if she had been deeply wounded. "But do I get any recognition?"

The other shook their heads sorrowfully, as if this was a tale they knew only too well.

Though he had previously found the group's teasing of Jae to be quite funny, Israel now found his amusement replaced with shock and a need to defend himself.

"Sara, I highly doubt I ever said-"

"Two peas in a pod, those two are," Meifan grumbled.

David nodded knowingly. "All praise the two heroes, while the rest of us just sit back here quietly."

Israel and Jae drew closer together and glanced to each other as the rest of the group all began muttering their exaggerated laments.

"Just can't win," Israel muttered.

Jae sighed. "You said it."

…

Sara awoke to Israel's gentle touch.

It was dark in the room save for the thin rays of moonlight streaming in from the newly repaired window. Her room, located on the western side of the farmhouse, provided a perfect view of the stars and the moon. That had been part of the reason she had picked it.

Sara shivered in an involuntary attempt to shake off the last clinging remnants of dread from her dream. Strands of her silver hair lay in a mess around her face. She realized that she was sweating.

"It's alright," Israel said softly above her. He was sitting on the edge of the bed beside her, his fingers intertwined in hers. Though his voice was gentle and comforting, she could see the pain in his cobalt blue eyes.

He was worried about her.

Sara looked up at him, both in surprise that he was there, and in joy to see him safe and happy. She squeezed his hand, and silently wished that he would never let go.

"I heard you in my room," Israel explained. He reached out with his free hand and gently brushed her silver hair out of her face. "You were having a nightmare again. I'm sorry I woke you, but I couldn't stand to hear you afraid and hurting."

Sara swallowed past the bitter memory of the dream. She smiled up at him. "Thank you. I'm alright now." She really was.

Israel was silent for a moment as he stroked her hair. His own shoulder length blonde hair also looked somewhat disheveled, and tumbled down to cover the left side of his forehead. His eyes, as piercing and as dark blue as always, easily cut through the still darkness of the night. Every time she looked at them, Sara found those eyes as complex and mesmerizing as she had the first time she had ever seen them. In them, she saw his intelligence, his bravery, his quiet understanding.

She also saw unmistakable love and care.

"PoH will never hurt you again," Israel said into the darkness. She heard the sincerity in his words.

Sara looked down from his eyes.

"It's not for myself that I am afraid," she admitted. "My dreams aren't about him catching up to me." She glanced back up at him and squeezed his hand. "They're about him catching up to you."

Israel paused at that. "PoH won't hurt me, either."

"How can we know that?"

Israel gestured at the window. "His power is broken. He has no one left but himself."

"Which makes him all the more dangerous," Sara persisted. "And now that we know he's most likely a green player again-"

"The fact that he went to such lengths to become a green player again only means that he is desperate to melt away into some town, to be safe. All he can hope for now is to hide as best as he can, to survive. He knows that if he were to draw any attention to himself, it would be the end."

Sara opened her mouth to protest, but Israel quickly cut her off.

"I'm not saying he will never be a threat again. We both know PoH. One day, if he is not found, he will attempt to rise again. When that day comes, then we should worry. But," he waited until she met his gaze before he went on, "that day will not happen for a long time. Only when the Battle of Brakrun is forgotten and the old days of Laughing Coffin fade into myth will people again be tempted to follow him. Until then, and as long as the Assault Team lives on, PoH is nothing more than a shadow. He wouldn't dare risk vengeance until his time is right, and he has soldiers to do his bidding and protect him. And when he does finally decide to try his luck?" He gave her a warm, bold smile. "He won't stand a chance against all of us together."

Sara considered his words. Israel didn't know PoH as well as her, but he had a point. PoH was no fool, but he was ambitious; as long as Aincrad remained, he would want to bring back what he once had. A dream like that would be many years of careful hiding in the making. Furthermore, she had seen what Israel and Jae could do together, and she had seen the valor of the Assault Team when united against a common enemy.

PoH had been defeated at his strongest. What could he possibly do now, without Xaxa or Liam or any of his soldiers behind him, and with all the world fearful of ever going red again?

Sara smiled. Israel had a way of making her feel like everything would be alright. Allowing herself to relax, she sank back into her bed. "You're right. Thank you making me feel better. You're good at that."

Israel chuckled. "Not as good as you."

Sara suppressed a laugh.

"I'm serious," Israel affirmed.

He rubbed a thumb against the back of her hand. It was coarse against her skin- a result of his lifetime of swordsmanship- and a feeling with which she was familiar, and which wasn't unpleasant. In fact, she had on more than one occasion imagined his rough hands upon her.

"I'm always happier when you're near," he continued. "The world itself feels brighter when you smile, and when you're not around, Aincrad is a dark place indeed."

Sara was thankful for the dark just then, for she felt herself blush. She playfully swatted at his arm.

"I think you're exaggerating. You probably just feel bored when I'm not around because then you have no one left to talk to about the forests and leaves except for those dungeon crawlers sleeping below us."

Israel laughed. "Well, that too." His face grew more serious, and he held her hand more tightly. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Sara."

She felt her heart skip a beat. Without thought, she said, "Just as I wouldn't know what to do without you."

They looked at each other through the darkness. Sara could almost feel the electric currents passing from Israel's hand to hers. She loved holding his hand. She loved everything about him.

The room was suddenly starting to feel very hot.

Israel seemed to feel it too, for he suddenly removed his hand and made to stand up.

"I should let you get back to sleep."

Against her better judgement, and almost without realizing it, she reached out and caught his arm. Her heart fluttered nervously, but at that moment, she didn't care. She feared to test her voice right then, but she knew she would anyway. Steeling her resolve, she whispered, "Stay with me?"

Half sitting, half standing, Israel met her eyes without saying a word. The room, warm as it was, had fallen dead silent.

Sara appraised his eyes, desperate to know what he was thinking at that moment. She remembered all too well what had happened the last time she had asked him to be with her. His refusal, while as gentle and kind as he could have possibly made it, had cut her to the bone. That stinging pain had not been quick in fading, and she feared to feel it again. She knew that Naomi was the reason for his hesitation. She knew that-

Suddenly, slowly, Israel sat back down onto the bed. His unblinking eyes, and the iron look in them, sped the beating of her heart. He drew closer to her, lowering himself above her where she lay. Sara watched him come without moving, without speaking. The room was getting rapidly hotter, and all the thoughts and fears within her melted away.

The look in his eyes, at once both gentle and animalistic, impaled her with its power. Her breath quickened, and before she could stop it, she found herself pulling air in quick, open mouthed pants. Israel's air.

He was breathing quicker too, and everytime he exhaled, she drew in his warm breath for herself. That realization alone threatened to evaporate all sense of reason she still had. She hoped it would.

Powerful feelings surged through her as Israel drew ever closer, the length of his body brushing against hers, and she realized that she had never felt this relaxed, this safe, and this tense all at once.

Hovering just inches above her, with his hands to either side, Israel paused for just one more instant before suddenly wrapping a powerful hand at the back of her head, seizing a fistful of her silver hair, and pulling her into a fierce, passionate kiss.

The world dissolved around her.

Without thought, without reason, without restraint, Sara wrapped her own arms around Israel and kissed him back just as fiercely. His warm, wet, velvety soft lips against hers sent shockwaves of urgent need flashing violently through her. While one hand held his back, pushing him down lower so that she could feel him against her, the other raked through his thick blonde hair and pressed his head down, forcing him to kiss her even more deeply. Their tongues met, and Sara dimly felt herself shudder with pleasure and fervent longing.

Within seconds, Israel's free hand began roaming the front of her, his rough fingers giving her goosebumps as he pulled open her nightshirt and began touching her. Breaking away from their kiss, he lowered his head and began trailing wet kisses down her neck that sent small noises escaping from her lips. She ran her hands down the length of him, feeling the warm, hard muscles of his back, his chest, his stomach. When his mouth reached her hard nipples, she gasped, and her hands froze.

Time seemed to go by in a blur as they removed each other's clothes, and as soon as they were all off, Sara wrapped her legs tightly around Israel's sides. Her face flushed with burning desire and impatient need as he lowered himself onto her, and the two of them continued to feel the length of one another and feverishly kiss whatever they could until, at last, he directed himself inside her. They both gasped as they became one.

Just before they could go any further, Israel paused to look into her eyes.

"Sara. I love you."

It wasn't just some spur of the moment uttering driven by lust.

Even as she burned to feel him inside her, even as she pressed herself against him and arched her back in expectation, Sara both heard and felt the sincerity, the meaning, in his words.

It made her feel happier than she had ever been in her life.

"I love you too, Israel."


	133. Chapter 132

132

October 15th, 2024

Floor 70, Abandoned Farmhouse

The nearby sound of pounding hammers from outside the room, mingled with the distant buzz of talking and laughing people, slowly pulled Jae from his dreams. With his eyes still closed, he considered trying to go back to sleep. It was certainly tempting.

The bed, while hardly as massive or expensive as the one he and Vivienne had shared in Castellan Keep, was still wonderfully soft and comfortable. The blankets were warm and sheltering, and a stark contrast to the cold room still under the grip of nighttime chill. Jae knew that it wasn't really that cold- it was a common trick of the mind when first waking up- but that didn't make the idea of staying in bed any less preferable.

Furthermore, and perhaps most important of all, Vivienne was sleeping against him. The feel of her warm, soft skin against his, to say nothing of the slow, faint thumping sound of her beating heart, was even more wonderful than the comfortable bed and blankets combined. He heard her exhale, and her warm breath brushed against his cheek.

Jae quickly concluded that staying in bed was the way to go.

Still sleeping soundly, Vivienne drew a slow, steady breath. Jae felt the slightest press of her soft bosom against his shoulder. An idea took him instantly.

What better way to withdraw back into the land of dreams than with a fresh mental picture of the gorgeous and conveniently half naked woman beside him?

 _None at all Jae, none at all._

Without hesitation, Jae lustily opened his eyes.

And was immediately blinded by a painful blast of morning sunlight aimed directly at him.

With an involuntary curse under his breath, Jae jerked his face away from the light and snapped his eyes back shut.

Vivienne stirred at once, and he felt her warm skin leave his.

"Something the matter?" She asked sleepily.

Now wide awake, and a bit disappointed that Vivienne was no longer asleep in his embrace, Jae groaned and stuffed his head underneath his pillow.

"I hate the sun," he muttered.

"You mean that thing that gives us light and prevents the world from turning into a giant ball of ice, ending all life as we know it?" Vivienne yawned and laid her head down on his chest. "You're right, it's the worst."

Jae rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean." He lifted his pillow the slightest bit to catch her smirk, and was immediately struck a second time by the blinding light. He cursed again. "And since when does it come up on that side of the room?!"

Vivienne chuckled against his bare chest. "It's the mirror, Jae."

"The mirror?"

She nodded casually. "Yes. The same one that you moved to that side of the room in spite of my objections, if you recall. The glare from the sun is being reflected off it."

Ignoring her snark, Jae shifted his position and peaked out from the corner of his pillow. The tall, rectangular mirror- practically the only furnishing besides their bed in the entire room- was standing at the foot of the bed, with a sharp glare of sunlight refracting off it's glass surface.

With a sigh, Jae retreated back behind the protection of his pillow, scooted down, and laid it over Vivienne's head too.

With their faces inches apart, Jae gave her his best pleading look. "Can you move it, please?"

"Why, so you can go back to sleep?"

He glanced down at her lips and shrugged. "Among other things."

"Tempting." Vivienne thought it over a moment, then shook her head. "But we have a bad habit of staying in bed too long, already."

Jae nodded. "We have our reasons."

"To be sure, but it sounds like the others are already hard at work out there. Come on. You know we have to get up and help."

With a groan, Jae nodded. "Yes, but I was hoping I could get you to keep me here."

Grinning, Vivienne leaned forward and kissed him.

"I'll make it up to you later," she promised.

"I'm going to hold you to that."

Blinking the last of the sleep out of his eyes, Jae at last removed the pillow and, careful not to stare directly into the mirror again, sat up. On the opposite side of the bed, Vivienne did the same and began tying her thick auburn hair back into a ponytail.

Rising to his feet as he listened to the sound of hammers pounding home and wood being sawn outside, Jae opened his menu to put on a shirt. He noticed the Message Received symbol at the top by his name and level, and saw that it was from Heathcliff. Curious, he opened it.

 _The last of the materials just came in, but we'll need at least an hour to install it._

Jae frowned in confusion for a moment, then quickly closed the message and grinned excitedly as remembrance washed over him.

She was going to love it.

He wondered how he could distract her for an hour without raising any suspicions.

Throwing on a leather tunic over a simple long sleeved shirt made from blue wool, Jae closed his menu and was about to sidle over to the mirror to move it when he saw Vivienne, half naked and with her long, brown hair cascading around her in a tangled mess, already doing exactly that. Clutching the corners of the tall mirror carefully in her hands, she backed up several steps and placed it back down in the left hand corner of the room. The glare from the sun left it's glassy surface.

Vivienne glanced around with a an exaggerated wave of her hands at the empty room.

"Place looks completely different, now."

"I never knew there was so much space in here," Jae played along.

Vivienne laughed before shaking her head. "This room is in bad need of some furniture. And a little decor wouldn't hurt either. Place looks like a college dorm."

Though her words were spoken in amusement more than anything else, Jae knew that she really did want to fill their room at some point. She didn't like how bare and plain it was, and wanted to feel more at home. He considered Heathcliff's message, and smiled as an idea came to him.

"Then why don't we head into town and buy some furniture?"

Vivienne turned to him in surprise. "Now?"

"Well, breakfast first of course. But afterwards, why not?"

She hesitated. "Well, I mean of course I want to get it done, but what about everyone working on the cabins out in the clearing?"

Jae brushed the question off with a wave of his hand. "We won't be all day. We'll go into town, see what they've got, and come back. I know how badly you want this room finished. If we keep putting it off, we'll never get it done."

Vivienne nodded thoughtfully, then broke into an excited grin. "Alright then. Today."

After finishing getting dressed, the two of them made their way out of the room and down the now beautifully repaired and rustic hall leading to the kitchen and living room. The wooden floor was even and polished, while the painted walls- now absent all stains and cracks- shined bright blue.

Just as Jae and Vivienne were reaching the end of the hall, they heard a loud bang erupt within the living room, followed by the sound of coughing and laughter.

Stepping into the living room, Jae was first greeted by a comforting warmth from the crackling fire against the wall. He saw Sara and Israel sitting opposite each other at the long table, both with plates of eggs and bacon pushed aside out of the way. On the table between them sat a small cauldron and various vials, bowls, and strange tools that Jae recognized as Sara's potion making equipment. A cloud of black smoke hung in the air around Israel, whose face was black with soot. As he coughed, Sara, who appeared to be trying to stop herself, was caught in a fit of laughter.

"I tried to, tried to warn you," Sara managed in between bouts.

"Tried to kill me, more like," Israel sputtered, though he was grinning helplessly.

"You two trying trying to blow up the house?" Jae asked as he and Vivienne walked over to the table.

Both Israel and Sara glanced over in surprise.

"You're awake!" Israel declared through his soot covered face. "Perfect timing. Sara and I made you both breakfast." He gestured with a hand at one of the plates of eggs and bacon beside him.

Expressing their thanks, Jae sat down beside Israel while Vivienne made her way around to Sara's side of the table.

Seizing up a fork, Jae eagerly cut a large piece off one of his eggs, impaled a half slice of bacon along with it, and took a hungry bite. It was delicious.

"So," Jae said as he chewed and waved his fork at Israel's face, "What's all this about?"

Israel heaved a sigh as he cast a glance in Sara's direction. "Allow me to tell you a tale, Jae. A tale of intrigue, sabotage, and treachery."

Sara broke out into laughter again and, picking up a napkin, began cleaning off Israel's blackened mouth to shut him up as she picked up the thread of his narrative.

"I was sitting here making some more potions for our stores, minding my own business and not disturbing anyone, when your brother decided to come in and help. He's never been much good at potions, and I tried to tell him that I was working on something a bit beyond his skill level, but he wouldn't back down. So, I let him take over." She gestured at Israel's face with a concluding sweep of her hand. "The result stands before you."

Israel's blackened eyebrows went up, and he pushed away the hand wiping at his mouth in protest.

"I'll have you know I've succeeded at that potion several times in the past. There was no way it would explode like that unless it was tampered with! Subterfuge, I tell you!"

Sara shook her head with a sigh. "Israel, it's alright to make mistakes, you know. No one's perfect."

Israel sputtered in disbelief, but before he could form a reply, Sara was again wiping at his mouth with the napkin. She turned to smile at Jae and Vivienne.

"Anyway, what do you two have planned for today? The others are all out in the clearing, helping with the last of the cabins, but the work is almost done." She snapped her fingers. "Oh yes, Heathcliff asked for you when you're done with breakfast."

Feigning ignorance, Jae nodded casually as he took another bite. "Probably just got another load of materials in and wants to let me know what we have. Vivienne and I are about to take a quick trip into town to get some things for our room, but I'll talk to him before we leave. Is Thinker here today?"

Sara shook her head. "None of his men either."

Jae nodded again. He had expected the answer.

Thinker had been coming by less and less often over the past two weeks or so, and in the last four days they hadn't seen him at all. It wasn't surprising though; Thinker was a Guild Leader after all, and one in the middle of tense internal troubles within the Army thanks to Kibaou. Jae knew all too well the responsibilities of such a position, and the lack of free time it allowed.

"If I were Thinker," said Israel, "I'd just leave the Army. Who in their right mind would want to deal with Kibaou and his idiot followers every day?"

"You have to remember that the Army was Thinker's guild first," said Vivienne. "Kibaou and his original group of followers were the Aincrad Liberation Squad, on the frontlines, until they melded with Thinker."

"I bet Thinker regrets that decision these days," Israel muttered.

Jae nodded. "I have no doubt he does, but Vivienne is right. If I were in Thinker's place, I'd never abandon the guild I created to Kibaou of all people. I'd fight to keep it as it was, and that's what he is doing. I don't envy his position, but I admire his determination."

Israel nodded in agreement, and Jae and Vivienne returned to their meals in thoughtful silence. Taking Sara's hand, Israel made to take the napkin from her to finish cleaning his face, but she waved his hand away goodnaturedly and kept at it herself.

"So, you said you plan on heading into town?" Israel asked after a moment.

Jae nodded. "It's long past time we got our room furnished. It's bare as bones right now. Anything you two need while we're there?"

Israel shook his head, but Sara said, "Well, the farmhouse as a whole is short on silverware and dishes, if you get the time."

"Should be easy enough to get." Jae took another bite. "We'll add them to the list."

After finishing up breakfast and cleaning their plates in the kitchen sink, Jae and Vivienne equipped their weapons and made for the door. Jae doubted they would have need of them as it would only be a short walk down the main road before they reached a Teleport Gate that could get them the rest of the way, but it was foolish not to be prepared for anything.

Holding the door open for Vivienne, Jae waited for her to go first. Right as he was about to step out himself, he heard Israel ask Sara, "Did I really mess up the potion that badly?"

Sara shrugged innocently. "I suppose I may have accidentally slipped a bad ingredient in, but who can say for sure?"

"What!" Israel pointed an accusing finger at her. "I knew it! I knew you were behind-"

With a mischievous grin, Sara leaned forward over the table and kissed him before he could say anything more. Aside from the area around his lips, the rest of his face was still black with soot, but she didn't seem to mind.

With a roll of his eyes and a helpless grin, Jae strode out and closed the door behind him.

He was happy those two were together. He was happy for his brother.

Falling in beside Vivienne, Jae was greeted first by a crisp, cool morning breeze that carried with it the smell of autumn. In the distance, out around the clearing, the now red and orange trees rustled peacefully in the light wind. It was a cloudy day, but some rays of sunlight still managed to shine down and brighten the earth below, adding to the distinct hue of fall.

Within the clearing, the whole area was abuzz with activity and noise. A few dozen small log cabins were nestled around the perimeter on either side of the farmhouse and across the clearing, deliberately positioned so as to leave a large swathe of the center of the field clear and usable. Smoke was rising from many of the finished cabins, but it wasn't around them that the noise and work was coming from. Two or three of the wooden huts were still under various stages of construction, with one nearly finished while another was still little more than four beams making up the corners.

Dozens of people were gathered around these final incomplete cabins, all hard at work even as they talked, laughed, and helped each other. Jae recognized nearly every one of them.

Working stations had been created around each cabin, and there men and women could be seen hauling in freshly cut and trimmed lumber while others sawed and shaped it for use. Once the wood was ready to be applied, a small group would drag it over to the cabins, where yet more people were already hard at work building with hammers in their hands and nails in their mouths as they stood atop ladders or sat in hanging seats of rope. Some men, including Meifan and David, were working on the rooftops, layering bundles of thatch and sheets of wood for added insulation and protection from the weather.

As Jae and Vivienne approached the cabins, they spotted Retarin, no longer wearing his Officer uniform, hauling long, heavy beams of raw timber alongside Avari and five others whom Jae knew had also been HDA members. Retarin and Avari quickly caught sight of them, and after a quick word to her and the others, Retarin released the beams and detached himself from the rest of the group. After a quick wave of casual greeting from Avari, she and the others continued on their way.

"Second in Command, Officer Vivienne," Retarin said with a smile as he approached, "Good morning to you both."

Jae considered reminding Retarin that they were no longer in the HDA, and thus had no ranks or titles, but decided to let it be. He had already said as much at least once or twice a day ever since he and the others had decided to let Retarin and the rest of the HDA members with him come live in the clearing, to no avail. It seemed that no matter how many times Jae reminded them, they would always consider him their Second in Command, and Vivienne as an Officer.

"How are things coming today?" Jae asked.

"We're nearly finished now," Retarin answered cheerfully. "It's taken work, and there's still a day or two to go, but once these last few cabins are up, there'll be no more need for me to sleepover at Taylor's place." He glanced up at the sky, as if taken with a thought. "In fact, if the weather holds like this for the rest of the day, and provided Heathcliff's Knights of the Blood-Oath don't leave early, we might even be able to finish by sunset."

"Sounds good," Jae replied, "Vivienne and I will help out as well just as as soon as we return from Garnet."

"You're heading into town?" Retarin turned and pointed back at one of the men sawing off some wood by the closest cabin. "Nathan there has been writing down the final list of materials we might need a bit more of to keep working for the rest of the day. Nails and thatch and the like. Could you take it with you before you go? It would be a great help."

Out of the corner of his eye, Jae suddenly spotted Heathcliff gesturing at him from around the corner of one of the other cabins.

 _Probably something about the glass._

"Go ahead and grab the list," Jae said, returning his attention to Vivienne. "I forgot something back at the house. I'll run and get it."

"Alright." Vivienne pointed ahead past the cabins. "I'll wait by the path in the clearing for you."

With a nod, Jae turned and started walking back. After going a few feet, he glanced over his shoulder to be sure that Vivienne was no longer paying attention to him. As she and Retarin walked away to retrieve the list, Jae turned and quickly made his way to Heathcliff.

"Did you read my message?" Heathcliff asked once he had made it around the corner of the cabin.

Jae nodded. "You're sure you have everything? It's quite a process from what I'm told."

A wry grin creased the KoB Commander's mature features. "I made sure. That's why it took so long coming. We have everything we need, but, as I said in the message, it will take some time. We can't work on it and keep it a surprise if Vivienne is right here the whole time."

"Already handled," Jae replied. "I'm taking her into town so that we can get some furnishings for the room. If I know anything about women, that should buy you more than enough time."

Heathcliff chuckled. "Good thinking. You have my word, it will be done by the time you get back."

"Thank you." Jae smiled and clasped the older man's hand. "I can't wait to see her face."

After quickly discussing some final details, Jae went back around the cabin and made his way towards the clearing where Vivienne was waiting. Here and there as he went he had to dodge people hauling twelve foot long beams or others running by with great stalks of thatch. He wound his way past crafting tables and workstations, as well as several piles of timber still oozing with sap, and nearly every step of the way, he was greeted enthusiastically as Second in Command by someone.

As hesitant as he had first been about allowing all those HDA members to quit the guild and come live in the clearing, Jae was happy with the decision. He hadn't even realized how much he had missed life in Castellan Keep, with all the people he had come to consider his friends and allies within it's polished stone walls and roaring hearths, until their familiar faces and close knit attitude surrounded him again. As happy as he was in simply living with his wife, his brother, and the rest of his family, the return of so many whom he had known within the HDA was, in a way, like bringing a piece of guild life back to reality.

Furthermore, Retarin and the others had been right: there was strength in numbers, and now that there was nearly an entire village worth of players- retired Assault Team veterans to boot- they were all of them much safer than they would have otherwise been. Now, if someone like Lind, Kibaou, or even PoH wanted revenge against him or those he loved, they would find themselves facing a small army in the process.

Granted, that strength had led to the Farmhouse no longer being hidden, but Jae, and even Israel, believed it was a worthwhile exchange. Sooner or later, someone would have discovered their whereabouts. This way, at least, they had gained a great deal of protection and allies in the exchange. Plus, now that they were no longer trying to remain hidden, traveling to the nearby towns was finally a possibility again. There weren't any large cities on Floor Seventy, but the well established villages and towns dotting the region provided more than enough options for commerce and trade.

As he neared the end of the clearing, Jae spotted Vivienne waiting for him by the opening in the trees that led out to the main road. A man made track had already been created in the breach as a result of the people and wagons that had passed through countless times in the last few weeks, making a sort of unofficial side road.

"What did you forget?" Vivienne asked as he fell in beside her and they started walking.

"Forget?" Jae blinked. "Oh, I just went back to get some more Col from Israel. We're going to need it if we're going shopping for everyone."

Vivienne nodded casually, then said, "Israel seems to have more money than all of us combined. I know he used to loot the Laughing Coffin camps and outposts back during the height of their strength, but sometimes it seems like he has an unlimited amount of Col. Even stranger, he doesn't seem to care at all that he has so much. I think that half the time he doesn't even remember having such wealth."

Jae chuckled knowingly. "That's Israel for you. He's never been a very materialistic person. Although," he added, "I did notice he's been buying quite a lot for his and Sara's room. Mostly for her, but still. She'll set him straight in no time."

Vivienne laughed at that. The breeze picked up a bit as they continued on, and she tucked a strand of her brown hair behind an ear. "I'm glad he and Sara are together. I always thought they were good for one another. They seem happier this way, as well."

"I agree. Out of everyone in the world, I don't think anyone would be as well suited for my crazy brother as Sara. Hell, she loves nature nearly as much as he does. Have you seen them when they go and walk the woods sometimes? They spend hours in there. It's unfathomable."

Vivienne nodded. "My thoughts exactly. I'll take a dungeon full of mobs and traps over spiderwebs and mosquitos any day." She paused, then glanced up at him curiously. "Has he always been like that? A nature lover?"

"As long as I can remember."

"And what about you? Did you never share that interest? From the stories I've heard, it sounds like you and him were almost always together in the real world."

Jae frowned as he tried to recall such times. Life before Aincrad, now a strange and distant concept, had long ago devolved into mere fragments of hazy memories. On the rare occasion that he tried to reach for those memories, more would usually come back to him, but it often took time and much concentration.

While he had an especially difficult time recalling memories that weren't linked to Aincrad though, it was somewhat easier to remember things that included the people he was with now, Israel most of all.

"I spent a lot of time out in the woods and fields with him," he said as the past slowly returned to him, "but for different reasons. At the time, I didn't have the love I have now for castles and cities and crowded halls, but I still didn't share his level of enthusiasm for nature. Where he saw beauty and tranquility, I saw obstacles to overcome, such as a river to ford or a steep hill to climb. I wanted to explore, to conquer in a sense. Israel though," Jae shook his head to himself as he smiled. "My brother could do nothing but stare at a leaf all day and consider it a fascinating adventure."

Vivienne laughed. "I believe that." She paused. "For all your differences though, it's easy to tell you two are brothers. You balance each other out, and that balance makes both of you better men."

She continued on, and Jae paused to reflect on that simple, yet deeply meaningful truth.

They soon exited the path through the trees and made their way north along the main road. Many of the cobblestones were loose and uneven, threatening a twisted ankle to anyone unwary, and here and there weeds sprang up defiantly among the stones. It was obvious that this part of the world of Aincrad was less settled than the other areas, and had more of a wild streak to it.

After around ten minutes of walking, they reached the local Teleport Gate positioned along an overgrown intersection of the road. The nearest town, Garnet, was easily another two hours walk north, but this way they could be there and back in an hour or less, depending on how busy things were within the town.

Stepping up onto the slightly raised platform containing the Teleport Gate, Jae and Vivienne uttered the words and then watched the world dissolve before their eyes. A universe of white light sparkled to life around him, but before Jae could even begin to examine or appreciate the wondrous place through which he was being transported, the light faded and the world again returned to view.

The second Jae opened his eyes, he and Vivienne were greeted by a wave of bizarre pandemonium.

They were standing in the center of a tiny courtyard packed with around twenty people shouting in panic and all but trampling over each other as they made for the Teleport Gate. The air around the people was filled with pixelated shards, but Jae didn't see anyone losing health or being hurt. Even stranger, each and every person in the small, panicked, chaotic crowd was at least half naked, with several missing all of their clothes entirely. Neither men nor women seemed concerned about their lack of covering, but all looked utterly terrified as they scrambled for the Teleport Gate that Jae and Vivienne were in.

Blinking in wordless shock, Jae quickly got hold of himself and was about tell Vivienne to teleport out when both of them were forced aside and off the steps by the mad crowd.

More pixelated shards filled the air around the frightened players, and Jae instinctively reached for Starfire at his back. Twirling the weapon into his hands as Vivienne drew her angel blade, Dawnbringer, he screened the area for the threat.

 _It makes no sense. Towns are safe zones. What could possibly be hurting people here?_

Again Jae examined the health bars of the remaining half naked men and women running for the Teleport Gate, and again he saw that none of them were being dealt damage. As he watched, he saw a screaming woman's top explode into pixelated shards, exposing her black bra underneath just as she disappeared inside the portal. Right behind her, a man without pants lost his underwear. Pixelated shards rose around him, and then he too hastily teleported himself away through the portal.

Further away from the courtyard, NPCs too were dashing madly through the dirt streets of the town as their armor and clothing disintegrated. Others, simple AIs that had been programmed with even less awareness than standard NPCs and were used primarily as bodies to add immersion and life to towns, simply walked aimlessly through the panic ridden streets, unaware that their own clothes were also exploding into shards.

Neither Jae nor Vivienne had any idea what to do.

"What in the fu-"

Before Jae could finish his sentence, his leather tunic shattered into pixelated shards.


	134. Chapter 133

133

October 18th, 2024

Floor 70, Garnet

"Jae!" Vivienne shouted in alarm.

"I'm alright!" he assured her. He checked his health to make sure that nothing was hurting him, and a second later his blue shirt exploded into shards right after his leather tunic, leaving him bare chested.

"What the hell is going on?" Vivienne glanced around at the town that had only moments ago been the center of complete chaos. Most of the players were now gone, but NPCs were still running through the streets in confusion or walking along as if nothing was wrong. Nearly all of them were naked.

Checking his equipment, Jae blinked in disbelief as he saw everything he was wearing, including Starfire on his back, rapidly losing all durability. His pants shattered apart, and without hesitation he unequipped Starfire and removed it back to his inventory, silently praying that that would stop the durability loss.

Vivienne saw his health wasn't depleting, but she still looked worried. Jae was about to tell her to unequip her sword when he realized that none of her clothes had shattered apart.

"What do we do?" She asked.

Now wearing nothing more than his boots and underwear, Jae made for the Teleport Gate. "Come on. I don't know what's going on, but we need to get out of here. This could be some kind of event."

"Stop!" Someone shouted.

Jae and Vivienne turned and saw an older man with long, greying hair running towards them, naked as the day he was born. Thankfully, his hands covered his groin, but Jae still wanted to look away.

"You can't go!" the old man shouted. "You'll spread it! I tried to stop the others, but they won't listen to me and most have already teleported out of town! Don't make it any worse!"

Vivienne, who was having a hard time looking at the player herself, placed herself protectively in front of Jae.

"What the hell are you talking about? What's wrong with this town?"

Jae opened his mouth to ask a similar question, but just then he felt his underwear and boots go. Feeling his face go red, Jae threw his hands down to cover himself. Vivienne glanced over her shoulder, and he knew by her face that he looked as absurd as the old man before them. He turned sideways and hunched over in embarrassment.

The old man glanced briefly at Jae before turning an increasingly surprised look Vivienne's way.

"You're...you're not losing your gear. How is that-"

"Answer my question!" Vivienne shouted angrily. "What's going on? Why are you telling us not to teleport out?"

The elderly player lifted a hand as a gesture of surrender. Jae prayed he would leave the other where it was.

"Because if you go," he pointed at Jae, "he'll bring the plague back with him and spread it to wherever it is you live!"

"Plague?" At that moment, Jae wished he had never let Vivienne get him out of bed. "What plague?"

"I'm not sure," the old man admitted. "To be honest with you, I don't know if it even is a plague, in that sense, but I saw it spread from person to person in our town. It didn't hurt anyone, but it seems to target worn equipment like gear and clothes. It reminded me of a plague."

"How did it start?" Vivienne asked. "How do you know that it spreads? This town was completely fine a week ago. Whatever it is, it looks to have just happened."

"Yes," the man nodded, "It started not ten minutes ago. I was right here, on my way to teleport to the Town of Beginnings to sell some goods, when an Assault Team member appeared. He looked worried, and much of his armor was already missing when he jumped down off the platform and started running through the street. As he ran, I saw him losing more and more of his armor and clothes, and wherever he went, everyone near him started losing their equipment as well. He was never within five feet of me, but it seemed to be enough, for I caught whatever it was. Since I was the only one who saw how it started, I tried to calm people down when panic set in a moment later. I tried to tell them not to leave town, that whatever it was was spreadable, but most of the players who live here aren't listening to me. They thought that some kind of event or glitch had just been activated throughout all of Garnet. Wherever they go, they'll bring that Assault Team member's plague with them and wreak havoc!"

Jae noticed his mouth was agape, and quickly closed it. He was having trouble understanding everything clearly. This was the most bizarre thing he had ever heard. The chill morning air picked up into a breeze, biting into his naked flesh and making him shiver. He felt humiliated and completely vulnerable.

Vivienne, who looked to have calmed down some, sheathed her sword and glanced around as she considered. She looked back at Jae, then at the old man.

"You're saying that an Assault Team member had this...effect...when he came through the portal, and that he started running through town the moment he arrived?"

The old man nodded the affirmative.

"What guild was he from?" Jae asked over Vivienne's shoulder. "And why would he come here?"

"I don't know for sure what guild," the old man admitted, "Legend Braves, I think. But I do know that he lives here. This town is his home."

"How do you know that?"

"Because I live here too. I don't know him much, but I've seen him often enough. He owns a house down by the edge of town."

There was silence for a moment. Jae shivered as he tried to run the possibilities through his mind. Vivienne heard him and opened her menu to retrieve a winter cloak and hand it to him. The moment he caught hold of it and wrapped it around himself, Jae checked it's durability and saw that it was already depleting.

"We have to find this Assault Team member," Vivienne said quietly to him. "Figure out what in Aincrad he just started. If he did it on purpose, he probably knows how to undo it."

"If he did it on purpose, he may not want to tell us how."

Vivienne rested a hand on the hilt of the angel blade at her side. "Good thing I have a sword, and that I'm not naked. I can do the talking."

Jae forced aside his bitterness that she was immune to whatever had destroyed his clothes and glanced to the old man. "Do you know where his house is?"

The player nodded. "I'll take you to it."

He turned to head off, and both Jae and Vivienne had to glance away from his backside as they followed. Within a few steps, the cloak Vivienne had given him shattered apart into shards, and he was again naked.

Vivienne glanced over her shoulder at him covering himself and hunching as he walked, and he could've sworn he saw amusement in her green eyes.

In an effort to take his mind off his utterly embarrassing condition, Jae kept a careful eye out for any sign of the man they were after. He knew well every guild within the Assault Team, from their armor designs to color patterns to even their banners. The Legend Braves weren't particularly important; they were a small, inconsequential guild that, while starting out as independent, had ended up becoming unofficial vassals of a sort to the Knights of the Blood-Oath some time ago as a result of their crippling bankruptcy. Jae had never known if the Legend Braves had an HQ, but he wasn't surprised that one of them lived in such an unassuming village.

Garnet was a small town made up of a mere hundred or so buildings, most of which were wattle and daub houses that were separated and cordoned off into clusters by a worn dirt street that split off into many different directions before joining with itself again at some place or another. Several courtyards devoted to marketplace trade stood at key points throughout the town, each filled to the brim with countless stands and open roofed shops, along with the odd stationary wagon turned bazaar.

Scanning the area as they walked through the town, Jae caught sight of a nameless NPC walking towards them from the opposite side of the road. She was completely naked but didn't even seem to register that fact as she drew near. She was also quite attractive, and had a very...feminine body.

 _Who knew Kayaba put such detail into even the soulless village AIs._

As the naked AI girl wandered aimlessly past, Vivienne glanced back over her shoulder at Jae. Tearing his eyes immediately from the sight, he nonetheless received a silent scowl underneath a raised eyebrow.

Jae cleared his throat and focused his attention on the naked old man leading them quickly ahead.

"Is there anyone else in town who hasn't been affected by whatever is going on?"

The man shook his head and glanced back at Vivienne. "None. She's the only person I've seen still dressed. Even the NPCs were affected, so I have no idea."

"I guess it's your lucky day," Jae muttered at Vivienne under his breath.

She smirked at him in amusement. "Do you want me to throw you some more clothes?"

"What kind of clothes?"

"The female kind. I keep a few changes on me."

Biting back a flippant retort, Jae shook his head. "It'll just lose it's durability."

They crossed the length of the town quickly, and every time they ran across another player, Jae felt all the more embarrassed and helpless. This was truly not his day.

"This is the place," the old man said as he stopped in front of a modest wood and stone house. The front door was ajar, and Jae could see a bookshelf and a small part of the kitchen within.

"Thank you," Jae said.

"I think you should go back to the Teleport Gate," Vivienne told the old man without looking directly at him, "to warn people not to travel to different towns just yet. We need to contain this as best we can until my husband and I figure out what's going on."

With a nod, the naked old man gave Jae a sympathetic look before shuffling off down the road. Without hesitation, and with a hand on her sword, Vivienne pushed her way inside. Jae followed.

The house, while small and humble on the outside, revealed itself at once to be colorful, comfortable, and well organized within. A slowly dying fire crackled wearily in the hearth, basking the living room in a faint, warm glow. Bookshelves and portraits adorned the walls, a brown rug covered the floor, and a single long, comfortable looking couch faced the fire. Light blankets, recently slept in, hung off the end of the couch and trailed to the ground. Naked as he was, Jae was glad to be out of the open and no longer shivering.

The kitchen stood to the right of the living room, but a quick glance was all that was needed to see that no one was hiding there. A half cut loaf of bread lay on a wood cutter atop the counter, but other than that, the room was quite clear and clean.

Vivienne moved down the hall, and Jae followed closely behind. He found it deeply unsettling that his wife was the one leading the way into potential danger or a trap while he slunk behind in silent shame, relying on her to protect him.

After quickly checking a bathroom and the player's bedroom, Vivienne and Jae spotted a back door at the end of the hall. It was open, and footsteps could clearly be seen in the dirt outside before disappearing within the edges of the small forest just beyond. Jae cursed under his breath.

"We have to go after him," Vivienne said.

"Wait." Jae waited until she turned to face him. "I can't go running into a forest like this, Viv."

She smirked at him. "Why not? You've got nothing to be ashamed of, believe me."

Jae rolled his eyes. "I'm glad you're able to find some amusement out of this, but there are more important things, like my life, on the line. Without any weapons or armor, how am I supposed to fight?"

"Are you suggesting we give up on trying to find the player who started this?"

Jae shook his head. "You aren't affected, so you can keep going. I'll go back to the farmhouse, grab some simple weapons and clothing that we won't miss, and come back to-"

Vivienne shook her head. "Did you forget what that old man said? If you go back home, you could very well end up spreading this effect to everyone else. You have to stay here."

"And do what? Continue cupping my shrunken balls?"

She suppressed a laugh. "Just stay behind me. I'll protect you, alright? When we catch up to this guy and get some answers, you'll be the first the effect is removed from."

Jae threw up a free hand. "And what if he's teleported out to who knows where by the time we get to the end of his tracks?"

"We have to find him first, don't we?" Vivienne shouldered her way out the back door. "Come on."

Gritting his teeth, Jae reluctantly followed her out.

"You're enjoying this," he muttered.

Vivienne chuckled but said nothing as they entered the wall of trees making up the forest edge.

Though they weren't much good as trackers, Israel had taught both Jae and Vivienne a bit about trails and how to discern land that had been disturbed over the past few weeks. That basic knowledge, together with the fact that the player they were tracking had all but crashed through the trees in desperation, kept them from going astray.

The woods had turned an autumn reddish-orange, and much of the forest floor was littered with fallen leaves. Occasionally as they ambled past pines and through low hanging ferns, Vivienne had to stop and brush aside small piles of them to get a look at the trail. More than once, Jae stubbed his naked feet on hidden rocks or pinecones beneath the leaves. He cursed in annoyance and pain, and before long found himself muttering in agitation at his terrible luck.

This truly wasn't his day.

As they made their way deeper into the woods, the fallen autumn leaves thickened into a blanket that covered the forest floor, making it more and more difficult to keep following the tracks. Just as they arrived at the end of the trail, they stumbled upon a small group of six players standing in a semicircle and leaning casually on their weapons. Jae guessed they were a party farming a particular monster spawn point and were currently waiting for the respawn.

The moment Vivienne and Jae came into their view, the players- two of whom were females- straightened in shock. All eyes went immediately to Jae, who felt his face turn crimson as he made even more of an effort to cover himself. The two women glanced quickly away with faces twisted in horror.

"This is the worst day of my life," Jae mumbled quietly to himself.

Vivienne cleared her throat. "Excuse me, did any of you happen to see a man running through here a few moments ago? We believe he's a member of the Legend Braves, and he may or not be naked."

The group glanced back to Jae, then nodded simultaneously. Clearly, the image had been imprinted in their brains.

"We saw him running through the woods," one of the men explained. "He didn't even seem to notice us and ran right by like we weren't there."

"He looked pretty worried though," another of the young men added. He pointed to the left. "He went that way."

Thanking them, Vivienne took off at a run, and Jae hurried to keep up and get out of the awkward situation.

They continued past some oak trees with branches already bare and came upon a small stream. Crossing it, they were just about to delve deeper into the woods when Jae saw a naked man with short brown hair at the edge of the stream, sitting on it's mossy banks and looking panicked as he searched his inventory. Clutching Vivienne's shoulder, Jae gestured ahead.

Taking her place in front of Jae, she started forward. He felt like a damsel in distress.

The young man, who looked to be in his late teens or early twenties, spotted them almost immediately and jerked back.

"Stay away!" He warned. "If you get too close to me, you'll-"

He paused as soon as he saw Jae, and his fearful look transformed to one of confusion as he looked between him and Vivienne. "How are you not-"

"What's going on in Garnet?" Vivienne asked firmly. She didn't draw her sword, but she kept her hand on the golden hilt. "What did you cause, and why are you sitting here?"

"I'm trying to keep the effect from spreading!" The young man said quickly. "I came here so that no one else catches it."

"Where did it come from?" Jae asked. "We heard you came through the Teleport Gate with it already on you."

The man nodded. "I'll explain...but only if you promise to escort me to Lake Trisimene on Floor Seventy-Two."

Jae and Vivienne both glanced briefly at each other.

"Why?" Vivienne asked.

"Because that lake is supposed to be able to remove negative effects."

Jae straightened. "It'll fix the durability problem with our gear?"

"I don't know for sure, but it stands to reason that it would work."

"First explain what happened to you, and what started the effect," Vivienne told him in a softer tone. "What's your name?"

"Morwin." He nodded at her thankfully. "I'm a member of an Assault Team guild known as the Legend Braves. We were helping a detachment of the Knights of the Blood-Oath take on a Field Boss on Floor Seventy-Three. It's not incredibly dangerous, and our numbers were more than enough to bring it down to fifty percent HP without much difficulty, but after that, it started spitting out some kind of area of effect acid that eats away at all worn equipment and gear. We were warned about this ability by our info brokers beforehand, so we knew what to expect. The acid is automatically carried through the air to anyone nearby, making it spreadable. Fortunately, spitting the acid is also a slow ability with a long animation, so we evaded it every time. That is, until it got me caught up in it."

Vivienne blinked and glanced to Jae. "That explains why my gear wasn't affected."

"How?"

"My boots."

Jae frowned. "What?"

With a hand, Vivienne tapped her left boot to get him to look at it. "Don't you remember? I got these from the Floor Fifty-Five Boss fight. The legendary Boots of Zakar. Their ability was that-"

"The durability of all equipped items is set to unlimited," Jae finished as the memory returned to him. He met her eyes. "At the time, we all thought it was a pretty useless ability considering durability is rarely ever a problem and it was always better to get gear with combat advantages."

Vivienne nodded. "I only kept them because of the base stats they gave, and planned on replacing them the moment I got better boots. Seems today really is my lucky day."

Morwin, who looked angry with himself and taken with his own thoughts, continued as though he hadn't heard them. "I made a stupid mistake. I failed to evade the acid in time, and though it didn't hurt or damage my health bar, my worn equipment immediately began degrading far too quickly. My guild told me to teleport out right away before I got hurt or infected anyone else, so I went to the first place I could think of."

"Garnet," Vivienne said for him.

Morwin nodded. "I live in that town, so it was kind of instinctual to head back to my house. Like an idiot, I didn't think about all the people and NPCs living there as well. As soon people starting catching the effect, I ran home as quickly as I could and out the back into the woods. I didn't know where else to teleport to; I was likely to just spread the effect into another town, so I decided I'd stay here until my guild finished their fight and could help me or until I found one of my maps on the location of Lake Trisimene."

"You've been there before?" Jae asked.

Morwin shook his head. "No, but I read about it in the…" catching himself, he trailed off and closed his mouth.

"Read about it where?" Vivienne asked.

"I'm sorry...it's a secret within my guild. I can't tell you-"

"You caused an effect that just put a whole town at risk," Jae said angrily, "and you want us to escort you all the way to some lake on Floor Seventy-Two, but you won't answer a simple question?"

Morwin hesitated. "I.."

"If you don't tell us where you discovered this information," said Vivienne, "we're going to leave you here. Alone. I'm sure you're aware that there are mobs out here?"

Morwin nodded reluctantly.

"I'm sure you're also aware that, in your condition, you aren't exactly prepared for a fight?"

Jae knew Vivienne was bluffing- she would never allow another play to die like that- but she certainly did sound convincing.

With a sigh of resignation, Morwin slumped his shoulders and nodded again.

"Alright, I'll tell you, but you have to promise not to let the info brokers or anyone else in on the information I'm about to share with you."

Jae and Vivienne both dipped their heads in agreement.

Morwin looked at them both a moment, as if searching for any way out of his predicament, before finally speaking. "There's a river on Floor Seventy-Two called the Aldur. Only one bridge passes over this river, underneath which is a small alcove. Within is a small, ruined place called the Library of Tenum. My guild leader discovered it weeks ago, when Floor Seventy-Two was our frontline. He showed us, and swore us all to secrecy."

Jae frowned. "Why? What's in the Library?"

"Knowledge. The Library contains hundreds of books, most of which are filled with worthless lore, but not all. Many of the books have revealed secrets within Aincrad that few are yet aware of. Secrets like Lake Trisimene and the magical effects of its water, among others."

"What else?" Jae asked. "What other secrets are within this Library?"

Morwin shrugged. "I only looked at a few of the books. Other than Lake Trisimene, we discovered the whereabouts of a few hidden sights, places with buried treasure and the locations of one or two Silver Quests. There is still much we don't know."

"Why haven't you taken the time to read everything?"

"The Knights of the Blood-Oath keep us busy with assigned tasks, and as I said, most of the Library is filled with worthless lore books. It took us weeks to dig out the valuable information we have now. I suspect it would take months to separate all the usable knowledge from the useless stories."

Worry crept into Morwin's eyes. "I told you what you wanted to know. You're free to explore the Library, but you have to promise me that you won't share this knowledge with the rest of Aincrad. And please, don't tell anyone from my guild. I did my part in telling you, and after today, I'd just as soon we never met. I don't want to catch any blame."

Jae remained silent, but Vivienne asked, "how do we know you won't simply alert your guild and move the contents of the Library the minute after we part ways at the lake?"

"Because my guild would be furious that I betrayed our secrets. To alert them would be to inform them of what I've done in telling you. Believe me, I won't say anything. I would deeply appreciate it if you did the same."

The man sounded sincere, and Jae could tell by the look in his eyes that he was telling the truth. It seemed he feared the possibility of being ostracized from his guild to the exclusion of all else.

It was to the man's credit though that he had fled the town, at the risk of his own life, in an attempt to keep the acid effect from spreading any further. It was obvious that Morwin didn't know how long it would be before his guild mates finished up their Field Boss fight, and was terrified that he would be killed by mobs in the meantime. That fear was what had driven him to ask Jae and Vivienne for help.

"Alright," Jae said. "Tell us how to get to Lake Trisimene, and my wife here can keep us both safe along the way. At least I won't be the only naked person in the group now," he added under his breath.

It took Morwin several more minutes of searching through his inventory before he finally found a digital map of Floor Seventy-Two that had Lake Trisimene marked on it.

The only to way to get to that Floor, of course, would be to teleport, but the nearest Teleport Gate was the one back in Garnet, so to save time, Jae simply gave one of his Teleport Crystals to Morwin and the three of them teleported to the Gate nearest the lake, though still several miles off.

When they reappeared in a field surrounded by human bandit mobs, Jae and Morwin were forced close to Vivienne as she fought through them. Whenever he could, Jae would use his fists and arms to punch away or strangle any attacker that came too near him or Morwin, but he could only do so much against sharpened swords being swung at him, and before long he would find himself in need of Vivienne.

After working their way out of the field, they approached the lake as quickly and quietly as they could, and stayed well away from roaming mobs. While they did manage to avoid the worst of the trouble, there were several occasions where stealth was impossible, and once again it was up to Vivienne to keep them all safe. The whole time, she tried her very best not to look directly at Morwin, which Jae appreciated even though he didn't feel in the least inferior.

He could only imagine how they must have looked; two naked men following timidly behind a woman with a sword constantly keeping an eye on them. The thought would have been hilarious had it not been so embarrassing.

Jae hated being so vulnerable and unable to help as Vivienne cut her way along, but he couldn't help but be grateful that his wife was such a skilled fighter. If it wasn't for her, he had no doubt he and Morwin would have eventually been cut down.

Finally, after about an hour long, incredibly awkward and worrisome journey sneaking through a forest and slogging through a particularly irksome marsh where the mosquitos happily took advantage of Jae's condition, they arrived at the lake.

Lake Trisimene was massive. Four deep, wide rivers ran into it from different directions, and it was surrounded by large, rolling hills, but the sheer magnitude of the lake itself dwarfed everything else around it. It's water was crystal clear, and as they approached, Jae thought he could smell a kind of sweet, clean scent to the air.

Upon reaching the edge of the banks, Vivienne sheathed her angel sword and urged them both into the water as she stood guard. She needn't have said a word.

Without hesitation, Jae broke into a run and dived headfirst into the water, with Morwin right on his heels. He wasn't sure if he needed to be completely submerged- and if so, for how long- so he simply swam out and, holding his breath, remained below the surface for around ten seconds. When he came up, he opened his menu. Starfire was fine, and he wanted to requip it, but he decided to play it safe and instead equipped a small, relatively worthless, hunting knife.

He stared at it's stats intently for a long moment. It's durability didn't go down.

 _Thank God._

Without wasting a moment, Jae made to re-equip his clothes, only to realize that they had all exploded into shards. He searched his inventory for back ups, but knew he would find none. He had never needed to waste inventory space with extra pairs of clothes. Such a thing was unheard of in MMOs. And now, because of that, he had nothing to wear.

Dread welled up through him as his eyes met Vivienne's. A sadistic grin spread across her face.

Desperate for an alternative, Jae glanced around for Morwin. The young man was already out of the water and back in full clothes and armor.

"Morwin," Jae said quietly as he swam closer to the shore. "Please tell me you have an extra pair of pants or something?"

Morwin shook his head apologetically. "I only had this gear to put on because I grabbed it from my house as I ran. If worse had come to worse I would've put it on to defend myself, if only for a moment before it expired. Sorry."

Standing on the banks, Vivienne crossed her arms under her breasts triumphantly.

…

As Jae opened the door to the farmhouse, he silently prayed that no one would be inside. It had been terrible enough walking across the clearing with Retarin and the other ex-HDA members staring at him.

After emerging from the lake, Jae had had no other choice but to put on Vivienne's spare set of clothes, which consisted of a pair of undeniably female tight leather traveling pants and a red tunic with a conveniently built-in bra.

After much laughter on Vivienne's part, she and Jae had instructed Morwin to send a global message to everyone in Aincrad, telling them to come to Lake Trisimene for removal of the effect which had spiraled out of control in the town of Garnet. They told him that if anyone asked, to simply say that he had been lucky and knew of the lake due to a quest he had once done. After the message had been sent, they parted ways with Morwin, who said that while he was thankful for their help, he hoped to never see them again. Jae and Vivienne had then made their way home.

The moment he stepped inside the farmhouse, Jae knew that this was truly the worst day of his life.

Israel, Sara, Avari, David, and Meifan were all sitting at the long table, talking and laughing pleasantly as they ate lunch. The moment they saw him, the room fell silent.

"You look fabulous," Avari drawled with an approving nod as Jae closed the front door behind himself and Vivienne.

Rather than answer, Jae simply started walking across the living room with Vivienne right behind him. At that moment, he wanted nothing so much as to get back to their room and change into his own clothes.

"Interesting morning, Jae?" Israel asked with a straight face from his seat at the table.

Jae made for the hallway. "I don't want to talk about it."

The entire room exploded into laughter.

Rolling his eyes, Jae strode quickly into his and Vivienne's room. At that moment, he wanted nothing in the world more than his own clothes back.

The moment he and Vivienne stepped inside their room, they were greeted by a smiling Heathcliff...and a huge, multicolored stained glass window framed in the shape of a star in the wall above their bed. Rays of sunlight passing through it took on every color of the stained glass, from bright reds to lively greens to dazzling indigos, basking the room in a rainbow-like glow.

Jae froze as the sight washed over him. He had completely forgotten.

It looked even more beautiful than he had hoped.

Beside him, Vivienne stopped laughing. Her jaw dropped, and her green eyes stared in shock at the sight.

Jae turned to her, all thoughts of the clothes he was wearing forgotten. "Viv, I know how much you loved the stained glass window back in the Grand Hearth at Castellan Keep. I know how much it hurt you to leave it and never see that piece of art you loved so much again. When we decided on living here, at the farmhouse, I wanted to find a way to bring a piece of that beauty back to you. Commander Heathcliff was kind enough to have it installed for me."

Heathcliff waved a dismissive hand. "I may have helped put it in along with my men, but it was Jae's design, attention to detail, and money that saw it made. The real credit goes to him."

Still speechless, Vivienne looked from the stained glass window to Jae, then to Heathcliff, then to Jae again. Her expression was unreadable.

Worried that perhaps he hadn't made it to her liking, Jae cleared his throat.

"I know that it's nowhere near as grand or beautiful as the one in the Grand Hearth, but-"

Vivienne kissed him before he could get out another word. She pulled away, and he saw a sparkling smile, even more beautiful than the window, spread across her face. She beamed at him.

"It's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen," she said. Tears were in her eyes as she wrapped her arms around him and pulled him in for another kiss. She laughed as she withdrew and looked again at the window. "It's better than the one in the Grand Hearth, Jae. Easily."

Jae blinked. "Really?"

She nodded as she laughed. "Because _you_ had it made for me. You're the greatest man in the world, Jae, do you know that?"

"Well, I-"

She kissed him a third time and continued to laugh. "A woman could never ask for a better husband. I love you, Jae Kulavic."

"Even when I'm dressed up like a girl?" He chuckled.

" _Especially_ when you're dressed up like a girl."


	135. Chapter 134

**Author's Note: It has come to my attention that I made an error in the starting date of chapter 132. To clear up the error, both chapter 132 and 133 occurred on the same date- October 18th. I apologize for the typo guys.**

134

October 19th, 2024

Floor 72, Hudler's Road

"Wait, what?" Israel asked in disbelief.

Jae lifted the newspaper up for him to see. "It says it right here." He tapped the headline as he reread aloud, "'Beta-Tester Kirito single handedly defeats Floor Seventy-Four Boss with Unique Skill.'"

Israel's eyes widened. He slowed his footsteps to stare at the front page.

"Unbelievable…" he muttered.

Already engrossed in the article below the headlines, Jae barely heard him.

 _Late last night on October 18th, Beta-Tester and Beater Kirito, a longstanding solo player fighting for the Assault Team, together with KoB Second in Command Lightning-Flash Asuna and the Assault Team guild known as the Fuurinkazan, entered the Boss Room within the 74th Floor Labyrinth. They are reported to have been following an Army Unit of twelve players sent to defeat the Floor Boss on their own by Kibaou, Co-Guild Leader of the Army._

Jae gritted his teeth angrily as they walked. "Kibaou. That man never ceases to find new ways to throw lives away."

Israel frowned and looked over at him. "I thought the Army stopped trying to clear Floors a long time ago?"

"They did. I was there when it happened. After the Massacre of Floor Twenty-Five, Kibaou and the surviving members of his guild, the Aincrad Liberation Squad, abandoned the Assault Team and decided to turn their attention instead to becoming the rulers of Floor One, where it was safe." Jae felt his anger rise slightly at the memory. "Kibaou blamed us, Lind and I, for the disaster, even though we risked our lives going in to help him and his followers. More than one HDA member died during that fight."

"Then why this sudden attempt at clearing the Seventy-Fourth floor?"

Jae absently tapped the folded corner of the newspaper for a moment as he thought it over.

"Kibaou has been slowly losing popularity and influence within the Army for some time now, ever since the Battle of Brakrun. All the major guilds of Aincrad united at the Enclave to stand up to Laughing Coffin, but Kibaou refused to take part, remember?"

Israel nodded slowly. "Yes. He thought Sara and I were working with Laughing Coffin and leading you all into a trap. Or at least, that's what he claimed. I still think he simply wanted to let the Assault Team guilds bleed themselves out fighting while he grew stronger."

"Exactly," Jae agreed. "But instead, by not joining us, he ended up only hurting his reputation when we were victorious. Even worse for him, Thinker joined us in that fight with Army players loyal to him. That's what began the shift in influence within the Black Iron Palace. Thinker gained prestige and glory, while Kibaou lost the same in equal measure. From what Thinker told me the last time I talked with him, the numbers were still greatly in Kibaou's favor, but every day, those numbers have been growing steadily smaller. Kibaou would have known he needed to respond and restore his image."

He tapped the newspaper. "That's why he did this."

Israel frowned down at the front page. "I don't see how sending twelve men to their deaths is a response."

"Well, in a way it makes sense, actually. Kibaou hasn't fought Bosses or cleared Labyrinths since Floor Twenty-Five. The difficulty has risen exponentially since then, but he wouldn't know that. In the time since I left the HDA, for example, I'm sure things have only gotten more dangerous for the Assault Team, but I don't know how much. And I've only been gone a few months. Kibaou left the frontlines over a year ago.

"Back then, things were easier. There was less danger. Floor Twenty-Five was the exception to the rule, and before that point, it wasn't impossible for twelve high leveled and skilled players to defeat a Floor Boss. Consider the fact that we defeated Philariax with only eight. Seven really, if you don't count Lily."

"Philariax wasn't a Floor Boss," Israel countered.

Jae ceded the point with a dip of his head. "Very true. Regardless, Kibaou's intentions behind such a bold and seemingly random move are clear. The main reason behind his rise to power within the Army in the first place was due to his reputation as a Clearer when he ran the ALS. The Assault Team are viewed as heroes by the rest of the population. Orchestrating a victorious Boss Fight and clearing another Floor would have been the perfect way to both revitalize that advantage over Thinker and counter the backlash over the Battle of Brakrun." He shrugged. "It's standard guild politics."

Israel's face twisted in annoyance. "No wonder I didn't understand. I hate guilds."

They both glanced back down at the paper to finish the article.

 _It has been confirmed that three members of this Army unit were killed by the time Kirito, Second in Command Asuna, and the Fuurinkazan arrived to reinforce them. It is at this point that Kirito equipped a second sword and revealed his Unique Skill: Dual Wielding, before fighting and defeating the Floor Boss himself. Early this morning, Commander Heathcliff, Guild Leader of the KoB, is reported to have requested a meeting with Kirito later today. More information to follow._

At the bottom of the article, Jae saw one last line in large, bolded letters:

 _ **The Lightning-Flash and the Black Swordsman: could it be love? See page 12 to continue as we discuss why Second in Command Asuna might have been with Kirito during these events…**_

Israel scoffed. "I don't see it."

Jae nodded his agreement. "I remember them both as excellent fighters, but other than that, they have very little in common." He paused. "Come to think of it, I can't imagine why they would have been together at that moment, and in a Labyrinth no less. It doesn't make much sense."

Israel shrugged. "I think a more important question to ask would be how in all of Aincrad did Kirito manage to defeat a Floor Boss single-handedly? Unique Skill or not, that's a huge feat, and not one I would have thought possible before today."

Jae shared the thought.

"Maybe the Army unit managed to weaken the Boss before they started to get overwhelmed," he offered. "Plus, Asuna was there, as well as the Fuurinkazan, which means Klein. I've seen the two of them fight before. I highly doubt they would have stood by and let Kirito face all the danger alone."

"You think the news is exaggerating it, then?" Israel asked.

"It's very possible, but I doubt we'll ever know for sure." Jae kept walking in silence for a moment. "There is one thing I do know, though."

"And that is?"

Jae glanced over at his brother with a serious expression. "This failure on Kibaou's part is only going to make him more desperate in the future."

After about a half hour, the two of them reached the edge of the Aldur River. Morwin had said that the Library of Tenum would be located in a small alcove underneath the only bridge over the river, and that bridge was still a ways away.

But Jae didn't mind.

It was slightly colder on Floor Seventy-Two than it was back at the Farmhouse on Floor Seventy- or at least, colder in that particular area- but it was still a relatively pleasant day. The sun, unimpeded by clouds, shined brightly down on them. The river burbled gently as it flowed past. The air was still, helping to keep things from getting too cold, and along the roadside where they were walking, a long line of short, green peppermint trees stood in defiance of the coming winter. Because of the trees, the air smelled slightly sweet and minty, and each breath Jae took felt refreshing and clean.

Stepping briefly off the cobblestone road, Israel collected several handfuls of leaves from the trees and removed them safely into his inventory.

"For Sara," he explained when he fell in again beside Jae. "She always complains about not having enough peppermint leaves for her potions."

They walked on in silence for a time until, as they rounded a gentle curve in the road, they spotted the bridge. Made entirely of grey stone, it was bigger and better made than Jae had expected, but not grandiose either. Built atop a high section of earth on either side of the river, and arched as it was in the center, Jae could see how a small cave underneath it might have been overlooked.

Just as they picked up the pace to close the distance between themselves and the bridge, the surface of the river beside them began to ripple and alter its course. A second later, a group of around six or seven strange, scaly, humanoid creatures emerged angrily from the water and surged forward up the bank toward Israel and Jae.

Jae heard the distinct ring of Israel's sword being drawn at the same moment as Starfire twirled into his hands.

The creatures, all armed with a variety of tridents and spearlike hooks, were shorter and skinnier than average humans, to say nothing of the slime and greenish scales that covered their skin, but they still stood on two legs and advanced in much the same way as people would. Angled faces with catlike yellow eyes bared sharpened teeth as if they were fangs. Their bare feet were webbed, and Jae saw small rows of gills on each of their necks. On a few, small barnacles and anemones grew along their scales.

Just before the creatures reached them, Jae managed to examine and identify them as Merfolk.

 _This is new._

"Guardians maybe?" Israel asked casually above the hiss of the oncoming monsters.

"Probably." Jae started forward to meet the attack. "Morwin must have forgotten to mention them."

Israel followed beside him, and together they rushed headlong into the nearest of the mobs.

Spinning Starfire before himself, Jae easily deflected a spear thrust from his first opponent, then brought the second bladed end around and slashed it open from chest to shoulder. The monster's scales offered some resistance, but against the razor sharp blades of Starfire and the momentum powered by Jae's strength, they were ripped apart along with the flesh beneath. Blue blood gushed into the air, and the monster howled as it crumpled to the ground in mortal agony. Jae was surprised it was still alive.

On his left, he heard a metallic clang as Israel's sword blocked a lunge from a trident. A second later, his armored fist came around and smashed into the monster's chest. Lifted clear off its feet, the Merfolk flew backwards into the river with a splash.

Another spear with a wicked hook at its end was lunged at Jae at the same time as a trident shot forward to gouge at his eyes. Fortunately, the staff was a weapon that excelled at fending off multiple attackers at once, and Jae easily batted aside both attacks before following up with a rapid flurry of spinning strikes that killed one of the Merfolk outright and mortally wounded the other. He finished it with a swift stab through the heart.

A third Merfolk, who looked to have been biding it's time before committing to the fray, now lurched forward to deliver a lunge aimed at Jae's throat. Before it could get close enough, Jae took advantage of their height difference and kicked it hard in the kneecap. There was a loud pop, and the monster howled in pain as it staggered to the side. He moved forward to kill it, but was forced back a step as a spear shot through the air towards him.

Turning, Jae reached out and managed to catch the spear before it sailed past. Spotting the now unarmed Merfolk who had thrown it, he hurled the weapon back. Catlike yellow eyes blinked in surprise and fear before the tip of the spear found its mark, impaling the monster and sending it back into the river even as it exploded into pixelated shards.

More of the strange creatures emerged from the water, and with enraged fervor they charged forward and threw themselves into the fight to aid their rapidly dwindling comrades. A few feet away from him, Jae saw Israel stop a spear thrust with his armored hand before beheading his opponent with a powerful swing of his red sword. Another Merfolk rushed at him, and he cleaved it in half with a heavy overhead blow.

While a few of the newly arrived mobs went after Israel, more of them targeted Jae as he was a few feet closer to the river. With a lethal twirl of Starfire, he met their assault. Batting aside crudely made spears and tridents, he cut into the monsters with ease, using his superior speed to deliver an onslaught of slashing attacks to cut down anything within reach. At first confident in the fact that they outnumbered him around five or six to one, the Merfolk faltered and quickly fell back as first two, then three, then four of them fell beneath his staff in a matter of seconds.

Jae didn't allow them a respite.

Rushing forward past the mist of glowing pixelated shard fragments floating around him, Jae caught up with the survivors and scythed into them without mercy. Now finished with his own small battle, Israel appeared beside him, the final nail in the coffin for their enemies. Apocalypse and Starfire both gleamed with delight as they cleaved through the last of the Merfolk, cutting through scale and flesh alike.

Two more Merfolk appeared as the final reinforcements, but they too were quickly put down as Israel stabbed one through the heart and Jae tripped the other with the end of Starfire, knocking it to the ground. Clutching the staff with both hands, he finished the mob with a downward lunge before it could rise.

As the last of the glowing shards floated away on the dead still air, the chirp of birds and the gentle burble of the river again reigned supreme.

Jae and Israel both glanced around briefly to be sure the fight was over, then straightened and relaxed. Jae returned Starfire to it's latchings at his back, and Israel sheathed Apocalypse at his side.

"Well," Israel said, "hopefully that was the only thing Morwin forgot to tell you."

Jae nodded and started again for the bridge. "Come on, let's see how we get inside."

As they drew close, Jae led them off the road and right up along the bank of the river so that they could make their way underneath the bridge. It was a tight fit; they had to duck their heads to get under the stone, and the ground between the base of the bridge and the river was narrow and muddy.

Pressing their backs to the stone base behind them, Jae and Israel walked carefully sideways along the soggy ground and moved slowly along. Using his arms for balance, it occurred to Jae that if more Merfolk decided to come out of the water and grab them now, a fight would be considerably more difficult, and dangerous. Fortunately, the river continued to flow gently past without any ripples or underwater movements.

Upon reaching the halfway point beneath the bridge, Jae sighed inwardly as he caught sight of a small, dank hole in the base of the stone, just big enough for a man to squeeze into. It wasn't exactly the alcove entrance he had had in mind.

 _Haven't I had enough bad experiences with dark holes in the ground already?_

Though it was relatively dark below, he could see some cracked stairs leading down, all of which looked dangerously close to crumbling apart. Even without the stairs, and even not considering his past experiences, the hole looked altogether quite unfriendly and uncomfortable.

"I think that's it," said Jae above the burble of the river.

Israel craned his neck to peer past him, then nodded. "Looks like. No wonder no one else has found it." he glanced back up at Jae. "Alright, you first."

Jae took a look back down into the uninviting hole, than up at Israel. "I think you should go first."

Israel flashed him a suspicious look. "Why's that?"

"You're smaller than me. Easier fit."

Israel scoffed. "Smaller?"

"I've got twenty pounds on you, easy."

Israel's brows drew up. "Maybe so, but those twenty pounds aren't exactly muscle. Move yourself around a little and I'm sure you'll slip right in."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Israel threw up his hands defensively. "Don't get mad at me, you started it with the name calling."

Jae flashed his brother an indignant look. "That wasn't name calling! That was just a fact. You are a bit smaller than me. I've got broader shoulders."

"Congratulations. I've got better abs."

"What do abs have to do with it?"

"I have no idea!"

"Then why did you bring it up?"

Israel raised a hand between them. "Alright, clearly neither of us wants to go down first. So, there's only one way to settle this."

"And that would be?"

Opening his armored right hand into a flat surface, Israel closed his left fist and lowered it into the palm of his right.

"Rock paper scissors."

After a brief pause, Jae sighed and imitated the motion. "You're on. Best of one."

"Best of one."

Together, they started the game with sacred seriousness. After three quick repetitions of dropping their fists into their open palms, they both flashed their choices. Israel had scissors. Jae had rock.

"Ha!" Jae gloated as he jabbed Israel's chest with a finger.

"Damnit," Israel muttered under his breath.

Defeated, he squeezed his way past Jae and lowered himself slowly into the dark hole. Just before dropping down the rest of the way, he glanced back over his shoulder.

"If I break my legs, it's your fault."

Grinning smugly, Jae waved a hand to prod Israel forward. "Go on, then."

Israel mumbled something Jae couldn't hear, then dropped down into the hole. Sidling forward, Jae leaned in close, ready to catch his brother and help haul him back up should anything go wrong.

"So?" he asked as Israel steadied himself in the near darkness.

"The stairs are stable enough," Israel replied. "I can see the bottom and some torchlight."

Without another word, he moved off down the stairs. With the space now clear, Jae placed his arms on either side of the hole and slowly lowered himself in. Releasing his hold, he dropped the rest of the way and landed softly on the cracked stone stairs. He expected them to wobble slightly or make some sort of noise, but nothing happened.

It was relatively dark, and the air was stale and old, but other than that, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. Keeping his eyes open for any potential trap along the walls or ceiling, Jae proceeded down the stairs behind Israel. He too saw the flickering light from torches at the bottom, and once they finished their short descent, they found themselves in a large, rectangular shaped chamber.

Dozens of half rotted bookshelves lines the walls to either side, and between each sat a torch within an iron sconce on the wall. Books of all shapes, sizes, and colors were packed into each shelf, and wherever Jae looked around the chamber, he saw only more and more. At the back of the room, where only so many bookshelves could fit, large stacks of books rose up from the floor in uneven towers. A large, damaged chandelier hung in the center of the room, covered in dust and looking like it hadn't been used in years.

Jae and Israel were both silent for a moment as they glanced around at the room, then they split up to examine the books. Each book cover had a title, so Jae decided to simply look over each shelf until he found something that might be useful. Many of the titles were vague and mysterious, and many more were obvious recountings of lore and myth. There was _The_ _Tale of Lisander_ , _The Last Stand of the Murrayns_ , _Borund and Lisella_ , _The Legends of the Ten Dragons_ , _Horisan the Conqueror_ , and so on.

As he passed over row upon row of dusty, leatherbound volumes, Jae realized how difficult it would be to ferret out useful, viable information from the endless pages of lore. Morwin hadn't been exaggerating on that account.

There were a few titles here and there that caught Jae's attention due to their mention of places or NPCs he knew of within Aincrad, such as _The Haunting of the Forest of Wavering Mists_ , _The Building of the Black Iron Palace, The adventures of Kalaghan and Stratos_ , among others. He didn't bother reading any of these though; they were just more lore.

As time passed, Jae would occasionally glance over to the other side of the room to be sure nothing had happened to Israel. His brother was doing much the same as him, and wandered idly by the books as he read their spines. Every few minutes, Jae would turn to be sure no one was coming up behind them from up the stairs. Years of dungeon crawling had instilled in him a habit of constantly watching the entrances and exits.

As he neared the halfway point of the room, Jae's eye caught on one book title in particular: _The History of Castellan Keep._

Visions of the Keep's polished stone walls, towers, and elegant rooms flashed in his eyes. The memory of the massive and beautiful Grand Hearth, with it's roaring fires, hundreds of brightly lit chandeliers, and giant stained glass window, came back to him. That was where he and Vivienne had been married. She had looked so beautiful that day in her white wedding dress.

Jae smiled to himself.

That had been one of the happiest days of his life.

Slowly, Jae reached for the book and pulled it out. Dust covered it's surface, and he had to wipe the cover several times with the back of his hand to actually see the title there. He opened the old book carefully, and began flipping through pages. He saw pictures of places within the Keep he knew well; the circular Enclave chamber, the huge series of rooms Lind had chosen as his private quarters, the courtyard behind the castle proper, the Guard Tower in the northeast corner of the Keep. The Grand Hearth.

"Jae," Israel said suddenly, forcing him from his thoughts.

With the book still open in his hands, Jae turned. Israel was holding a book as well.

"I think I may have found something quite useful."

Closing _The History of Castellan Keep_ , Jae put it back on the shelf where it belonged, along with his old memories. "What is it?"

He walked towards Israel, who met him halfway.

"It's called _On the Great Warriors and Weapons of Aincrad_ , _and what they left behind_ ," Israel said as he leaned in to show Jae the page he was looking at.

It was a table of contents, divided into three parts.

 _Part One- Of the Twenty Great Warriors of Old_

 _Of Lysander…...1-46_

 _Of Alara….47-100_

 _Of Diodochin…...101-132_

 _Of Quintus…133-149_

 _Of Spantus…150-212_

There were many more names, a few of which he knew as Floor Bosses long defeated, but most of which meant nothing to him, so Jae quickly skimmed over the rest of the first section and continued on to the second. The moment he set eyes on the title, he knew Israel had indeed found something worthwhile.

 _Part Two- Of the Ten Unique Skills_

 _Foreword…..522-523_

 _The Divine Blade…524-527_

 _The Water Katana…..528-530_

 _Infinite Spear…..531-534_

 _The Blade of Fire…..535-537_

 _Dual-Wielding…...538-541_

 _Relentless Blade..….542-543_

 _Executioner's Axe….544-548_

 _Eternal Drive…549-552_

 _Dagger of the Assassin…...553-556_

 _Demonic Blade….557-558_

Jae paused on the last skill. He turned to Israel.

"That one is yours!"

Israel nodded thoughtfully as he tapped another. "And we know who has the Dual-Wielding, as of today."

"And the Divine Blade."

"Oh?"

"Heathcliff has it." Leaving a thumb in the table of contents page, Jae leafed curiously through the large book to page five hundred twenty-two, to read the section's Foreword. "As a matter of fact, he's had it for as long as I can remember. I have no idea how he got it so soon."

Upon finding the page, Jae stopped to read. Beside him, Israel leaned in curiously.

 _Part Two- Of the Ten Unique Skills_

 _Foreword_

 _Of the Twenty Great Warriors of old, ten have left their legacy behind in the form of mighty abilities and skills. To whoever gains mastery of one of these skills, great power will surely follow. Each of these skills is incredibly difficult to acquire, but more importantly, each is Unique, meaning that once one has been mastered by a worthy warrior, it can be mastered by no one else. Only in death can the bond be broken, and only life can pay for death. Yet power is a fickle thing, and no man is immortal. As the great Seer Lagilos once said, seek not vanity, seek not pride. Seek not power, seek not…_

Jae stopped reading and skimmed down to be sure that the rest of the page was unimportant. Satisfied, he skipped ahead and flipped the page.

The Divine Blade Unique Skill was the first discussed, and though it had one or two pages worth of lore behind it to explain the warrior that it came from and what not, these were fortunately kept separate from the actual skill information itself, which was straight to the point and far easier to read.

 _The Divine Blade_

 _Awarded to the first player to reach 500 Strength_

 _Active Skills_

 _Shield Bash- Drive forward and use your shield to strike your opponent for heavy blunt damage, stunning them for 1-3 seconds_

 _Impenetrable Defense- Fortify yourself with an inner divine light, increasing your Total Armor value by 100% and Damage Absorption by 20% for 30 seconds_

 _Wall of Hope: Attack while blocking with your shield, which is then bolstered by 30% additional Durability and 35% Defense for the duration of combat_

 _Smite: A single strike attack powered by the divine might of Heaven, dealing 100% additional damage and ignoring all Damage Absorption and Resistance values._

 _Passive Skills_

 _Holy Blessing: +1,500 Maximum Hitpoints, +25 Strength, +25 Dexterity_

"Now there's a skill I wish I had," Jae said with an envious shake of his head.

"How in the world did Heathcliff meet those requirements?" Israel asked in confusion as he tapped the top of the page. "I'm Level Eighty-Two and I still don't have five hundred Strength."

"Me neither." Jae considered the question for a moment. "He's a higher level than us, to be sure, but I think he must also have some items that grant a large boost to his Strength. Maybe that was the build he was going for."

"I thought he was a tank?"

Jae shrugged. "Every tank needs to be capable of dealing out respectable damage in case something happens to the DPS, and Battle Tanks, while rare, do exist. He must have been pursuing that kind of build since the start of the game. That's the only way he could have managed to acquire the skill as long ago as he did."

Returning his attention to the book, Jae looked over the other Unique Skills. It was interesting seeing the individual requirements for skills he had never heard of before, but he could see that most of them were well outside his fighting style or technique, and doubted he would ever acquire them. All had quite difficult and sometimes obscure requirements, so it made sense that after two years, only three had been unlocked in all of Aincrad.

When he looked over the Infinite Spear skill, Jae realized just how close he had once been to obtaining it: the requirement had been completion of the Two-handed Spear Skill, and one Boss kill with any spear weapon.

"How high was your Spear Skill Level before you got the staff?" Israel asked as he read over it.

"Nearly eight hundred."

The maximum level you could get in a Skill was one thousand, at which point it would be considered completed.

"If you switched back over to the spear," Israel suggested, "you could still have a chance in getting the Unique Skill."

Jae shook his head. "It wouldn't be worth it. The staff has always been my best weapon. To use a Unique Skill like Infinite Spear, I would need to use it's associated weapon, which means I would forever be lowering my own skill. Besides, Starfire is a Unique Weapon. What spear could possibly compare to that? I don't think it would be a worthwhile trade."

Israel nodded the point, and they both returned their attention to the book. When they reached Dual-Wielding, Jae was surprised at both its requirement and final skill.

Awarded to the first player to achieve maximum reaction time- an impressive feat- Dual Wielding also bestowed a skill called Starburst Stream: a sixteen hit combo attack with elevated attack speed and damage. To Jae, that easily sounded like it had the potential to be one of the most powerful Sword Skills in SAO.

 _No wonder Kirito was able to fight a Floor Boss on his own._

By the time Jae reached the final Unique Skill- the Demonic Blade- he noticed that Israel had grown silent and tense. He wasn't sure why until he started reading. Israel made no move to stop him.

 _Demonic Blade_

 _Awarded to the first Player to kill 100 other players_

Jae looked over at his brother. He knew what Israel was thinking. He could see the regret in his eyes.

Yet, he had to ask.

"How long ago did you acquire this skill?"

Israel was quiet for a moment. "Over a year ago."

Jae let out a long, slow breath.

He had never known how many people Israel had killed. He had always known it would have been many, but he had tried to keep that fact from his mind. Now, to know without doubt that Israel had killed a hundred people...he didn't know exactly how to take it. And, he couldn't ignore that it had been a year ago. Who knew how many Israel had killed since then? The thought was wholly unpleasant.

Jae reminded himself that that had been a long time ago now. Besides, Israel had done the things he had done to end the killing in Aincrad, not to further it. He had put an end to murderers, not innocents. That was an important distinction.

He realized Israel was watching him. His brother's expression was unreadable.

"There's no reason to feel guilty," Jae said firmly.

Israel smiled grimly. "I appreciate the kindness, but I have long ago accepted the reality of my actions-"

"Those actions were carried out by the Shadow of Death." Jae shook his head. "Not by you. More importantly, those actions started the chain of events that led to the downfall of Laughing Coffin. If wasn't for the Shadow of Death, many, many more innocent people would be dead- including Vivienne and everyone else we love back home- and PoH could very well be ruling over Aincrad at this very moment. Who knows just how badly things might have gone." He clasped Israel's shoulder. "I for one am proud of the things you have done, the things you have accomplished. You delivered justice to killers, and you saved Aincrad in the process."

Israel didn't look convinced. "Jae, I-"

"And the fact that you feel no happiness with what you've done, the fact that you no longer want to kill, that proves that you were and still are a good man. You know as well as I that while we should never take joy in killing, it is nonetheless necessary to protect the good from the evil. Don't you forget that. I once did, and the result was that we almost never saw each other again. I learned from that mistake. Now you need to as well."

He held Israel's gaze until his brother finally looked away and stared off in contemplation. After a long moment, he nodded and glanced back up, a somber and wisened expression on his face. He dipped his head gratefully, and extended a hand to Jae.

"I promise I won't forget. Thank you, brother."

Jae clasped hands with him without hesitation, and at that moment, he realized just how happy he was that they were together.

 _Shield brothers, now and always._


	136. Chapter 135

135

October 19th, 2024

Floor 70, Abandoned Farmhouse

It was warm inside the house when Jae and Israel returned.

Stepping in through the door, Jae was surprised to see everyone sitting close together at the trestle table by the crackling fire, all talking excitedly around the Aincrad Today newspaper. He guessed it was the one he and Israel had read earlier during their walk to the hidden library.

The talk died down as everyone looked up or turned to greet them.

"So, did you find anything worthwhile at this library Morwin told us about?" Vivienne asked curiously. "Or was it a waste of time?"

"We didn't want to stay too long, but in the time we searched, I'd say we found several items of considerable value," Jae said.

After they had read through the last of the Unique Skills in the book _On the Great Warriors and Weapons of Aincrad_ , _and what they left behind_ , Jae and Israel had then turned to the final section, which had been about the ten Unique Weapons. That, Jae had found quite interesting.

As it turned out, Unique Weapons were similar to their Unique Skill counterparts: only ten in all of Aincrad, each different from the last, and ownership of one had much to offer. While Unique Weapons didn't, unfortunately, grant an entirely new skill tree as Unique Skills did, they did offer their own distinct advantages. For one, Unique Weapons had higher stats than even Legendary equipment, as well as far superior durability. In addition, Unique Weapons did in fact grant a single active skill once completed in level. The book hadn't revealed what these mysterious single abilities were, but with Starfire at level nine hundred forty-seven, Jae was very close to discovering what his was.

Dawnbringer, the angel sword which Alara had gifted to Vivienne, was also a Unique Weapon, and was considered one of the most powerful one handed swords in all of Aincrad.

"We found one book in particular," Jae said, "that offered some knowledge about Starfire, and your sword, Viv. I think you'll find it very interesting reading."

Behind him, Israel pulled out one of the other books they had brought back with them and waved it at Sara.

"And I found this just before we left. It's called _Potions Mastery_. It might as well have been made for you."

Both girls merely smiled and nodded their thanks. Jae and Israel both looked at each other in surprise. They had expected the girls to be very happy and interested in the books. While neither of them looked displeased or indifferent, they both looked like their thoughts were elsewhere.

It was then Jae noticed everyone else staring at him and Israel, as if waiting for something.

"...Is something going on?" Jae asked.

"Well, now that you mention it." Vivienne pointed excitedly to the newspaper everyone was sitting around. She looked like she was trying to find the right way to explain. "We were just reading today's paper. It's quite interesting."

"Oh, we already read it earlier," Israel said. "Kirito beating the Floor Boss with a Unique Skill is quite something. In fact, it even mentions in the book we found that-"

Vivienne shook her head. "No, no, we read that earlier too. This is the updated paper. It just got put out."

"Updated?" Jae walked towards the table curiously. "Does it say why Heathcliff requested to meet with Kirito?"

Everyone nodded excitedly.

"Heathcliff wants Kirito to join the KoB," Sara said. "But it seems he isn't thrilled at the idea. They've agreed to hold a public tournament in order to decide, though it's really just a single duel between the two of them."

"A duel?" Israel asked in surprise.

David nodded from his seat at the table. "Tomorrow, in the newly unlocked town of Collinia on Floor Seventy-Five. There's a huge arena there from what I've heard. Everyone is getting pretty excited about it. The KoB is expecting a very large crowd for the event."

Jae frowned as he looked at the paper. "I don't see why. It won't be a very long fight."

Israel nodded his agreement. "I don't know those two nearly as well as the rest of you, but I saw both of them fight during the Battle of Brakrun. Heathcliff is going to win for sure."

"No question." Jae caught himself and set down the paper. "Sorry," he said with an apologetic smile to Vivienne. "Not trying to be a killjoy. If you want to go see the duel, I'm sure Heathcliff will help us get some good seats-"

Vivienne quickly shook her head. "No actually, we all came to the same conclusion...which actually brings me to my point." She grinned at him and Israel. "I think we should hold our own tournament."

That caught Jae by surprise.

"What?"

Israel crossed his arms thoughtfully. "Why?"

Vivienne shrugged. "For fun, mostly. Retarin and the others just finished building this morning, and they plan on moving in permanently tomorrow. It's been quite a lot of work, and leaving the towns they've been staying in will be difficult for some. I was talking with him while you two were out, and he was thinking about holding some kind of celebration to lift everyone's spirits and show his gratitude for their hard work. He was planning on asking you later today.

"I thought it was a great idea, but neither of us knew exactly what kind of celebration we could hold." She tapped the paper on the table. "But as soon as I read this, I thought a public tournament event would be perfect."

"And not just one duel either," Avari continued for her. "Everyone should be involved, Retarin's people too, dueling each other until only two are left to fight to take the championship, the way a proper tournament should be."

Jae eyed the short haired woman. "So, you're in on this too?"

"Technically, we all are," said Sara.

David and Meifan both nodded.

"The moment Vivienne said tournament," David said, "We were behind her. Think how much fun it would be, Jae!"

"And with minimum work involved to set it up," added Meifan.

"And," said Sara as she eyed them both, "everyone would finally get to see you two fight."

Jae and Israel both glanced at each other in surprise.

"I didn't know that's something people were interested in," said Israel.

Chuckles broke out all across the room, accompanied by kindly head shakes in response to Israel's ignorance.

"You'd be surprised," Avari said with a grin. "I can't tell you how many times during this past month I've heard our fellow HDA deserters debate on which brother is stronger than the other while they worked on those cabins. They sounded like a pack of gossiping fishwives. I've already got bets going with Retarin and some of the others."

"Bets?" Jae's brows drew up. "Who for?"

"Myself of course," she said with a snort. "You've been in need of a sound beating from me ever since I met you. I intend to see to it you never even get to Israel."

"I think he'll get through you easily enough," Meifan said with a laugh, "and after that, I've got a bet on Israel."

"Actually," Israel put in with a wry grin, "now that you mention it, Jae and I did fight once, and I ended up-"

"Alright now," Jae interrupted as he raised his hand. "You and I both know that hardly qualifies. I distinctly remember lowering my staff to stop the fight when you decided to run in and destroy my helmet."

"No one got to see that fight anyway," Vivienne said dismissively. "If they make it to each other, this will be the one that counts."

Sara cast an amused glance Vivienne's way.

"I think you just want your husband to be the winner."

Vivienne opened her mouth to retaliate, but before she could, David spoke up.

"We could have food made and laid out during the tournament as well! We could put it in the viewing area while people watch the fights."

"Now that is a good idea," Meifan said approvingly. "Duels are hungry work. We'll need lots of food. I could see to collecting several large quantities from Garnet."

"We could invite people to come as well!" Sara said excitedly. "We could contact Aincrad Today and let them know about the tournament we're holding."

"But if we're holding it tomorrow," reminded Vivienne, "I doubt many would come. Almost everyone will be on Floor Seventy-Five to watch the duel between Heathcliff and Kirito."

Avari shrugged. "That just means it will be an event mostly between friends. Can't go wrong with that. And with Retarin's group, there will still be plenty of a crowd." She paused and glanced up at Israel and Jae, as if just remembering they were there. With a wave of her hand, she hushed everyone else a moment. "Well, what do you two think?"

Vivienne smiled and took Jae's hand. "Sorry," she said sincerely, "I think we're all getting a little too excited. It is fine if you two don't want to. We can easily think up a hundred different celebrations that we could do instead if that's the case."

Jae looked at all the faces watching him and Israel. He turned to his brother.

"What do you think?"

Still smiling, Israel raised both his hands helplessly. "I'm not brave enough to say no to this crazy band." A mischievous grin spread across his face as he looked at Jae. "Besides, if people really want to see which brother is the better fighter, I'm more than happy to show them."

Everyone let out a low oooohhhh sound at the challenge, but quickly quieted to hear Jae's reply.

Raising an eyebrow, Jae crossed his arms. "I couldn't have said it better myself. It's long past time I paid you back for your cheap move that day. You're on. I'll see you on the tournament field- if you can even make it to me."

The entire room erupted into raucous cheers.

…

The small campfire popped and crackled angrily as Israel fed another stick into the dancing flames. The night breeze briefly picked up, and though the flames wavered slightly, they managed to hold fast.

Satisfied that the fire would keep, Israel drew up his knees and leaned back to watch the flames. All around him, the vast, unseen armies of cicadas and crickets chirped loudly at one another. It seemed as if the entire field was filled with them. Though it was dark, a few birds still sang out from the trees at the edges of the clearing. In the far distance, a lone wolf howled.

Closing his eyes, Israel drew a long, slow breath of the fresh night air. He could almost taste the energy and life all around in that breath.

Israel always loved being outside, but at night, he was especially at home. There was something magical about it, something vibrant and exhilarating. He guessed it had something to do with the freedom of it all. To be surrounded by nothing- no walls, no windows, no doors- and to feel that cool, crisp breeze catch the face, fill the lungs, and quicken the heart, to say nothing of the sheer openness that only the night sky, with it's countless shining stars and pale, ominous moon could provide...yes, there truly was nothing quite so freeing as being outside at night.

With a slight smile, Israel drew another breath. How he had missed being outside.

The heat of the crackling fire warmed the front of him. He had missed that too. There was something altogether more satisfying about being in front of a fire then there was being in a warm, stuffy house. He couldn't quite put his finger on why, but he knew it to be true.

Perhaps it was simply the fact that outside, while the heat was always there, so too was nighttime chill, which meant an endless battle for dominance between the two. Perhaps in experiencing two extremes at once, both were made better, true halves to a whole. Israel didn't know. All he knew was that he would happily live his whole life outside if he could.

Opening his eyes, he glanced over at the Farmhouse some fifty feet away. A few lights were on in some of the rooms.

It wasn't that he didn't like living in the Farmhouse, of course. In many ways, he was very happy with his and Sara's room, as well as the living room and kitchen, and the amount of space in the house as a whole. It was certainly far more comfortable and livable than some castle made of stone, like the drafty and uncomfortable place Jae had lived in. Having helped build the farmhouse as well, he had formed a special attachment to it. Besides that, the people he loved were there, and that alone made it wonderful.

Israel looked away from the Farmhouse and back into the fire.

Yes, he was quite happy with how things had gone, and the place he now called home. Yet, every now and then, there was nothing better than spending some much needed time outside, where he could again be temporarily alone and free. Especially now that several dozen more people were about to move in.

Movement out in the darkness suddenly caught Israel's attention. Footsteps. From two people. Focusing his attention, he quickly came to sense Meifan and Avari walking towards him. After a moment or two, they appeared from out of the darkness and into the perimeter of light provided by the fire.

"What are you two doing out here?" Israel asked.

"That's what we came to ask you," answered Meifan.

"We saw the light from your fire through the window while we were doing the dishes," Avari explained. "It took me by surprise. I didn't even hear you leave the house. Neither of us was sure it was you."

"Sorry, I guess I should have said something beforehand." Israel gestured around. "I just felt like spending some time outside where it's quiet before the big day tomorrow, and before the clearing turns into a new town. Appreciate the place as it was one more time."

Both Avari and Meifan looked surprised by the notion. They looked around a moment, as if seeing the clearing in a new light.

"I never thought about it like that before," Avari admitted. "Come to think of it, I don't remember the last I gave much thought to casually spending time outside." She looked over at the Farmhouse, then back at Israel. "Want some company for a few minutes?"

Surprised, Israel waved an inviting hand to say he didn't mind. Drawing near to the fire, Meifan and Avari sat down a few feet apart. Avari fidgeted on the ground a moment as she tried to find a good seating position.

"Not very comfortable, is it?" she muttered.

Israel chuckled. "At first, no, but you get used to it. As long as there aren't roots or rocks, I find the ground is actually much softer than floors of wood or stone."

Once Avari was done adjusting, she drew up her knees around the fire and stared into it.

"You know," she said, "I don't think I've ever spent a night outside."

"Me neither," said Meifan. "Even back during the first month, when all we had was Floor One, I always stayed at cheap inns and the like. Then when I joined the Holy Dragon Alliance, I had a guaranteed room every night...until we went bankrupt of course."

"The whole guild went bankrupt?" Israel asked, intrigued.

He had never thought guilds could have a problem like that.

Both Avari and Meifan nodded.

"Most of the money we made from quests and raids was kept by the parties who completed them," Avari explained. "What little we did accumulate for the guild proper was always spent by Lind on rent for our HQ, armor and weapon repairs, spies he employed to gather information on the rival Assault Team guilds, and his own personal luxuries as time went on."

"It got to a point where we were so poor," continued Meifan, "that we could barely even afford to buy the blue and silver dye needed to standardize our gear. A few new recruits had to buy their own."

Israel's eyes widened. "How did Lind get everyone out of bankruptcy?"

"He didn't," Avari said. "Jae did."

"Really?"

She nodded. "Jae was given full command of our economy and told to find a way to fix the problem before the guild collapsed. It was an almost impossible job." Embarrassment flashed over her features. "And it was my idea. At that time, Jae wasn't Second in Command yet, but he was gaining popularity among the guild. I didn't know him back then. I thought he was trying to usurp authority over from Lind. In my efforts to harm his image and publicly humiliate him, I told Lind to let him try to fix the problem. To my surprise, Jae succeeded, and rather spectacularly too.

"Not only did he dig us out of debt and bankruptcy, but he also started our own market and economy, convinced everyone to band together and work to help the guild rather than leave, and even managed to make Castellan Keep our new HQ." She uttered a quiet laugh as she stared into the flames. "I was beyond furious."

Meifan and Israel both chuckled.

"I remember that." Meifan leaned back. "Good times, those were. Feels like a lifetime ago now."

"It sounds like you really hated Jae back then," Israel said.

Avari nodded at him. "Oh, trust me, I did. I despised your brother, and he knew it, too. I was beyond foolish. Even now, after all this time, I still sometimes feel ashamed about my behavior back then."

The campfire crackled in the silence for a moment.

Israel had never known any of what Avari and Meifan had told him before. In fact, now that he thought about it, he knew next to nothing about Jae's time in the HDA. He found it remarkable that his brother had managed to save an entire guild from economic collapse, but not very surprising when he considered it. Jae had always been a good planner.

What he did find surprising was the idea of Avari hating Jae. They were such good friends, and always so at ease with each other, he simply couldn't see it.

"Did you hate me too, when we first met?" Israel asked.

Avari shook her head and grinned goodnaturedly as she pointed at him.

"You I liked from the start, mostly thanks to the way you talked to Lind and Kibaou the day we helped you rescue Sara. I'll remember their pompous, enraged faces until the day I die."

"Took the words right out of my mouth," Meifan said with a chuckle.

"You three telling ghost stories out here?" asked Jae as he and David emerged suddenly from out of the darkness and entered the light of the fire. "I happen to know quite a few. Good ones too. Just ask Israel."

"The only thing your ghost stories are good for is putting people to sleep," Israel replied with a smirk.

Avari and Meifan both laughed.

Jae smiled acceptingly as he took a seat by the log beside Israel, as if he had expected just such an answer. He looked across the fire at Meifan and David and Avari, the latter two of whom were now snuggling up close beside each other as they waited for Jae's reply.

"He's always been a little jealous of my ghost stories. Understandable, really, considering he about pissed his pants in fright last time I told him one."

Israel rolled his eyes as the others chuckled.

"You know what I've always wanted to know?" Meifan sidled up closer to the fire and held his hands out to warm them. "How in the world did you two meet?"

"A better question would be how have they not killed each other by now?" asked David.

Israel pointed at him. "Now there's a question for the philosophers."

"No, no," said Avari, "I want to know as well. How did you two become so close? How did you become brothers?"

Meifan nodded his interest in the question.

Israel glanced over at Jae as he tried to recall. It had been so long since then. To make matters even more difficult, they had met before Aincrad. The real world and all its memories were now so distant, so difficult to latch onto. Israel tried to rummage through his past as he considered.

"I think it was through school," Jae said hesitantly as he squinted at the fire in thought. He glanced to Israel. "We used to talk on the way to school when we were little, didn't we?"

Israel nodded as the memory came back to him. Though he was beginning to recall snippets of that time thanks to Jae, it all still felt so...alien.

"We had the same bus stop, I think." Israel rubbed his jaw, absently noticing the prickle of his unkempt scruff of facial hair. "Yes, that was it. We met because we had the same bus stop and there was no one else to talk to." He smiled at the thought. "And as soon as we found out about our shared love of fantasy and swordsmanship-"

"We would talk away every bus ride to school," Jae finished with a faint smile of his own. "Didn't take long before we were inseparable."

"And beating each other with those wooden sticks we used as swords."

Jae sighed at the thought and lifted his right hand. "I remember that, alright. I still have some of those scars on my fingers."

"We never stopped fighting though," Israel continued. "As we got older, we got more and more interested in becoming better swordsmen, in really learning the art. We would read all kinds of books written by famous knights and samurai, and by the time we were in high school, we were using actual sparring swords used for official training."

Jae snapped his fingers as a sudden thought came to him. "High school. Remember our tenth grade English teacher?"

Israel blinked, and after a brief moment the memory returned to him. He twisted his face in disgust. "Ugh, unfortunately."

Jae broke out into laughter.

"English teacher?" Avari asked Israel curiously.

Scowling at Jae, Israel said, "Yes, or as I liked to call her, the demon from hell. She hated me with a passion. Said I was too lazy and sarcastic."

Taking a breath, Jae wiped a tear from his eye as he grinned. "She loved me though."

"Because you were a little shit." He kept talking over Jae's renewed laughter. "You didn't even have to try to get good grades! I distinctly remember you putting in no work to speak of on that thesis paper we had to write. Three badly written paragraphs against my two full pages of work, and you got and A while I failed!"

Jae held his sides and could do little more than nod gleefully as his laughter intensified.

"It was like that in every class we had together, too," Israel continued irritably. "This one here was always the saintly child. He loved to make me look bad."

Taking another deep breath, Jae managed to stop laughing so that he could speak. "Oh come now, I wasn't like that all the time. Don't you remember the days we would skip school together?"

"Only because it was my idea and I convinced you to come with me," Israel argued.

"Still." Jae raked a hand through his short cropped hair as he reminisced. "I miss those walks. We would make our way all the way from school to our favorite pizza place...what was it called?"

"I can't remember, but I'm pretty sure the only reason we went there was because it was cheap. We had to throw all of our loose change together every time."

Jae nodded happily and leaned back. "Yes, that's right. Good times, those were. I quite enjoyed our high school days." He smirked over at Israel. "I always did have the better grades, didn't I?"

Israel shrugged. "Sure you did, but I was the one who all the girls liked."

Meifan sucked in a breath and looked at Jae. "He wins that one."

Jae rolled his eyes.

At that moment, Vivienne appeared from out of the darkness. She looked around the circle of people by the fire.

"What's everyone doing out here?" She asked as she made her way to sit beside Jae, who happily scooted over to give her some space.

"Well," Israel began, "I _was_ trying to enjoy an hour or two of peace and quiet out in the dark, but that doesn't seem to have worked. If I had known we'd be having a party gathering, I would've built a bigger fire."

Sara appeared right behind Vivienne. The sight of her, in her long black dress with her thick silver hair tumbling down around her, never failed to take Israel's breath away. She too searched the faces around the fire, and and when she saw Israel, she smiled and made for him. He smiled back at her big blue eyes.

"I don't hear you complaining about Sara coming to interrupt your outside time," Vivienne observed with a wry grin as she sat next to Jae.

"That's because he knows better." Sara took Israel's hand when he offered it and sat down beside him.

Without hesitation, Israel removed one of his black cloaks from his inventory and wrapped it around her as she drew her legs up before the fire and leaned her head against his shoulder. Close on his left, Jae wrapped his arm around Vivienne and they both leaned back against a fallen log.

Realizing that they were all together now, Israel glanced around at the faces of the people he had come to know and care about so much. His family.

"Well," said Jae as he warmed his hands in front of the fire. "Here we all are. We've succeeded at ruining my brother's night."

Everyone chuckled in amusement, including Israel.

"So," Jae continued. "What should we talk about?"

"Our best times in Aincrad," David said as he planted a casual kiss on Avari's forehead.

Meifan rolled his eyes. "Leave it to you to come up with the cringiest idea imaginable, David."

David grinned unashamedly.

Everyone silently stared at the fire for a moment, and at each other. Israel saw the bright fire reflected in their eyes, as well as the dancing shadows the flames cast on their faces. He felt Sara's warmth against him as she pulled the cloak over both of them. He saw the quiet, contended joy in her sky blue eyes as she looked at him.

In the back of his mind, he recalled a time when it was just himself and Jae, living together in a quiet, tiny little room at an inn in Trevica. Back then, he would never have imagined where they would be now, how much larger their family would grow.

"My happiest time would have to be when we got married," Jae said as he stroked Vivienne's auburn hair.

Vivienne grinned and nodded without hesitation.

Meifan, Avari, and David all smiled.

"That was a wonderful day," said Avari. "The Grand Hearth looked so beautiful."

"Almost as beautiful as your dress," Jae added as he smiled at his wife.

Vivienne gestured. "Thanks to Avari, yes, you're right."

Jae blinked in shock and looked past the fire at the fierce looking woman. David's eyes too widened in surprise.

"You made her dress?" Jae asked.

Avari waved off the question dismissively. "I only helped a bit. Taylor did most of the work-"

"Oh no," Vivienne countered, "I remember that day quite well, thank you. Taylor was a genius about designing battle outfits and Officer garb, but he was hopeless when it came to dresses." She looked around the fire at everyone else to be sure they heard her side of the story. "Avari went with me, and when it was clear that Taylor had no idea what he was doing, she stepped right in and got to work. She told him how to help and what to do. I'll remember his red face forever."

Israel had no idea who Taylor was, but he guessed by the looks on everyone's faces that this news was indeed a revelation. Personally, he didn't understand all the surprise. Avari was quite fiery at times, and her dry humor tended to be a bit sharp, but she was also kind and generous when it came to it. Her helping to make Vivienne's wedding dress didn't seem an outlandish concept.

He shrugged inwardly. Maybe it was just that he didn't enough about how they had all lived when they were in the HDA.

"I think my favorite time would have to be our first date," Avari said to David, clearly ready to change the subject.

David turned blue and smiled sheepishly. "Can't say I'd agree, but that's nice of you to say."

Meifan and Jae exchanged looks.

"Did you make a fool of yourself, David?" Jae asked.

"Oh yes, he certainly did," Avari said with an amused grin. David cleared his throat and said nothing. "In the span of one evening, he managed to knock himself out hitting his head on the door coming in, flip our dinner table over, cover himself in food, and spill quite a bit of wine down the front of my dress."

Meifan pressed a palm to his face. Jae closed his eyes and groaned.

David waved his arms urgently at everyone. "I was nervous that night, alright?" He cast a scowl at Jae and Meifan. "And you two certainly didn't help out with all your warnings and expectations."

"I think that's adorable," Vivienne offered.

Ignoring Jae's and Meifan's reactions, Israel furrowed a suspicious brow at David.

"Aren't you a little young to be drinking wine, David?"

David blinked, but didn't know what to say.

In an instant, everyone burst out laughing.

They went around the fire then, with each person talking briefly about their favorite, happiest time in Aincrad. Vivienne, of course, agreed with Jae. David said that his was probably a tie between the first time he met Jae and Aranal, and when he and Avari had their first kiss. Meifan said that his was when he joined the HDA and became friends with Vivienne. Sara, when it was her turn, took Israel's hand and held it as she told of the walks they would take in the woods and fields during their time at the Treehouse, and of the night he had made lentil soup and Challah bread for themselves and Tristan.

Israel smiled warmly at the memory.

When it was his turn, everyone looked his way curiously. Without hesitation, without thought, Israel smiled at the happy faces around him and said, "This. This is my happiest moment in Aincrad, here with all of you. Thank you for ruining my night, everyone."

David, Avari, and Meifan all looked touched, and returned the sentiment with smiles and quiet words of thanks. Vivienne reached across Jae and squeezed Israel's left hand, saying, "I love you, brother-in-law." Jae clasped Israel's shoulder warmly, and though he said nothing, that in itself was enough. Sara leaned forward and kissed him.

They were all quiet for a while, each silently enjoying the company of everyone around them, and the warmth of the fire, and the pleasantness of the night. Sara laid her head back down on Israel's shoulder, and he felt nothing but joy in his heart as he slowly stroked her silver hair.

This, he decided, truly was far better than being alone.

"You know what I just remembered?" Jae asked without moving from his embrace with Vivienne. He turned his head over at Israel and Sara. "The first time I ever met my wife, she _hated_ me."

Israel's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Well," Vivienne argued, "I wouldn't go as far as-"

"I can attest to that," Meifan said cheerily.

"It's true," put in David. He frowned in thought, then added, "Now that you mention that, Avari hated me too. It was mostly because I was friends with Jae, but still. Avari didn't like me one bit, and she let me know it."

Avari cleared her throat, but before she could reply, Israel scratched his head of long blonde hair.

"You know what? Sara hated me when we first met too."

"I mean, I was kind of your prisoner who you threatened with death if I-"

"Well that's just bizarre, isn't it boys?" Jae asked as if he hadn't heard Sara.

Israel nodded. "It is indeed."

David shook his head. "Women, eh?"

Avari slapped his shoulder even as she let out a chuckle. The others quickly followed suit, and even though Sara and Vivienne both rolled their eyes, they too ended up laughing.

By the time the fire had burned low, with naught but embers still burning at the bottom of the ashes, everyone but Israel and Jae had fallen asleep.

Lying on his back with both hands underneath his head, Israel stared up at the majestic, celestial beauty of the starry night sky. A few clouds were out, and for the moment, some of them covered the half moon's surface, but a few determined shafts of pale light still managed to work their way down to earth. Sara slept peacefully on his chest, her arm still clutching the cloak around them both. Her warm, slow breaths brushed against the nape of his neck. He didn't look over, but he guessed Vivienne and Jae were in a similar position.

He could sense Jae was awake next to him, and he knew Jae was likewise aware of him. Neither of them spoke as they stared off into the eternal vastness of space. Neither of them had to.

Somehow, Israel knew that he and Jae were thinking the exact same thoughts: as they stared up at the artificial universe Kayaba had created, the universe they had once considered themselves trapped in, they both felt lucky. Not lucky so much for the way things had turned out for them both, though they were certainly grateful. Not lucky, either, for the loved ones that surrounded them, and the family they had made, though they both passionately loved that family back.

No.

What they really felt lucky for, deep down, was that the fact that they had been among those ten thousand players to enter the world of Sword Art Online.


	137. Chapter 136

136

October 20th, 2024

Floor 70, Abandoned Farmhouse

The morning of the tournament dawned clear and warm. The sun rose proudly, unimpeded by clouds, and the azure sky around it shined with equal enthusiasm. A whisper of a breeze, cool and caressing, sailed calmly on the air, helping to ensure that the pleasant morning warmth wouldn't turn to oppressive heat.

It was the perfect day for a fight.

Rising a little earlier than usual, Jae and Vivienne met the others in the living room. Israel and Meifan were already preparing breakfast in the kitchen, so Jae went to help them while Vivienne, Sara, and Avari set the table. The excitement in the air was palpable, and no sooner had everyone sat down to a light morning meal of various fruits, cheeses, and bread, that the boasts and promises began.

Meifan cheerily informed Avari that she was at last going to pay for the time she had accidentally brought a hammer down on his hand during the building of the Farmhouse roof, to which she casually replied that it hadn't been by accident, and that she would be sure to get the other hand today.

While feeding Jae a grape, Vivienne grinned and told him that if they ended up duelling each other, to remember that she loved him no matter how badly she beat him. He promised to remember, but happily added that the same applied to her.

David said that he just hoped he would advance enough to be able to fight Jae or Israel, and that he believed they would be the last two fighting. Meifan agreed, and with a raised eyebrow reminded Israel that he had a thousand Col on him winning the tournament. Vivienne waved a dismissive hand at that, and said that if it truly did come down to Israel and Jae, Jae would win without a doubt.

When Sara was asked if she would be participating, she considered it for a moment, then declined, saying that she was no swordswoman, and she doubted it would be seen as particularly fair for her to simply toss a stunning potion at her opponent and then stab them with a knife. Israel agreed, saying that they should all consider themselves lucky she had chosen not to enter, or she would have won the entire tournament without breaking a sweat.

After breakfast, they headed outside, only to find that Retarin and the other ex-HDA players were already hard at work. Four large, square wooden floors, each raised about an inch off the ground to ensure a perfectly flat surface, had been placed close together to form an even larger square in the center of the clearing. Dozens of colorful pavilion tents had been erected around the four wooden platforms, offering shade and serving as viewing and lounging areas during the fights.

Festive streamers were everywhere, fluttering lazily in the breeze, and here and there Jae caught sight of a few guild banners, once of which was the unmistakable red and white of the Knights of the Blood-Oath. When he asked one of the ex-HDA members about it, the cheerful young man said that Heathcliff had heard about the tournament and planned on coming with some of his men once his fight with Kirito was over.

"If Heathcliff intends to participate in the tournament," said Meifan, "then we might as well cut to the chase and name him champion right now."

"You're not wrong," Jae replied with a nod, "but it would still be fun to fight him. He knows the risk of using Sword Skills against real opponents as well as anyone, so I'm curious how he would utilize his Divine Blade in an event like this, if at all."

Israel scratched his stubbled jaw thoughtfully. "Considering his build, I imagine he would fight very defensively at first. As heavy a tank as he is, it would probably be easy for him to hold back behind his shield and gauge his enemy's tactics before reacting to counter."

"Good way to tire out the opponent too," Jae added with a nod. He shrugged. "In any event, I guess we'll see what happens when he arrives."

Moving deeper into the makeshift tournament grounds, Jae and the others quickly greeted Retarin before spreading out to help with the work. While most of the preparations were already completed, the largest of the pavilions was still being erected at the head of the grounds. It was here that long trestle tables would be placed, along with the majority of the food and drink.

While Jae, Israel, Vivienne, and David set to work helping to complete the beams for the pavilion, Sara, Meifan, and Avari organized a quick trip to Garnet, gathering some wagons and about a dozen pairs of hands in order to haul back the vast quantities of food they would be needing for the event. While it was unknown how many people would show up in the end, Retarin's people alone counted nearly forty, and even that small number required a great deal of provisions.

A band of four NPC musicians were brought in- hired via Quest exploits at one of the nearby inns- along with several dozen barrels of honey mead imported from the Town of Beginnings. By the time the main pavilion had been completed, Jae thought the place looked more like a medieval festival than a tournament arena.

And he loved it.

Upbeat tavern jigs soon filled the air, mingling with the inaudible buzz of dozens of people talking, laughing, and working to finish setting everything up. Extra tables and seats were hastily prepared inside the other pavilions, cups and tankards were set out beside the barrels of mead, and countless plates and silverware were placed in organized stacks atop the trestle tables within the main pavilion.

Before long, people began streaming in through the man made road leading out of the clearing in numbers that Jae had not expected. Dozens of players arrived to join in the event, some to merely spectate and enjoy the free food and drink, and others to participate in the tournament proceedings. A list was quickly posted within the main pavilion, on which all those who wished to take part in the fights were required to write their name and level. Within minutes, the list was filled, and a second scroll of parchment was needed.

Sara, Meifan, and Avari soon arrived back at the clearing, their wagons filled to the brim with a large variety of food, from hot honey bread to freshly baked fruit pies to a steaming, crisply roasted boar.

Jae's mouth watered as he saw and smelled everything from glazed cinnamon fritters, braised beef, roasted apples, lemon cakes, and more. The powerful aroma of such dishes as sweet and sour lamb skewers, flavored with brown sugar and ginger, and venison pasties glazed with honey and browned to perfection all filled the air, and before long, the sound of grumbling stomachs could be heard throughout the tournament grounds.

Finally, around noon, everything was ready. The foot was set, the music was playing, and nearly a hundred people chattered excitedly as they waited for the tournament to begin.

With the lists in hand, Retarin made his way to one of the platforms. The crowd quieted down somewhat, and Israel and the others fell in around Jae, who was standing close and leaning on one of the beams of the main pavilion.

"Alright everyone," Retarin began with a wide grin. "First of all, I'd like to thank each and every one of you for helping to make today's celebrations possible. Thanks to you, I think it's safe to say that we've created an event that puts the duel in Collinia going on right now to shame!"

Everyone let out an enthusiastic cheer, and many raised their cups in agreement.

Retarin raised a hand. "Right then, I think it's time we got today's tournament underway!" He glanced down at the paper in his hands. "Forty-eight people will be competing for the title of Tournament Champion. In order to ensure complete fairness and equal chance for all to advance, duels will be set up randomly and will be conducted in five rounds, with the fourth round being our semi-finals, and the fifth being our signature duel to decide who will stand as Tournament Champion! We have four dueling platforms already prepared, so duels will be conducted four at a time, with a referee standing by each one. All duels will be fought under the half-health option, meaning whoever reaches half their life total first or is disarmed, loses!

"If anyone would like to place bets on who you think will win, please make your way over to the main pavilion at any time with whatever sum of Col you would like to place, and either I or my associates will be happy to assist you.

"Now then, without any further ado, let the Farmhouse Tournament begin!"

The entire crowd responded with a raucous wave of cheers, encouraging shouts, and exuberant clapping. The music picked up and changed tune to an exciting and suspenseful rhythm.

"How'd I do?" Retarin asked anxiously as he strode over to Jae and the others.

Jae clapped the man on the back. "I think you should've been the one making the speeches before each Boss raid."

"Well done Retarin," Meifan agreed with a nod.

Vivienne raised an amused eyebrow at the ex-Officer. "What's all that about official bets, Retarin? Didn't take you long to find a way to get some money out of this, did it?"

"Well, I mean," Retarin scratched his head and tried, unsuccessfully, to suppress his mischievous grin. "What kind of man would I be if I didn't try to take advantage of all the heated talk Jae and Israel rake in? It would be a sin not to capitalize on such an-"

"Alright, alright," Jae chuckled. He gently shoved the man along. "You go on and make your money, but be sure you cheer for me when it's my turn to give my brother the bruises he's been asking for."

"And be sure you remember to give me a ten percent cut of the winnings!" Avari barked at Retarin's back as he disappeared into the crowd. "At least!"

At Retarin's instruction, several papers were quickly nailed to the beams of all the pavilions, each one a copy of the first round of randomly paired duels and who would be fighting who. Twenty-four matches were to take place, four at a time, giving plenty of the fighters time to spectate matches before and after their duels were up.

Avari was the only one among the six of them selected for the first four pairings, so Jae and Israel led the others into another pavilion to get a good view of her fight. Her opponent, a man Jae dimly recognized as one of the DPS fighters during their time back in the HDA, didn't look particularly confident when she pulled out her two handed greatsword. He himself was wielding a standard hand-and-a-half longsword, but compared to her weapon, it appeared frightfully lacking.

The other three matches consisted of several other ex-HDA members now living in the clearing, along with one or two players that had travelled here to compete from who knew where.

One of the NPC musicians made a pounding sound on his drum, and the matches began.

After casually sweeping her black bangs out of her eyes, Avari abruptly charged forward with all the strength and ferocity of a stampeding horse. Wielding her greatsword firmly in both hands, and angling her body to control the momentum of each strike, she laid into her opponent with wide, unyielding blows- though Jae could see that she was taking care not to hit as hard as she could. By the look of shocked surprise on her opponent's face, it was obvious that she had caught him completely off guard.

Struggling desperately, he managed to ward her off for the first few moments, but she didn't falter. Her assault prevented him from gaining any space or repositioning, and after a few brief, failed attempts at stopping her onslaught with counter thrusts, Avari's opponent found himself pushed back to the corner of their platform. Now unable to maneuver effectively, he quickly received several light wounds until, in the midst of one final attempt to block, he was disarmed.

Holding her sword up to his throat, Avari grinned happily.

The crowd roared with pleasure at the first victor of the day, and Jae, Israel, and everyone else joined their voices to the throng.

The the rest of the matches ended soon after, and within seconds the next four pairs were called up. Jae and David were both a part of this round, though not against each other. David looked a little disappointed at this, but Jae assured him that so long as he won his duels, they had a good chance of meeting each other on the square.

Jae's first opponent was a shortsword user who also handled a tiny buckler shield, and it was obvious that he relied on speed and quick bursts of close combat techniques to deal his damage. Against an average spear or staff user, such an opponent might have proved challenging, but Jae was quite accustomed to dealing with such threats.

Utilizing the reach of his staff to keep the player away, Jae unleashed a rapid flurry of speed based attacks to strain the limited defense of the man's buckler. In an effort to escape his compromising position, the player disengaged and darted to the left in an effort to find an opening. Jae let him believe that he had located a weakness, waited for him to dart in close in order to use his shortsword, then twirled Starfire downward to knock his feet out from under him. Stepping over the player before he could rise, Jae touched Starfire's bladed point to his heart, and walked away.

The fights continued on like this for around a half hour, and by the end of the first match, all six of them had fought and won their first duels. Israel's was perhaps the most laughable; after a few minutes of intense swordplay against an opponent with respectable skill and talent, he simply caught his opponent's sword in his armored fist and shattered it with a hard squeeze. Afterwards, he apologized and paid the player double the weapon's worth in Col.

Vivienne had had a little bit of trouble combating a katana user, as she was unused to that style of combat, but before long managed to apply her greater skill and experience and won her fight. Meifan's duel had been interesting: the moment the drum sounded, he had lowered his angelic circle shield in front of himself and blinded his opponent with the gleaming rays of light that emanated from it's surface. A few swings from his mace finished that fight.

Now with only twenty-four contestants left, and with all six of them still in, Jae and the others excitedly readied themselves for a more difficult match up. The crowd, even more enthusiastic now than at the beginning of the tournament, had begun forming into groups based on the competitor they wished to win. As loud as they chanted, it was easy to hear which groups supported who.

The four largest, Jae observed, were for him, Israel, Vivienne, and a solo player with a rapier by the name of Scandlon, who had taken down his first opponent quite easily. In spite of the favoritism, everyone- both among the crowd and the competitors- still showed excellent sportsmanship and good humor; every participant in the tournament was cheered for, and while the winners were awarded with a roar of approval, the losers were always given encouragement and respect for their performance.

Caught up in the atmosphere of good-natured fun and celebration, Jae found himself constantly smiling, laughing and cheering along with everyone else. Whenever he and Israel waited together for their next fight, they would comment on the duels going on with drinks in hand and cheer for whoever they hoped would win. Whenever he and Vivienne waited together, he couldn't help but spend most of his time laughing as he tried to kiss her.

Likewise, it was quite endearing seeing Israel all but waiting on Sara as he brought her food and refilled her cup for her whenever she wanted more. Sara rooted for all six of them during each fight, but none more so than Israel.

Again Avari was called on to partake in the first four pairings, and this time her opponent was a balanced build female player from one of the lesser Assault Team guilds, fighting with a one handed warhammer, kiteshield, and medium armor.

The fights began, and though the woman did manage to beat back Avari's greatsword for a time and even inflict a few wounds here and there, she was eventually beaten down until a final overhead blow from a panting Avari sent her shield flying out of her hands. Exhausted, she surrendered the fight.

Upon stepping off the platform, Avari grinned at Meifan and told him she was looking forward to doing the same to him. He rolled his eyes and told her that a balanced build was hardly representative of the endurance of a true tank.

Jae went against a spear user, which was interesting seeing as both of them utilized similar long range melee tactics. After a brief standoff comprising of careful footwork and quick lunges, Jae showed the man the superior flexibility of a staff: batting aside a lunge with one of Starfire's ends, he immediately twirled his weapon into an attack with the second end and concluded the fight.

David and Meifan won their fights without much trouble as well, but it was towards the end of the round that two interesting duels occurred; Vivienne against the solo player Scandlon, and Israel against Retarin.

Vivienne began her duel under immediate attack from Scandlon's rapier, which proved vicious and fierce, but she quickly stabilized and presented a formidable guard, blunting the rest of the assault with rapid blocks and parries from her shining white sword, Dawnbringer. When Scandlon attempted a second offensive to prevent her from counter attacking, he got too close and quickly received a powerful punch to the face that all but knocked him from his feet.

The moment he saw that punch, Jae winced and sucked in a breath through his teeth in sympathy. He knew all too well that Vivienne's right hook was nothing to laugh at. The crowd, however, roared their approval at a woman giving a man the business in such a fashion.

Needless to say, Scandlon lost the fight.

Retarin, who Jae knew from past experience in the HDA was a more than capable fighter with a sword, afforded himself quite well. While it was obvious from the start that Israel was both physically stronger and a better swordsman, Retarin managed to hold his own against the lethal onslaught of the flashing red sword for a time.

Though winded, he then counterattacked aggressively, with a well timed series of blows that demonstrated his experience fighting against the impossible odds all Assault Team veterans knew well. To his credit, he even forced Israel to lose several steps worth of ground.

When Israel started using his armored fist alongside his sword, however, Retarin's guard quickly started to collapse.

"Go on, Retarin!" Jae shouted with a grin as the panting ex-Officer barely managed to parry a thrust of Apocalypse.

"At least make it to the five minute mark!" Avari laughed.

Beside them, a smiling Sara rolled her eyes and cheered, "Finish him off, Israel! Only don't hurt him!"

Retarin attempted to renew his offensive by swinging his sword in weaving patterns before him, but Israel easily blocked each strike with his armored fist. At the same time, Apocalypse surged forward, and with a wry smile, Israel banged the flat of the blade on top of Retarin's head.

The whole arena burst into laughter.

By the time the poor man managed to wobble his way off the platform and back into the pavilions- with Israel's help- Jae saw a huge red bruise poking out from his head of short black hair.

"Well fought Retarin!" David cheered encouragingly as he clapped the man on the back.

Everyone cheered and lifted their cups in agreement.

"Aye!"

"Well fought!"

Now that there were only twelve people left in the runnings, Jae joined in the eager anticipation for the round three list. Before they could begin, however, a new commotion broke out at the back of the tournament grounds; Heathcliff had arrived, along with six of his men and several more barrels of alcohol.

"About time you got here!" Jae said loudly above the festivities as he grinned and clasped hands with the commander of the KoB.

Heathcliff returned the smile and had to lift his own voice as well. "Well, I was a bit busy with something. Not all that important, I can understand why you didn't show. After all, it's not as if half the population of Aincrad came to attend or anything-"

Vivienne waved a dismissive hand. "Oh come now, we all know that was hardly a spectacle worth agonizing over seats and tickets over. How long did it last, a minute?"

"Well, a minute and thirty-one seconds, actually-"

"You brought more mead?!" Meifan ran up and pumped Heathcliff's hand. "You're a saint, Commander!"

"I'd prefer some of that Granzam ale your guild makes," Jae said hopefully.

Heathcliff nodded proudly. "I suppose it's your lucky day, Jae. Granzam ale, direct from our own breweries."

"Well what are we waiting for?!" Shouted David. "Let's get it unloaded and brought over to the main pavilion!"

Leading the charge, he and Meifan led the crowd straight for the barrels. Heathcliff's men paled at the sight, and it was all they could to avoid being washed away by the enthusiastic horde.

Jae's face sombered as he looked back at Heathcliff.

"Did it go alright? Your duel against Kirito?"

Heathcliff nodded. "All is well. He afforded himself better than I expected, and for a moment I thought he might get through my defenses, but I managed to gain the upper hand. As of today, Kirito is now a member of the Knights of the Blood-Oath. I'm hoping his ability as a fighter and new spotlight as a hero will help the Assault Team gain some much needed traction."

His face, usually so professional and dignified, twisted suddenly into amusement and wonder. He looked around, then fixed both Jae and Vivienne into his confidential stare. "Did you know that Kirito and my Second in Command, Asuna, are together?"

Vivienne's eyes widened.

Jae's jaw dropped.

"What?" Jae shook his head in shock. "And here I thought the newspapers were just making up gossip."

Heathcliff nodded. "So did I, but today I found out it's true. They seem to really care for each other. I'm happy for them, of course, but I just never would have…"

Jae and Vivienne nodded knowingly.

"I know what you mean," Jae finished for him. He considered it for another moment, then looked at Vivienne and smiled. "Well, Aincrad has always had a tendency to show us love where we least expect it."

Returning the smile, she took his hand in hers before turning back to Heathcliff.

"Now that you're here, will you be joining in the tournament?'

"Oh no." He waved a hand. "One difficult duel was more than enough for me, and besides, it wouldn't be fair to enter now when so many have already fought to advance. No, I'm content to cheer you two on as I take advantage of your free food."

"When you come with Granzam ale?" Jae shook his head and laughed. "Feel free to eat all the food you want."

After a few minutes of greeting and thanking the KoB members, the tournament quickly resumed. The moment Jae saw the list for the third round, excitement flashed through him. While he wouldn't be fighting anyone of note, Israel and Meifan were pitted against each other, as were Avari and David.

"Now this will be good," Meifan said happily as he hefted his mace and clanged it against Israel's armored fist.

"Don't forget to keep your shield up," Israel replied with a grin.

"Don't you dare start fighting until I'm done," Jae demanded as he walked past them and onto the wooden platform. "I want to see you two in action!"

Jae's opponent quickly entered on the opposite side- a tall man wielding a katana in one hand and wearing a thick, studded leather glove over the other.

 _He probably has the Martial Art skill like Israel._

"Good luck," the man said with a sincere smile and a respectful nod.

Jae returned the gesture. "And to you."

The other three pairs of fighters took their places on the opposite squares, and a second later the loud drum gonged.

The clash of steel filled the tournament as the fights commenced, but Jae and his opponent circled each other carefully before engaging, both studying the stance of the other. Right away, Jae saw several openings in the man's guard, but he suspected they were deliberate.

Katanas were versatile weapons; sometimes they could act with the speed of a rapier, while other times they could conduct slashes of equal power to a longsword. On top of that, the potential Martial Art skill added a further variable to what could end up happening.

Fortunately, Jae had plenty of experience against someone quite talented with the skill.

After deciding on a plan of action, Jae moved in and delivered a quick lunge to initiate the fight. His opponent parried with a curved sweep of his katana, then rapidly followed up with an abrupt barrage of steel. Unafraid, Jae defended himself with even faster twirls of his staff, resulting in dozens of loud thuds and clunks as steel struck against wood.

The crowd on his side of the platform went wild with excitement at the intense bout.

"Go on Murin!" A female voice shouted in the back, and Jae guessed she was talking about his adversary.

"Get him, Jae!" Meifan bellowed. "Close in!"

"Watch the hand!" Israel warned in a more calculating voice. "He's got Martial Arts."

As if on queue, Murin's leather clad fist swept suddenly forward, aimed at his knee. Thanks to his wonderful brother, Jae knew the pain such an attack could cause if completed.

Instead of retreating to avoid the low punch, Jae decided to utilize the full reach of Starfire and knocked aside the strike with it's lower end at the same time as he deflected the incoming katana with the top.

Murin blinked in surprise at the double block, and it was then that Jae made his move.

Twirling Starfire rapidly before himself, he unleashed a furious counter assault, sending both blades of the weapon flashing through the air at almost imperceivable speeds. To Murin's credit, he remained calm and stabilized his guard with desperate blocks from both his katana and fist as he fell back before the onslaught. In spite of his best attempts, though, several small cuts soon bloodied his arms and chest.

"Go on Jae!" Someone shouted.

"Hero of Floor Twenty-Five!" Someone else chanted.

"Hero of Floor Twenty-Five!"

Abandoning his retreat, Murin spun suddenly around to reposition- a smart move considering he was now on the losing end of the fight.

Jae pivoted to reface, and was just in time to dodge a wide sweep of flashing steel aimed directly for him. Again the katana slashed through the air, but this time Jae was ready and batted the blade aside with Starfire. In a flash, he then changed grip, positioned his hands, and swung the staff as if it were a mighty two handed sword.

Surprised by the sudden change in tactics, Murin barely managed to duck the blow, then tried to take advantage of the situation by coming out with a lunging punch driven by his full weight.

Just as Jae had hoped.

Using all his speed, Jae turned and spun himself completely around until he was behind Murin, then lashed out and cracked the man across the back with the wooden center of his staff.

The power of the blow not only ripped Murin's katana out of his hand, but also sent him sprawling to his knees with the wind knocked out of him.

Gasping, Murin tried to roll to the side to buy himself time, but it was too late: Jae planted the bladed end of Starfire atop his back.

"Well," Murin said with a cough as he lay facing the ground, "I have a feeling I'm dead."

Jae grinned and removed his spear as the crowd cheered. "What could have given you that idea?"

After helping Murin to his feet and clasping hands, Jae stepped off the stage and was immediately greeted by dozens of hands patting him on the back. Another round of cheers went up for Murin as he picked up his katana and, smiling humbly, made his way back into the crowd.

"A battle well fought!" David shouted with glee.

"Aye!" the crowd roared.

Israel handed Jae a tankard of ale, which he took gratefully. After a few drinks, he wiped the sweat from his face and glanced around.

"Where's Vivienne?"

Israel pointed at one of the tournament squares. "She just took position to fight."

Leading the way, Jae and the others circled around the energetic and happy crowd to get a good view of Vivienne's duel. Finally finding a good place in front of a table covered with food and a pitcher of mead, Jae leaned back on it and clapped as the fight began.

Vivienne's hair, now slick with sweat around her face, was tied back in the ponytail Jae had grown so accustomed to during their time in the HDA. He loved how she looked with those ponytails.

She was facing an ex-HDA member- one of the last still in the tournament- armed with a standard longsword and shield. Jae dimly recognized him as Tallard, one of the tanks who had served in Schmitt's squad.

It was then Jae noticed that no other fights were taking place, and that the four squares had been pushed together to form one large fighting area.

"Why aren't the others dueling?" Jae asked.

"There aren't many of us left," Israel explained beside him. "And our remaining fights are all between the best duelists still standing, so Retarin decided to give each duel center stage."

"Good thing too," David said around a mouthful of fruit pie. "I want to be able to see every fight from here on out."

"Avari and David fight next," said Meifan excitedly. "Then Israel and I."

The fight between Vivienne and Tallard began with a sudden clash of steel as Vivienne attacked, drawing everyone's attention and cutting the conversation short.

The crowd cheered for one side or the other, but it was obvious Vivienne had a larger following. It was hardly surprising; half of the people in attendance were ex-HDA members after all, and Vivienne had been one of the most popular Officers in the guild.

The drone of the crowd seemed to fade from Jae's ears as he watched the duel. It was always entrancing seeing Vivienne fight. Her radiant beauty aside, she always moved with an elegance and grace that rivalled the most complex of dances. Her white sword, Dawnbringer, cut through the air with dignity and finesse to match her own, and her auburn hair, though sweaty and slowly becoming undone from it's ponytail, flowed majestically behind her. Her fighting technique also had a way of showing off her athletic and curvy figure as she moved, dodged, spun, and sprang.

She was the living embodiment of feminine perfection.

Taking another drink, Jae silently vowed to himself that tonight, he would see to it that Vivienne didn't get a wink of sleep.


	138. Chapter 137

137

October 20th, 2024

Floor 70, Abandoned Farmhouse

The fight raged on, and it soon became clear that Vivienne had the upper hand. Her opponent, Tallard, was nearly in the yellow, and his face was showing the early signs of weariness. The moment he got winded, Jae knew, Vivienne would close in for the finishing blow. As it was, her sword was already pounding mercilessly on his shield as she continued to methodically wear him down.

Emptying his mug, Jae soon joined in the cheers, applauding and praising each well timed blow from both opponents, but mostly from Vivienne.

A young man- a solo player by the look of him- sidled up next to Jae as he clapped, his hand straining for the pitcher of mead just out of his reach on the table. Jae seized it and handed it over with a smile.

"My thanks, friend," the young man said gratefully as he emptied the contents of the pitcher into his cup. He took a drink, then joined Jae in leaning back against the front of the table. They both watched as Vivienne skillfully ducked a particularly deadly sword swing before following up with a barrage of well timed attacks that slowly began overwhelming Tallard's guard.

The young man beside Jae whistled in wonder, then pointed at Vivienne.

"That woman there knows how to fight."

A proud smile made its way onto Jae's face as he watched her.

"She certainly does."

The crowd flinched and let out an audible _oohhhh_ as Vivienne stumbled and barely managed to block an overhead strike. A second later, she regained her ground with a ruthless counter offensive. Tallard looked to be faltering. Jae knew he wouldn't last much longer.

"I tell you," the young man continued as he watched, "it's not every day you see a woman as tantalizing as that so skilled with a blade."

Jae blinked and looked over at him, but the man didn't seem to notice; his eyes were glued on Vivienne.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jae noticed Israel, David, Meifan, and Avari all grow quiet and glance over at him.

Still watching Vivienne, the young man took another sip of his drink before prodding Jae conspiratorially with an elbow and in a mischievous voice add, "I don't know about you, but I'd love to get to know her better, if you know what I mean. Any idea what her name is?"

Jae waited until the smaller man looked up at him, then creased his lips into a thin smile.

"Why, yes, actually. That would be Vivienne. My wife."

Some of the crowd around them grew suddenly quiet and glanced over.

The young man's face paled, and the hand holding his cup froze in midair.

Then Israel and Avari both burst out laughing.

"One guess, Israel," Avari managed between bouts, "One guess who your brother is about to duel next."

David leaned forward and clasped Jae somberly by the shoulder. "Don't hurt him too badly, alright?"

Meifan glanced sympathetically to the still frozen young man. "Good luck, friend. I'll see you in the next life."

In the end, the fight didn't last five minutes, but the young man, who's name Jae discovered afterward was Elias, was just grateful to have suffered nothing worse than some scrapes and bruises. He also apologized profusely afterwards, and thanked Jae several times for not killing him.

Satisfied, Jae laughed good naturedly and used the last of the ale at the table to fill Elias' cup for him.

Vivienne rolled her eyes when the others explained what had transpired, and gave Jae an amused shake of her head to let him know he had been unnecessary. He pulled her in for a kiss anyway.

With both pitchers at the table empty, Jae decided to step away from the fights for a moment to replenish their stores, and made his way over to the main pavilion with both in hand. Wading through the cheering crowd and through the other pavilions, it took him several minutes to get there. He had feared that there would be a line of players waiting to get inside and partake of the majority of the food and drink, but was pleased to discover that only Heathcliff and a few others were scattered inside, piling their plates high with all sorts of dishes.

Heathcliff greeted him, and when he saw that Jae was clutching two empty pitchers, he set down his plate and moved to help.

"Thanks," Jae said with a smile.

Together they made their way to the back table, where the barrels of beer and ale had been stacked sideways atop each other for easy access to the plugged funnel tops. Pushing the top of his pitcher against one of the barrel funnels, Jae popped opened the plug and watched the amber liquid to flow into it. Heathcliff did the same beside him.

"Sorry to keep you away from your food," Jae said with a chuckle as he glanced back at the tower of meat stacked onto the commander's plate.

Heathcliff shook his head, causing a skein of long silver hair to fall over his face. "No worries, I plan on returning to it shortly." He glanced around with a smile. "I must say, this tournament easily beats the one we threw in Collinia. I should fire my event organizer and take you in his place."

Jae snorted. "Tempting offer, but I'm afraid I can't take any of the credit for today. Retarin and the others did most of the work, and Meifan and Sara handled the food. All I did was help nail down a few of the beams and nearly impale my hand once or twice in the process."

Heathcliff chuckled warmly, but still managed to maintain the air of professionalism he always had wrapped around him.

"Well, in fairness, nails are dangerous things."

"Incredibly," Jae agreed with a somber nod. "Arguably the greatest danger in Aincrad."

"Without a doubt."

A thought seemed to come over Heathcliff as he watched the mead flow into the pitcher he was holding.

"I know we were just joking around, but I want you to know that, if you ever wanted to, you, Israel, Vivienne, and the others would be more than welcome to join the Knights of the Blood-Oath."

Jae blinked in surprise at the notion.

"Thank you, Commander. That's very kind of you to say-"

"I mean it," Heathcliff said firmly. "If you were to join us, I would consider it the greatest of honors. The Hero of Floor Twenty-Five has been greatly missed on the frontlines."

Jae smiled. "Again, thank you, but that's just not who I really am anymore. I consider you to be my friend, Heathcliff, and I mean no disrespect or offense, but I just don't have any interest in risking my life or the lives of my loved ones for the sake of guild politics and prestige. Not again."

"I can understand that," Heathcliff answered. "But you can't deny that there is more to it."

"Such as?"

Heathcliff shrugged. "Why, fighting to go home, of course."

"Home?" Jae shook his head. "Heathcliff, those that go and fight in the Labyrinths leave home each day and risk never seeing it again."

"I mean the real world," Heathcliff corrected. "The Assault Team has it's problems, you'll get no argument on that, but at the end of the day, past the politics and the prestige, we fight to go home to the real world."

Jae blinked impassively. He stared at Heathcliff for a moment, then glanced around.

The crowd was cheering, laughing, smiling. David and Avari were fighting on the platform, both grinning as they went at it. The festive, upbeat music drifted across the warm air. In the midst of the celebrations, he could see Sara laughing as Israel and Meifan argued with each other over who would win the duel.

Jae turned back to the KoB Commander and smiled as he gestured with a hand. "Heathcliff, look around you. We _are_ home."

At that, Heathcliff looked genuinely taken aback. His mouth dropped opened in surprise, and he looked like he had no idea how to respond. His facial expression looked especially strange; he had gone pale, and appeared both shocked and almost overjoyed at the same time.

Vivienne appeared beside them before Heathcliff could respond, tugging on Jae's sleeves as she laughed.

"Come on, you have to help me cheer on Avari! And what's taking so long with the drinks?"

"Sorry," Jae grinned. Plugging the funnel of the barrel, he offered his full pitcher to her. "Help me bring them over?"

With a nod, Vivienne took hold of it and began pulling him back along with her.

Heathcliff still looked shocked, so Jae took the second pitcher from his hands and patted him on the shoulder with a grin.

"Enjoy the rest of the tournament, alright?"

The color returned to Heathcliff's face, and he quickly regained his composure. He nodded and smiled back.

"I'll cheer you on when it's your turn to fight again."

Following Vivienne's lead, Jae made his way back through the throng of people enthusiastically watching the fight between the two lovers. Aside from the romantic aspect of the duel, both David and Avari appeared almost evenly matched in skill, and neither of them were holding back. It was certainly a spectacle, and one that the crowd was absolutely loving.

"About time!" Meifan shouted happily as he helped Jae and Vivienne set the pitchers down at the table they were all gathered around. "I was beginning to think you got lost out there."

Cups were eagerly passed around, and within seconds, one of the pitchers was nearly empty again.

With a full cup, Jae wrapped an arm around Vivienne and another around Israel as they all three cheered for Avari and David.

With her greatsword and superior strength, Avari seemed to have an advantage for a time, but David was quicker and quite masterful in his use of the legendary scimitar Israel had gifted him some time past. Eventually, the fight began to break down as both exhausted themselves, and soon Jae started to think it would end in a draw.

At the last moment, however, Avari performed a final barrage of well placed attacks and, though David afforded himself well in the final test, managed to disarm him with heavy blows. He opened his grinning mouth to yield, but she leaned in and kissed him before he could utter a word.

The crowd went wild.

"Make way, make way!" Meifan roared as he pushed his way through the throng with Israel hooked under an arm. "Time for a real battle!"

Israel shook his head in embarrassment, but allowed himself to be brought to the platform.

"I think Meifan's had a little too much to drink," observed Sara.

Both Jae and Vivienne smirked.

"Oh trust me," Jae said, "When Meifan actually gets to that point, we'll know it."

"So many crushed tables in the Grand Hearth," Vivienne added with a shake of her head.

"Israel! Israel!" Some of the crowd chanted, while a smaller number roared, "Meifan!"

Avari, standing on Jae's left, crossed her arms under her breasts expectantly.

"You look excited," Jae observed.

"To see Meifan get clobbered by your brother's demon hand?" Avari grinned sadistically. "Absolutely!"

The ring of steel being freed echoed across the tournament grounds as Israel drew his red sword and clenched his steel fist in preparation. Across the square from him, Meifan gripped his mace and hefted his shining shield, though Jae noticed that he was going out of his way to keep it's face angled downward at the ground.

The single drum pounded across the clearing, and the fight began.

Brushing aside strands of his long blonde hair, Israel advanced, but no sooner had he taken a step than Meifan lifted his shield before himself. Piercing rays of white light shined suddenly forth, and Israel jerked his blinded face away.

With an enthusiastic shout, Meifan surged forward and, keeping his angel shield held high, swung his mace.

Still facing away, Israel darted aside at the last minute.

A look of obvious surprise flashed over Meifan's face, but he didn't miss a beat and immediately altered his line of attack, again advancing with his shield up.

Israel was forced to look away a second time, and again he managed to blindly dodge Meifan's mace just before it could come down on him.

Impressed, the crowd began to clap for him.

"How can he do that?" Someone asked in the back.

"Attack now!" David shouted at Israel. "Close the distance so he can't use the light!"

Others shouted much the same, but instead of following their advice, Israel deliberately swept himself away from Meifan and repositioned at the opposite end of the square.

Vivienne frowned. "Why did he do that? He missed his chance. Now he'll just get blinded again."

Jae crossed his arms thoughtfully, but said nothing. In the corner of his eye, he noticed Sara's calm look, as if she had expected Israel to do exactly that.

Again Meifan rushed forward across the square, carefully keeping his shield held high before him to keep Israel blind as he closed in.

Keeping his eyes down, Israel waited for him.

Just as Meifan closed the gap and lifted his mace to strike, Israel took a single step forward and, still looking down, launched his armored fist forward at chest level. His punch struck Meifan's shield square in the center and, while it didn't so much as dent the steel, the impact of it did send Meifan toppling backwards with a surprised cry.

The crowd immediately let out a roar of approval.

Catching himself before he fell, Meifan dropped to a knee to regain his balance and stabilize. In front of him, and no longer blinded by the light, Israel's muscles flinched, and then he was moving.

In an instant, the air seemed to turn red as Apocalypse slashed and cut in a wild frenzy. Wielding the sword with a silent determination and easy grace, Israel didn't hold back in his assault, and unleashed hell. Meifan recoiled as dozens of powerful strikes slammed into his shield at breakneck speed, and it appeared all he could do to keep a grip on it- it was the only thing protecting him from the overwhelming flurry of blows.

The blunt pounding of sword against shield reverberated through the air, and Jae could almost feel the vibrations that were surely lancing up Meifan's arms. To his credit though, the tank didn't falter.

With a grunt of effort, Meifan hefted his shield up amidst the blows and managed a swing with his mace that forced Israel to block with Apocalypse, granting him a second of breathing room. Jerking himself to his feet, Meifan attacked again, desperate to get himself into the proper angle to use the blinding light from his shield.

Israel, however, had other plans.

Lifting his armored fist to block the mace, he lashed out with his red sword again, forcing Meifan to use it to block rather than get it in position to use its light. A brief flurry of strikes later, and he altered his attack, this time using his sword to block while he punched violently at the shield with his fist. The impact of the blows sent ripples through the air with each loud thud.

Against the titanic strain of such a ruthless assault, Meifan was forced back. Still attacking and occasionally blocking with his mace, he also threw a shoulder into his shield and shifted forward to bash Israel away.

The first time it worked, and Israel staggered back, but the second time, he managed to catch the rim of the shield with his armored hand. Meifan's face twisted in surprise as he found his press stopped in it's tracks, and he barely managed to block Apocalypse with his mace before it swept over his frozen shield.

Gritting his teeth, Meifan forced himself forward in an effort to throw Israel off his shield, while Israel immediately pushed back to keep a grip on it. In an instant, the fight had become a contest of brute strength.

Both of them grunted against the strain and stood almost completely still for a long moment, but then Meifan gasped and his muscles faltered. He fell back, and Israel closed in for the kill with his red sword held high.

Refusing to give up, Meifan just managed to catch the blow against his shield, then swung his mace out to hit Israel's leg. The blow connected with a painful thud, and Israel's knee buckled.

" _Ooooohh_!" The crowd gasped as they all winced.

Without even a blink as his health dropped somewhat, Israel staggered forward, ripped Meifan's shield out of his hands, and hurled it out into the crowd, who were only too eager to reach out and catch it.

Meifan attempted one last blow with his mace as Israel hobbled forward on his good leg, but Israel deflected it with his sword, then punched him to the ground.

Jae had seen Israel cave in a person's entire chest cavity with a punch from his armored fist, so he knew that the blow had been greatly controlled when Meifan merely fell to the ground, winded and grunting in pain.

"Yield," Meifan groaned irritably.

The crowd roared their approval, and Jae and the others didn't hesitate to add their voices to the throng.

"Well done, Israel!" Jae shouted. "Well done, Meifan!"

"Should've hit him harder!" Avari bellowed.

After sheathing his sword and wiping sweat from his brow, Israel extended a hand to the fallen tank and helped him to his feet. They said something to each other that Jae couldn't make out, and then both of them were laughing goodnaturedly as they both hobbled off the square.

"I need a chair," Israel said when he and Meifan returned to the table.

"I need a drink," Meifan muttered wearily. "My bones are still shivering thanks to you. I think I'm going to be sore for a week."

Jae handed Meifan his cup, and the tank grumbled something in thanks as he leaned against the table.

Sara appeared by Israel's side, concern lighting up her features as he plopped down into a chair.

"How's your leg?"

"It doesn't hurt."

"You know," said Jae, "that's probably the first time in history a man has said that line truthfully."

Israel laughed. "In any case, it'll heal by the time I have to fight again." He grinned at Jae. "Now it's your turn. Have fun, Avari."

Avari drew her greatsword. "Come on, Jae. Time to one up them."

Taking a breath, Jae surrendered his own cup of ale to Israel and made his way over to the square. People in the crowd clapped him on the back and shoulders as he went. Reaching his side of the square, he readied Starfire in his hands while Avari prepared herself opposite him. The drum let out a deep _dum_ , and the fight began.

They both attacked at once, meeting each other in the center of the square with a clash of force.

Wielding her greatsword using the half-swording technique, with one hand on the hilt and another on the upper portion of the blade, Avari jabbed at him with surprising speed. Jae batted aside the attack and retaliated with a quick flurry of swings to throw her off balance. Though slowed by the weight of her weapon, Avari knew how to take advantage of its strengths and utilized it's length and width to hold her guard and ward off Jae's assault.

Jae lunged forward with a fearsome stab, only for Avari to deftly knock it aside with a single glancing block. Unperturbed, Jae flashed her a wry grin as he swept upwards with the lower part of Starfire and cut her across the thigh.

Avari winced and immediately swung at him with a wide, angry slash. Unwilling to risk blocking such weight and momentum, Jae darted back to avoid the strike and prepared himself for another lunge. To his surprise, Avari was already on him again, this time bringing her greatsword down in a two handed overhead blow.

Clutching Starfire horizontally in both hands, Jae dropped to a knee and lifted the staff above himself to meet the attack. The resulting impact sent tremors up his arms as her blade slammed into the center of the staff. A gust of wind shot out past them on all sides, billowing into the cheering crowd. She certainly was strong.

With her sword still pushing against his staff, Avari smiled down at him through her bangs.

"Surrender yet?"

Jae returned the grin. "Don't get too cocky."

Exerting the muscles in his arms, Jae pushed suddenly up on their crossed weapons and heaved himself up onto both feet, knocking the greatsword off his staff and sending Avari skidding several inches across the square floor. Following up instantly, he unleashed a hail of sweeping twirls and slashes that cut through the air faster than the eye could properly follow.

Knowing that her heavy weapon had no chance at blocking every attack, Avari instead relied on her impressive reflexes and reaction time; she jerked her head and body to and fro, desperately evading Starfire's oncoming blades. She couldn't avoid all of them though, and before long, three more cuts appeared on her arms and hand, knocking her health down bit by bit.

In the midst of Jae's overwhelming barrage of attacks, Avari jerked suddenly to the right and swung her greatsword in another wide arc to create some space. Jae ducked underneath the blow, rose back up, and continued his assault without missing a beat.

Still dodging, sidestepping, and evading Starfire's blades as much as she could, Avari gritted her teeth and launched an all out attack in one final bid to save herself from the storm of blows.

Jae batted aside her greatsword once, twice, three times, but she kept coming, sweeping it before herself with remarkable speed and handling. Each time their weapons met, Jae's staff rebounded back violently against the superior weight of her sword, granting her more time to prepare her next blow.

Jae was impressed with how she had managed to not only halt his assault, but also turn the tide and sustain an aggressive counter offensive.

 _Looks like it's time to get serious._

Lowering Starfire, Jae dodged her heavy swing and pivoted to her right. Avari swung around at him, but he glanced the blow- and her momentum- aside, knocking her off balance and stopping her assault in its tracks.

With the way now clear, Jae lashed out with a controlled yet lightning fast series of attacks to finish the fight. Though off balanced and exposed, Avari still managed to swing her sword back up and deflect two of Starfire's simultaneous strikes. At the same time, she dodged and evaded several more. Unfortunately for her, it wasn't enough.

The endless attacks broke past her guard, and within seconds, Avari's health hit the halfway point. Immediately, Jae stopped Starfire in it's tracks just as the tip of one of it's blades reached her chest.

"Surrender yet?" Jae asked with a smirk.

Rolling her eyes, Avari lowered her greatsword and made a show of raising her hands in surrender.

The crowd roared and cheered happily, and after congratulating Jae on his win and praising Avari for her performance, quickly began chanting for the next duel.

Several more fights were conducted to finish off the round, and as the day wore on into late afternoon, fewer and fewer names remained on the list of tournament participants. Now that only the best fighters were left to compete, each duel was hard fought and took more than a few minutes to end. By the time they got to the semi-finals, only four were left; Jae, Israel, Vivienne, and a falchion user named Arthan.

Jae fought first, and had a difficult enough time defeating Arthan, but the true spectacle occurred when Israel and Vivienne clashed.

Red and white seemed to fill the air as the two of them fought, and though their competing skill resulted in a battle of intense proportions, it was also a stunning and beautiful example of the elegance of swordsmanship. Both Israel and Vivienne were swordsmen at heart, after all, and to hear the hum of their weapons cutting through the air as both players utilized complex techniques and patterns to defeat the other...Jae could only describe it as art. In the end, though, Israel proved himself superior, and his armored fist helped to further that advantage. Dawnbringer had afforded itself exceptionally well against Apocalypse, but at the end, Israel was clearly the better swordsman.

It was then that Jae realized that he and his brother were the final two competitors.

"Should I even be surprised that you insist on staying in this fight?" Jae asked jokingly as Israel rested in his chair.

Israel smiled up at him past loose strands of blonde hair falling over his eyes. "Well, to be fair, this is what everyone was expecting. Can you imagine the uproar had one of us failed to get to the finals?"

"My money's on Israel," Meifan said to the others as he ate. "Five thousand Col."

"Jae," said Avari. "Six thousand." They shook hands.

Both Vivienne and Sara simply continued eating and drinking, both no doubt sure who was going to win.

"I'm just excited to finally see you two in action," David admitted. "I don't want to miss a single minute."

Jae took a drink, then glanced down at Israel. "Should we spoil everyone's fun and both surrender at once?"

Israel's eyebrows went up. "Are you insane? We'd be skinned alive."

They both laughed, then Jae sighed and took a long drink.

"This is going to be a hard fight."

"This is it, everyone!" Retarin shouted in suppressed excitement when Israel and Jae made their way onto the square ten minutes later. "The final battle, the last remaining duel, the answer to the question we've all been dying to know: who is the deadlier brother?"

The crowd erupted wildly as their anticipation came to life. Interestingly, they seemed almost perfectly divided; half cheered for Israel, while half supported Jae. The eagerness to see this final fight was palpable in the air.

"To raise the stakes for this final duel," Retarin went on amidst the tumult of cheering, "victory conditions have been set to First Strike! Whoever deals the first solid, direct hit automatically wins, therefore demanding all of their skill and timing. Who will be named Tournament Champion!?"

"Jae!" Some shouted. "Jae!"

"Hero of Floor Twenty-Five!"

"Israel!" Others retaliated as they waved. "Spirit of Vengeance!"

Retarin said a few more words- mostly about bets- before finally exiting off the platform, leaving Israel and Jae alone.

"You ready to get beaten again?" Israel joked above the din of the crowd.

Jae shook Starfire's bladed tip at him. "You won't have the same luck this time around, I promise you. Time to pay for what you did to my helmet!"

Israel rolled his eyes. "Oh come now, you stabbed me in the back! That was far worse."

The drum let out a deep _dum_ , and both Israel and Jae raised their weapons in readiness.

Though they were both smiling goodnaturedly, Jae knew that Israel was getting ready to put his all into this final fight, just like he was.

 _This is going to be good._

The crowd went from ecstatic to eerily silent in an instant, changing the mood from one of joyful cheer to intense anticipation. Many were holding their breaths as they stared, eyes wide, at what was about to happen. Vivienne, Sara, Meifan, David, and Avari had all fallen silent.

Clutching Starfire calmly in his hands, Jae started forward. Across the square, with his red sword in hand and his armored fist clenched, Israel did the same. They watched each other with intent, unreadable expressions.

An instant later, they were running, both already starting the commencement of their first attacks.

The red sword cleaved through the air with frightening speed, and Jae twirled Starfire out to meet it with equal swiftness. The clash of steel against iron inlaid wood sent a loud clang ringing out into the air, and sparks exploded outwards between them.

The fight had begun.

Retracting his sword, Israel swung forward with his armored fist. Jae dodged the punch and swung Starfire around to deal a wide slash. The red sword cleaved through the air to block it's path. Another clash, more sparks.

Daring to take a step forward, Jae pressed his attack. Starfire's blades swept around as the staff twirled in his hands, and Israel stepped forward as well to meet it. Flashes of red and grey steel from sword and gauntlet crashed into the ever moving ends of the staff, and in the blink of an eye, the two of them had exchanged a half dozen powerful strikes.

Picking up speed, Israel retaliated with a withering series of brutal blows, alternating from sword strikes to fist punches again and again with precise coordination and technique. Jae didn't falter; he batted aside the sword, evaded the fist, and even threw in quick counter attacks to see if he could find any gaps in Israel's guard.

There were none.

With quick jerks of his armored arm, Israel knocked away the staff each time it came close, all the while continuing his vicious onslaught. In spite of his efforts, however, his assault proved about as successful as Jae's, and by the time they finally disengaged to reposition, neither had gained ground or dealt even a scratch to the other.

Ignoring the quickened beating of his heart, Jae sucked in a calm, slow breath. Opposite him, Israel did the same. Jae knew, and he was sure Israel did as well, that attrition would be key in a battle such as this. If he could stave off getting winded before Israel, it could tip the scales in an instant. As it was, they seemed perfectly even in skill. Just like the last time they had fought.

 _Time to test his strength._

Jae shot forward, and Israel swept his red sword around to meet the advance. Steel flashed, streaks of red, grey, and blue ribboned past, and sparks exploded as blow after blow was exchanged between them.

Jae pressed his assault, increasing his speed to the utmost as he twirled Starfire with greater and greater force. Israel followed suit, and their weapons clashed again and again.

The aftermath of a hundred strikes sent small gusts of wind sailing out every which way, only to be followed by a hundred more. Dust and dirt swept around the two of them like a minor sandstorm. They had started a veritable gale with their contesting power and speed.

Altering his grip on Starfire, Jae swept it up at one end with both hands and slammed it down like a sword in an overhead blow. Without hesitation, Israel threw his armored fist up to stop it. Shivers ran down the length of the staff when it made contact, and Jae thought he saw Israel's arm shudder. Still holding the upper portion of his staff in place against Israel's arm, Jae swept up the bottom half in an effort to deliver an uppercut. Apocalypse came down in a streak of angry red, and again his attack was halted.

Rather than disengage, Jae pushed forward, hoping to make his brother falter. Israel pushed back almost immediately, his muscular arms visibly tensing under the effort.

Israel's strength was considerable, but Jae didn't back down. Summoning every ounce of his physical ability and force, he all but hurled his entire being into the two points of conflict they were fighting for control over. Israel hunched forward, and Jae felt even more resistance.

It felt like he was pushing against a stone wall.

Gritting his teeth, Jae held his ground. All of his strength was now committed to the silent contest, and all he could do was keep up the pressure. Israel did the same, and before long, they were both sweating and panting as they struggled without moving against each other.

Finally, unable to keep up the effort any longer, Jae's muscles flagged. At the same time, Israel's arms buckled, and both of them jerked back.

Their strength, too, was equal.

In a final bid to seize victory, Jae initiated one final attack. Twirling Starfire in weaving patterns faster than he ever had before, Jae focused an uncountable swarm of blows into his assault. Israel brought sword and fist to bear, and again they clashed.

Over and over they exchanged blows, blocked strikes, evaded swings, parried, lunged, deflected, stabbed. They moved almost faster than the other could keep up with, and droplets of sweat flew out into the air each time staff met sword.

Jae batted aside the fist, sidestepped a lunge from the sword, swung Starfire only to have Israel duck underneath the blow, fell back, and returned to the fray once again.

There was simply no end to it.

Neither of them could gain the upper hand.

Rapidly nearing the end of his endurance, Jae desperately studied Israel's attacks and guard technique, looking for anything that he could exploit. Desperate, he decided that there was only one way, one chance, at victory. The unexpected.

Barely even paying attention to the twirling of his staff as he blocked numerous blows and delivered his own, Jae readied himself for one simple, final, lunge. He would put all of his weight behind it, all of his momentum, and drive it through Israel's guard right at the last moment.

Seconds past, but it felt like an eternity before Jae was finally ready.

Gripping Starfire carefully at the correct angles for maximum speed behind his lunge, he darted suddenly, violently, forward. His staff, straight as an arrow before him, shot forward to the center of Israel's chest.

At the same time, Israel's sword altered its path and whistled through the air.

An instant later, the fight had stopped.

Jae blinked in surprise when he saw the point of Starfire's blade halted right at Israel's heart. He felt something press against the front of his tunic, and glanced down.

The tip of Israel's red was pressed against his chest.

They met each other's exhausted, surprised gazes.

"I thought I had you…" Israel said slowly.

"So did I…"

The crowd looked amazed, startled, and very confused. Everyone blinked in shock.

"The fight is a draw!" Retarin suddenly shouted as he leapt into the square.

Jae and Israel lowered their weapons and glanced to him.

"So then…"

Retarin nodded and, jumping between them, raised both arms. "Both brothers have proven themselves victorious. After what we've all just seen, I think we can all agree that we have two Tournament Champions!"

The crowd erupted into a frenzy of approval and wonder.

"Jae, and Israel!" Someone shouted.

"The invincible brothers!" Someone else roared.

"The Brothers in Arms!"

After the fight, both Jae and Israel decided that they needed a bath. Covered in sweat and swept up in dirt and dust as they were, to say nothing of their exhaustion, they weren't keen on continuing the festivities in their present condition.

By the time they returned to the pavilions, cleaned up and in fresh clothes, the sun had begun to set. The sky had turned a bright, brilliant red, and as everyone watched, stars began to twinkle shyly into sight.

Though the tournament was officially over, no one wanted to leave. There was still food and drink aplenty, laughter and talking still filled the sweet smelling dusk air, and the pavilions still offered a colorful, sheltering camp from which to celebrate and feel the joy of being with friends.

Retarin, Jae, Israel, and a few others quickly got torches set up as the day continued to lengthen, keeping the area bright and clear. Large fires were built within the roomier pavilions, basking the tournament grounds in warmth. The NPC musicians continued to play their jaunty tunes and upbeat songs, and though Heathcliff and his KoB members soon had to leave to take care of things in their HQ, they happily left the few remaining barrels of Granzam ale.

It was a beautiful, wonderful evening, made even better by the fact that Vivienne was with him, and as Jae laughed and talked around one of the tables with Meifan and David and Avari, with a drink in one hand and his free arm wrapped affectionately around Vivienne beside him, he couldn't imagine how things could be any better.

At which point he was almost immediately proven wrong when the music grew suddenly louder and Israel and Sara strode onto the wooden square floor that had served as the dueling grounds, and started dancing

It wasn't a slow, romantic dance, though it was certainly easy to see their love for each other in each and every move and smile. It was lively and quick footed, with both of them spinning and clapping and twirling around each other, sometimes holding hands, sometimes letting go. It reminded Jae of a kind of medieval dance, though it was obvious it was made up.

The crowd of people in the pavilions quickly became aware of the dancing couple, and soon people were clapping for them as they ate and laughed good naturedly.

"Come on Jae!" Israel shouted as he took Sara in his arms and danced in time to the beat of the drums. "Come on Vivienne! Let's see what you two can do against us!"

Jae and Vivienne glanced at each other.

"Meifan," Jae said as he got to his feet. "Hold my beer."

"But it's not fair," Avari argued. "Sara has that black dress of hers, but Vivienne isn't wearing one. Everyone knows a girl needs to have a dress during a dance."

David squinted at her in confusion. "They do?"

"I have a dress," Vivienne said with a smile. She glanced at Jae. "Remember the one I wore on our first date?"

Jae's eyes widened at the memory. "Vivienne, you can't put that one on."

She frowned. "Why not?"

"Because it wouldn't be fair. Sara's beautiful, but if you put that on, you'll put her and her black dress to shame."

That brought a smile to her lips.

Five minutes later, after quickly changing back at the house, Jae led Vivienne onto the newly minted dance floor. Leading the dance, Jae watched in awe as she twirled and spun in her gorgeous blue dress, with her auburn hair flowing regally behind her.

 _What did I ever do to deserve someone as beautiful as this?_

They danced opposite Israel and Sara for several minutes, and though there was an air of friendly competition, mostly the four of them were just happy to be with the ones they loved.

Before long, more couples joined the fray, running onto the wooden platform and laughing as they twirled and held their partners in their arms. Even Avari and David were soon caught up in the joy and fun of the evening, and though it was painfully clear neither of them knew much about dancing, it didn't take long before they were grinning like lovestruck school children as they spun and swayed together.

After a few songs, Sara and Vivienne both went off together to catch their breaths, which Jae and Israel took as a sign that they had to start dancing with each other.

Laughing like idiots at themselves as Jae took Israel's hands and twirled him around, the two of them quickly made a point of being the best dancers on the floor. Israel started performing some rather outlandish foot moves and dance pieces. Never one to be outdone, Jae unflinchingly took up the challenge, and their attempt at cooperation soon broke down into little more than a ridiculous dance off as they jaunted across the floor. When Vivienne and Sara saw them, they both broke down into fits of laughter.

The flickering shadows from the fire danced across the colored pavilion canvas tops, laughter filled the air, and as the night wore on, the twinkling stars themselves seemed to look on with kindly smiles at the joyous celebration occurring in the clearing before the Abandoned Farmhouse on Floor Seventy.


	139. Chapter 138

138

October 31st, 2024

Floor 70, Callo Waterfall

"How much further?" Sara asked behind him.

Still moving, Israel glanced briefly over his shoulder to be sure that her eyes were still closed. Satisfied, he returned his attention to the brush and bramble in his way. "Nearly there, now. We're about to go over a dip in the ground, so keep hold of my hand."

He felt her small, elegant hand grip his more tightly as he led her down the steepening slope.

It was chilly out, but Israel didn't feel it. A small, excited smile refused to leave his face as he imagined her reaction once they got there, and as they drew closer, he had to suppress the urge to walk faster in order to accommodate her closed eyes.

Near the bottom of the slope in front of them, Israel caught sight of a small ditch filled with murky water from yesterday's rain. Soggy autumn leaves floated lazily along the surface, only to be brushed aside and sent off course when a grey water spider streaked quickly past.

Pausing, Israel turned and, in one quick motion, swept Sara gently up in his arms. Caught by surprise, she nonetheless kept her eyes closed and laughed playfully as she wrapped a trusting arm around his neck.

"What's this, now?" She asked with a grin.

"Sorry, there's a ditch here." He took a wide, loping step across the muddy water and back over to dry ground. "Didn't want you to fall in."

"A likely story." Though her eyes were still shut tight, Sara raised an eyebrow suspiciously. "I'm more inclined to think you just wanted an excuse to grab me."

"Well, that too."

Setting her down gently, Israel again took her hand and continued guiding her forward. The sound of the rumbling waterfall grew louder, and once they were passed the last of the trees and brush, he released her hand.

"Alright, open."

Her long lashes went up, and in their place flashed her gorgeous sky blue eyes. She looked at him for a moment, then caught sight of what was behind him. What he had led her to.

Her mouth dropped open in wonder.

"This is...this is the waterfall I showed you back in August!"

Israel nodded. "It is."

"But it's right in front of us!" Sara's gaze turned upwards, craning her neck as she stared at the huge mountain towering far above them. "I didn't think there was a way to get close like this!"

Clouds hid the top of the mountain, and since that was where the waterfall started, it too was shrouded from sight beyond a certain point, leaving only a mysterious cascade of water flowing down the side of a seemingly endless cliffside.

Israel remembered looking at the sight from Grey Hill about a half mile back behind them. That was where Sara led him that day, and at the time it had seemed as though that was the closest they could get to the waterfall, for beyond that point was incredibly dense and tangled woods blocking the way.

From atop the hill, Israel and Sara had both seen the top of the mountain and the start of the waterfall streaming down it's sheer side, so they knew that it didn't actually reach the clouds. Now that they were standing directly at the bottom and right on the banks of the river into which the waterfall flowed, though, it appeared as though the natural wonder never ended.

The air where they stood was misty and wet as a result of the falling water, and on it hung a sweet, refreshing scent that Israel remembered well; it was from the flowers. On either side of the waterfall, travelling with it all the way down the mountainside, hung hundreds of yards worth of beautiful multi-colored flower vines.

The eye popping sight was as incredible now as it had been the first time Israel saw it, but was made even better by the fact that the vines could now be seen reaching all the way down into the mouth of the river where he and Sara stood, adding a magical sense to the gently flowing water.

Israel took Sara's hand and smiled.

"I figured I owed you another visit here, considering how unappreciative I was the first time you showed it to me."

Sara gazed with wide eyes at the sight before them; the clear blue river, the ends of the flower vines sinking into it, the water and vapor streaming down from the side of the mountain, the sheet of mist rising slowly above. Then she looked at him.

"How did you find a way through the woods? I tried before, but Grey Hill was the closest I could get."

Israel shrugged. "I knew you would like it, so I found a way."

"That simple, huh?"

"Actually it wasn't, but as it turns out, that smile of yours is a pretty powerful motivator."

Stepping close, Sara took hold of his shirt and pulled him closer to her. "I think you deserve more than a smile."

Israel nodded seriously. "I think so too, but we can get to that in a bit. First, I think we should go for a swim."

Sara released him and peered at the mouth of the river before them where the waterfall and the flower vines coalesced.

"In there?"

Israel nodded as he unbuckled Apocalypse and allowed the weapon, as well as the belt that held it, to drop to the pebble strewn bank. "It's not deep; I checked before I came and got you. The bank drops off right where the water begins, but only by about four or five feet. Same depth for the rest of the river out to about…" he pointed twenty or so feet to his left, where the river started to pick up speed and curve around a bend. "There."

Sara watched him as he removed his leather vest and shirt.

"Is it cold?"

"Not at all, actually. I suspect there are geysers somewhere underneath the waterfall. Plus, since it comes from the top of a mountain, the water is remarkably clear."

Kicking off his leather boots, he set them down next to his clothes and sword, then took a step towards the edge of the river bank.

"Allow me to demonstrate."

Holding his arms up like a professional swimmer, Israel bent his legs and then dived into the mouth of the river. Churning water enveloped him along with a thousand tiny air bubbles, but all quickly calmed as his momentum slowed and he sank peacefully to the nearby bottom.

Through the clear water, he could perfectly make out the entirety of the riverbed; thousands upon thousands of smooth rocks and stones of all sizes, shapes, and colors lay in a blanket across the bottom, some lodged in the hardened clay beneath, others merely lying there contentedly. Rays of morning sunlight bent and warped as they reached through the water, only to be refracted by the smooth tops of the stones.

Pushing lightly off the rocks with a hand, Israel turned around to glance up as he rose through the water. The surface of the river contorted her image somewhat, but it was still easy to see Sara leaning in from the side of the bank, watching him. Knowing that the water was altering his appearance as well, and that it would make him seem further away then he really was to someone above the surface, he abruptly kicked off the rock strewn bottom with both feet.

With a splash, he shot out of the water right in front of her. Sara recoiled in surprise as a spray of droplets showered her. She shook her head in amusement, but before she could reprimand him, Israel leaned in and kissed her. In an instant, she seemed to have forgotten what she was going to say and happily kissed him back.

Wrapping his arms around her as he enjoyed her velvety soft lips, Israel waited until she leaned in a bit further before abruptly pulling her off the bank and into the water with him.

They both went down with a splash, and though they were underwater, he couldn't help but laugh- and accidentally gulp a large mouthful of water in the process- as she broke away from his embrace in surprise and pushed herself back up above the surface.

Israel emerged as well, but found himself coughing uncontrollably as he tried to laugh and get the water out of his throat at the same time.

"Serves you right," Sara said with a smirk as she watched his grin dissolve into a gasp for breath. She gestured down at herself. "Look at what you did."

The water came up to her waist. Her mane of silver hair, usually so thick and lush, now hung in a wet mass down her shoulders and back, and her form fitting black dress clung even tighter to her now that it was soaked through.

Israel liked what he saw.

"Worth it," He managed through another fit of coughs.

She rolled her eyes and swatted him with a hand, but couldn't hide her smile.

"Well, I'm glad you're happy at least. It's going to take ages for this dress to dry. I could very well end up getting a cold because of you."

Finally recovering from the water in his throat, Israel took a breath and brushed aside a few strands of wet blonde hair that had fallen into his face. He gave Sara a serious look.

"You're absolutely right. My foolishness could very well make you sick unless we do something."

Sara's eyebrow arched suspiciously. "Do something?"

He nodded somberly. "I'm afraid there's only one solution. We need to get you out of that dress right away."

A glint of lust flashed in Sara's big blue eyes. Her mouth curved slightly open, as if she were considering. At last, she let out a resigned sigh.

"I think you're right. I'm going to have to take it off immediately. Unfortunately, I don't think I can reach all the laces by myself. I'm going to need some assistance."

Israel nodded understandingly. "Well, it was my fault, after all. What kind of man would I be if I didn't help?"

Seizing the front of her wet dress with carefully controlled power, Israel tugged her closer through the water towards him. She came without resistance. Without looking away from her eyes, he began unlacing the top of her bodice. Her chest heaved against his fingers as he worked.

"You know," Sara said quietly, "Since you're helping me, it's only right that I look out for you in return."

Underneath the water, he felt her fingers suddenly brush against his pants in a very particular spot. He stiffened involuntarily at the contact as a surge of lust shot through him, catching his breath.

Sara didn't look away from his eyes. He felt her fingers grip the top of his soaked pants. Using that grip as an anchor, she pulled herself even closer through the water until she was pressed up against him. He felt the entire length of her beneath her clinging black dress; every warm, wet inch, every soft curve. They were so close that he was breathing in her air, and she his.

As always, Israel felt almost lightheaded at the electrifying feel of her. Her very presence, to say nothing of the look in her eyes, was intoxicating. She glanced down deliberately, expectantly, and he realized that he had stopped untying the front of her dress. He all but ripped open the rest of the laces.

Her soft, warm breasts came free of her bodice in the same instant that she untied his own laces and opened the front of his pants underneath the water.

Israel had to take a breath when she greedily took him in her hands. Tempted though he was to lean back and let her do as she would, he nonetheless felt the familiar animalistic urge to take total control of the situation wash over him. His blood was hot now, and she had a way of stoking that heat into uncontrollable flames.

Seizing a fistful of her wet hair, Israel pulled her close and, leaning down, began trailing wet, aggressive kisses down her soft neck. Without hesitation, Sara lifted her chin as she gasped to allow him easier access. With his free hand, he reached around her and quickly began undoing the laces along her back.

Red marks began to appear on Sara's neck as he worked, and small sounds were now escaping her throat, but she didn't stop what she was doing. Underneath the water, her experienced fingers continued to send shivers up Israel's spine. He gritted his teeth and bit her neck in retaliation.

By the time he was finished untying the laces at the back of her dress, Israel's hand was at the small of her back. Releasing his grip on her wet hair with his other hand, he seized both open sides of the back of her dress and pulled them violently apart. Sara grudgingly released her hold of him beneath the water and lifted her arms up to help him get the top of the dress off. It trailed in the water around her.

Lifting her long legs, she stepped out of the rest of it and threw it blindly back onto the river bank before returning her attention to him. She tugged his pants down eagerly, and Israel assisted her by stepping out of them like she had.

She still had her underwear on, but Israel was in no mood to be delayed any further and simply ripped it off under the water with a powerful tug of his hand.

With both of them now naked and breathing heavily, Sara bucked her hips and pressed herself even tighter against him as she wrapped a leg around his waist beneath the surface.

Placing a hand in the water between her thighs, Israel watched her eyes half close with pleasure as he touched her. Short moans escaped her lips, and her hands left the water to grip his back tightly. He applied a second finger, placing more pressure on both, and grinned with satisfaction as her fingernails dug into his shoulder blades.

"Enough teasing," Sara whispered in playful urgency. "Stop being so mean and-" she gasped as his fingers moved up. "I want you inside me. Right now."

Unable to hold back any longer, Israel removed his fingers and straightened himself. Before he could do as she wished, Sara's hand splashed back into the water just below their waists and seized him with hot need. She guided him inside her with a moan of pleasure, and the moment they were one, they both seemed to have the same thought.

Leaning forward as their wet, entangled bodies joined in intimacy, they shared another kiss.

…

"And...down." Straining his muscles, Jae stopped walking and slowly lowered his side of the heavy wooden wardrobe with a grunt. Opposite him, Vivienne did the same.

He could see by her expression that it required more effort on her part, but even still, she never once faltered or paused. The wardrobe was growing remarkably heavy- Jae was beginning to struggle himself- but with a determined look, she kept pace with him and continued lowering her end until all four legs of the wardrobe were solidly on the floor. She never failed to surprise him.

At that moment, he doubted he had ever met a girl as strong as her before.

Releasing his grip, Jae straightened and stood.

"Remind me never to get on your bad side."

Vivienne merely smiled at him before stepping back to examine the placement of the wardrobe. Jae stepped back with her.

"Looks straight," Vivienne said with a satisfied nod. "I'm glad we got it to fit."

Jae nodded happily. "So am I."

Their room, once as empty and plain as a roadside tavern lodge, was finally finished.

A soft grey carpet that Vivienne had purchased a week or so ago now covered the floor. A reading chair sat in the corner before a small table. New night stands had been placed on either side of the bed, and above them hung portraits of peaceful countryside towns with castles in the distance. Jae had gotten them from an NPC painter in Garnet just the other day, for a haggled price that he was quite proud of.

A tall bookshelf stood proudly at the back of the room next to the mirror, with around twenty volumes already beginning to fill it out, one of which was _On the Great Warriors and Weapons of Aincrad_ , _and what they left behind_. Jae intended to return to the Library of Tenum with Israel again soon in order to retrieve more helpful books, and hoped that one day he would have a small library of his own from which to glean valuable information.

Beside the bookshelf was a small dresser. Purchased a few days ago, it was filled with mostly Jae and Vivienne's smaller articles of clothing, while the top they used as a surface for random odds and ends such as hairbrushes and folded piles of clothes they hadn't gotten to putting away yet.

The wardrobe was just wide enough to perfectly fill the corner space on the left wall, and was also tall enough to hold larger clothes without wrinkling them. They agreed that it too was going to be shared, and Jae could see in Vivienne's eyes that she was already looking forward to filling her half of it with new dresses.

Unlike Sara, Vivienne wasn't a daily dress kind of woman- in fact, if anything she was most at home in armor or her traveling gear- but he knew she enjoyed looking feminine and showing off her curves when she thought it a suitable occasion.

"I think we make a pretty good team," Jae said as they glanced around, inspecting the final product of all their hard work.

Vivienne leaned her head casually, affectionately, against his shoulder.

"I like you, husband."

Jae smiled warmly.

"And I like you, wife."

At that moment, there was a loud knock at the front door of the house.

Vivienne raised her head as Jae instinctively looked out the open door of their room, even though all he could see past it was the opposite wall of the hallway.

"Israel and Sara?" Vivienne suggested.

Jae shook his head. "Israel told me they'd be awhile this morning, and they both have keys besides."

Vivienne shrugged. "With all the traveling and hiking they do, I'm surprised they haven't lost those keys already."

Another knock, louder, more insistent, echoed through the house.

Jae knew that Meifan, David, and Avari were all still asleep in their rooms, so he figured there was only one other person it could be.

"Probably Retarin with some new problem in the village," he said. He started for the door. "I'll get it."

Vivienne followed him out. "I'll come with you, just in case."

Jae nodded knowingly- he already had his inventory open and a finger over Starfire to equip it. He didn't believe there was going to be any need for it, though: any potential enemy would almost certainly have been spotted entering the clearing by Retarin and the rest of his people living out in the cabins, after all. Alarms would have been raised immediately if that were the case, shortly followed by nearly forty armed and angry ex-HDA members heading for the threat.

Still, Jae and Vivienne both knew all too well that it never hurt to be prepared for anything. Peacetime, no matter how long it lasted or how perfect it seemed, was never an excuse to get careless.

Jae felt Starfire's familiar weight again on his back as he closed his menu and reached the end of the hallway. Beside him, Vivienne's angel sword appeared at her side.

Another knock, this time angry and impatient, visibly shook the closed front door as Jae and Vivienne entered the living room. Jae's eyes immediately scanned the windows to the left of the door, and he knew Vivienne was eyeing the ones to the right. They saw nothing, and continued.

Upon reaching the door, Jae gently raised a hand to keep Vivienne at a safe distance before gripping the handle and opening it.

Morning sunlight streamed in around the person's face.

Jae's jaw dropped in surprise.

"Rain?"

She appeared at least five years older. Her face was worn, haggard, and etched with bitter disappointment. She looked as though she hadn't slept in days. The look in her eyes was one of conviction and determination, but beneath it, Jae could see her distant sadness. He knew it well; it was a remnant of how she had stared when Aranal died before her eyes during the Battle of Brakrun.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jae noticed Retarin and several other ex-HDA members standing silently behind her. When Retarin caught his eye, he shrugged to reveal that he didn't know why Rain had come.

"Jae," Rain said, fixing him in her sullen, somber stare. "I need you to gather your brother and the others, please. As soon as possible."

Jae frowned in confusion. "Why? What's wrong?"

"Thinker's been taken by Kibaou." Rain didn't blink. "War is coming to Aincrad."

…

"So," Jae began twenty minutes later when everyone was gathered in the living room around Rain, "what can you tell us?"

Rain sighed wearily, as if unsure where to begin. "Too much, I'm afraid."

"Best to start from the beginning, then," Israel said as he leaned against the wall beside the fireplace.

The mood was quiet and tense, and the knowledge that something had happened to Thinker, combined with Rain's own apathy towards seeing them all again, dispelled any sense of joy in the surprise reunion. Even Vivienne, who had been the most concerned with Rain's wellbeing and the most disappointed when Jae told her she had chosen to leave rather than stay with them, now stood quietly with her hands clasped behind her back. The air of Officer had returned to her.

Jae suspected that some of his own old tendencies as Second in Command were also subconsciously resurfacing now that guild politics was again troubling them; in his peripheral vision he could see Israel looking at him a little differently as he stood straight and tall and looked Rain dead in the eye.

Visibly gathering her thoughts, Rain nodded and began.

"As you know, while I'm not an official member of the Army anymore, I still serve Thinker and his faction as best I can. After the Battle of Brakrun, I chose to be alone, but I also acted as Thinker's spy from time to time when he needed information. Over the past few weeks, he asked me to help him more and more often, until I found myself at the center of his most ambitious plan; the removal of Kibaou from the guild."

Jae's mouth dropped open. "He was going to stage a coup?"

Rain shook her head. "No. He was simply going to remove Kibaou from office and banish him from the guild. It was as straightforward as that."

Retarin, standing by the front door with several of the men who had come with him when Rain arrived, let out a breath.

"Did he really think it would be that easy?"

Rain glanced at the ex-Officer over her shoulder.

"Thinker isn't one for trickery, and in his defense, it very well could have been. He was planning for this ever since the Battle of Brakrun, but he didn't expect the time would be right for at least another six months. Two weeks ago, when Kibaou sent a squad of men to defeat the Floor Seventy-Four Boss, it was in an effort to mend his damaged influence within the guild. As I'm sure you've heard, that effort didn't go as he intended. That mission ended in disaster, and the fact that Kirito and his now famed Unique Skill happened to appear there at the same time only helped further spread news of the event before Kibaou could take steps to cover it up.

"The backlash was severe, and I'm not just saying that based on what the newspapers have printed on their front pages. I was in the middle of it all. I was spying on Kibaou's faction for Thinker for days, and I saw the effect this had. His influence took an even greater blow, and many neutral parties within the Army put in their support for Thinker. A few of Kibaou's most loyal followers publicly abandoned and denounced him.

"Three days ago, when I reported this to Thinker along with his other spies, he decided it was time to act. You may think he moved too quickly, without thinking things through, but you need to understand that the Army has been on the verge of civil war for weeks. Tavern brawls in the Town of Beginnings- which remains the most peaceful city in the Floor- have become almost commonplace. Riots have been going on in Tolbana for days. Followers of both factions have been set upon and beaten, occasionally even murdered, on multiple occasions across Floor One, and the trials that followed always ended in outraged fury on one side or the other.

"The last thing Thinker has ever wanted is war. He hates the division within the Army. He may have wanted to depose Kibaou, but you all know as well as I do that the reason for that wasn't ambition or hatred. He simply wants peace, and for the Army to be as it was before Kibaou and his guild merged with it. He saw his chance to do that, and he was willing to take it."

Rain paused to take a breath and soften her voice.

"Obviously, things didn't work out the way he intended."

"Kibaou found out didn't he," Jae asked dryly as he glanced up at the ceiling.

Rain nodded.

"We suspect that Kibaou had hidden spies working for him just as I worked for Thinker. The moment our plans were set in motion and Thinker prepared the men for a peaceful takeover of the Black Iron Palace in order to isolate Kibaou, he knew it. He gathered men- more than we were aware he had ready for battle within the Town of Beginnings- and consolidated control over his half of the Palace.

Obviously, the whole place was a safe zone, but players can still be subdued without losing health, and if that happened, prisoners could just as easily be sent to the prison beneath the Palace or taken outside the city and disposed of. Thinker didn't want violence to break out, so he called off the initiative and retreated from the Palace with his Officer Corp.

"That night, things were tense. More and more Army members on Kibaou's side were brought into the Town of Beginnings to solidify their hold on the Palace and the streets around it, and Thinker reacted in kind. At that point, we had control over a third of the city, but the rest of it was in Kibaou's hands and all forms of communication were starting to break down. It had turned into standoff. Thinker refused to start a battle for dominance over the city, saying that the moment things became violent, civil war was inevitable."

"How have we not heard about any of this?" Jae asked quietly. "With this kind of story, the newspapers should be flying off the presses-"

"One of the first actions Kibaou took when he called in his troops," Rain interrupted, "was the takeover and shutdown of every news group within the city."

Vivienne let out a long, slow breath.

Jae raked his fingers through his hair. He was starting to get a headache.

"Go on."

Rain nodded and continued. "Early the next morning- the day before yesterday- after a full night in our armor and with swords ready, waiting for what would happen next, Kibaou sent Thinker a message. I didn't get to read it, but a few of the Officers did and gave me the gist of it. Kibaou stated that he didn't want a war to break out either, but that if a solution wasn't reached as soon as possible, he doubted another night would end peacefully. Rather than risk any further escalation of hostilities, he offered to meet with Thinker alone and unarmed in order to discuss terms.

"Most of the Officers urged Thinker not to do it, including his Second in Command, Yulier. I tried to talk him out of it as well, but he accepted the proposal." Rain looked away from them. "He said that a war between green players must be avoided at all costs, and that he had to take the chance to keep things from getting any worse.

"He left to meet with Kibaou, and about an hour later, a message was sent to us."

Reaching into her pocket, Rain pulled out a folded up piece of paper and handed it to Jae.

"Read it out loud, please."

Jae held up the paper, and immediately recognized Kibaou's handwriting as he began.

" _To the Officers and other ranks serving under Thinker,_

 _I regret to inform you that your attempt at betraying me and removing me from our Guild has ended in catastrophic failure. I am ashamed at each and every one of you. I offered Thinker peace. I offered a chance to make amends. Yet when I arrived at our meeting place to talk, alone and unarmed, he ambushed me with the intent to murder me in cold blood. You all know he and I had our differences, but I never imagined him capable of this. I had no choice but to arrest him. He has been removed to a safe and secure location where he shall await trial for his crimes. The rest of you will stand down immediately, return to the Black Iron Palace, and re-swear your Army oaths to me. Anyone who does not do this will be labelled a traitor to the Army and sent to the dungeon beneath the Palace to serve out their remaining years alongside the red player scum that still rot there._

 _Your Guild Leader and Sole Commander,_

 _Kibaou_."

When he was done speaking, Jae gritted his teeth and wordlessly crumpled up the note in his hand.

"That lying, sniveling, dishonorable bastard," Meifan muttered under his breath.

"He probably had a dozen men waiting for Thinker the entire time," Retarin grumbled.

"Without a doubt," Israel said calmly.

Avari shook her head in barely suppressed rage.

"We should have killed that piece of dog shit years ago."

Jae looked at them all a moment before turning his attention back to Rain.

"Has the Monument of Life been checked already for confirmation?"

She nodded. "The Central Plaza was under Kibaou's control at the time, but I managed to sneak past the lines with one other spy after we received the message. Thinker's name isn't there."

"So he's alive without a doubt, which means anyone on his Friend's List should be able to identify his location-"

Rain shook her head.

"He is no longer on anyone's Friend Lists, nor even a member of the Army. Kibaou would have known that someone would attempt a rescue, of course."

Jae had expected as much.

"You know the inner workings of the Army better than us. Is there no other way to track him down? Are there no leads of any kind?"

A bitter look creased Rain's already sour face.

"There's one person who knows exactly where he is, actually. Yulier."

"Why her?" Jae asked.

"Because she and him are engaged to be married." Rain pointed at the ring finger on her left hand. "The engagement rings they share are a magical item that allows them to see each other's location on the map so long as they are on the same Floor."

Jae blinked in surprise, then shared a quick look with Israel.

They both remembered those rings.

"Well, then, that's perfect," David said with a wave of his hand. "We can take Yulier and mount a rescue-"

"Yulier left almost as soon as we received Kibaou's message," Rain said even more bitterly. "She decided that she had to try and save Thinker as soon as possible, and that she couldn't trust anyone in the Army not to be a spy working for Kibaou. She's blocked everyone from locating her. We have no idea where she is."

Jae slowly shook his head.

"Which means that now there is no Commander or Second in Command leading Thinker's faction."

Rain nodded. "And that's when things started truly falling apart. The Officer Corp are no fools, and they are all brave, but they aren't trained to conduct a war. They aren't Assault Team veterans or strategic experts. They were chosen by Thinker for administrative and governance duties. Now that both he and Yulier are gone, everything has fallen on them. You can expect how well that's going.

"After Kibaou sent his message, he had word sent around the entire Floor that Thinker tried to kill him and had to be taken into custody. Furthermore, he declared that anyone in league with Thinker is openly instigating civil war and the destruction of the guild. There are three thousand people living on Floor One, and nearly all of them are members of the Army in one way or another. At least half of them aren't fighters, but that still leaves fifteen hundred who are. The average Army member among them may not have the individual levels and skill of a seasoned Assault Team player, but in large numbers it's a different story. Many believe Kibaou's word and have sided with him to put down Thinker's faction in the name of peace.

"When word reached us of this, the Officer Corp decided to retreat from the Town of Beginnings and set up a new HQ in the town of Horunka a few miles away in order to consolidate their strength and build up an army to fight Kibaou. In response, he spent all day yesterday gathering his strength. As of now, we estimate he has raised a force of nearly a thousand Army players."

A collective gasp went around the room at the sheer size of such a force. Only Israel and Jae remained quiet.

"And how large is the army in Horunka?" Jae asked. "How many men have Thinker's Officers gathered?"

"When I left them this morning to go find you, they were barely holding together a force of less than three hundred, with morale already at a dangerous low. The Officers don't know what to do. I fear that if nothing changes very soon, there won't be an army to fight Kibaou with." She paused and looked at him. "That's why I came here; to ask for your help."

Jae was beginning to grow suspicious as he met her gaze.

"And what, exactly, does that entail?"

She didn't shirk from the question. In fact, she seemed to have expected it. Reaching into her other pocket this time, she pulled out another, larger, folded piece of paper in between her fingers.

Jae hesitated before reaching out and taking it from her.

"The signatures of all twelve Officers leading the army in Horunka," Rain explained as she watched him open it. "Proof that they have all agreed to give over total command to you if you choose to help them. The army is yours."


	140. Chapter 139

139

October 31st, 2024

Floor 70, Abandoned Farmhouse

"No."

Everyone glanced at Jae as he pressed the paper back into Rain's open palm.

She blinked, and then her tired face twisted in anger.

"I may no longer be in the Army, but Thinker is my friend. He's saved my life more times than I can count. Now Kibaou has him locked up somewhere." She pointed heatedly at the front door. "Those Officers and soldiers in Horunka are my friends too, and every one of them is going to end up either in prison or dead if no help comes to them. Are you telling me-"

Jae silenced her with a piercing look.

"I don't accept your offer to take command of another army. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to help."

He turned to the others.

"Thinker once saved Vivienne's life. Avari and Meifan's too. He was the first to support us when we told the Enclave that we needed to build an army to defeat Laughing Coffin, and the first to arrive with troops. Today he's the one that needs help." Jae shook his head. "I'm not leaving him now."

With a foot, Israel pushed himself off the wall he was leaning against.

"I doubt you need to convince anyone in this room of the debt owed to Thinker, or of his quality-" Vivienne, Avari, David, Sara, and Meifan all nodded- "but I think what's most important right now is stopping Kibaou from seizing power and killing all those people in Horunka. Preferably without violence."

Jae nodded. "I don't know if preventing violence is going to be possible here, but I agree with you. Hundreds of lives are more important than just one, no matter who that one belongs to. Fortunately, in this situation, we don't have to choose between the two. In saving the lives of hundreds, we also save the one. Whether Yulier succeeds at rescuing Thinker or not, it won't make a difference if Kibaou manages to take total control over their guild. Even if we knew where he was, we wouldn't be able to protect him need to help the army in Horunka stop Kibaou."

"Which we might able to do without going through a battle," Israel pressed adamantly. "If we can make the army facing him look like a credible threat, Kibaou might consider terms rather than gamble on a victory."

Jae doubted that, but he didn't have it in him to oppose his brother's optimism. It was clear Israel didn't want another Battle of Brakrun. He didn't want hundreds of people to die.

Knowing that Israel of all people felt that way- the man who had once been the Shadow of Death himself- almost brought a smile to Jae's face, and would've made him far happier if he didn't know better. He knew what was most likely going to happen. What had to happen.

Rather than answer, Jae merely nodded in response.

"So you admit that Thinker's army needs help," Rain said irritably, "but you refuse to take command and actually do that?"

"I don't need to lead them in order to help," Jae replied through gritted teeth. He met Rain's gaze and struggled to keep his voice level as he went on. "I can give advice to the Officer Corp and they can act on it if they choose. And maybe you haven't heard, but I can also fight if I need to. If it comes to it, my staff is theirs. Now that sounds like help to me, which is what I'm pretty sure you said you came here for. If you don't want it, that's fine, but if you do, why are we still standing here talking?"

Out of the corner of his eye, Jae noticed Israel and Vivienne glance briefly at each other.

Rain was quiet for a moment as she stared at him. It was obvious she was frustrated with him, but this time she managed to keep herself in check.

"Fine," she finally said. "I still think that, for everyone's sake, you should take full command, but I thank you for agreeing to help."

Jae turned to the others.

"I assume everyone is coming along?"

Everyone nodded without hesitation.

Jae smiled. "No surprise there. Alright, collect your weapons and as many health potions as we have in the house, please." he turned to Retarin. "Gather everyone from the cabins outside. Fill them in on what Rain has just told all of us, and ask them if they will accompany us. We could certainly use forty more swords to bolster the army's ranks."

Retarin scoffed as he turned to go.

"I highly doubt I'll need to ask. Everyone living here came because we believe in you, Jae, and we'll follow you anywhere."

The three men standing behind him all dipped their heads in silent affirmation.

Jae smiled his thanks as they all walked out. When the door closed behind them, an idea came to him. He turned to Rain.

"Have you gone to anyone else asking for help yet?"

She shook her head. "You were the first. There weren't many other options."

"Good." He started for the front door. "Wait here with the others until I come back please. I won't be long, and by the time I return, everyone will be ready to teleport to Floor One."

Rain frowned at him in confusion. "Where are you going?"

Jae didn't bother closing the door behind him as he stepped out of the farmhouse.

"To ask for help from the only other person that might say yes. God knows we're going to need him."

…

On an ordinary day, Jae would have been fascinated by the incredible detail and beauty of the grey stone flowers sitting in a vase on the bare table before him. Now though, he barely noticed them as he paced back and forth across the room.

His leather boots sounded like rawhide mallets striking the marble floor with every step he took as he considered everything Rain had told him, everything he knew about Kibaou, and what could be done to stop a thousand man army from taking over Floor One. He was also worried about Thinker, but that element he forced from his mind; for now, that was out of his hands.

Whether Yulier somehow rescued Thinker or not wasn't the main issue. The problem had grown far bigger than that. Kibaou was now in a position of such strength that there seemed little room with which to maneuver or come up with a proper plan. Everything had all happened so fast, and now here he was, in Granzam, waiting for Heathcliff to come and speak with him.

Much as he tried to ignore the thought, Jae knew that if Thinker could speak to him right then, he would most likely tell him to take over command of his men and lead them against Kibaou. The killing- the real killing- hadn't started yet, but Jae knew it would. Thinker's army had to be ready for that.

The faint sound of screams, of clashing steel, of shields being pounded and bodies being hacked apart all filled Jae's ears as flashes of the Battle of Brakrun came back to him.

He stopped pacing.

 _How many people died there because of my leadership? I thought my plan would succeed. I thought myself smarter than PoH. That mistake cost us hundreds._

Jae felt his knuckles go white as he clenched his fists at his sides.

Beads of sweat formed across his forehead as the faces of the red players- no, the _people_ \- he had killed came back to him.

He didn't feel guilt in killing them. They had been trying to kill him and those he loved. Pity for the guilty was treason to the innocent, as Israel had once said. Those words were true. No, he didn't feel guilt, but that didn't make the horror of the things he had seen, the things he had done, any better.

The Battle of Brakrun was something he was going to remember until the day he died. And now that nightmare was about to happen all over again.

And just like before, people wanted him to lead the charge.

Jae knew he was a good leader. He had the experience, the talent, the nerve. He knew that it was idiotic and nonsensical to ignore the fact that he knew how to command and inspire those under him. He remembered a time when he would have denied such a thing, when he would've thrown up his hands and shouted, 'I'm no leader, let someone else take charge,' but those days of insecurity were long since past. The truth was the truth. He _was_ a good leader.

But, he wasn't a _perfect_ one.

Jae remembered seeing the mist of blood and pixelated shards as his soldiers died around him. He remembered how the system couldn't keep up with all the concentrated death and violence, and as a result, the stone floor had become temporarily buried underneath a blanket of mangled bodies and detached limbs. Blood, so much blood. How many people had he heard crying in agony and terror as they lay dying, watching their health drop to zero, knowing that they were about to go?

The pixelated shards had been everywhere, had been blinding.

So many screams.

And Jae was responsible.

Was he guilty? Was it his fault? No. Of course not.

 _But leaders are responsible, and therefore must be held accountable, for the lives of their men._

And he had been responsible for the lives of his.

He had made a mistake that day. In realizing that he possessed capability as a leader of men, he had come to overestimate himself. Maybe all the shouts of 'Hero of Floor Twenty-Five' had gone to his head without him even realizing it. Maybe his victories had made him blind to the idea of defeat. Regardless, the Battle of Brakrun had taught him an important lesson: he was still only human, and thus capable of error.

At the end of the day, he was still just Jae.

The wooden door behind him creaked, and Jae turned to see a young man in KoB garb holding it open for Heathcliff, who stepped inside. He looked as professional and commanding as always, but his face appeared a little more tired than usual, to say nothing of the bags under his eyes.

"Thank you, Jared," Heathcliff with a weary nod. "Please see to it that Hildon is made aware of Asuna's duties and how to manage them from now on until her return."

"Yes, Commander." With a respectful dip of his head, Jared stepped out and closed the door behind him, leaving Jae and Heathcliff alone in the small room.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Jae."

"Not at all. I know you're a busy man." Jae gestured at the closed door with a curious expression. "Have you misplaced your Second in Command?"

Heathcliff exhaled through his nose. "Something like that. She's currently on her honeymoon."

Jae's eyebrows went up. "With Kirito? That was...fast."

"Good, glad I'm not alone in that opinion. I was beginning to fear I was just getting old."

Heathcliff's small smile faded, and his face grew more somber.

"Fun as it is, I doubt you came here to gossip with me about Kirito and Asuna, even if they are officially the most famous couple in Aincrad."

Jae nodded and, with a sigh, raked his fingers through his hair.

"It's a bit complicated, and I'm afraid I'm running on a tight schedule, so I'm just going to give you the quick version." He met Heathcliff's eyes. "Thinker's been arrested by Kibaou, and his whereabouts are now unknown. As a result, the entire Army has been thrown into complete turmoil. The members loyal to Thinker have retreated to Horunka a few miles away from the Town of Beginnings, where they are currently working on building up a force to stop Kibaou from seizing total control over Floor One. In response, he's gathered an army of around a thousand men to crush them and anyone else that might stand in his way.

"No fighting has occurred yet, but I know Kibaou. If he truly does have that kind of a force backing him, he won't wait long to use them. I expect he'll march on Horunka within a day or two. When he arrives, he'll probably order them to surrender first in order to help his public image. If they refuse, he'll attack. If it comes to that, I doubt he'll leave a single one alive."

The slight echo of his words reverberated around the stone room for a brief moment, then faded.

Heathcliff stood quietly for a moment, his posture still as perfect as ever, but then Jae's words seemed to sink in: his face twisted first in disbelief, then anger, then crushing disappointment. He appraised Jae's eyes a moment, as if desperately searching for something, then sighed in complete and utter weariness and slumped down into one of the chairs at the table with the vase of stone flowers on it. As he fell into it, his eternal aura of calm discipline, noble command, and cool calculation all seemed to fade suddenly away. It was as if the Commander had been stripped bare of his outer shell, leaving only a tired man in his wake.

It was one of the most shocking things Jae had ever seen. Up until that moment, he would never have imagined seeing the tall, proud, strong KoB Commander looking so mortal. So...discouraged.

It was also a surprise.

Jae had expected anger at the least, perhaps a surge of righteous rage at what Kibaou had done, or even just fear for their mutual friend, Thinker. Instead, he was seeing this. He wasn't sure at all what to make of it.

"This couldn't have happened at a worse time." Heathcliff shook his head and took a slow breath. He looked to Jae, who was still standing. "Why have I not heard about any of this?"

"Rain is the one who told me. She said that when Kibaou secured his authority within the Town of Beginnings a day or two ago, he forcibly shut down every newspaper company running there. He's obviously worried that the Enclave might intervene."

Heathcliff scoffed in his seat. "I don't see why. The Enclave is the Assault Team, and the Assault Team wouldn't volunteer to get involved in a green player civil war in a thousand years. The fact that it's happening on Floor One, and with the Army of all people, makes it even less of a concern."

Jae's brow furrowed. "But it is a concern. Quite possibly the biggest concern in all of Aincrad-"

Heathcliff waved a hand as he looked away. "I know that, Jae, you don't have to tell me. I'm talking about them."

A sinking feeling was starting to come over Jae as he heard Heathcliff's tone of voice. He had hoped for a different reaction.

"That's why I came here," Jae said as he watched the man. "Because I knew you would understand the gravity of this situation. I need your help."

Heathcliff's eyes shot up. "Jae, tell me you're not getting involved."

Jae frowned. "Of course I'm getting involved. There are hundreds of lives at risk down there, Thinker's among them."

"How many men are in Horunka? You've told me the size of Kibaou's army. How strong is Thinker's?"

Jae hesitated. He didn't like where this was going. "Rain tells me there are around three hundred of them."

"Three hundred."

"Yes."

"And they're ready and willing to go up against a force three times their size?"

"Well...Rain said that morale is low, and a few of them are deserting, but that's why I'm going-"

"Are you going to take command of them?"

"What?" Flustered, Jae shook his head. "No, they're being led by Thinker's Officer Corp."

"Officer Corp? And how many of them do you think know how to lead an army into battle, Jae?" Heathcliff challenged him with a firm stare. "I recall around forty Army soldiers participating in the Battle of Brakrun. Of those forty, how many do you suppose were Officers? Even better, of those forty, how many do you suppose survived that bloodbath?"

He paused for a moment, shook his head, and then continued. "Whatever group of men are in charge of Thinker's army now, they aren't ready for the job. Kibaou is many things, but I'm sure you'll remember that he was once in the Assault Team. He has experience as a fighter and leader. His Officers are almost certainly men from that time; veterans of the frontlines. They weren't there for over forty Floors worth of battles, and they weren't there for Brakrun, but you can be damned sure they'll still carve Thinker's 'Officer Corp' up when push comes to-"

"Why do you think I'm going down there?" Jae asked. "Why do you think I'm here right now? Heathcliff, they need our help. Are you really content to let them all die? To let Thinker rot in a cell until his execution day arrives? Is that what we are now? I thought-"

"Jae." Heathcliff stood up from his seat. "You thought right. Of course I want to help. The fact of the matter, however, is that I cannot."

Jae paused. "I don't understand."

Shaking his head in weariness again, Heathcliff walked over to the only window in the room and peered out.

"Jae, the Assault Team was formed to clear the hundred Floors of Aincrad. It was not formed to join in player on player wars. Don't you remember how long it took us just to get everyone to acknowledge Laughing Coffin as a threat? And they were enemies to all, intent on conquering our entire world! With that in mind, how well do you think the Assault Team would react to the idea of military intervention among green players on a Floor so far away that most of us consider it a different country at this point?

"The Army is seen as an unimportant and, frankly, unwelcome empire that has nothing to do with Aincrad beyond Floor One. No one knows or cares about the internal power struggles between Kibaou and Thinker, and if news about what's going on did leak, I can assure you that everyone would think it long in the coming and good for keeping the largest guild weaker."

"But that's just not true," Jae said defiantly. "You know it's not. If Kibaou wins this civil war, he will have complete and uncontested control over an entire Floor and half the population of Aincrad with it. He will be the most powerful man alive. What do you think he'll do with that power? You think he'll be content? And after the precedent of green players killing green players has been set, what then? As far as I'm concerned, he's in line to take PoH's place as a threat to our entire world."

Heathcliff nodded. "I already told you, I agree with you."

"Then why don't you want to help me?"

"I _can't_."

"Why not?"

Heathcliff threw up his arms. "Because my guild would skin me alive, for one! The Knights of the Blood-Oath are the only guild keeping the Assault Team together. Ever since you left the HDA, they've been almost completely inactive. Lind has led them into the ground, they're bankrupt, and they have barely a hundred members now. They haven't assisted in the Labyrinths for months.

"After you left them, we had to take the HDA's place as the leading guild of the Assault Team. If we hadn't done that, I doubt it would have survived. The lesser guilds look to us for the answers, for the leadership, for the motivation to go on.

"Since we took the reigns, the KoB has been revitalized. Everyone under me here in Granzam is committed to upholding our position as the new leaders of the Assault Team. They want to keep fighting on the frontlines. They want to focus on fighting Floor Bosses and never again relive what we all had to do in Brakrun. If I ordered them into a war against none other than green players living half a world away, the KoB would fall apart before my eyes. Desertion, death in battle, that would be just the beginning.

"If Kibaou wins, which you know is inevitable, and we helped his opponents, the Army would next turn their attention on us. Now we're in open warfare, seventy-two against three thousand. Who would win, I wonder? Not like it matters I suppose; everything seems to come crashing down in the end anyway!" His voice got suddenly louder as his anger picked up. "I mean, what were we expecting? That humans wouldn't act like humans? That being in a different world would make us better? Mankind's entire history is one of war and death and suffering, and here they are, barely two years in, leading us back into the same rut!" His voice got even louder. "Why? Why even bother fighting it? First Laughing Coffin, now this?! They want to burn everything! A second chance, a whole new universe, it wasn't enough for them, was it! No, they had to bring it all here, because all they want to do is destroy everything! They want to destroy my whole-"

He stopped suddenly and glanced at Jae. He looked surprised, almost shocked, as if he realized he had said too much. Jae wondered if he realized just how loudly he had been shouting.

"They want to destroy my whole guild," Heathcliff finished quietly, flatly.

He shook his head some more in sullen weariness. His shoulders slumped. He glanced again out the window with a dejected look.

"I'm sorry Jae, but there's just no point. Kibaou wins. We have to leave it be."

Jae cast the man a scornful glare. "You can if you want." He started walking towards the door.

Heathcliff spoke without turning away from the window. "Please don't go there, Jae."

"Why do you care?"

"Because you're my friend."

Jae paused as his hand touched the golden doorknob. He glanced over his shoulder at Heathcliff, who hadn't moved or turned.

"I'm friends with those who care about life."

"Why do you think I'm asking you not to do this? You told me men are already deserting, and the fighting hasn't even started yet. Thinker's tiny army doesn't have what it takes to win. They don't even have what it takes to try. They have no morale, no leadership, no support. They're outnumbered and outmatched. And they know it. When Kibaou finds out you're with them, he'll no doubt include having you in chains- or dead- as part of his terms of surrender. Those men will be staring across a field at a thousand soldiers ready to roll over them. They'll feel their fragile heartbeats pounding away, and know that this is life or death. They won't have the nerve, or the discipline, or the courage to stand and do the right thing. They'll accept surrender gratefully. You'll be betrayed."

It was quiet for a moment.

Jae twisted the knob. "That's a chance I'll just have to take."

"And your wife? Your brother? Are you willing to take that chance on them as well? You want to throw all your precious lives away for nothing?"

Jae felt Heathcliff looking at him. He glanced over his shoulder and met the other man's sad eyes with a smile at the very thought.

"If I told them we couldn't risk it, they'd both go right on down there without me. Because they care about preserving life, and because they know what's right and what's wrong. To be honest, I couldn't ask for a better family. Thank you for seeing me, Commander."

Without another word, Jae strode out of the room.

…

It was past noon by the time Jae and the others spotted the village of Horunka in the distance. Small clouds of black smoke from several dozen chimneys wafted lazily up into the air above the rooftops, and the conglomerate of modest buildings bunched in tightly around each other, like a group of cold travelers all huddling around a fire in winter.

Jae made sure to scan the open fields around the village as they drew closer along the road, committing every fold and rise in the land to memory. Knowledge of terrain and how to utilize it was crucial in battle, and superior positioning could sometimes be all it took to turn the tide. He knew that a fight was coming, and when it did, Thinker's men would need every advantage they could get.

Looking around, Jae didn't like much of what he saw; there were no hills or forests or mountainous terrain anywhere in sight that a defending army could make use of. Instead, the whole region seemed to be nothing more than a vast stretch of flat land, with Horunka sitting right in the center. Open fields were never a good position for an outnumbered army; the attacking force had no limiting factors, and could take full advantage of their greater numbers by either overwhelming or wrapping around and enveloping the smaller one. Without enough men to meet every point of attack, the defenders could do little but watch as they were surrounded and summarily cut down.

Here and there as they approached, Jae took mental notes of anything and everything he could see that might prove useful when battle commenced: two wide stretches of well ploughed farming fields on either side of the road, a dip in the ground that steadily grew until it became a long, narrow ditch that was hard to spot, two tall stone buildings with windows on either side of the entrance path into the village, and a makeshift palisade of wooden logs surrounding the place.

It wasn't much, but it would have to do.

Out of the corner of his eye, Jae saw Israel silently taking in the surrounding area as well and guessed that he too was unhappy with the terrain they now found themselves in, though probably for a different reason. Israel didn't like wide open areas with nowhere to hide or go for cover. With no forests around, he probably felt like a walking target.

Jae felt sweat forming on his face and absently wiped it off with a sleeve. Unlike Floor Seventy where fall was in full swing and winter would soon follow, Floor One felt like a hot spring day. He guessed that since Floor One was the easiest location, it made sense for the weather to be gentler all year round.

Behind Jae and the others, the rest of the small column was quiet as well. One of Retarin's men coughed, and the sound seemed to echo out into the open fields. The mood was somber; every one of them knew what would soon happen on the ground they were walking on. They had all been at the Battle of Brakrun, to say nothing of the countless Labyrinth raids and Floor Boss fights before that. These men and women knew what they were getting themselves into, and were calmly following Jae and the rest of them into it anyway.

Not all had.

Of the forty or so ex-HDA members living in the clearing, six had refused to get involved when Retarin told them what was going on, much to his surprise. Their reasons had been simple and understandable: as much as they respected Thinker and sympathized with his loyal men, they didn't see how a guild civil war on Floor One had anything to with them, or how getting involved would change the inevitable outcome.

Why should they risk their lives, they had said, when the entire reason they had left the Holy Dragon Alliance behind was to live in peace and safety with Jae and the others.

Avari and Retarin both argued angrily when they heard this, pointing out to them that they had seemed more than happy to fight for Jae when they wanted him to overthrow Lind. The four replied that that had been because it involved the HDA, their home at the time. This, meanwhile, had nothing to do with them or their homes, and dying for another guild in a place that may as well have been a different country made no sense at all.

Jae understood, and had told them to go in peace.

He found it unsettling how similar their arguments had been to Heathcliff's, though. The KoB commander had explained how his own men would feel about getting involved in this, and it seemed that belief extended to more than just Assault Team members. Heathcliff had been right in fearing division and dissent.

However, Jae had the nagging feeling that there had been more to it. Heathcliff had reacted in a way he would never have expected, as if personally proven wrong or defeated somehow to the core, and his outburst of despair for humanity...that had been strange in and of itself.

Of course, it made sense to feel horrified at the new turn their world was about to take: the day green players started killing green players, one of the main differences between the real world and Aincrad was suddenly gone. Once the precedent was set, it was inevitable that it would only continue, and grow worse. Who wouldn't be fearful of such a thing? Who wouldn't be angry?

Still….In that moment, Heathcliff had seemed...different somehow.

Jae frowned. He just couldn't put his finger on it.

 _It must have just felt that way because of how he usually acts. In all the time of I've known him, his rigid composure and unbreakable will was all he ever showed. Today, for a moment, I saw... someone else. Almost as if...almost as if…_

Jae's thoughts trailed off as movement within Horunka caught his attention. There were a few shouts from inside, and he saw a large group of people emerge from around one of the tall stone buildings as they stormed out of the town through the front entrance. There were others gathered behind them that didn't follow, but rather stopped before the start of the paved road leading out. It was among this group within the town that the individual shouting was coming from, though most remained silent.

It didn't feel to Jae like a good kind of silence.

He slowed a little, but didn't stop walking.

"Did you tell them we were coming?" He asked Rain over his shoulder.

He kept his eyes on the group walking out of town towards them, trying to make a count of their number as he considered whether or not they might somehow be a threat. They were all green players wearing the familiar Army grey uniforms, but that didn't exactly mean much now.

"Nineteen," Israel said quietly under his breath beside him, as if he had just read Jae's mind.

"I told them," Rain affirmed. She stepped up beside him on his left. "Don't worry, they're Thinker's men."

"Welcoming committee, then?"

She didn't sound happy. "I doubt it."

They kept walking, drawing rapidly closer to the group of Army players coming the opposite way.

"Cowards!" Someone shouted from the crowd back at the entrance into Horunka.

While at first the approaching Army players looked as though they intended to walk past Jae and everyone with him, the moment they caught sight of him, they slowed and drew to a pause.

"You're the Hero of Floor Twenty-Five," A young man in the front said in surprise.

Jae met his gaze. "You have me at a disadvantage."

The man paused. "Edward."

"Edward. My name is Jae." Jae gestured ahead at the village. "I heard Horunka is where the Army members loyal to Thinker have come to make their stand. You're leaving it. May I ask why you were all in this town?"

Edward glanced back behind him at the crowd of Army players all watching from the entrance into Horunka. He turned back to Jae.

"We came here because we supported Thinker, and because we believe that Kibaou is the one who ambushed him to get him out of the way and seize power. As you said, this is where we agreed to make a stand."

"Then why are you now leaving?"

Edward glanced sidelong at the men to his right and left before raising his chin at Jae.

"You're just looking for an excuse to call us cowards too. You just want to-"

"I asked why you were leaving. That is all."

Another pause. As Edward considered how to reply, his facial expression slowly lost it's defensive edge. The fire went out of his voice, and he spoke more sincerely.

"We wanted to help. All of us. We know what Kibaou is just as well as we know that Thinker should be the one in command of the Army. We were willing to fight Kibaou." The other men nodded in agreement. "What we're not willing to do is die for a lost cause."

Rain pointed angrily at the buildings behind them.

"It's not a lost cause! There's a whole army in there ready to fight! There are Officers who will do whatever it takes to-"

"The Officers mean well," Edward agreed, "but they don't know what they're doing. We're hardly the first to desert, and it's their fault! They don't know how to keep their own men together, and half of them are so terrified they're on the verge of running too!"

"Even if they did know how to lead us," another man shouted, "it wouldn't make a difference! Kibaou has a thousand men to send against us! A thousand! We can't beat an army of that size!"

"He sent us a message this morning," a third said behind Edward. "The Officers have tried to hide it from us, but I saw it before they took it! Kibaou has left the Town of Beginnings with his army to march here, and he's gathering even more men as he goes! He said in the message that when he arrives here tomorrow, anyone still in Horunka will no longer be allowed to surrender, and that no quarter will be given. He's going to kill us all!"

"Many of the others have already given up since then," Edward added as he looked at Jae. "We're not the first! We stayed longer than many of them, but how can we stay here and hope to win while others of us keep running away, weakening us even more?"

Jae crossed his arms over his chest.

"How can you expect others to stand and be brave when you yourselves can't? Don't lay the blame on others; set the standard for yourselves. If you truly believe in something, you fight for it, no matter the odds."

"Are you going to lead us?" Edward asked, his words carrying a hint of hope. "Is that why you came here?"

Jae sucked in a breath through his teeth. His left hand clenched involuntarily into a fist. The eyes of all nineteen men were now fixed on him, waiting for his answer.

"Jae…" Vivienne whispered behind him.

Jae raked his fingers through his short cropped hair as he met Edward's gaze.

"No, I didn't come here to take command, but that doesn't mean I'm not going to help in whatever way-"

The man behind Edward pointed an accusing finger at Jae as he shouted, "Even he knows that we have no chance!"

"All he cares about is his reputation," the second man spat. "He knows that we're going to lose, and doesn't want a defeat staining his record. That's why he doesn't want to take command!"

The group shook their heads and fists at him as they started walking again, shouting at him every step of the way.

Jae didn't bother trying to argue with them as they passed him and the rest of the column. He was so sick of people's expectations and demands. They didn't understand what it took to lead. They had never shouldered that weight. They hadn't been at Brakrun. Didn't they know that he was refusing command in an effort to keep them all alive?

No one in Jae's group moved or spoke as the deserters continued on their way. Jae didn't turn, and slowly heard their footsteps recede into the plains.

Rain stepped in front of him, a look of confusion and anger etched across her tired face. He understood her irritation. In her eyes, he was failing to help save her friends and guild- the last things in the world she cared about. She was desperate.

"You need to stop this," She said through gritted teeth. "We just lost those men because of you. You need to step up, Jae. You need to take-"

He brushed her aside with an arm and started for the town entrance. "Just take me to where the Officers are staying."


	141. Chapter 140

140

October 31st, 2024

Floor 1, Horunka Village

The air was hot and stuffy inside the house where the Officers were staying.

Stepping inside after Rain, Jae found himself surrounded by a dozen or so men and women in distinguished and medal-arrayed Army uniforms. Several large tables filled the room, each one blanketed in a sprawl of maps, lists, documents, written reports, and the like. Several of the Officers were standing around them and didn't seem to notice the newcomers as they argued heatedly amongst each other and pointed aggressively at the papers before them. The others, however, turned at once to the door.

A quick glance over the collection of Officers staring at him immediately revealed to Jae how stressed and anxious they were; they all looked exhausted and on edge, with frayed nerves and deteriorating patience, and in the corners of their eyes lurked obvious doubt and worry. They were sweating in their uniforms, some profusely, and Jae suspected it wasn't just because of the unpleasant heat of the place.

Before anyone could speak, Jae turned to the open door leading outside. Israel and Vivienne had followed him and Rain in, but the others hadn't followed and were instead talking quietly with the ex-HDA members beside them.

Jae put a hand on the door and looked out at Avari, David, Sara, and Meifan to get their attention. Retarin was standing with them as well, but he was busy talking to two of his men.

"Are you not coming in?" Jae asked.

"We're no strategists," Meifan explained with a shake of his head. "We'd be out of place in a war council."

"It looks crowded enough in there, anyway," Avari said with a wave of her hand. "We'll leave you three to it and start looking for a place to stay tonight. Overcrowded village like this, something tells me we'll be sleeping out in the street if we don't find rooms early."

Jae nodded and, closing the door behind him, returned his attention to the sweltering room full of Officers. The nearest of them had started forward and were awkwardly shaking Israel and Vivienne's hands in introduction. All of them smiled or greeted Rain warmly as she made her way to the back table where three Officers were arguing over a map, still unaware that people had arrived.

For the first time that day, Jae saw Rain smile back at the men and women greeting her, albeit more out of politeness than anything else. She looked genuinely happy to be back with her friends and see them still safe, but the lingering sorrow permanently etched onto her face remained. It appeared as though she was really just going through the motions, pretending at living while she tried to save her guild.

Aranal's death had left her scarred for life.

Stopping in front of the table, Rain got the attention of the arguing Officers and said something Jae couldn't hear as she pointed back at him. The two men and one woman turned in surprise, then quickly followed her back the way she had come.

"Jae," Rain said as they stopped- wide eyed- opposite him. She pointed at each of the three in turn. "This is Officer Kevan, Officer Dalbar, and Officer Rachel."

Jae shook each of their hands in turn, nodding in response as they all three thanked him for coming to help. "Good to meet all of you." He turned to either side of him. "This is my wife Vivienne, and my brother Israel."

At the mention of Israel's name, the three Officers and some of the others gathered around all blinked in astonishment even as as they tried hard to hide it. He guessed this was was the first time most of them had ever seen the Shadow of Death up close. They were also probably confused as to how the infamous player killer was now green.

"I don't know if you remember me," Officer Kevin said humbly to Jae, "but I fought beside you very briefly at the Battle of Brakrun. It was in the middle of all the chaos, and right after that the battle swept us apart, but you saved my life that day. I am honored to finally meet you."

Jae furrowed his brow and had to study Kevin's face a moment before recognizing him. He smiled.

"Yes, yes of course, I remember you, Officer Kevin. You fought bravely. I'm glad you made it through that horrible day."

Once everyone was finished exchanging quick formal greetings, Jae decided to get straight to business. "So, are you three in charge here?"

Officer Kevin nodded. "We're the most senior in terms of time served among the Officer Corp, so everyone agreed that we would assume overall command for now."

Vivienne nodded knowingly. "The HDA had a similar means of deciding leadership among equal ranks when it was necessary."

"And the other Officers?" Jae asked as he gestured at the men and women around them.

"They've each been given command of one of the units within the army here," Kevin explained, "allowing us a direct chain of command system."

Jae frowned. "Then why are they in here?"

Kevin hesitated in confusion and glanced to the two on either side of him for help.

"What do you mean, sir?" Officer Dalbar asked politely.

"You don't have to call me sir." Jae pointed over his shoulder with a thumb at the closed door behind him. "Your army is outside in the town. If the Officers have direct command over them, they should be out there making themselves known to their men, and getting the men comfortable with them for the sake of morale…"

He caught himself and trailed off. He wasn't supposed to be telling them what to do. He wasn't in charge.

"Nevermind." Jae took a breath and offered a smile. "Rain has told us everything that's going on, and how badly you need reinforcements. We didn't have an army at our disposal, unfortunately, but we've managed to bring about forty swords with us."

"Forty?" Officer Rachel's face lit up. "That's wonderful news. That should just about replace the men who left-"

Officer Kevin cast her a sidelong glance. She stopped talking and instead tucked some of her long brown hair back behind an ear.

"Forty?" Jae asked in shock. "Forty men have deserted?"

"Since this morning," Rain said grimly. "Not as many yesterday, but still some."

"And there will most likely be more tomorrow," Officer Kevin admitted with a look of shame. "Fear is spreading like wildfire throughout the town, and has only gotten worse since Kibaou sent us a letter early this morning informing us that everyone in Horunka would die tomorrow."

"We don't know what to do," Officer Dalbar admitted. "We know there are more Army members out there who supported Thinker, but no one else has come. Our numbers aren't nearly enough to match Kibaou's, and the men know it. Every time more among them desert, morale plummets. We've begun to fear that by the time Kibaou arrives, there won't be an army to oppose him at all. Some among us were beginning to consider advocating for surrender."

"But now that you're here," Officer Rachel said hopefully, "things will get better, I'm sure. Once the men hear that the Hero of Floor Twenty-Five has taken command-"

"He's refused to take command," Rain interrupted flatly.

The three senior Officers all blinked in shock.

"But, but…" Officer Kevin threw a glance at Rain. "Did you show him the paper we signed?" He turned back to Jae. "There's no need to fear any dissent from us. We all agreed unanimously-"

"I'm sorry," Jae said, "but I only came here to help as another sword in the ranks, and to advise you if you would like to hear what I have to say. I can do my part without taking your army from you."

All three were struck speechless for a brief moment.

"I can assure you," Officer Kevin started again, "We would never see it as you taking anything from us. We want Thinker back and Kibaou in chains more than anything, but we're not going to get either of those things if we continue to lead. The men have always respected us as non-combatant officials and administrative leaders, but they have no respect or trust in us as battlefield commanders. And for good reason. We can't hide it. We don't have what it takes."

Jae threw up an arm at the man. "You fought at Brakrun. What do you mean you can't-"

"I fought as a soldier," Officer Kevin argued. "All four Officers present did. Thinker was the only one among us who knew what to do, and we followed him. If the other three Officers had survived that battle, they would tell you the same."

"You have to lead us," Officer Dalbar pleaded. "You have to. We have to win, and we'll never-"

"Jae said he can give you advice and his own opinions," Vivienne said defensively. "All you need to do is listen to him. He doesn't have to be the one who calls out the commands."

All three Officers shook their heads.

"He _does_ have to be the one," Officer Rachel said in a desperate voice. "It's about symbolism just as much as it is about leadership. We've already told you, the men won't listen to us. They know we can't give them a victory. The way they see it, why should they die just because their Officers made stupid mistakes? And they're right to believe that. No one should die for nothing."

"Even if we listened to your every word on what to do to win," Officer Dalbar continued for her, "the army would still think it was us giving the command, and as a result wouldn't obey or wouldn't show up to fight in the first place. They want to do the right thing, which is why we aren't punishing anyone for leaving, but they don't want to fight if this is how things are going to go."

Jae felt his irritation beginning to rise.

"And if we told them that we were listening to you," Officer Kevin added, "that would simply lead them to believe that you don't like our chances, and don't want to claim a defeat for yourself or be labelled as the one who got them killed. By refusing to take the spotlight, they would assume that you don't want yourself or your reputation put at risk."

"They already believe that after the little episode we had outside when we arrived," Rain said under her breath.

Officer Kevin frowned with concern. "What happened outside?"

"This doesn't make any sense," Jae said through gritted teeth. He tried to keep his voice level, but he was already angry. "Why would I have even come here if I believed you would all lose? If I thought this was an inevitable slaughter waiting to happen, why would I have brought my family- my wife, my brother- straight into the center of it?"

"We're just trying to tell you what the men would think," Officer Kevin assured him. "We know them, Jae. We've been in the same guild as them for who knows as long. We know how they will react. The day a known hero and famous leader who has never lost a battle says he wants to help but refuses to take command of an army, they will think that it's because he doesn't believe they can win. If that's the case, why should they fight?"

"Please, Jae," Officer Rachel pleaded. "You're the Hero of Floor Twenty-Five. You've won every battle you've ever led. You can save us and lead us to victory, I know you can. You can help us get Thinker back."

"We don't stand a chance without you," Officer Dalbar insisted passionately. "The men will all be gone by morning if you don't take command, thinking that running will save them, but it won't. Kibaou will go after every one who came to Horunka, we all know he will. They'll end up in chains one way or the other. We Officers will probably be killed. After that, once Kibaou has solidified his hold on the Army, it won't be long before he comes for you and yours, Jae. He's been swearing vengeance against you for years."

"Please, Jae," Officer Kevin pleaded. "Believe us. Help us. We need you."

Jae could feel his blood starting to rise. He felt trapped, cornered.

"I need to clear my head."

Everyone hesitated, but Jae was already walking towards the door. His vision had narrowed somewhat, but he didn't know if it was in anger or fear. He gripped the latch and stepped outside before anyone could speak.

The dusty village street was quiet and empty. Various wood and stone shops, huts, and houses lined either side of it, casting a shadow that made Jae feel like he was being watched as he started walking.

They were right, he realized. They had all presented good points, and had stayed relatively calm and respectful even though their very lives hung in the balance. Inexperienced though they were, they were good men. None felt too proud to ask for assistance, to admit that they were in over their heads, or even to request someone not in their guild to lead them in battle. They just wanted to succeed, and were willing to do whatever it took to achieve that success.

They were thinking of the solution, not the problem.

Thinker had chosen his Officers well, even if they were utterly incapable of leading an army.

But the thought didn't make Jae feel any better.

Why did it always have to come down to him?

He had never asked for any of this. He had never in his wildest dreams wanted to be the 'hero,' the one who everyone looked to for answers and followed into battle. The one who everyone thought was immune to error and always made the right choices.

Jae kicked a pebble aside with his boot as he thought about the ordinary man he had once been in the real world. He didn't remember much, but he remembered being just another person, just another face in the crowd. Aside from close friends and family, no one so much as knew he existed. He had been content with that.

In that world, he was pretty sure he would have been one of the men hoping for a leader to come and save the day. If there were problems, he would've shrugged his shoulders and hoped that someone out there would come and take control. Now, somehow, in spite of all his efforts, he had become that someone.

 _How times have changed._

Jae sighed and kept walking.

The street curved somewhat after a time, and Jae followed it into the heart of the small town. Here and there as he walked he passed by stables smelling of hay and manure, merchant shops and stalls being managed by charismatic NPCs, houses, inns, and the odd blacksmith shop or two.

The Army soldiers occupying the town were mostly indoors now- the taverns seemed to be quite crowded- but there were also several small groups shuffling grimly along the street or sitting around newly made cookfires as they made food and talked quietly amongst themselves. One such group had set themselves up at the corner of a sidestreet so as to stay out of people's way, and as he walked passed, Jae heard a little of what they were saying.

"...hardly worth dying here when we could be preparing some kind of resistance somewhere else," one of them said. "Who knows, without the Officers bogging us down, we might actually be able to achieve something."

"Say what you will about the Officers," another said quietly, "they still know more than we do about logistics and command. They can't lead, sure, but they still managed to gather more men than we ever could. We leave, there won't be a resistance."

"Taliesin had the right idea," A third man muttered. "Just teleport out and go live in one of those nice Floors he was always talking about. The one with the floating river town, maybe. We should've gone with him."

"We still can," another argued. "It's not like the Officers can stop us."

"They wouldn't even if they could," the first man pointed out. "Bastards know this is all their fault. We did our part; we came to fight when they called. But they couldn't do theirs. Now Kibaou is as good as king of Floor One."

"And the longer we stay here," the third added, "the more likely it is that we end up getting arrested when Kibaou gets here."

"Or killed," said the first man. "For all we know, that weasel might already have spies inside the town, marking down all our names for executions later."

"Wouldn't surprise me," muttered the third. "Sounds just like something Kibaou would do. 'Gallant Assault Team veteran' my ass."

"I say we leave. Right now," one of the others said with sudden conviction. "Get out of here while there's still time."

The others were quiet for a moment, then starting voicing their agreement with words of approval. Several began to rise to their feet.

Out of their view, Jae turned his attention back to the road and was about to keep walking when one of them spoke again.

"I'm not going."

Jae paused and glanced back down the sidestreet to see the second man still calmly sitting before the fire. The men standing paused as well.

"Rob, come on," the third man urged. "There's no need to feel that way. If the other men have any sense, come morning, they'll all be gone too. We have to get out of here while we still-"

"I'm not going," Rob said again.

The men standing all glanced at each other before returning their attention to their disagreeing comrade. It was clear by their faces that they cared for him; they didn't want him to stay alone.

Rob looked back into the fire and sighed.

"You lot can go on if you want. I won't hold it against you. But I have to stay. I have to fight."

"Why?" Several of them asked at once.

"Because it's the right thing to do. I'm not going to abandon the others who believe in trying to stop Kibaou. We can't let him rule. I've got to do this."

Eyes wide in surprise, Jae watched the small group of standing men look at each other again. They looked like they wanted to keep arguing, but in the end decided to leave. Two, however, paused, looked at Rob, and then sat back down beside him without a word. The three of them tended to the fire as if nothing had happened.

Heathcliff had believed that the men in Horunka wouldn't have the courage or the principle to stay and fight. He had said that they would abandon Jae, betray him to Kibaou even.

Jae wished he could have seen what had just transpired.

This proved it.

Some of them did want to leave, but others were willing to do the right thing. They were willing to do what needed to be done in order to protect and preserve their world.

"Jae," Vivienne said when he turned the corner leading back towards the Officer's building. She and Israel, who looked to have been waiting outside, both made their over to him. "Where have you been?"

He stopped in front of them. "I just needed to some time to think."

"We were just talking about that," Israel said. "Jae, I know you don't want to lead. I understand it. You know that neither Vivienne nor I would want you to do anything you didn't want to, but the Officers in there made points that we can't ignore. I don't want to push you, but this is something that's bigger than any of us." A proud look came over his face. "Hundreds of lives are on the line, and I know my brother is the only one that can save them. You have no idea how much I admire that, Jae. I was nothing but a killer. I was the Shadow of Death, and gifted only in ending lives. You have the ability to save them."

Vivienne took his hand and spoke in a soft tone. "Jae, I love you. You are my whole world. It hurts me to see you so torn, so unsure, but you need to stop this. If I believed I could do it, I would take command of this army in an instant to save you from having to. Israel would too. But neither of us can and we know it. We came here to help these people, to save Thinker, and to stop Kibaou. But there's only one way we can do any of that."

Jae nodded slowly. "I know. I know what I should do. I want to help, I do, but I'm afraid, Viv. I doubt myself."

Why?" Israel asked. "The Battle of Brakrun wasn't your fault, Jae. PoH is the one-"

Jae swiped a hand through the air, cutting his brother off. "I know that. I didn't kill anyone on our side, but I made a mistake that led to that happening. I was too confident in myself, and I believed that my plan would succeed." He pointed at him. "You even warned me, warned everyone, to not underestimate PoH during that Enclave meeting. I didn't listen to you, and as a result, hundreds died that day. I admit, I believe I could lead these men, perhaps even to victory, but what if I make another mistake? What if I make a tactical error that results in the deaths of all these men and women who believe in me?" He glanced away. "I don't think I could live with myself if I did that again."

"Then don't," Israel said firmly.

Jae frowned as he looked back over at his brother. "What?"

Israel shrugged. "Don't make another mistake."

"You think it's that easy?"

"If you decide it is, yes." Israel fixed him in a raptor gaze. "We all make mistakes from time to time, Jae. It's inevitable. We can't fight it. The harder we try to go against that truth, the more mistakes we make. Doubt yourself because of something you can't control, allow it to stop you from doing what needs to be done, and you are no longer thinking of the solution: you are dwelling on the problem.

"I for one have made many, many mistakes, each more terrible than the last, and yet here I stand, in no small part thanks to my brother and the things he reminded me about life, and about moving on. Now it's my turn.

"You made a mistake that day at Brakrun Dungeon. The details are unimportant. Whether you underestimated PoH, overestimated yourself, acted rashly, or any other possibility doesn't matter. You made a mistake. Now, instead of doubting yourself because of it and believing your skills as a commander are suddenly gone, learn from it. Recognize your failure, consider it, and use it to your advantage in the future. Don't see it as a defeat, see it as a lesson, a factor, which can now be forever used to help seize victory. Instead of dwelling on the past, the things we can't change, as I mistakenly did for so long, focus on the future. Think only about what _can_ be changed.

"Don't forget that day at Brakrun, but don't let it take away who you are. Tell yourself that you won't let that day happen ever again. Tell yourself that you won't fail next time. Do better. Be the hero I know you are. Rise up, and be greater."

Jae stood speechless.

He didn't know what to say.

The impassioned truth of Israel's word hit him like a thunderclap. The clarity of realization washed over him.

Fear had led him to believe a lie about himself, to doubt his ability to do what needed to be done. Worse, his doubt had almost prevented him from doing the right thing. Israel's reason, his rational thought, had broken through that barrier of doubt.

Jae thought about the soldier, Rob, who had been willing to watch his friends leave and fight alone, all because it was the right thing to do.

 _Heathcliff was wrong about them. He didn't know, and neither did I, but I was the one who lacked the courage to stand. I wasn't willing to do my part. He was wrong about them, but he wasn't wrong about me. Time to change that, one last time._

To be sure, Jae still didn't know if he could lead Thinker's army to victory; the chances of success were slim at best, and in reality, the most likely outcome would be death for everyone in Horunka. But as long as there was any chance at all, he would take it, because he had to.

Kibaou had to be stopped. And Jae would be the one to stop him.

"Come on," Jae said as he started towards the door to the Officer's building. "Let's get this done."

Israel and Vivienne followed on either side of him, and when he entered, they stayed on his flanks.

The Officers had all returned to their tables and were arguing amongst themselves once more, but once he came through the door, tall and straight and determined, they noticed him at once and fell silent.

Jae glanced at each of them in turn until his gaze settled on senior Officers Kevin, Dalbar, and Rachel.

"I need you to gather everyone in the town square immediately."

The three officers exchanged brief looks.

"Everyone in Horunka?" Officer Kevin asked.

Jae shook his head. "Everyone who was in Thinker's faction at all. The deserters too, if you know their names and can message them. Tell them that I would like to speak to them now before they decide to give up."

He turned to go.

"Wait!" Officer Kevin exclaimed behind him. "Does this mean you'll take command and lead us?"

Jae didn't slow. "I'll let you decide that after I've finished saying what needs to be said. I'll see you in the town square."

…

About an hour later, as he stood atop an uncovered military wagon in order to be better heard and seen, Jae found himself surrounded by a sea of faces. Hundreds of men and women, some wearing armor while others still had on their Army uniforms, stood quietly as they watched him. So packed was the town square that elements of the crowd had spilled out into the surrounding streets. Some looked tired, some nervous, some hopeful, but all were dead silent as they waited on him to speak.

Chills shot up Jae's spine as he stood above them all. Every fiber in his being seemed alive within him. A feeling crept over him, small at first, and distant, but unmistakable. It was a feeling of destiny.

 _Is this where I was always meant to be?_

Jae glanced to his left. His family was there, standing close by the wagon, all looking at him with pride etched onto their faces. Behind them stood Retarin and the small group of ex-HDA members. The dozen Army Officers were in the thick of the crowd.

Taking a breath, Jae began.

"My name is Jae Kulavic. I'm sure most of you already know me, and knew that I was here the minute I arrived, but when you were told who was in your town, odds are you weren't told my name. You probably know me instead as the Second in Command of the Holy Dragon Alliance, or the Hero of Floor Twenty-Five. I'm here to tell you that I no longer have any such rank or title. I'm here to tell you that I'm not a mighty commander, or a hero. Whatever you may have heard, I can't perform impossible feats or single-handedly defeat armies. I'm not your savior, or anything close to it. I'm just a man, like any one of you. I can make decisions and direct soldiers, but I'm not the one who can bring you all success. That is up to you.

"As such, it is important that you know the nature of what it is you face, and what I firmly believe are your chances against it. Kibaou has mustered an army of a thousand men. You know this. He intends to march on this town as early as tomorrow morning. You know that too. When he arrives, he intends to kill everyone he sees. His goal is simple; leave Horunka a ghost town, and then carry on ruling over all of Floor One uncontested.

"When I heard about his intentions, I came here to help in whatever way I could. Your Officer Corp met with me, and they have all requested that I take command of the army here in order to defeat Kibaou when he comes. I'm sure most of you believe, as they do, that that is the best way to ensure victory. By show of hands, let me see who believes I should lead you."

As one, nearly the entire crowd raised their hands.

Jae nodded at them, then clasped his hands behind his back. "And even though I have told you that I am no savior or hero, still you want me to take command?"

The sea of faces nodded firmly. Many shouted, "Yes!"

Again Jae nodded. "Then I accept. From now on until Kibaou is out of power, I am commanding general of this army."

The crowd exploded into jubilant cheers and enthusiastic shouts, and Jae let them go on for several minutes until they were at last calm again. The moment silence had returned, he quietly said, "You should all know right now that I believe our chances of victory are close to none."

Hundreds of faces blinked in confusion.

"As I have told you," he went on in a calm, clear voice, "I am no savior. Having me in charge doesn't suddenly take away Kibaou's thousand men, or the fact that he will know how to use them. It doesn't take away your lack of experience in player on player combat, or his advantage in having around a hundred Assault Team veterans on his side.

"I have been in more fights than I care to remember. I have fought everything from Floor Bosses to PoH's own bodyguard red players, and through it all I have led men into the jaws of death. For the longest time, it was my job to know how likely victory was in each engagement. I like to think I was good at that job. Now, judging by what I've seen here and by what I know of Kibaou's numbers, I believe that no matter what we do, there is little hope that we emerge triumphant. More than likely, if we stay and fight, we will all be dead by tomorrow night."

The crowd was beginning to lose their confidence in front of their new leader. It was obvious they didn't much like what they were hearing. Hesitant muttering and pointed questions began to fill the air.

Jae raised his hands for silence.

"I have been honest with you. I have told you what I believe. So, why am I still here?"

Hundreds of confused faces looked up at him.

"Well?" Jae asked them. He pointed at himself. "Why am I still here? Why would I agree to lead you if I don't think we will survive?" He smiled. "I will tell you.

"I'm still here because fighting back against Kibaou is the right thing to do. Because if he wins this conflict, we will have failed. Not just ourselves. Not just your guild. Not just the inhabitants of Floor One. We will have failed all of Aincrad! If he takes over here, Kibaou will be the most powerful man in our world. No one, not even the Assault Team, will be able to stop him. He knows this fact.

"Kibaou is a man who lives for his own ends. Those who oppose him are enemies, and ones he will not hesitate to eliminate in whatever way he deems necessary. He is ruthless, greedy, and tyrannical. If left to his own devices, I have no doubt he would try to gain rule over all of Aincrad. Every Floor. You all know how he has spent the last six months extorting the civilians on your own Floor- members of your very guild! On his orders, innocent people have been used, robbed, beaten. He and his men live in wealth and comfort while the weak and lowest leveled among us tremble in fear! I've seen some of them with my own eyes. They tremble as they do what they are told without question, and pray only that they are spared their lives.

"Now imagine that fate brought down on every single person living in our world. Think about that! That is what awaits us if we do not stop him now.

"Thinker is my friend. He's a good man. He's your guild leader. He was tricked and then arrested on false charges in order to remove the only man standing in Kibaou's way. Kibaou thought that that would be all it took to gain victory."

Jae shook his head as his expression darkened. "I intend to prove him wrong."

The crowd was hanging on his every word now, and Jae noticed some of them nodding their heads in fierce agreement as he went on, his voice building with every word.

"In his arrogance, Kibaou does not believe that the army gathered here will present a challenge to him when he arrives. Stepping on the helpless for so long has built his ego up considerably, and I have no doubt that even now, as he sits down to eat a dinner bought and paid for by slaves, he is laughing at you. He thinks you all cowards, and that you lack the stomach to face him in the field.

"Do you intend to prove him wrong?"

The crowd seemed to come more alive as visible fury pulsed to life through them. Large numbers of them shouted in anger that they would indeed prove Kibaou wrong. Jae felt the sparks of their righteous rage igniting into flame. He intended to make it hotter still.

"Kibaou believes," Jae roared, "that he has already won! Well, that may be so, but I don't intend to make it easy for him! It's time we fight to make sure that the world we live in-" he pointed down at the wagon beneath him- " _our_ world, stays ours! For the sake of everyone living here, for ourselves and our loved ones, for freedom in Aincrad, I say we either end Kibaou tomorrow on the field, or we die trying!

"Do you intend to fight with me?!"

The crowd roared their agreement.

"If it takes every ounce of my blood," Jae screamed, "If it takes the blood of every person here to ensure that our world remains free, to enforce justice on men who are willing to bring the stain of our old world to life here, then I say so be it! What say you?!"

In the town square, the men and women of the army appeared on the verge of bloodlust as they drew their swords, roared their determination to fight and die for their world, and chanted Jae's name.

"Jae!"

"Jae!"

"Jae!"

"Fight with me tomorrow!" Jae shouted furiously at the host gathered about him, his empowered voice carrying over their chants,"fight with me! I may not be able to promise you victory, I may not be able to say without a doubt that we will survive, but I _swear_ to you all, by everything on this good earth, I will give you a fight!"

"Yes!" The soldiers cheered.

"Hero of Floor Twenty-Five!"

"Jae!"

"Jae!"

"Let your voices ring out like the loudest thunder!" Jae screamed above the emboldened horde he had stirred to righteous fury. "Split the heavens with the sound of your battle cries! Shake the earth with the stomp of your feet! Show the world who you are, and why you believe it's worth defending!"

The voice of the crowd carried high into the air, echoing out into the plains around them. In the distance, carried high on overcast evening clouds, lightning crackled and flashed.

"And at the last, I have only one thing left to say." Jae's tone darkened with menace.

"Kibaou is mine."


	142. Chapter 141

141

November 1st, 2024

Floor 1, Horunka

A light breeze picked up, softly caressing Jae's face as he gazed calmly out at the thousand man army waiting across the field.

From his position atop the small wood and earthwork battlement his men had built across the main road leading into Harunka's main street, he could see them all quite clearly. Their battle lines were about a dozen ranks deep, and stretched around a half mile wide. Their swords and grey plate armor glittered in the noonday sun. The entire front rank- tanks, or men assigned to act as such for the battle- held shields of various sizes for protection from missiles. Most of the soldiers in the huge formation had on the usual full faced Army helmets, but the faces that he could see all bore the same expression of determination and anger.

It was an army to be sure, and by far the largest Jae had ever seen.

The most heavily armed and armored men had taken up position in the center, as he had expected they would. Skilled fighters and Assault Team veterans from the early days of Aincrad, they would be the most difficult for his regular army soldiers to take down, and would no doubt be the section assigned to take the makeshift wall now blocking the road- which was why Jae had stationed himself, Israel, and all thirty-four ex-HDA members there to hold it.

Glancing down, Jae casually pounded a fist down atop the wood and earth parapet that came up to his waist. It felt solid and strong. Lifting a boot, he stepped down hard on the compacted earth floor. It too felt solid.

Though it's construction had been hasty and wearily carried out throughout the night, Jae was pleased with how sturdy the man-made wall now was. Standing at seven feet wide to encompass the entire width of paved road, and six feet high in in order to give high ground advantage to the defenders manning it, the barrier also had steps and the raised earth floor Jae was standing on on the inside, which allowed the defense to peer over the parapet and hurl missiles over at the attackers.

Buckets filled with knives, darts tipped with paralysis and poison, throwing axes, and even large, jagged rocks had been placed along the inside of the raised floor around Jae for just such a purpose, along with bundles of spears which had been set at the two edges of the wall. There was even a small crate filled with disturbingly colored potions, courtesy of Sara.

From his place atop the parapet, Jae glanced to either side of him to be sure that everything was ready. A hundred Army soldiers stood behind each of the two long stretches of ploughed field on either side of the earthwork wall. The two fields, which Jae had ordered filled with water from the town and turned over and over again with shovels and hoes throughout the long night, were now more akin to swamps than farm land.

The muddy mess, Jae had explained, would do wonders at quite literally bogging down the huge numbers of soldiers that would be charging across it, and with all their heavy armor on, would render many virtually immobile. While the front ranks grew stuck and struggled to free their sinking legs from the muck of mud and water, the back ranks would push into them, destroying their organized formation and sending many face first into the mud. With luck, many would either be trampled by the rear ranks, or drown in the bog.

Even without luck, though, Jae had a solution.

During the early hours of the morning, after the two fields had already been turned into veritable marshland, Jae had ordered that all the oil and pitch within Horunka be dumped over the top of both. He hadn't needed to explain why, and the Army soldiers made sure not to ask: once the mud and muck had done its job of slowing and stopping the enemy charge on either side of the road, and after sufficient peppering from the various missiles of the defenders waiting on the dry ground at the end, Jae would give a signal to several torch bearers waiting in the rear. These men would hurl their torches directly into the bog, and in an instant envelop every soldier stuck there in an inferno of liquid fire. They would be burned alive where they stood, cooked in their own armor as the mud rendered them unable to even run.

Jae doubted many would survive.

On the extreme flanks beyond the edges of the two death trap fields, further hastily made preparations had been set up on Jae's instructions. On the far left, around thirty men had spent the night taking turns deepening and widening the dangerous narrow ditch Jae had spotted the day before, making it more treacherous while also carefully ensuring that it continued to look like little more than a fold in the land to those who would be charging towards it. Sharpened stakes and splinters of jagged wood had been placed at the bottom, and when Kibaou's troops came rushing in formation towards the line of defenders waiting on the other side, the front ranks would quickly fall victim to the trap.

Even under normal circumstances, a fall into a ditch like that would typically mean broken feet and ankles. Now, things would only get worse. Jae expected there would be no shortage of terrible, gorey sights when the attacking troops fell into the ditch and onto the stakes. He warned his men as much, but sternly told them that he also expected them to nonetheless make the situation even worse for Kibaou's men by hurling their scavenged ranged weapons into the inevitable sea of writhing bodies before the survivors could regroup and climb out.

On the far right, there was no ditch or field with which to create some horrible trap. Worse, the area was completely flat. In response to this, and due to there being no time to build another earthwork wall, Jae had stationed every tank in his army there, with orders to form and hold an overlapping shield wall. The shieldwall would be reinforced by a line of longer ranged DPS troops- spear and lance users mostly- who would do what they could to keep the incoming attackers back.

In spite of the fact that the most disciplined unit of troops would be holding on this right flank, Jae knew it was still going to be the weakest section of their line and would require skilled leadership to keep together. Forcing aside his great fear for her safety, he had reluctantly assigned Vivienne as commander there, together with Meifan to coordinate the tanks under her and Avari to act as her second.

To Jae's surprise, Officers Kevin, Dalbar, and several others personally requested permission to make their stand among the troops on the right flank the moment he informed them that it would be the weakest, and thus most dangerous, part of their line. At that moment, he felt pride in them and their bravery.

Now, only a few hours later, with everything in place and both armies in position, Jae felt his stomach tighten into knots as he looked over the small army waiting to the right and left of where he stood. They too had on the grey plate armor that was customary among the Army, and with weapons out and at the ready, faces set in grim expressions as they stared out at the far greater numbers opposing them, and Army banners fluttering proudly above them in the breeze, they were a formidable sight.

Jae silently prayed that at least some of them would live to see another day.

Israel stepped up onto the parapet beside him, and quietly took in the enemy forces across the paved road and fields. Neither one of them spoke for several minutes, but they didn't have to: Jae knew that they were both grateful to have the other standing beside him, and took comfort knowing that they were in this together.

"So," Jae said quietly as they both looked out at the enemy force, "here we are."

"Here we are," Israel repeated.

The noonday sun beat incessantly down on them. The breeze picked up again, cooling Jae's skin beneath his suit of leather and chainmail armor he had scavenged from the army's military stores. Israel was wearing similar gear, along with the addition of a single hard leather pauldron strapped over his right shoulder for added protection when he went for punches. His steel encased fist hung at his side. With his other hand, and without taking his eyes from the sight before them, he casually slid his red sword free a few inches to be sure it was clear in its sheath before letting it drop back down.

"It seems our paths have at long lost taken us down the final bend," Jae observed.

Israel was quiet for a moment. "I don't think this is where our paths end."

"I hope you're right."

A thought struck Jae, and he looked over his shoulder at Israel.

"Listen, I know you didn't want it to come to this. None of us did, but I know what you were hoping. I'm sorry it had to-"

"Don't apologize just yet." A relieved smile crept over Israel's face as he gestured out at the road before them. "It appears there's still a chance for me and my hopes."

With a frown, Jae turned his gaze back out at the enemy force. His eyes widened in surprise.

There, emerging from the ranks of soldiers and coming slowly closer along the paved road between the two armies, was none other than Kibaou himself. A dozen men flanked him, and in one of their hands fluttered a small white flag.

After ordering a ramp be lowered from the parapet, Jae and Israel quickly moved off the battlements to collect the others, along with Retarin and the the three senior Officers of the army. When they had everyone, and after Jae quietly ordered his men to be ready to act in case of foul play, they left the safety of the earthwork wall behind them and started down the paved road. Kibaou and his entourage approached along the same route, and once the two parties were within five or six feet from each other, they stopped.

On either end of the no man's land in which their leaders stood, both armies watched in silence, creating an eerie quiet that filled the battlefield.

The sun continued to bear down on the scene, as if interested in the proceedings. Banners from both sides flapped lazily in the weak breeze.

Raw tension, and the expectation of imminent violence, hung heavy in the air.

Standing in the forefront of the friends and family gathered around him, Jae eyed the opposing parley group. His old enemy in particular.

Garbed in grey plate armor, Kibaou looked much the same as ever. His orange hair was still spiked. His mouth was still set in the same old scowl. Stubble and an unkempt goatee covered his chin and jaw. A few stress lines, the result of years of leadership- and probably a good deal of paranoia- creased his face. Jae knew from past encounters long ago that Kibaou was roughly around his age, twenty-two or twenty-three, but those lines made him easily appear several years older.

 _I probably look the same way by now._

Kibaou smirked mockingly at Jae when he saw him. He chuckled and casually shook his head.

"Oh Jae. Why am I not surprised." He frowned, as if taken with a thought. "You know, you don't look nearly as impressive without all your HDA armor."

Jae ignored the insult. "I think we can afford to skip the pleasantries, don't you Kibaou? Let's get to the matter at-"

"You know, as I was marching up here, I fully expected to be greeted by a ghost town. That, or a crowd of terrified fools on their knees begging for mercy. I was quite stunned when we arrived and saw-" he lazily waved a hand at Thinker's army massed in the field before Horunka-" all this. Of course, I should've known it was your doing. You always seem to insist on popping back up and bothering me at the most inconvenient times." His lip curled into a cruel smile. "I'm grateful you did this time, though. Now, I can finally kill you and end our little rivalry once and for all, at the same time as I deliver some hard-earned justice to this army of traitors as well. Two birds with one stone indeed, wouldn't you say?"

Jae took an even breath as he suppressed the urge to step forward and strangle the man with his bare hands. Avari had been right; they _really_ should have killed him a long time ago.

"Kibaou," Jae began again, "we both know you didn't leave your army and walk all the way over here just to trade insults. There's still a way for us to reach a peaceful-"

"And of course you brought the Shadow of Death here," Kibaou muttered in sudden disgust as he noticed Israel.

Jae glanced over at his brother in concern. He half expected him to draw his sword and split Kibaou in two where he stood.

Instead, Israel's fierce cobalt eyes met Kibaou's brown ones without emotion. He offered a small smile.

"Just Israel will do fine, thank you."

Kibaou spat on the ground in front of him.

"Call yourself whatever you like, doesn't change who you are. Same with that new cursor above your head. Doesn't make any difference at all. You're still a red player."

Not liking where the conversation was going, Jae opened his mouth to speak.

Israel beat him to it.

"You're right," he replied with a nod. "I am a red player. I always will be. Cursor colors don't change that. But if this battle takes place, by nightfall every single person on this field will be exactly the same as me. The ones who survive, that is. I know you haven't been in a battle before, Kibaou, but I assume you know how it works, yes? You realize that hundreds will die?"

Kibaou's expression darkened at the quip.

"Oh yes, Shadow, I know enough of how it works. I also know that with my numbers, victory is assured." His renewed smirk passed over the entire group. "All of you standing here, you're the walking dead. In a few hours there won't be anything left of any of you, in this world or the next, save for a few names etched on the Monument of Life, which I intend to visit and laugh at many times in the days to come."

"Maybe you do win," Israel said, drawing Kibaou's ire back to him. "Maybe you do kill us all. I'll give it you; victory does indeed look more likely for your army than for ours. But you have to be aware that that victory won't come without a cost. We may lose, but hundreds of your men will also die before that can happen. Battles tend to be chaotic and unpredictable. Anything could go wrong at any time. If things go poorly for you, you might even lose your whole army bringing us down. Is that a price you're prepared to pay?"

"In exchange for peace and stability in Aincrad? Absolutely." Kibaou turned back to Jae. "Now that that's settled, I think it's time we got to business. I informed the Army soldiers standing behind you that if any of them were still in Horunka and hadn't surrendered by the time I arrived, they would all be put to death. I'm not typically one to break my promises, but just this once, because I'm a merciful man, I will give you one last chance to save them.

"My terms are simple: lay down your weapons, surrender this army of yours to me, and you have my word that the rank and file- all the common soldiers- will be spared and pardoned of their crimes. They will face no consequences, and will be allowed back into the Army with open arms."

"And the others?" Jae asked, though he could already guess the answer.

"Since treason on this scale can not and will not be tolerated, the others won't be so lucky. Examples must be made to ensure this doesn't happen again. All the NCO's- sergeants, squad leaders and the like- will be arrested and taken to our guild prison, where they will serve a ten year sentence. All the Officers-" he gestured with a nod towards the three senior Officers standing behind Jae and the others- "will also be arrested, but not for very long; after trials are conducted for each of them, they will be executed outside the main gate leading into the Town of Beginnings." Kibaou paused then and looked smugly over Jae, Israel, and the rest of the group. "Which finally leaves you lot." He shook his head and smiled. "You seven won't be arrested. You won't face trials. You will be executed this very day, as payment for all the trouble you've caused. You, Jae, will be killed last so that you can watch your wife and brother die. These are my terms."

Jae gritted his teeth in silent rage.

"I refuse."

Kibaou shrugged. "Then we have nothing more to discuss." He turned to go.

"I have an offer of my own," Jae said quietly. He waited until Kibaou was again facing him. "In the interest of both your men and mine."

"Oh yes? And what might that be?"

"This feud between you and I has gone on long enough. It's time we ended it once and for all, without getting anyone else killed because of it." Jae drew himself up to his full height as he watched Kibaou's eyes. "I propose a duel to the death. You and me, here and now. Winner takes all, just the way you like it."

Kibaou arched an eyebrow. "Do you think I'm an idiot?"

"I do, yes," Avari sniped bitterly from behind Jae and Israel.

Kibaou shot her a quick, venomous glare before returning his attention to Jae.

"Even if we were to assume, for the sake of argument, that the two of us were equal in skill, why in all of Aincrad would I risk my life and utter defeat when my army is almost certain to destroy yours?"

"Because you care about the lives of those loyal to you," Jae replied. "Or at least you should."

Rather than become angry, as Jae had expected, Kibaou instead began to chuckle as he waggled his finger at Jae.

"I'm afraid you're mixing idealism with reality, Jae. A dangerous thing. You can talk down to me and insinuate all you like, but I'm afraid that trying to worm your way out of your long overdo death through clever wording isn't going to work this time, _Hero of Floor Twenty-Five_."

Kibaou's chuckle faded, but his gloating smile remained. He spread his hands like a kindly school teacher, as if trying to explain to Jae his error. "Don't you understand?" he glanced briefly at Israel. "Either of you? This isn't about morality. This isn't about upholding some misguided principle of storybook heroism. This is about the future. We are fast approaching a new day in Sword Art Online. The future of Aincrad requires the rule of a single, strong leader, one who is willing to do what must be done, at any price, for peace and harmony in our lovely world. Fate has seen fit to make me that leader. I will do what must be done. Therefore, it is with no regret whatsoever that I decline your offer. Enjoy your last day alive."

He turned and started off down the paved road, his entourage in tow.

"Kibaou," Jae said loudly, calmly.

Kibaou paused and glanced back over his shoulder with a look of amusement. It was clear he was expecting a plea of some sort, a final request for mercy.

Jae was on the verge of shaking as a result of the burning, bottled fury he felt within himself, but he made sure his words came out calm and clear.

"My brother was right about battles of this scale being chaotic. You may think that you're safe now, but when the battle lines begin to break down and it all becomes a bloody brawl, you'll find you won't have guards around any longer to protect you." Fixing Kibaou in his gaze, he allowed his tone to darken threateningly. "I'll be looking for you on the field. When I find you, and I will, I promise you that you will not live long enough to discover whether or not you won the day."

Kibaou paled briefly, then quickly composed himself and resumed his walk back to his own lines. His men followed protectively on either side. The white flag was dropped deliberately into the muddy field beside the road. It occurred to Jae that once he gave the order for the two marshy, oil covered fields to be set ablaze, that white flag would burn alongside the men cooking alive in their armor.

Neither Jae nor the others who had come out with him spoke for a moment as they stood upon the paved road, watching Kibaou and his party return to their lines. Jae glanced at Israel beside him, and saw the bitter disbelief and anger etched onto his brother's face. Israel had so hoped to avoid conflict. He had brought himself to believe that there could be an alternative. Jae had wanted to believe it as well, but he had known better. He had known Kibaou better.

Jae turned to look at the others all standing behind him.

Vivienne and Sara were the closest, and beside them on either side stood Avari, David, and Meifan. Retarin, Rain, and Officers Kevin, Dalbar, and Rachel, all grim-faced, made up the rear. Everyone- even Sara- was armed and armored in either chainmail and leather or Army plate. Having given up all of her potions for use as missiles by the men, Sara was down to her two poison coated knives.

Each and every one of them looked ready to fight, and acceptant of their fate.

Jae looked to Retarin, Rain, and the three Officers. "Go back to our lines and ready the men. The fighting will begin soon. We'll follow in a moment."

The five nodded and started back up the road towards Horunka, where the makeshift wall blocked the path.

"Is this the part where you ask us not to participate in the fight?" Vivienne asked with a small smile once the others were out of earshot and it was just the seven of them left.

Jae felt a tear or two beginning to blur his vision. He was so afraid for her. For all of them. He didn't know how he would be able to live if they died.

Anger stirred within him.

Had they all not lost enough loved ones already? Aranal, Jon Bright, Tristan, Lex, Naomi. When would it end?

Jae blinked his tears away and, taking his wife's hand, smiled back as best he could.

"Actually, I was going to say that at this point I know better than to ask."

The small group laughed. Israel remained silent, his now unreadable gaze fixed on the army looming before them.

Jae squeezed Vivienne's hand tight as he looked over the others. At Avari, at David, at Meifan, at Sara. His family, all of whom had stood by him without question. They had all been through so much together. He loved them all.

"This is going to be to even worse than the Battle of Brakrun," Jae said sadly. "In spite of my best plans, we all know our true chances here. It is likely that in the end, some of us will-" his throat constricted, and he had to take a breath to steady his words- "some of us will die. Maybe many of us. Maybe all of us. I'm not going to lie and say I didn't wish you would all teleport away to safety, but I know you won't, and I know I would be wrong to ask." He offered a sad smile. "So, if we are to die, I'm happy at least that it's going to be together."

David took a step forward and, with proud, wet eyes, extended a hand.

"To the end, group leader."

Jae clasped the hand without hesitation and drew his friend into a quick hug. When they separated, he laid a hand on David's shoulder.

"Of all the original Group H members from back in those early days, you are the last still with me. I can't think of a greater honor than to die by your side, David." He looked around at the others. "By all your sides."

Before anyone could reply, Israel broke suddenly out of his silent brooding and started forward towards the enemy army down the road.

"No one's going to die today," he said as he set off.

Jae spun around towards his brother and tried to grab him, but was too slow.

"Israel, what are you doing?"


	143. Chapter 142

142

November 1st, 2024

Floor 1, Horunka Outskirts

In a blink, everyone started after Israel, with Sara quickly taking the lead.

"Israel!" She exclaimed fearfully. "Stop! You have to get back here!"

Israel ignored both her and Jae and picked up the pace, though Jae realized it wasn't so much to put distance between them as it was to simply get nearer to the already close enemy army. He seemed completely focused, which was usual for him, but also desperate and angry, and it was that side of him that made Jae fear whatever he was about to do.

"Get back to our lines," Jae ordered the others beside him. "I'll bring him back."

"I'm not leaving him out here!" Sara shouted as she broke into a run.

The others ignored him completely.

Cursing under his breath, Jae followed after them, his eyes glued to Israel.

 _What the hell is he doing?_

Israel was now less than fifty yards from the front lines of the enemy army, and as he drew closer, they closed ranks and lowered their weapons threateningly. Somewhere behind them, Jae heard Kibaou laugh derisively and shout out, "The Shadow of Death seems to believe himself a match for our entire army!"

Laughter rippled through the ranks.

Jae and the others were still a short distance behind when Israel, who was now less than thirty yards away from the mass of enemy soldiers, stopped and wordlessly held up a hand behind him to tell them not to come any closer. Without bothering to see if they would listen, he lowered his hand and addressed the army before him in an impassioned voice.

"I would like to speak with you all for a moment! No, not with your Commander, who is willing to throw all your lives away to further his own ambition and greed. Not with your Officers either, who will be only too happy to lead from the back as you get hacked apart by swords and axes. I don't care about them. I have nothing to say to them." He pointed at the soldiers in the front ranks levelling their spears at him. "I want to talk to you."

"Kill him," Kibaou ordered in a clear, indifferent tone. "And then let us advance to battle!"

Before anyone could move, Israel drew his red sword and threw it aside with enough force to send it at least twenty feet before it clattered to the ground.

"If you wish to kill me," he said as he removed his legendary steel gauntlet and tossed it aside as well, "then I won't stop you. All I ask is that you listen to what I have to say first."

The mass of troops looked taken aback by Israel's actions, and some slowly lifted their spears. The idea of killing an unarmed man who was personally addressing them seemed to be making the soldiers uneasy.

"What are you waiting for?!" Kibaou roared behind the front line of his troops. "That man is the Shadow of Death! Kill-"

"I would like to ask you men why you came here today." Israel's gaze swept the ranks of faces looking back at him. "Why green players marched here armed and ready for battle."

"You know very well why!" One of them shouted back at him. "We came here to put an end to the traitors who want to bring war to Aincrad! To stop them now rather than suffer months of conflict!"

The mass of men all voiced their agreement with murmurs, grunts, and shouts of approval.

"They brought us to this point by not surrendering!" Another yelled out further down the line. "They are the ones who wanted a fight!"

The horde of soldiers all nodded and shouted out that it was true.

Israel shook his head. "Even if that were true, why would you then answer their supposed desire for violence by returning it in kind with equal enthusiasm? Worse, by being the ones who initiate it in the first place? If an act is committed that warrants death, then yes, you answer such a crime the same way. If someone kills an innocent, and in so doing destroys that most priceless, valuable gift that is human life, then yes, their own is now forfeit. In proving themselves a threat to life, a danger to that greatest of gifts, there is only one path: that threat must be eliminated in order to preserve life, the lives of others. If this were the case," he pointed back at the smaller army holding their positions in front of Horunka, "If those men and women standing over there were guilty of killing the innocent, then I would be standing among you, ready to fight them by your side!

"But you and I, we know that is not the case. We know that they are not guilty of any such crime. As such, their lives are not forfeit, and are just as precious and valuable as yours! Until they have killed others, innocents, they are no different from you!"

"They are different!" One of the soldiers further back argued. "They want war! They want to tear the Army apart and kill those that disagree with their beliefs!"

"You say they want war," Israel said in a clear, strong voice, "but who were the ones who came searching for it? Were they the ones who marched on your homes in battle order, with weapons in hand?"

"They would've done," a spearman in the front rank shouted back, "given enough time! If we had let them alone, they would've gathered more men here, gotten stronger. Then, once they were ready, they would've marched out on us!"

"Yes!" Another agreed, "We had to stop them before they grew too strong! We had to eliminate the threat, as you say! You try to twist our own words back at us, but in reality, we are doing exactly as the Assault Team did when they marched on Brakrun Dungeon that day!"

"That's what you think you can compare this to?" The disbelief in Israel's words echoed out over the mass of men. Again he pointed back at the three hundred Army soldiers waiting in silence across the field. "Tell me, are those red players standing over there? Are those Laughing Coffin members? Are they responsible for a reign of terror that resulted in the deaths of countless innocent people?"

"Their end goal would've been the same!" A female voice protested.

"Would it? And how do you know that? Did you go over there and ask them? Did they reveal to you their dark and insidious plot to kill you all for supporting a different guild leader?" Israel's voice grew louder as he spoke on. "I think you were told these things about the soldiers across that field by a man who has no care for any life but his own. A man who needed to be sure that you would fight and die for him without question, and so filled your heads with lies!"

Passion filled Israel's voice, and his words echoed with a piercing clarity that demanded to be heard.

"Forget about all that you believe for a moment and think about what you're doing! Think about what you're about to do! You're about to march across this field and kill those men and women! They're not mobs, they're not red players, they don't want to kill you! They are green players just like you, your own guildmates besides. But you know what? They're more than that too. They're _people_. Or did you forget? They're human beings! They are alive, just like you. And you were about to take that life away from them without a second thought."

The ranks of Army soldiers grew quiet as Israel let the echo of his words sink in. Many shifted their weight uncomfortably as they looked away from Israel's piercing stare and instead gazed out at the opposing army across the field, as if searching for the truth in his words.

Kibaou seemed to sense the uncertainty, seemed to fear Israel's words taking hold, for he quickly pushed his way out of the mass of men and, making sure their eyes were on him, pointed an accusatorial finger at Israel.

"This man talks about life and values and morality. He talks about protecting the innocent and preserving mankind. Does this hypocrite think we are all fools? He's a red player himself! He's the Shadow of Death for god's sake! He's killed more people than anyone else in Aincrad!"

Israel nodded, but didn't look once at Kibaou. Instead, he kept his attention riveted on the army before him. When he opened his mouth, his words were still filled with power and emotion, but now they were quieter, and laced with genuine sorrow.

"You all know the truth of that. I am a red player. I am the Shadow of Death. I have killed. Which is why I know the truth about what I say better than anyone. Take it from me; very little is worth the cost of a life. I killed those that would have harmed, tortured, and killed others, and I believe that they deserved what they got for those reasons, but nothing, no matter how just the cause or how benevolent the reason, will make you forget the lives taken at your hands. When you kill, a part of those you have destroyed stays with you forever. I will never forget the things I did as the Shadow of Death, but it is because of that past that I know and understand the true cost of killing, and that I have come to truly appreciate and value life."

Kibaou laughed in mockery.

"When these soldiers want philosophy lessons on peace from the most ruthless killer in Aincrad, I'm sure they'll let you know, Shadow."

He laughed again and turned to his men to elicit a cheer, but was met instead by sharp silence. A thousand men slowly turned their gazes from Israel to their commander.

Kibaou hesitated amidst his laughter, then quickly grew quiet. He turned to stare in anger at Israel. The moment he did, Israel met his eyes with a challenging iron glare of such lethal intent that Kibaou, for all his pride and confidence, couldn't withstand it. He broke eye contact and stood uneasily, watching his troops in silence.

Having quieted the man, Israel turned his attention back to the army before him.

"Green players killing green players is something that has never happened before. In Aincrad, it is unprecedented. But, there is a place where it is not. A place where such a thing as war between two groups of normal people is as common an occurrence as the sun rising in the east each morning. That place is called earth.

"Do you remember that place? Our 'real world'? I confess that these days, I myself don't remember much about it. I long ago forgot the city I lived in, the job I had, the car I drove, or even if I had one. I couldn't tell you anything about the schools I attended or what my house looked like. There is one thing about that mysterious other world, however, that I could never forget: the disregard for human life. Those never ending wars begun by bureaucrats and politicians for their own personal gain. The rampant violence and murder that filled the newspapers each and every day. The disdain for others, the loathing all people had for those who weren't like them in some way.

"Back there, in that place we came from, the world was a terrible mess, and there was no end in sight. Killing was a crime, yes, but it meant next to nothing. It was so common that no one was ever surprised when it happened, even if the act had been carried out just down the street from where they lived." Israel glanced at Kibaou from out of the corner of his eye. "Corruption, too, was so commonplace that when people voted for their leaders, they fully expected to be lied to and used, and would simply shrug it off as inevitable."

Kibaou paled as murmuring soldiers began to cast looks his way.

Jae could hardly believe what he was seeing. He stood stone still, the others all beside him, and watched as Israel returned his gaze to the army now listening to him in rapt attention.

"The day we put on the NerveGear for the first time," he said in a voice that rang out across the multitude, " was the day we unknowingly freed ourselves of that world. Whether you love Aincrad or hate it, whether you think yourselves prisoners of a virtual game or freed people now unchained from the shackles that the real world constrained us with, we all have one thing in common: we have all been given a second chance.

"When we arrived here, in this new world, we found ourselves capable of doing anything that we put our minds to, going anywhere we pleased. There was no corruption, no senseless wars, no discrimination, no power hungry one percent hoarding the resources and luxuries of the world while the rest toiled beneath their heels. Nor was there any government or ruling class determined to use the populations they governed like pawns to serve their own ends. We were freed from all of that!

"Whether it was intentional or not, those of us that came here became a new chapter in the book of mankind, separate from the countless annals of never ending war, destruction, and suffering left in our ancestors' wake. Our pages were blank.

"When Laughing Coffin rose to power, we came close to failing. We came close to losing our second chance and filling our pages with the same old stories that plague the human race. In the end, we didn't lose. By banding together, the Assault Team and other like minded players decided to fight for our new world, to eliminate the threat, and keep us from falling back into our old failings.

"Now I tell you, today, right now, we are far closer to losing that second chance than we ever were with Laughing Coffin! Up until now, no green players ever considered killing one another. Think about how our world will change when such a thing happens for the first time! The moment we decide to war against one another for no other than reason than dislike, or greed, or close-mindedness, we fail! Our second chance is lost! Our pages become tainted with the same stain that has followed mankind for all of history! If battle commences here, more battles will follow. The Assault Team will soon fear the Army's power, and declare war against it in an attempt to keep Kibaou in check! Guilds will decide that if it is now acceptable to battle one another, they will fight to claim the resources of their rivals! The cycle will begin, and Aincrad will fall victim to war and destruction and suffering, just as earth did so long ago and is still doing now!"

Israel pointed passionately down at the ground beneath him and in a booming voice declared, "This is our world! Ours! Is this really what you want to do with it? It is our new beginning! It is our second and only chance at proving ourselves, at fixing the mistakes of those that came before us, of being truly free from the muck and mire that is earth and forging a new path for the future! I beg you all, please, don't throw that chance away for one man's greed and lust for power. Don't set us down the path that our ancestors took. Let us show Kayaba, show all those in the real world, what the nobility of the human spirit can achieve when not bogged down by our own failings!

"I can't see the future. None of us can. For all I know, some other guild somewhere down the line may end up wiping out another and starting the very thing which I have tried so hard today to prevent. If that happens, so be it. If we fail, we fail. But we haven't failed yet.

"So please. Let's not fail now."

A thousand men stood in stunned silence as Israel's impassioned plea rolled out across the plain.

Jae's eyes watered from the power of his brother's words, from the emotion within them. To his utter amazement, he saw that many among Kibaou's army were crying silently as well. Tears ran down their faces as they realized what they had nearly done, what they had been willing to do, and what they had almost given up in the process. With his words, Israel had shown them something they could never have imagined, and he had shared his hope for the future.

Then, just when Jae thought things couldn't get any more bewildering, some men in the front ranks began to drop their weapons. Sword and spears clattered to the ground with dull thuds and metallic clanks, and as the noise reverberated through the ranks of the enemy army, so to did the silent declaration. More and more soldiers allowed their swords to fall, and before long, hundreds of weapons littered the ground around them.

Israel beamed silently at the army standing before him.

At that moment, Jae felt more pride than he ever had in his life. That pride was for his brother, and the miracle he had just managed to accomplish.

"Pick up your weapons!" Kibaou suddenly shrieked. He pointed at Israel with trembling fury. "He's lying to you all, you fools! Pick up your weapons and kill him! Kill him!"

The soldiers didn't so much as blink.

"We're not about to start a war for you," one of the men in the front ranks said grimly to Kibaou. "And we're certainly not about to kill the man who just showed us all the truth."

With that, he dropped his spear and shield. Others quickly joined him.

Grinning with pride, Jae started forward towards his brother.

Before he had gone a step, Kibaou, who was closer, let out a scream of maniacal rage and bolted suddenly forward towards Israel. As he ran, he drew a sword.

In a flash, Jae had Starfire in his hands and was moving faster than he thought possible. As he ran, he saw Israel turn in alarm to meet the threat. He was completely unarmed, without even his steel fist to assist him, but still stood his ground as Kibaou charged madly forward with his sword held high. He was moving at an alarming speed, and on his face was the clear intent to kill.

Just as Kibaou reached Israel and began the swing of his sword, Jae sprang forward to close the distance and swung Starfire in an upward apex. The bladed staff slammed into Kibaou's blade in midair with a sharp, powerful clang. The sword shivered as the impact sent it hurtling through the air.

Kibaou's face twisted in fear. He turned to go after his sword, and Jae helped him on his way with a sharp kick to the back that knocked him face first into the ground.

An inferno of rage pulsed through his veins as he circled the downed man. He had always wished for a chance to come face to face with Kibaou, but now, after what he had just tried to do, Jae wanted to do far more than that.

Kibaou rolled over onto his back in a panic, his armor clanking with the movement. He was met immediately by the tip of one of Starfire's blades against his throat.

"I think I'll have our duel now," Jae said darkly down at him. He gritted his teeth. "Get up."

Kibaou slowly did as he was told.

"Pick up your sword. Or die where you stand."

Icy fear shot through Kibaou's face, and he immediately scrambled to retrieve his weapon. Jae walked slowly after him, his mind only dimly registering the two armies drawing closer to watch what was happening between their commanders. Israel, who still stood unarmed off to the side, made no move to intervene.

The moment Kibaou retrieved his sword, he spun around and tried to slash at him before he could react. Jae batted aside the attack with a twirl of his staff.

"Is that all you're capable of?" Jae asked mockingly. He raised Starfire before himself. "Come on, you coward."

Snarling in rage, Kibaou leapt forward and attempted to unleash a series of blows to get past Jae's guard. Whatever else he was, the man was a competent and trained swordsman, and on a normal day his assault might have set Jae back a moment and forced him to concentrate- for a moment at least. Now however, Jae's vision was narrow with burning rage, and he couldn't bring himself to care for any such formalities.

He wanted Kibaou to suffer.

Knocking aside the sword with two swift swings of Starfire, Jae effortlessly twirled his weapon around and slashed open a long cut along Kibaou's leg. Before the wound could even register, he followed up with another slash across the man's shoulder underneath the strong points in his plate armor. He then stepped forward and clouted the side of Kibaou's head with the wooden section of his staff.

Crying out in pain, Kibaou stumbled back and struggled to stay on his feet. He favored his good leg now, and blood was already matting the side of his face.

Rather than press his advantage, Jae held off and waited.

A thin trail of blood began seeping down Kibaou's face as he glanced around in desperation at the hundreds of people watching him. He looked terrified, enraged, and determined all at once as his eyes darted about like a cornered animal. Jae stepped forward, and at once Kibaou lashed out again, this time with even more ferocity.

Jae advanced ruthlessly into the string of attacks, filling the air with the clash of battle. He deflected blow after blow, then slammed the wooden section of Starfire down on Kibaou's sword arm with enough force to break bone. Pivoting on a foot just as the man began to scream, Jae spun around and slashed him across the back.

Crimson blood sprayed out into the air.

Kibaou let out a tortured cry and fell to a knee. Cradling his broken arm to his chest, he hastily snagged the handle of his sword with his good arm and let out a sob as he struggled to his feet.

With a grunt, Jae planted Starfire deep into the soft ground beside him and left it.

"Come on," he ordered as he strode forward with fists clenched. "Die like a man, at least."

Kibaou stopped his crying and rushed madly at Jae with an unexpected final burst of effort. Now unarmed, Jae didn't hesitate and met the desperate attack head on. He sidestepped a lunge, ducked a swing that could've taken his head off, and then punched Kibaou directly in the face.

A string of blood sailed out of Kibaou's mouth at the impact and his head snapped back. Dazed, he attacked again, though this time with even less balance, and Jae easily dodged the sword two more times before delivering a second punch to the other side of Kibaou's face. This time, several teeth flew out along with the blood.

Kibaou screamed at him and lunged, but Jae was done playing games now. Twisting his body to the side, he raised a foot and kicked the sword out into the grass. Before Kibaou could move, he stepped forward and rammed an elbow into his chest, followed by a hard punch to the gut. Kibaou stumbled back and gasped for breath, but Jae snagged him by the top of his breastplate, pulled him back in, and punched him in the face again, this time with the accompanying sound of crunching bones as his nose broke.

Blood covered Kibaou's face, and he seemed close to losing consciousness, so Jae didn't bother hitting him again and instead kicked him hard in the chest to send him to the ground. Kibaou dropped like a sack of grain.

Jae walked around the barely breathing Kibaou to retrieve his staff, freed it from the ground, and walked back over. With a dark look, he planted one of Starfire's blades over Kibaou's breastplate, right above his heart.

"Pl...please..." Kibaou wheezed through blood and broken teeth. Tears of horror trailed down his face to mix with the crimson mess. "Don't…"

"Tell me where Thinker is."

At that moment, the three hundred men standing behind Jae suddenly let out a jubilant cheer.

The thousand men across from them straightened in surprise.

Confused, Jae turned and followed the gazes, then blinked in utter confusion when he saw, as if on queue, none other than Thinker himself approaching along the paved road leading out of Horunka, with Yulier coming up just behind him. The three hundred men continued to cheer as they parted ranks for their Guild Leader and Second in Command.

Lifting Starfire from Kibaou's chest, Jae felt his rage give way to relief that his old friend was all right.

"I heard you called for me," Thinker joked as he approached.

They clasped hands.

"Are you all right?" Jae asked.

Thinker nodded and glanced down at the bloody form of Kibaou staring up from the ground in shock.

"He played me for a fool, and had his men take me the moment I went to meet with him for a peace talk. He left me bound and stranded in the middle of a hidden dungeon underneath the Black Iron Palace."

"How did you escape?" Israel asked as he drew up beside them.

Thinker turned a proud smile back to Yulier, who stood quietly behind.

"Thanks to the woman I love risking everything for me."

"You can't give me the credit," Yulier insisted with a raised hand. She turned to the great crowd of soldiers all around. "It was Kirito and Asuna who agreed to help me free Thinker, and it was only thanks to them that I succeeded. From now on, they are friends of the Army and will always find help from us should they need it."

"Kirito and Asuna aren't the only ones to have earned our friendship today," Thinker added loudly for all to hear. He passed his gaze over Israel and Jae and clasped them both by the shoulder. "Today, it appears two brothers saved us from starting something that would have caused the end of the Army, and of Aincrad as we know it. From now on until the end of this guild, Jae and Israel, and the others with them, are also proclaimed friends and allies of the Army, and will always find help from us should they need it."

The three hundred soldiers of Thinker let out an enthusiastic cheer. The thousand men who had been Kibaou's army did not, and Jae could see the fear on their faces as they looked cautiously at Thinker.

"So," Yulier said as she strode up to Kibaou's bloody form. "What is to be done with him, Thinker?"

Officer Kevin stepped forward. "And what should we do with Kibaou's army, Commander?"

"They laid down their weapons in good faith," Israel interjected in a serious tone. "They had the choice to fight for Kibaou or do the right thing, and right is what they chose. It is thanks to them that no one died today."

Thinker paused and glanced over the mass of unarmed soldiers that now looked terrified at what was to become of them. Then he smiled.

"If this is the case, then I would like to thank each and every one of you for your actions today, even when you did not believe that I should rule. All is forgiven. It is time we mended the rift that has fractured our guild for so long. It is time to rebuild, and focus on creating a lasting peace."

A thousand men stood in silent shock for a moment, then bowed their heads gratefully. When the three hundred soldiers under Thinker let loose another cheer and began crossing the small gap of field to awkwardly greet their renewed comrades, Kibaou's army slowly broke up to do the same. The no man's land that had separated the two forces vanished underneath the wave of people.

As the hordes of soldiers met, clasped hands, and apologized to one another, Thinker returned his attention to Kibaou.

Jae, Israel, Rain, and the others all gathered about, waiting to hear his decree.

"You were ready to lead us down the path of death and suffering," Thinker said through gritted teeth. "All for the sake of your own ambition. For that alone you should be punished. For the crimes you have committed, as well as the ones you were about to commit, I sentence you to life in the prison underneath the Black Iron Palace. You will never see the light of day again, Kibaou. You have no one but yourself to blame." He beckoned for Officers Kevin and Dalbar to come forward. "Take him away."

…

The sky was turning red and dusk was fast approaching by the time Jae, Israel, Sara, Vivienne, Meifan, David, and Avari at last found themselves on the Horunka main street leading back to the town square, where the local Teleport Gate would take them back to Floor Seventy. Back home.

The town was quiet now; the army of Thinker had disbanded and returned to the Town of Beginnings to get back to their homes and lives, and to see to the new efforts in healing the division that had brought about the civil war. Thinker himself, along with all his Officers, were eager to oversee the effort, and were already beginning to set plans in motion to repay and compensate all the civilians in the other towns who had been used and extorted by Kibaou for so long. All the men under Kibaou who had been responsible for the corruption were to pay for the damages they had caused.

It was a new day for the Army, and for Aincrad.

Retarin and his men had already returned to the Farmhouse a few hours ago. With their jobs done and, thankfully, no battle to fight, they were eager to get back home where things were peaceful and quiet.

Jae understood exactly how they felt. Though all seven of them had stayed a while longer to fill Thinker in on everything that had happened and to give their own thoughts on how he should proceed over the next few weeks, they were all more than ready to finally leave Floor One behind them and get back to the Farmhouse. It had been a rough two days.

Here and there as they made their way through Horunka's dusty, winding streets, soldiers cheered them on or came up to shake Jae or Israel by the hand. Often times, they came to shake both.

Jae was so proud of Israel. It occurred to him that while he had prepared and convinced an army for war, Israel had convinced another to choose peace. The things he had said on that field...Jae knew he would never forget.

The sky had just begun to darken and a few stars were twinkling into sight by the time they reached the town square. The Teleport Gate stood alone in the center of a flat stretch of ground, it's oval shaped light shimmering and shining against the backdrop of evening dark.

At that moment, it was the most inviting thing Jae had ever seen.

"So," Avari said as they entered the square, "who's making dinner tonight?"

Jae and Israel immediately brought their fingers up to their noses. Sara, Vivienne, Avari, and Meifan hastily followed suit.

David's finger was in midair when he saw that he was last. With a sigh, he dropped his hand back to his side and rolled his eyes.

"Fine, but I'm not washing the dishes again. I mean it this time. It's someone else's turn."

The others all chuckled in amusement.

"Sure thing David," Meifan said with a yawn. "We hear you."

Vivienne's hand silently found Jae's as they approached the Teleport Gate, and he wrapped an arm around her in return.

"I can't wait to fall into bed," she said wearily.

"Want a massage before we turn in?"

She peered up at him. "You'd do that for me?"

He shrugged. "As long as you do the same for me afterwards, sure."

Vivienne snorted and shoved him playfully.

"Alright," Israel said when they arrived before the shimmering, moving light. "Who's-"

He paused and glanced behind them.

The others followed his gaze, and after a long moment, Rain appeared from out of the dark.

"Sorry," she said, "I didn't mean to come up behind you like that."

"It's no problem; with Israel here there's no chance for us to get jump scared." Jae smiled at her. "Is there something you need before we go?"

Rain shook her head and cast her eyes down. "No, nothing like that. I just didn't want to miss the chance to apologize to you all before you left."

Jae noticed then that her hardened expression was gone. She still looked older, and her face was still worn with the remnants of sorrow that he knew would never leave her, but now, there was something else in her eyes. Beneath the layer of apathy that had been there before, Jae now saw care, gratefulness, and shame.

"Apologize?" Vivienne asked. "For what?"

Rain looked down at her boots. "For how I've treated you all these past two days. For how I acted. It was wrong of me to simply come demanding help and not even ask or care how any of you were." She looked up at Jae. "It was especially wrong of me to expect you to drop everything and come here to take command, to assume responsibility for so many lives. I acted like we weren't even friends, and all but ordered you to take on the burden of leading an entire army into war.

"I know why I did it. Why I said the things I said and acted in such a way. After Aranal…" her eyes glistened with tears at the name.

"Rain," Jae said softly. He stepped towards her. "You don't have to-"

"No," she said with a shake of her head. "I do. Please, just let me explain. It's not much of an apology I know, but I owe it to you." She cleared her throat, blinked away her tears, and then went on.

"Ever since Aranal was killed, the Army and it's welfare was the only thing I really cared about anymore. Thinker, and many of the Officers, they were like family to me for a long time while I was in the guild. I care about them dearly. I knew that Kibaou hated them all, especially Thinker, and that tensions could one day lead to something bad. That was why, after Aranal, I chose...I chose not to kill myself and instead help Thinker in whatever way I could from outside the guild. That became the only thing I had left to care about: ensuring that my friends within the Army stayed safe, stayed alive.

"When everything happened and Thinker was arrested right under my nose, I felt like I was failing the only purpose I had left in the world. I was terrified that he and the others would die just like Aranal died." She blinked at him past her tears. "That's why I came to find you. I knew that I wasn't enough, that I didn't have what it took to save everyone, but that you did. I thought you were my only chance to save the lives of the only people I had left in the world. That's why I acted the way I did when I came to your home. It is no excuse, and I know I was wrong to be as cold and demanding as I was. That's why I had to see you-" she looked at all of them- "all of you, and say that I'm so sorry for how I treated you, and to tell you that I'm more grateful for your help than you could ever know."

Jae had to swallow past the lump in his throat at the mention of Aranal. The memory still brought stings of pain and sadness.

Beside Jae, Vivienne sniffled in equal emotion. The others too looked more downcast.

Jae stepped forward and took Rain's hand as he smiled at her.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Rain. Nothing at all. I know for a fact that none of us felt like you owed us that."

The six beside him all nodded solemnly.

Rain looked up at him. "All the same, I truly am sorry, Jae."

Vivienne stepped forward and pulled Rain into a hug. "Rain, we all know how you feel. We all miss Aranal too."

A small tear dripped from David's chin as he nodded. "We do. But we know we could never miss him as much as you do, Rain."

Everyone but Israel and Sara came closer then, and gathered warmly around Rain as they shared in the silent grief. Rain hugged them all, and continued to both apologize and thank them for everything. After a time, when the tears were finally gone and no more words needed to be spoken, she drew back from them all and smiled.

"I shouldn't keep you all from getting home. I've already kept you busy long enough."

"What are you going to do now, Rain?" Israel asked kindly as he stood back with Sara. "Now that Thinker and the others are all safe and Kibaou is finally out of power, I mean. You said...you said that that was your only purpose left to you."

Realization seemed to wash over her. "It was." She glanced back at the darkening horizon. "Well, to be honest, now that there is nothing left to worry about...I don't know what I'll do."

An idea came suddenly to Jae.

"Rain, what if you came back to the Farmhouse with us?'

Vivienne nodded immediately. "That's a wonderful idea. We'd be happy to have you Rain, all of us."

"It would mean the world to us," Jae said. "Consider it our own apology to you, for not being there when you needed us. After the Battle of Brakrun, I thought...I couldn't help but think that Aranal would have wanted us to be with you rather than let you simply disappear all alone like that. We failed him, and you, but now I think we're all ready to make amends for that."

Rain hesitated as the others all voiced their agreement of the idea. She was quiet for a moment as she looked from face to face. Finally, she smiled apologetically and shook her head.

"I can't."

Jae didn't try to hide his disappointment. "But...why not?"

"Because I'm never going to be the person I once was, Jae." She took a breath and offered him a sad smile. "I'm never going to heal. You can argue if you want, tell me that in time, things will get better, but I know myself. I know the reality of what it is I face. There is an emptiness in me where my heart once was, and nothing is ever going to change that for me. I'm alone-"

"You're not," Jae said firmly.

She shook her head. "I know you mean well, but the truth is the truth. Try to imagine what life would be like for you without Vivienne. It's the same for me. I'm alone now, and I doubt I will ever be free of the sadness, the loneliness, that weighs on my soul. Without Aranal, I have nothing. I am nothing. The world means so much less to me than it should. There is no light or beauty in it for me anymore.

"I know that you would do your best to include me in your family, and that you truly do want to help me, but that's exactly why I can't accept your invitation. I will not bring my sorrow down on you, on any of you. Aranal loved you all, and for that reason alone you deserve better than that. You deserve happiness. If I was with you, my shattered spirit would drain that happiness away. You would all suffer because of me." She shook her head firmly. "And that is something I refuse to allow. I wish you all the best, but my word on this is final. I want you all to go back to your Farmhouse, and live. Truly live. In joy and love far away from the shadows of past losses and old sorrow. I tell you all to do this for me, and for Aranal."

Everyone was silent for a long moment. Vivienne pulled Rain into another hug. David was trying to stop his silent tears. Avari's eyes were wet, and she quietly took David's hand for comfort.

Jae looked at everyone in turn, waiting for each of their silent nods. Finally, he returned his attention to Rain and spoke past the lump in his throat.

"Will you stay with Thinker then?"

She shook her head. "He deserves peace and joy just as much as you all do. He fears for me, and is worried and concerned whenever I am in his presence. He means well, of course, and would do anything to make me happy, but I can't allow that to continue. I won't shadow anyone in my grief. I don't know yet what I will do. Part of me wants to die and meet with Aranal. Part of me knows that's not what he would want. Part of me doesn't care." She shrugged. "I suppose I will decide in time what to do with this great wide world. Whatever conclusion I reach though, I will reach it alone."

Saying goodbye was difficult, for everyone, but Rain made sure it was over quickly. After thanking everyone again and making them all promise to be happy with each other, she simply turned and disappeared into the darkness.

When she was gone, Jae and others stood quietly for a few more moments, taking comfort in each other, all of them no doubt hoping that one day, they would get to see her again.

Jae was the first to get moving again. He took Vivienne's hand, gently wiped away a final tear on her face, and beckoned for the others to follow them as he approached the portal.

"Come on," he said. "It's time we got back home."


	144. Chapter 143

143

November 7th, 2024

Floor 1, Town of Beginnings

"Have you seen my satchel?" Sara asked as she rummaged through the closet behind him. There was a thud as something hit the floor.

Israel yawned in the midst of pulling one of his leather traveling boots on. "Did you check under the bed?"

"What?" The sound of random objects being tossed to the floor continued unabated. "Why it would be under there?"

Sitting up on his side of the bed, Israel rolled his eyes and pulled on his other boot.

"Well, for one thing, it's always under there."

"I swear I remember picking it up from somewhere and putting it in the closet last night."

Israel frowned thoughtfully as he opened his menu to equip a shirt.

"Was this before or after I pulled your dress off?"

"After."

He selected the third shirt in his _Chest Equipment_ tab, a dark blue that he knew Sara liked because it 'brought out his eyes.' "It's under the bed, Sara."

"It's not."

He heard a metallic clank as something fell to the wooden floor behind him. A second later, one of Sara's small black cauldrons came rolling out from under the bed on his side. He stopped it from reaching the wall with a foot. He shook his head at himself.

 _We just finished reorganizing that closet yesterday._

"Why do you want it so bad anyway?" He stood and began rolling his sleeves up to his elbows. "You're not exactly going to need death potions in the Town of Beginnings."

"No, but I am going to need the wedding gift I made for Thinker and Yulier."

Israel's eyebrows went up as he turned around to look at her.

Pillows and blankets lay sprawled untidily atop the bed between them. On the other side of the bed, articles of clothing, shoes, and various potion making tools littered the floor around where Sara stood, her back turned to him as she continued ferreting through the closet. Her thick mane of silver hair tumbled down her back.

Normally, Israel would have taken the time to appreciate her enticing curves accentuated by the form fitting black dress she always wore, but now, he found himself overcome by curiosity.

"You got them a wedding gift? What is it?"

"New potion," she replied over a shoulder as she tossed out one of her winter dresses. "I unlocked it a week ago or so. Took me ages to get right. Why can I not find this satchel?"

With an amused sigh, Israel made his way around the bed. Brushing aside the pile of clothes and tools with a foot, he knelt down and reached underneath her side of the raised mattress without bothering to look.

Gripping the brown leather satchel by it's shoulder strap, he pulled it out, stood up behind Sara, slid it into her hands, and patted her on the back before making his way back to his side of the bed to begin tidying up.

Sara turned and scowled at him.

"Have I ever told you you're the most irritating man I've ever met?"

Israel furrowed his brow while he set to work folding the blanket. "You know, the line does sound vaguely familiar, but I can't be sure."

She scoffed and set down the satchel in order to help him. "You're lucky you also happen to be the most handsome."

"Would you roll your eyes if I said that what I'm really lucky for is you?"

She shrugged as they set the folded blanket down on the bed together. "Maybe at first."

"And then?"

"And then we'd end up having to make the bed all over again."

Israel looked into her eyes to let her know he was serious. "Well it's true, with or without the promise of an untidy bed."

Sara's playful scowl transformed into a blushing smile. She tucked a strand of silver hair back behind an ear, and when they were done fixing up the rest of the bed, she leaned forward over the mattress to give him a quick kiss.

Her velvety soft lips were as smooth and sweet as always, and though the kiss was innocent and brief, Israel had to take a breath to regain his bearings when she pulled away- as per usual.

"Thanks," he said.

"You're welcome." She straightened, and then her eyes caught on what he was wearing. "I love that shirt on you."

Israel nodded. "I know. Unfortunately I can't find the pants you got me to go with it, though."

Sara frowned as if taken with a thought. She glanced down at the pile of clothes and tools strewn about the floor. "You know, I think I actually might have seen them while I was going through the closet." She bent down and started rifling through things.

"We don't have to worry about that now," Israel assured her. "We can find it when we get back home tonight-"

Sara waved a dismissive hand. "I have to clean up the mess I just made anyway. It'll only take a few minutes. Plus, there are actually quite a few articles of clothing here that belong to you."

Israel walked around the bed to help her. "Well, that wouldn't be the case if you didn't steal my clothes every night."

"But they're really comfortable and easy to fall asleep in. Especially your shirts."

"Then why not buy some of your own?"

She looked up at him as if he were crazy. "Why in the world would I do that? It's not at all the same."

Israel shook his head in amusement. "The logic of women."

"What?"

"Nothing."

They sorted through the mess quickly, organizing various items that belonged together and setting them back up in the closet along with Sara's clothes. Together they separated four pairs of shirts that belonged to him before finding the black pants that Sara had gotten to go with his blue shirt. She insisted that he put them on at once, and when he finally caved and started pulling down the pants he already had on, she nodded happily and got up to put his shirts back into his dresser while he finished changing.

It was at that moment, right as Israel took off his pants and Sara pulled opened the top drawer of his dresser, that a flash of utterly shocking realization shot through him.

He knew exactly what was in that particular drawer.

In a instant, he was off the bed and bolting straight for the dresser. Just as quickly, he saw that it was too late.

Sara's jaw dropped in recognition. She saw. And she knew.

The shirts she had been holding fell to the floor. Her hands came up over her mouth.

She turned to him with wide eyes.

"Israel…" she said through her hands. "Is that…in there…"

Israel wanted to punch himself in the face with the Fist of Fariel. At the same time, and just as badly, he wanted to take out a Teleport Crystal and get as far away as possible. Instead of doing either, he merely stood in shock, watching Sara's wide eyes.

In some distant part of his brain, he realized his mouth had gone dry. And that he was absolutely terrified.

At last, after realizing there was no talking his way out of this, he forced himself to speak.

"Yes," he admitted slowly to the shocked woman standing opposite him. "It is."

She blinked as if she hadn't heard him.

After a quick internal scream at himself, Israel sighed, summoned his courage- difficult as it was- and raked his fingers through his hair.

"Well," he said as calmly as he could to hide his fear. "Suffice it to say this wasn't how I had it planned, but I guess under the circumstances there's only one thing to do now."

Reaching past Sara, he took out the small box from it's place in the corner of the dresser, took a step back, and dropped to a knee in front of her.

"I have to admit," he said as he held the box out. "I didn't think I'd be doing this without pants on."

"Israel…" she breathed.

His fingers shook as he opened the lid and presented it's contents to her.

"Sara, will you marry-"

"Yes!" She threw herself into his arms with enough force to nearly knock him over. As it was, it took considerable effort to keep the ring and the box it was in from falling to the floor. In the tangle of hair and kisses that was suddenly all around his vision, Israel felt hot tears trailing down her face.

"You know, Sara," he said in between kisses, "that's good to hear and all, but I think I'm supposed to finish the line before you-"

"Yes!" She said again, in a voice that was shaken by both giddy laughter and suppressed sobs.

Sara cupped his face in her hands, and he saw the pure joy lighting up her glistening eyes and beaming smile. She ran her fingers through his long blonde hair and kissed him lovingly on the lips. He returned the favor with equal emotion as his fear dissolved into relief and happiness.

 _That wasn't so bad._

When Sara finally pulled away, she somehow looked even happier and more excited than she had a moment ago.

"Israel, is this real? Did you really just ask me-"

"I tried to, yes-"

"And now we're, we're going to get married?" More tears started trailing down her beautiful face. She blushed and looked down. "I didn't think...I don't think I've ever wanted anything as much as this. Israel, I love you so much. I…" she frowned and looked back up at his face. "You're not wearing pants."

Israel sighed and took her hand. "I love you too, Sara."

He slipped the ring on her thin, elegant finger, and then kissed her hand. She responded by yanking his face towards her and kissing him again.

After they pulled away, they both started chuckling at the absurdity and wonder of it all. They held each other tightly as they laughed, and soon Israel had to remind himself not to squeeze her hand too much as he held it. They sat there for a moment, both sitting entangled on the floor, one of them without pants, smiling like two fools as they kissed and clung to each other.

Sara glanced at him in sudden thought. "We have to tell the others! I have to show Vivienne and Avari the ring!" Excitement came over her, and she made to stand.

Israel gently caught her hand. "I think we should wait a few days on that, if it's alright with you."

She frowned. "How come?"

He rose to his feet opposite her. "Thinker and Yulier are getting married this weekend, remember? I don't want to steal the attention away from them."

Sara swept some of her silver hair out of her face as she nodded thoughtfully. "You're right. These next few days should be focused on them. It's only fair."

Israel smiled. "My thoughts exactly. Besides, I wasn't even planning on asking you for another week or two, so technically we're a bit ahead of schedule. If it's alright with you, I say we wait until at least a day or two after their wedding before we tell everyone."

The warm smile he loved so much returned to Sara's face. She gave a nod. "Alright, sounds good to me." She pressed her lips tenderly against his again before breaking into a grin. "We're getting married!"

Israel laughed at her excitement. He wondered if she felt as blissful and happy as him. At that moment, they may as well have been the only two people in Aincrad.

After a moment, Sara frowned and cocked her head at him. "Why didn't you just keep the ring in your inventory?"

Israel scoffed at her. "With how often we go through each other's inventories when the other is asleep? I don't think so."

"What? I don't go through your inventory."

He blinked. "You don't?"

"No." Her face twisted in suspicion. "Wait. You go through my inventory when I'm asleep? Is that why I'm always ending up with trash loot maxing out my hold weight capacity?"

"What?" Israel put on his most innocent face. "No. Why would I do something like that? You have auto-loot on, remember?"

"No, that's what you said the other day when I brought it up, and I made sure that it was off." She glared at him. "Do you have any idea how annoying it is to have to clear out all that space every morning?"

"Sara, I don't know what you're talking-"

A knock on their door interrupted him before he could finish.

"Are you two ready to go?" It was Jae's voice. "It's almost time for the celebration to start."

Israel shot to his feet at once. "We'll be right there!"

"We'll talk about this later," Sara promised under an arched eyebrow as she picked up her satchel from the floor.

"Absolutely." Israel held the door open for her with an innocent grin. "We'll get to the bottom of this auto-loot problem when we get back."

Rolling her eyes, Sara walked past him and out into the hall. Before following her out, Israel silently reminded himself to buy Jae a beer or two later for his timely interference.

…

Jae blinked as the universe of pure light shifted and fell away around him. The world returned in a flash, as it always did, and the familiar sights, sounds, and smells of the Town of Beginnings filled his senses once again: his eyes beheld the ring of sophisticated stone buildings surrounding the circular city square that was the Central Plaza, his ears took in the buzz of thousands going about their business all over the city and the distant drone of hammers and saws as NPCs worked on the building of a house somewhere in the Merchant's Quarter, and his nose was immediately greeted by the aroma of cooking meat- probably from some nearby tavern- carried on the air by a pleasant breeze.

Emerging from the Teleport Gate in the center of the Central Plaza, Jae glanced down from the slightly raised platform and saw a small crowd waiting at the bottom. Thinker and Yulier, both wearing slightly more casual versions of their dress uniforms, stood in the front, arm in arm, with happy smiles on their faces. Behind them stood Officers Kevin, Dalbar, Rachel, and a few others that Jae didn't know the names of but recognized from Horunka.

He heard the portal behind him shimmer, and an instant later, Vivienne and the others started emerging from within. When all seven of them were through, they started down the platform.

"Perfect timing!" Thinker told them with a smile as he and Jae clasped arms. "We're about to get started with the celebrations."

"Glad we made it before everything got started," Jae replied. He greeted Yulier with a respectful handshake before moving down the line to clasp hands with the three senior Officers.

"Happy to have you with us," Officer Rachel said sincerely.

"Yes, glad you could make it," added Officer Dalbar.

"Good to see you all again," Jae answered with a smile before moving on to Officer Kevin, who took his hand proudly.

"Dalbar and I were wondering if you and Israel would care for a little drinking competition once everything gets underway," the man said in a cheery tone.

Israel appeared beside Jae with an arched eyebrow.

"You sure that's something you're ready for, soldier?"

Officer Kevin chuckled goodnaturedly. "Well, I'm no genius, but fighting and drinking are two very different things, and Dalbar and I happen to have some experience with our city's ale."

Jae and Israel glanced at each other briefly before turning smiles Officer Kevin's way.

"You're on," said Jae. He noticed then the glint of polished gold hanging from the left breast pocket of the man's uniform, right beside his rack of ribbons.

"You got a new medal."

Officer Kevin nodded proudly and gestured at the other two beside him. "We all did."

"Given for exemplary valor and bravery in the field," Thinker explained as he sidled up alongside them. "All well earned."

The three Officers beamed.

"How are things on Floor Seventy?" Yulier asked curiously, turning the attention back to Jae and the others.

"Cold," Avari muttered with a shake of her head. "You don't know how good your guild has it here."

Jae nodded to confirm the truth of it. "We had our first snow around the Farmhouse yesterday, and it's looking like more will come later on this week."

"It's nothing we're not already prepared for, though," Sara assured the concerned faces of those around them. "Jae and Israel have seen to it that we have enough wood to feed the fire all winter if we have to, and Retarin and the others living in the cabins have all started insulating their homes."

"Well, if you ever need anything," Thinker said, "don't hesitate to ask. The Town of Beginnings can export just about anything this time of year."

"Thank you," Jae said gratefully. "I think we'll be fine, but we'll be sure to take you up on that if things get unduly harsh this winter."

"So," Vivienne said curiously, "where will the celebration be held?"

Yulier gestured around them with her arms. "Why, right here in the Central Plaza."

Jae and the others glanced around, and it was then that they noticed the colorful maypoles, trestle tables stacked with food and barrels of drink, and instruments scattered about the plaza. It seemed Thinker had already set everything up in preparation for the day's events.

"We needed to find a place big enough to hold nearly three thousand people," Thinker explained. "The Plaza is the most accessible place in the city, and was once able to hold everyone in Aincrad our first day here." He shrugged. "It seemed the logical choice."

"Oh, I almost forgot!" Sara exclaimed. All eyes turned to her as she pulled out a golden glass vial. The potion seemed to glow slightly as air bubbles rose within the liquid. She handed the potion out to Thinker and Yulier.

"What's this?" Thinker asked as he took the glass vial and shook it slightly.

"My wedding gift to you two," Sara explained with a smile. "It's an EXP potion. It doesn't look like there's much in there, but you only need to drink half of it to gain the benefit, so it can be shared by the two of you. When taken, it will boost your Experience gains by one hundred and fifty percent for two hours. For maximum effect, I suggest you wait to take it until you're in a good grinding spot with a quick respawn time."

Jae's eyes widened in surprise- and a little envy- at the explanation. To have an EXP booster as potent as that would practically guarantee multiple level ups if used wisely, and at the stage they were all in on levels, such a guarantee was massive.

Thinker and Yulier both looked at the potion with newfound awe.

"Thank you, Sara!" Thinker exclaimed in genuine gratitude.

"Yes, thank you," Yulier added with a bow of her head. "You're too kind, Sara." Excitement flashed in her eyes as she looked at Thinker. "With this, I might actually manage to reach Level Eighty!"

A great _gong_ suddenly sounded from one of the huge bells hanging up in the towers of the Black Iron Palace above, and as it's ring echoed through the air, the entire city seemed to come to life.

"The festivities have begun!" Thinker exclaimed with a broad grin.

A great cheer, mingled with the clapping of thousands, rose from all corners of the Town of Beginnings, and within minutes hundreds of people began streaming into the Central Plaza from all four main streets. Men and women, civilians and soldiers alike came to partake in the revelry, and almost everyone was dressed in colorful and fashionable clothing for the event. As the excited crowd continued to grow within the Central Plaza, Jae began to see just how massive the Army truly was, and how much things had changed in such a short time.

In the days since the standoff outside of Horunka and Kibaou's arrest, Thinker and his staff had worked relentlessly to heal the division that had for so long split the Army in two.

From what Jae had heard and read in the papers, dozens of council meetings headed by Thinker had been carried out with Kibaou's old Officers, who stood in his place to represent their faction in the proceedings. Comprises had been made and many documents signed to ensure the satisfaction and happiness of both Thinker's half of the army as well as Kibaou's.

Justice had also been carried out with a fervor that only Thinker and his Officers could manage; finances had been raised and distributed to all those who had been subject to Kibaou's tax extortions, and the men directly responsible for carrying out that corrupt operation had been methodically seized, tried, and placed in prison to serve sentences dependant on the extent of their crimes.

Thinker had also passed strict laws that all those who had remained loyal to him during the time of crisis were not to harbor grudges or discriminate against those who had been loyal to Kibaou. Being the victors, he said, was not an excuse to mistreat the defeated party, and the only way to achieve lasting peace was to forgive the past and move on towards a brighter future.

Though the work was far from done, the strides Thinker had made in bringing the Army back together, in his reparation and compensation projects, and in delivering much needed justice to those that had followed Kibaou into corruption, were already proving far greater successes than any had anticipated.

Since the ongoing efforts were being greatly aided by the active support of the lower ranking members and civilians within the Army, it was Thinker who decided that a celebration event should be conducted for the guild, both as a celebration of the progress achieved towards peace, and as a thank you to everyone for their support. A day later, Jae and the others all received invitations to attend as guests of honor.

"Come on!" Meifan demanded as he pushed and prodded the six of them forward through the cheerful crowd. "We have to get to the ale!"

The drinks were exceptionally fine, and the food, while not as grand as Jae liked to think theirs had been at the Farmhouse Tournament, was still delicious.

Laughter and joy filled the Central Plaza as people danced, played games, and gathered around the massive trestle tables for food and drink.

The huge maypole that had been set up in the middle of the grounds was quickly put to use by the throng, along with Sara and Vivienne who were only too happy to participate. Both of them grabbed a long, colorful ribbon and were soon swept off by the others among them already starting the run around the pole.

Jae and Israel both clapped and cheered for the two women as they ate with the others.

Officers Kevin and Dalbar appeared after a time, both eager to begin the drinking contest. Jae and Israel prepared themselves without hesitation and soon, all four of them were downing multiple horns of ale. A crowd soon gathered around to watch the two teams go at it.

It didn't take long before Jae started to feel tipsy and lightheaded, but thankfully the two Officers- both of whom were now struggling to stand- yielded soon after amid laughs and cheers from the crowd.

Jae and Israel both decided to lay off the drinks for a while after that and instead started piling their plates high with food, which helped bring down the alcohol a bit.

When festive music started up and Thinker encouraged all the couples to go dance in the left quadrant of the Central Plaza, Vivienne and Sara both urged the two to set down the food and get moving. When Jae and Israel assured the two women that they were slightly too intoxicated at the moment to dance, Sara rolled her eyes and took out two Dispel potions from her satchel. To Jae's shock, any lightheadedness he felt immediately vanished the moment she activated one of the potions above his head. Israel, however, didn't look at all surprised by the effects.

"Did you really just use those for something as trivial as that?" he asked her in disbelief.

Sara arched an eyebrow at him. "I'll have you know my Potion Making is quite a bit higher than it was back at the Treehouse. Dispel Potions are pretty standard for me now compared to some of the new tiers I've unlocked."

Upon hearing that, Jae blinked in wonder. He could only guess what kind of potions Sara was capable of making now.

After working their way through the crowd, the four of them spent some time dancing among the countless other couples surrounding the floor. Thinker and Yulier appeared after a time to let them know they had to conduct a quick meeting with a woman in the Town of Beginnings who had taken in many of the young children of Aincrad, but assured them they would return to resume the festivities shortly.

The celebration continued enthusiastically, with laughter, clapping, music, and the buzz of countless conversations filling the Central Plaza. The sun, which was now beginning to descend from its peak as late afternoon drew closer, shined pleasantly down on them, and the joy in the air seemed to mingle perfectly with the wonderful day.

As he danced to the upbeat melody with Vivienne twirling in his arms and Israel and Sara embracing close by, Jae found himself wishing for the day to never end.

" _Attention._ "

Startled, Jae froze in mid step as the single word, uttered in a kind of robotic monotone by what sounded like a female, reverberated loudly, clearly, through the air all around. Vivienne jumped in surprise. The entire dance floor stilled as a hundred couples stopped moving to glance around in confusion. The music screeched to a halt.

" _Attention._ "

Again the word, sounding as though it had been uttered by some of kind of emotionless mechanical entity with a woman's voice, filled the air. It was loud, but not in a way Jae fully understood. It didn't hurt his ears or cause the air to shake. Instead, it was loud in the sense of being everywhere at once, of having no origin, but emanating from all possible sources just the same.

Jae and Vivienne looked at each other in bewilderment. Before either of them could speak, the robotic voice spoke again.

" _On November seventh, at two fifty-five pm, the game has been cleared. Repeat. The game has been cleared._ "

Jae blinked in disbelief.

He looked around, mostly because it was the only thing he could think to do, and saw that the entire crowd had been stunned into silence.

Israel and Sara, who were standing close by and still partially holding a dancing pose, met Jae's gaze.

"What the hell?" Israel asked, his otherwise calm words laced with disquiet.

"I don't know," Jae admitted. Then realization abruptly slammed into him. His mouth dropped. He met Israel's cobalt eyes. "The game."

He looked up subconsciously, knowing even as he did it that there was no way he would be able to see through the host of Floors above them.

 _The game has been cleared._

"The Assault Team?" Vivienne asked in confusion. "How could they have-"

There was a sudden flash of light, followed by a sound from up above that immediately made the hair on the back of Jae's neck stand on end. It sounded like the sky was being ripped open.

Everyone's eyes shot up instinctively, and as Jae raised his hand to shield his eyes from the sun, it's light flickered awkwardly, like a lamp whose bulb was short circuiting out.

It was the most disconcerting thing Jae had ever seen.

The sun flickered again, and this time, Jae and everyone else looking caught the unmistakable ripple of what appeared to be electric currents flashing through the sun's mass before continuing on their way through the open sky.

Almost everyone in the crowd gasped and took a tentative step back.

"Something's not right here," Jae said aloud to himself. He felt goosebumps prickle along his flesh.

A great crackle of electrical blue light ripped suddenly, violently, across the horizon, and beneath the strange gashes left behind Jae momentarily caught sight of a swirling vortex of glowing yellow numbers before a black background. A second passed, and then they were gone, replaced again by the clear blue sky.

"Jae!" Avari shouted as she, Meifan, and David pushed their way through the stunned crowd.

Coming to his senses, Jae kept hold of Vivienne's hand and spun around to face Avari.

"You read the newspapers more than the rest of us. What Floor is the Assault Team on?"

Avari hesitated. "I...I think it was Seventy-Five last time I checked-"

"Do you know if they had any clearing plans today?"

Avari's eyes flicked down as she tried to remember. The sudden stress in her voice was obvious. "I don't know…"

Without hesitation, Jae glanced over his shoulder at Israel and beckoned for him to follow.

"Where are we going?" Sara asked them both. "Jae, if the game has been cleared than there's nothing we can-"

"Judging by what we just saw in the sky, I don't think it's that simple," Israel interrupted as he followed beside Jae. "I think something's gone wrong. A glitch maybe."

"I think so as well, but we have to know exactly what's happening, if it's true." Jae pushed past someone who stumbled fearfully in front of him. "We have to find Thinker. He should be close by. He'll know if the Enclave made any plans to fight another Floor Boss-"

The air rattled suddenly, as if put under immense pressure by some unseen force, and then, before Jae's very eyes, a huge, transparent dome shimmered suddenly to life around the entire Town of Beginnings. He immediately had a sneaking suspicion that it was something he wasn't supposed to see.

An instant later, the flickering, shimmering dome of transparent light exploded apart with a great crash and the sound of a million pounds of glass shattering all at once. The air whistled as the collapsed dome hurtled towards the ground in a massive shower of tiny fragments.

Jae and the others instinctively dove to the ground, but before they could even blink, the storm of falling pieces of light disintegrated into pixelated shards.

The crowd, which was already beginning to break apart as various individuals fled the Central Plaza, started to panic.

Rising slowly to his feet, Jae was about to shout for everyone to get moving again when at least a hundred players among the crowd lifted abruptly and simultaneously up into the air. Alarmed and unsure exactly what was going on, they shouted and cried for help, extending arms, paddling, and kicking in an effort to get back down to the ground. Other players tried to reach out and grab them, but their hands passed through without making contact. In a blink, more people from within the crowd started rising up like astronauts in space, adding to the pandemonium. A moment later, and the hundred floating players already a bit higher in the air vanished from sight.

"What just happened to them?" Someone shouted in alarm.

"Did they get logged out?" Someone else cried out in a panicked voice.

"Did they die?"

"What's happening?"

"Is the game really-"

More currents of blue electricity exploded to life up in the sky and shot angrily across the sudden onset of overcast grey clouds, ripping the horizon apart as though it were paper.

With every passing second, one or two more random people started lifting uncontrollably into the air. Others who were already floating flailed about before vanishing from sight. The entire crowd was on the brink of erupting into pure, unbridled chaos.

And then the very earth began to rip itself apart.


	145. Chapter 144

144

November 7th, 2024

Floor 1, Town of Beginnings

A rumbling, powerful tremor shook the ground beneath Jae's feet, nearly knocking him off balance. Close on his right, Sara lost her grip on Israel's hand and stumbled back. Vivienne caught her arm and quickly helped pull her upright. The stone paved ground trembled again, and an instant later, began to split violently apart.

A huge gash emerged along the ground, jagged and uneven, shooting forward like a bolt of lightning to lengthen the crack further and further to either side. The earth seemed to be stretching apart, widening the tear and revealing a terrifying black abyss within that seemed to have no end. Out of the corner of Jae's vision, he saw someone from the crowd slip and fall down into the hole with a shriek. An instant later, pixelated shards floated back up.

Holding his arms out before himself to balance as the earth continued to rumble, Jae shouted for the others to follow him and ran around, skirting the edge of the rift before it lengthened even further.

People were running about everywhere, adding frightened cries to the deafening sound of the earth coming apart beneath them. Every second, more were lifted off the ground and subjected to a brief moment of helpless floating before vanishing from sight. Some took out Teleport Crystals and disappeared in a flash of light. Many others, however, held the very same Crystals aloft and shouted names of random towns to no effect. Up above, the sun was flashing between dim and bright, and gaps in the sky were beginning to form faster than the horizon could mend them over.

The whole universe seemed to be coming apart.

Just as Jae and the others pushed past the last of the panicked crowd and neared the northern exit out of the Central Plaza, they saw Thinker and Yulier run in. The two leaders glanced about in alarm at the chaos that was unfolding, and the moment their eyes caught on Jae and the others coming towards them, they ran forward to close the distance.

"Is this what was supposed to happen when the game ended?!" Yulier exclaimed in raw panic. "Are we all supposed to die here?"

Jae ignored her and gripped Thinker by the shoulder as another tremor shook the earth.

"You heard the message too?"

Thinker, who looked to be trying his best to keep a tight rein on his own fears, nodded. "We did. I think everyone in Aincrad heard it."

"How could the game be ending?" Though they were only a foot apart, Jae had to almost shout in order to be heard above the din. "What was the Assault Team planning on doing today?"

"I heard from Heathcliff that they would be attempting the Seventy-Fifth Floor Boss today," Thinker replied loudly. "But that was hours ago...I don't even know if they succeeded." He looked at Jae as if searching for answers himself. "I don't understand it at all! Do you think something they did could have triggered the end of the game?"

"Look around you!" Avari shouted. She threw an arm up at the broken and splintering sky. "This isn't the end of the game; it's glitching out!"

"The message must have been part of the bug!" Meifan surmised. "Another mistake, like what's happening now!"

"I don't think so." Jae pointed back at the people all floating uncontrollably above the rest of the fleeing crowd. "The glitches are real, but I don't think those people are dying. They have no death animations, no glowing shards exploding out of them when they go. They're just vanishing."

Israel nodded his agreement as another rip in the earth emerged a dozen feet in front of them. "I think the system is logging people out at random. It can't do something like that all at once, so it's occurring over time."

"If that's true," Yulier argued, "then why is the rest of the game falling apart? Why is-"

Her eyes widened as her boots lifted suddenly off the ground. Her arms flailed instinctively.

"Thinker!"

"Yulier!"

All remaining calm on Thinker's face vanished and was immediately replaced by terror and desperation. He launched himself at her as she rose several feet into the air before them, but his hands fazed through her as if she were some kind of astral being.

"Yulier!"

The collective scream of hundreds of people abruptly pierced the air behind Jae and the others, followed by the unmistakable sound of clashing steel and the bellow of some kind of enraged monster.

Jae spun around at once to identify the threat, his hand shooting over his shoulder to free Starfire. He blinked in surprise when he realized it wasn't there. What he saw before him, however, surprised him far more.

There were now over a dozen huge cracks and tears in the earth, and with each passing second they were growing both wider and longer. Houses and other buildings all over the city were collapsing and crumbling apart as the ground upon which they stood gave way. Clouds of debris and white dust billowed up into the air, and massive amounts of stone, brick, and wood broke apart and tumbled down into the endless black void created by the expanding rifts in the ground.

The half finished estate house Jae had heard being built an hour earlier now came into clear view as the buildings that had previously hidden it crumbled and fell into the ever widening tears in the earth. A moment later, it too found itself atop a gaping hole and started falling down into the void. The NPC builders who had been working on it either jumped in an attempt to escape or clung to the wooden framework before plummeting with it to their deaths.

For all the chaos and destruction being wrought by the rifts though, it was the sight of what was now happening in the Central Plaza that truly made the blood leave Jae's face.

Right in the center of the plaza where over half of the crowd still lingered, one of the rifts had split open the ground separating the Town of Beginnings from the high level Dungeon that Jae had known lay just beneath. Part of the broken stone ground of the plaza had been pushed down into the rift only to slam diagonally down into a huge open corridor of the Dungeon, creating a perfect ramp through which all manner of powerful looking mobs now issued forth- armored skeletons, pale skinned vampires, and many, many heavily armed and muscular looking orcs.

The horde of mobs, now in the perfect position to spot and target the dismayed crowd of players attempting to flee the slowly crumbling plaza, came streaming up onto the surface like a river of ants. They bore red eyes, shouted inhuman war cries, and brandished steel with wicked intent.

Within seconds, a dozen civilians closest to the open dungeon had been mercilessly cut down. A mist of pixelated shards was quickly beginning to mingle with the cloud of dust and debris that now filled the city.

"Monsters!" People screamed in warning as they knocked each other over and tried to scatter. "Monsters in the city!"

Due to the vast numbers of panic stricken citizens all trying to flee at top speed, the four streets leading out of the Central Plaza- already partially damaged or blocked off by the expanding rifts in the earth- were rapidly becoming choked and inaccessible. Of all the hundreds jostling and pushing at each other in their attempts to flee, only a small trickle was actually getting through.

And right behind the condensed crowds, more and more mobs came streaming forward.

A few Army soldiers with drawn swords surged forward through the press to meet the attack. They vanished beneath the wave of oncoming monsters.

"What is happening?!" Meifan shouted amidst the carnage. "How are the mobs able to kill people here? This is a safe zone!"

In an instant, Jae recalled the spherical dome of light that had shown up around the city, only to shatter apart a moment later.

"It must be part of the glitch," he reasoned, trying to keep his voice calm. He opened his menu and quickly searched for Starfire. Beside him, he saw Israel already fastening on his steel gauntlet and red sword. "I think that dome of light we saw _was_ the safe zone, or whatever made it work, anyway."

Vivienne glanced around. "If that's true, then everyone stuck here is going to die unless we stop this." She opened her menu, and a moment later her shining angel sword appeared at her waist.

"Yulier!" Thinker shouted again as the woman continued to thrash fearfully in the air just above them.

The screams of the crowd intensified as they violently pushed past each other to get out, as hundreds rose and hovered and then vanished in the air, as the earth continued to shake and split beneath their feet, and as the horde of mobs pouring from the open section of the hidden dungeon closed in on them with weapons swinging.

Starfire twirled into Jae's hands. He saw the chaos unfolding all around him, the lives being lost, the havoc being unleashed, and knew immediately what he had to do.

The Second in Command of the HDA turned and wrenched Thinker away from the floating, crying Yulier.

"You can't help her!" He shouted. "She won't be in danger; no one can touch her, and any second now she's going to be logged out of the game." He pointed back with Starfire at the thousands of players trying to escape the smoking, choked, and broken battlefield that had once been the Central Plaza. "Those people there are the ones in danger! The game is logging everyone out, but that will take time. If those people die before the system forces them out of Aincrad, they won't have another chance. It'll be over for them. If we're going to save them, we have to work together! I need you, Thinker! Do you understand?"

Thinker's wide, red shot eyes took in the sight before them, then briefly turned back to Yulier hovering above.

"Go," she quietly urged him. Even as she said the word, her body flickered briefly, then vanished from sight.

Thinker swallowed, fearful tears rolling down his cheeks. He nodded once, then turned to Jae.

"What do you have in mind?"

Israel stepped forward with his red sword at the ready, and his cobalt eyes afire. "The seven of us can distract the mobs for a time."

Jae nodded as the ground trembled loudly beneath them, and screams carried on the air. He was desperate to get moving, but he had to make sure Thinker understood what had to be done first. "We'll try to hold them at bay for a while, but we won't last long in an open space like this. Gather as many of your soldiers to you as you can, and-"

"I'll order my men to break up the crowd blocking the exits," Thinker finished for him with a nod of understanding. His resolve was back, and with it his capability as a leader. "We'll get the civilians out as quick as we can, and then come back to support you in the fight."

"Don't waste the men," Jae urged with a shake of his head. "We'll fall back and catch up if we can. Just tell everyone to make for the city gates, and not to stop for those that get caught up in the air! Everyone who vanishes is to be considered safe. It's all those on the ground that are in danger. Now move, quickly!"

Drawing his sword, Thinker started off at once.

"Soldiers, to me!" He roared above the swirling madness overtaking the city. "To me!"

At once, various men and women at the back of the crowds began to rally to their Commander's call. Swords were drawn, and a protective circle was made around Thinker as he shouted out commands and started to get the situation under control.

Without wasting another moment, Jae started off at a run directly towards the swarm of mobs rushing out of the hole from their dungeon. Israel fell in on his right, and Vivienne on his left, while the others prepared themselves on the flanks. Clutching potions in both her hands, Sara made up the rear. They jumped headlong over a newly formed rip in the earth, and charged directly forward towards the center of the plaza where the mobs were rapidly growing in number. They were behind the monsters, so as of yet remained unseen and untargeted. Jae knew that wouldn't last long.

Further out around him, he saw the bottlenecked crowds of players slowly getting organized and shuffled through the southern exit, since that street was now the only one undamaged by the gaping tears in the earth. At the back of the crowds, a rear guard of soldiers led by Officer Kevin attempted to form a battle line against the incoming mobs. They were fighting bravely, but outnumbered and outleveled as they were, Jae knew they wouldn't hold very long.

"Stay together!" Jae shouted out to the others as they ran towards the horde of shrieking mobs, "Once they've targeted us, things are going to get out of control quickly in this open space! We only need to distract them for a moment, so as soon as Thinker gets the crowd moving through the southern street, we follow! It'll be easier to fight them in narrow confines!" He glanced over his shoulder. "Meifan, Sara, time to get their attention!"

Both nodded in grim understanding.

Holding his shining circle shield up before himself, Meifan struck it's front with a heavy blow of his mace. A deafening metallic clang rang out around him, and as it echoed, he let loose a savage, deep throated war cry at the army of monsters right in front of them.

In an instant, a hundred orcs, vampires, and skeletons wheeled around, took him in with their red eyed gazes, and charged with renewed vigor.

Sara hurled a large handful of AoE potions, and before the mobs could take three steps, the glass vials rained down amongst them. Steaming green liquid and shards of glass exploded all over the faces, chests, and arms of the densely packed creatures, and almost all of them froze in their tracks, stunned.

"For Aincrad!" Jae screamed as he and Israel outpaced the others and crashed into the wall of immobilized monsters.

Twirling his staff with lethal intent, Jae beheaded a skeleton, impaled an orc, and hacked a vampire in two in the blink of an eye. Black and crimson blood gushed forth into the air almost as an afterthought. Following up, he let loose a heavy baseball bat swing and completely shattered the boney bodies of three more skeletons blocking his path, clearing enough space to then unleash a rain of blows all around. Beside him, teeth gritted in silent effort and matching Jae's speed, Israel swung his red sword with wild abandon, hacking and slashing at everything within his reach. With his steel fist, he bashed in heads and tossed aside enemies in his way like ragdolls.

Continuing his advance, Jae heard the others hurl themselves into the fray just behind. As he ripped through the monsters blocking his path, he saw glimpses of Vivienne's shining sword cutting down others on his flanks until she caught up and fell in beside him. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Avari's greatsword bowling over a half dozen vampires in a single blow and David's scimitar slashing everywhere at once.

Strange dark potions tossed by Sara flew angrily over his head, and wherever they landed, terrible things happened to the bodies of the mobs nearby. When a few of the creatures that hadn't been stunned jostled past their immobilized brethren to get at Jae or Israel, piercing white light from Meifan's shield would flash past and blind them in their tracks.

For all the massive damage the rest of the group was dealing, however, they just couldn't seem to match the devastation being wrought by Jae and Israel in the front. Starfire and Apocalypse seemed to glow with blue and red flames as they scythed together into the ranks of their enemies like a whirlwind of death. Within seconds, the mist of blood around them was quickly overshadowed by a dense, swirling cloud of pixelated shards.

Before long, Sara's stunning potions started to wear off. Monsters all around, now freed from their invisible constraints, brandished their weapons and all but threw themselves at the seven players directly in their midst. At the same time, other sections of the horde- monsters that had been too far away to notice them at first- now began turning their glowing eyes menacingly.

"They're coming at us now!" Jae warned loudly in between batting aside swords with Starfire and slashing open throats with it's bladed ends.

"If we stay here for much longer we'll be overrun!" Meifan exclaimed as he smashed the rim of his heavy shield into a charging orc's face. "We're too exposed!"

Before he could reply, Jae heard a sword coming for him from behind and quickly ducked his head down. The jagged blade swept past him, but only just.

Snarling in anger, he straightened, batted aside a lunge from a skeleton's spear, and then spun completely around, using the momentum of his turn to power a full circle swing that cut down everyone immediately around him. Judging by the rapidly increasing numbers pressing in on all sides, he knew things were about to get even worse.

Panting, Jae dared a glance past the onrush of monsters to see if Thinker had managed to get the civilians moving. It was difficult to make much sense of things at first; the earth was still splitting apart and shifting as earthquakes shook the Central Plaza and the rest of the city around it, filling the air with dust and debris alongside the titanic groaning of entire buildings as they slowly toppled and fell into ruin.

Within the plaza itself, individual people were everywhere, some running, some falling, and some fighting, while all the time more and more bodies rose randomly into the air before vanishing out of sight. Here and there amidst the treacherous broken terrain that had once been several miles worth of flat, stone paved ground, Jae spotted pockets of Army soldiers putting up fierce resistance against the front ranks of the mobs that had been too far away for Meifan and Sara ploys to distract them

Beyond the fighting though, Jae was relieved to see the huge mass of civilians, now freed from the harassment of the monsters, filtering rapidly out of the plaza through the southern street exit, with only a small percentage still lagging behind. Soldiers on either side of the crowd directed them along, and though as a result the street had now turned into a river of jostling bodies, they were making good time and moving fast. Thinker had done his part.

And their distraction had worked.

A flash of steel caught Jae's attention, and as his eyes shot back down to the outnumbered battle he was standing in the middle of, he was just in time to see a howling orc bring it's sword down on him far more quickly than he could block it.

A steel fist caught the blade in midair right above Jae's head, then squeezed, shattering the weapon into a thousand pieces. An instant later, Israel's red sword lopped off the orc's head.

"Well?" His brother demanded beside him as more orcs closed in to take them down. "Did Thinker get them through?"

After a quick nod, Jae twirled Starfire around and rapidly disemboweled three of the monsters within his range, one of whom had been about to stab Israel in the back. Israel finished off a fourth with a punch that shattered it's chest and sent it flying back into an advancing skeleton.

"They're safe!" Jae shouted back over his shoulder at the rest of the group fighting just behind. "Time to go!" A shrieking vampire leapt at him, and Jae quickly dispatched it with a heavy swing before glancing back at the others and pointing with Starfire, it's blades slick and dripping with blood. "If we can get to the southern street, we'll have an easier time of holding these mobs back while we cover Thinker's retreat!"

Panting, Avari hacked an orc in two before fixing Jae with a look. "How are we supposed to get out of the plaza with all these things in the way?"

Jae met Sara and Meifan's glance as the two of them covered each other with potions and shield.

"Sara, got anything else we can use?"

Her silver hair whipped behind her as she tossed a death potion at a skeleton's face, melting the creature in it's tracks. She nodded at Jae.

"I'll do what I can!"

As she made her way over through the fighting, Jae shouted Meifan's name. "Take the lead in front of Sara with your shield up! Keep them blinded for us! Everyone else, push forward!"

The horde of monsters continued to close in as everyone scrambled to get in position, and though Jae and Israel tried to stave them off, they quickly found themselves on the verge of getting overrun when another tear in the earth emerged right in front of them, swallowing up dozens of monsters before they could slow and redirect their charge.

Nothing but a thick mist of pixelated shards came floating back up.

As soon as all seven of them were in position, with Meifan in the front, Sara behind him, and everyone else holding the flanks, they started moving. Sara hurled potion after potion into the ranks of enemies in their path, each one producing a different effect; some of the mobs froze in paralysis, some stumbled forward and fell, and others were blown back several feet by what seemed like invisible shockwaves. Anything that remained standing against the barrage of potions was quickly blinded by Meifan's shield, and then knocked out of the way or hacked apart by someone else.

Advancing quickly in this way, and carefully avoiding the slowly expanding rifts in the earth all around, the seven of them soon managed to break through the mass of mobs and reach the southern end of the Central Plaza. The few remaining soldiers nearby fell in with them along the way, and the moment they reached the mostly intact paved street leading further into the city, everyone broke off and started running at full speed.

"Where's Thinker?" Jae asked the soldiers above the deafening noise all around.

"He vanished in the air with the others," one of them replied in a shaken voice. "He's gone."

That was all he needed to hear.

Jae panted as he took charge and led the way, and when a quick glance over his shoulder confirmed that the host of high level monsters was only a moment behind, he forgot his weariness and ran faster.

Unfortunately, he knew they didn't have much further to go: the crowd of civilians was still funneling through the street at a slowed pace just ahead, and if the monsters weren't slowed very soon, it was obvious they would catch up.

Slowing to a halt, Jae was about to order the half dozen or so soldiers with them to form a shieldwall when large groups of monsters starting to rush out of the three side streets a little further ahead in order to get at the crowd.

"Where the hell did they come from?" David exclaimed in shock.

"More sections of the dungeon must have been opened up by the earthquakes," Vivienne reasoned in between breaths. She glanced back over her shoulder. "We have to get to a better position if we're going to hold them."

Beads of sweat from the immense stress and bouts of fighting trickled down Jae's forehead as he shook his head. "No, the crowd is moving too slowly. They'll get cut down the minute the mobs reach them." he looked around at the tired faces standing with him. "We have to split up and hold all the streets. It doesn't have to be long, but we have to, or those people will die."

Israel stepped up beside him. "You know where we need to be."

Jae nodded and looked at the others. "Vivienne, take Meifan and Sara and hold the left alley there. Avari, David, you two take the right. Israel and I will hold right here and block the main swarm. I want you soldiers to get to the third entrance point and-"

David's scimitar clattered to the ground as he was lifted suddenly into the air. His eyes widened in icy terror.

"No!" He flailed desperately. "No! I have to help! Avari!"

Avari rushed for him, but Jae quickly yanked her away. "There's no time for this! He's safe, Avari! Focus on what needs to be done before the rest of us get killed!" He looked at David. "Don't fight it! We don't know how badly this glitch extends!"

"The mobs are getting closer!" One of the soldiers in the back shouted in alarm.

David's face twisted in panic and horror as he struggled to get back down to the six of them. "I don't want to go back like this! I have to help you! I have to fight with all of you!"

"Let it take you back, David," Avari managed in a wavering voice, "and we'll all see you on the other side. I love you." Hefting her sword, she turned away from him, wiped her tears, and shouted for the soldiers to follow her to the two right side streets.

"I can't leave-" David vanished before he could finish.

Ignoring his fear for David's safety, his doubt, Jae lifted Starfire and shouted, "Everyone, move!"

That seemed to bring them to their senses, for without another word, Vivienne broke away and led Meifan and Sara to the left alleyway a few dozen feet further down the road.

Jae and Israel started forward to face the horde of monsters funneling down the southern street after them, but both of them turned one last time to see Vivienne and Sara disappear around the corner. Both women caught their glances, and then were gone.

Returning his gaze to the army of mobs about to crash into them, Jae twirled Starfire into readiness before himself.

"Together, brother. One last time."

Israel, standing shoulder to shoulder with him, raised his red sword. "Together then."

…

Clutching her knife in one hand, Sara quickly hurled a potion with the other into the face of a particularly large and muscular orc running at Vivienne with an axe. The potion stunned it, and a second later Vivienne turned and finished the job.

Reaching into her satchel, Sara grabbed the first vial she could get her fingers around and threw it desperately at a skeleton about to hamstring Meifan from behind. At this point, she had no idea what potions she was using; it was all she could do to simply keep on throwing them at the tide of enemies trying kill the three of them and break out into the main street.

The moment the potion hit the skeleton, it flew sideways faster than an arrow and smashed head first into the stone wall of a huge bell tower that was starting to lean dangerously in the air. As soon as it made contact with the wall, the skeleton shattered apart and exploded into pixelated shards.

Sara didn't bother looking around for the next target before reaching into her satchel and pulling out another potion. To her dismay, she realized as she felt around that she was running dangerously low.

But she couldn't stop. Now for a second.

Without hesitation, Sara continued to throw potion after potion into the ranks of the mobs rushing down the alley. Vivienne and Meifan, meanwhile, fought ruthlessly in their determination to hold firm and keep her free to support. Vivienne seemed to be caught up in a bloody dance as she darted to and fro in between enemies, cutting and slashing with lethal grace. With each swing of her sword, something died.

On Vivienne's right, Meifan fought slower and simpler, but with no less brutality. Always keeping his shield held up high before himself, he blocked blows and bashed away enemies, all while constantly crushing heads with each swing of his heavy mace.

In the narrow confines of the small side street, the two fighters had an easier time of fending off the mobs determined to overwhelm them. Sara's potions too proved particularly effective here, where enemy numbers were more concentrated and densely packed; whenever Vivienne and Meifan started to lose ground against the numbers set against them, a randomly thrown AoE damage or crowd control potion worked wonders at giving all three of them some breathing room. On the rare occasion where it wasn't enough, Meifan's blinding shield helped slow down the attackers as a last resort.

So far, it was working, but Sara knew time was against them.

Meifan and Vivienne were both growing weary and taking more wounds as the seconds ticked by, and though Sara also had and used a few healing potions, which she made sure not to grab at random, they weren't enough to keep both fighters in the green for very long.

Soon, they would either have to fall back to the main street where Israel and Jae were, or die fighting where they stood.

Determined to fight for as long as she could, Sara ignored the inevitable and continued tossing potions with her sore right arm.

Just as she was about to throw what looked like a paralysis potion, two skeletons leapt past Vivienne and Meifan and made straight for her. She threw the potion into the leading one's face, causing it to go stiff and topple over woodenly, but before she could reach into her satchel, the second mob was on her.

With glowing red eye holes shrunken deep into it's skull fixed angrily on her, the skeleton slashed wildly in an attempt to kill.

Sara jumped out of the way of the first deadly swift attack and barely managed to dodge the second, but when the third one came, she knew she wouldn't be getting away in time.

When the rusty, jagged blade slashed her across the abdomen, Sara's vision went white with pain. Glancing down in alarm, she saw her torn black dress quickly turning red. Above, her health bar jumped down into yellow.

The skeleton swung at her again, and Sara had to force herself to act. She stumbled desperately back and managed to avoid most of the strike, but the tip of the blade still caught her across the arm, shredding the sleeve of her dress and changing it's color as well from black to crimson red.

She cried out involuntary and fell, dropping the satchel to the ground beside her. The skeleton closed in immediately.

 _I can't die here._

Gritting her teeth against the horrific pain of her wounds, Sara forced herself back up on her feet. The skeleton started to swing at her, but she threw herself at it before it could complete the attack. They crashed down in a heap, and as it tried to strike out at her, Sara rammed her knife into it's skull.

The monster went limp and shattered apart almost immediately.

Ignoring the blood that was now soaking the bottom half of her dress and covering her arm, Sara kept tight hold of the knife and scrambled over to the satchel to continue using potions. Just as she was about to reach in, gravity seemed to give way underneath her.

In dismay, she realized that her body was slowly being lifted up into the air.

…

The world exploded into a picture of violence and blood as Israel and Jae ripped mercilessly through the horde of mobs. Moving in perfect unison with each other, evading blades and dealing death with each synchronized strike, the two of them unleashed their full, combined might.

Alone, each of them was powerful in his own right, but as they had long ago learned, together, when utilizing their knowledge, skill, and strength to support and build on one another, they were far more than either could have ever been before.

In the midst of the fight, Israel realized he was focused so intently that he barely noticed the vibration lance up his arm as his steel fist obliterated a huge orc warrior's face. The monster flew back towards Jae, only to shatter into pixelated shards before the ever moving staff could scythe into it.

Without slowing, Israel turned, caught a blow on his steel forearm, parried another with Apocalypse, and then cleaved both enemies in half with a wide swing. He hacked his way forward, killing with every cut or punch. At the same time beside him, Jae blew through the enemy ranks like a gale, lopping off heads, ripping open chests and throats with endless swings, and impaling bodies with fiersome lunges.

Whenever the army of mobs grew too thick and threatened to gain ground, Israel and Jae effortlessly worked with each other to deliver combined slaughter to their foes. He would block a sword going for Jae, Jae would decapitate a vampire trying to get behind him, and both of them would wreak absolute havoc when their weapons targeted the same enemy.

There were now so many pixelated shards filling the street as a result of their combined might that Israel was having difficulty seeing beyond them, and so many monsters were being annihilated at once that soon, bodies began to linger on the ground for a moment before the system could catch up and obliterate them with the on death explosion.

Every now and then Israel would receive a wound from one of the innumerable weapons coming at him, and Jae was likewise taking damage, but it wasn't nearly enough to put either of them down, and Israel was immune to pain altogether. Instead, whenever he felt steel slice through his flesh and draw blood, he effortlessly focused his mind into drawing in the pain, diving deep within it, and then channeling it back into his veins to spur on his bloodlust.

They each moved with blinding speed and lethal strength, but it was their ability to support and defend each other that made them unstoppable. They understood each other better than anyone, and before long, as had happened several times in the past when the two of them had fought as one, Israel was no longer sure who's red sword it was that splintered an orc's wooden shield apart in a single blow, or who's staff it was that warded off four slashing swords all at once. All he knew was that when they fought together, with no other commitment or focus than to kill, they were invincible.

…

"I'm being taken up!" Sara's voice shouted out from behind.

Blinking away the blood seeping down from her injured forehead, Vivienne quickly finished off the vampire snapping at her with a stab through the heart before wrenching her blade free and glancing back behind her.

She saw Sara covered in blood, with a dagger still clutched in her hand, floating several feet in the air. She pointed down at the ground underneath her.

"Take my satchel! There's a few potions left! There's-"

She vanished before she could say another word.

Before Vivienne could take a step towards the satchel, more mobs rushed at her with blood crazed enthusiasm. She parried a skeleton's sword, dodged an axe from a huge orc, and just managed to impale a vampire's head before it could crash into her with fangs bared.

She swung almost blindly at the press of bodies closing in around her, cutting down anything she could reach as flashes of steel swept past and cut her along the arms, chest, and abdomen.

Her health was rapidly diminishing, and the burning pain of her wounds was slowing her down considerably, but Vivienne continued to fight with everything she had left.

It wasn't going to be enough.

"Vivienne!" Meifan roared from a few feet on her right. "Go for the satchel! Get it now! It's your only chance!"

Before she could make sense of what he was saying, Vivienne heard a deafening boom as Meifan slammed his mace against his shield and let out a deep throated roar.

The monsters Vivienne was in the middle of fighting turned their heads simultaneously away from her, then launched themselves at Meifan along with every other mob in the alley.

"No!" Vivienne screamed.

Without a care in the world for the satchel, she charged right after the monsters and started hacking them to bits as she tried fighting her way through to Meifan. She refused to leave him.

She saw his health bar start to go down, but before it could even enter the red, it disappeared. The monsters all around stumbled to a confused halt.

Meifan lifted slowly into the air above them. When he saw her, his bloody face twisted in fear and horror.

"Get the satchel!" He screamed.

In a blink, Vivienne started moving. She pushed past orcs and vampires in her way as quickly as she could, but before she could emerge from the throng and dive for the satchel, clammy hands caught hold of her legs and sent her sprawling.

"Vivienne!" Meifan shouted somewhere above.

Spitting out a mouthful of dirt, Vivienne clutched her sword as tightly as she could and tried to rise. The moment she got a knee up, she felt cold steel pierce into her lower back.

The instant wave of sharp agony took her breath away, and for an instant she forgot where she was.

A kick in the ribs flipped her over onto her back, and she suddenly saw the horde of creatures all violently pushing past each other in an effort to get at her. At the same time, she was dimly aware of the earth splitting open along the side of the alley, right underneath the huge bell tower just overhead.

…

Spinning Starfire in weaving patterns before himself, Jae continued to cut down the wave of mobs trying to get at him even as he panted in exhaustion and winced in pain at his numerous wounds. Utilizing the reach and momentum of the staff to it's fullest potential, he had so far been able to keep the horde of enemies from getting too close or bunching up to bring him down through sheer weight of mass.

Beside him, Israel too continued his brutal stream of attacks with fist and sword, either crushing the bones or cleaving the flesh of anything he could get his hands on. Though he felt no pain, and thus had less holding him back than Jae in the strenuous and draining fight, it was becoming clear that he too was reaching the end of his stamina.

The monsters seemed to never stop coming, and no matter how long Jae and Israel held them back or how well they cut them down, they both had limits that, once reached, would be their downfall.

In spite of their joint efforts, Jae knew that it was only a matter of time before he and Israel finally broke and found themselves overwhelmed. Even his Sword Skills had all been utilized in an effort to keep the numbers of monsters down, and were now all on cooldown. All he could do now was pray that the game would log them out before that happened.

Each second felt like an eternity as Jae and Israel continued to put their all into the fight, cutting down dozens of mobs with every passing moment, but soon more and more wounds started making their presence known, burning into Jae's rapidly diminishing strength. The monsters, on the other hand, seemed to be growing only more powerful.

After bringing down one particularly massive orc armed with a huge warhammer, Jae saw something odd from the corner of his vision. Something very close to Israel.

He glanced over, and his jaw dropped in horror.

 _A Dungeon Boss._

It was a giant orc standing at nearly seven feet tall, with muscles twice as thick as any of the others of it's race. Oddly deformed and with three beefy arms each wielding a short sword dripping with a liquid green substance that Jae knew well, the hulking beast started aggressively forward.

"Israel!" Jae shouted out in warning as he desperately batted aside more incoming blows. He was about to say more as he tried to push his way over to his brother, but at that moment a jolt of icy pain pierced his ribs and shot up his side. A skeleton had managed to get in close and stab him with it's sword.

With a roar, Jae brought Starfire around and crushed the monster beneath a heavy overhead blow.

Turning his attention back to Israel, he was just in time to see his brother block one of the Boss' impossibly fast swords with Apocalypse, the impact sending sparks flying in all directions. He blocked the second sword with his steel fist, denting it, and the resulting clang rang out painfully into the air. Israel's face registered shock, no doubt at the level of strength he was fighting against, but he somehow managed to keep his arms up.

Then the third poison tipped sword came.

Israel's eyes glanced down in surprise at the third arm, and he moved to jump back in order to evade it, but at that moment the other mobs pressed in, stopping him from fleeing even as they tore his light mail shirt apart with their blows.

Snarling in rage, Israel made one last effort to shake free, but at that moment the Boss' third sword lunged forward and buried itself deep into his gut.

"Israel!"

...

A flaming sword pierced the air with a powerful swing, setting monsters afire and cutting them down just before they could pounce on Vivienne. She noticed human legs standing above her, and when she looked up, she blinked in surprise.

"Rain?"

"Get up!" Rain shouted as her Sword Skill continued to wreak havoc on the mobs trying to get at them. "I can't keep them back!"

Tears of pain trailed own Vivienne's cheek as she forced herself up onto her feet, partially using her sword as a crutch. Exhausted and badly hurt, she felt at the end of her strength, but her urgent desire to live kept her going.

The flames on Rain's sword dissipated after a final swing, indicating the end of her Sword Skill. Immediately, the monsters swarmed forward like a mob of zombies. At the same time, the bell tower let out a groan as it slowly started coming down. Glancing up in alarm, Vivienne saw where it was headed.

"We have to go!"

The monsters came at her as well as at Rain, and Vivienne had to summon all her remaining strength to keep them at bay. She cut them down one after another with bloody, vicious strikes of her sword, but still they came, hungry for their blood.

"Rain!" Vivienne shouted above the clash of steel and the aching drone of the slowly crumbling tower, "We have to go, now!"

Rain stumbled back as swords started getting past her guard and cutting her, but still she fought on. "They're too close! If we both run, they'll bring us down!"

"The tower is falling!" Vivienne had to duck a wide swing of an orc sword before she could finish. "Rain, if we don't get back, it'll-"

"Get out of here now!" Rain ordered fiercely in between blows. "I can hold them for a moment while you run!"

"I'm not leaving you! We can both-"

"You have to!" Rain screamed at her above the chaos. She took a stab in the shoulder and cried out in agony before burying her sword in the culprit's head. "Either we both die here for nothing, or you make it out alive! Choose!"

Vivienne sucked in a labored breath in between two handed swings of her sword. It was all she could do to keep the weapon up any longer. The crumbling, leaning tower above started to pick up speed at an alarming rate as it fully began to fall through the air. The way it was coming down, Vivienne knew it was going to destroy nearly the entire sidestreet. If she was to have any chance, she had to do as Rain said, and right now. It was either both of them, or none of them.

"Let me do this," Rain said in a voice suddenly fallen so soft Vivienne could barely hear it. "Let me save you, and return to him with pride. Go."

Tears poured down Vivienne's face. Now she understood.

The whole world had turned to madness and was falling apart all around her, but in that moment, everything seemed to slow. She didn't want to leave. She wanted to help Rain.

She felt the weight of the sword in her hands, and thought of Jae.

She had to.

"I'm sorry, Rain."

Pivoting on a foot, Vivienne turned and started running back the way she had come. The tower continued to fall above, it's shadow darkening the entire alleyway. She picked up the pace, not slowing for a second as she scooped up Sara's satchel and sprinted past ruined buildings. Behind her, she heard the clash of steel, and then Rain scream.

Massive chunks of stone and brick rained down around Vivienne as the huge tower plummeted to the ground like a meteor. She ran as fast as she possibly could, but doubted it would be enough.

 _I love you Jae._

…

Jae's vision went red with fury and fear as he watched Israel's health- already at the halfway point- plunge dangerously into the red. A poison affect icon appeared beside the bar, and his health seemed to go down even faster.

Newfound strength filled Jae's muscles, and he ripped apart the mobs blocking his way with brutal ease as he charged after Israel. It seemed every single monster still alive was targeting him now though, for they pressed in like an ocean around him, stabbing and slashing and hurling themselves recklessly into his path. Jae screamed in rage as he fought through them, but he was moving far too slowly.

A few feet ahead, he saw Israel drop to a knee. The Dungeon Boss withdrew it's now bloody sword from his gut, and then held up all three weapons for a finishing blow.

Without a single care in the world for the monsters all around him, without a second thought for his own life, Jae raised Starfire and hurled it like a spear with all his strength. The weapon seemed to glow with blue and red light as it hurtled through the air, over the heads of the mobs standing between Jae and his target.

Starfire buried itself with a thud deep into the giant orc Boss' side, immediately erasing almost half of it's health bar.

To Jae's horror, he then saw that it wasn't enough to draw the monster's attention.

The Boss swung all three arms, all three swords, down at Israel's head in a powerful sweep. His health was already very nearly gone. There was no way he would survive.

…

Israel tasted coppery blood in his mouth as he watched the three poisoned swords come down upon him. He felt the pain from the wound in his stomach. He heard Jae's scream of effort as he tried to get closer, but they both knew he was too far away.

Besides, even if he had been closer, Israel knew he was too far gone. His health was at less than two percent, and the poison was dropping it even faster. And once he was dead, the Boss would turn its attention to Jae.

 _It may be too late for me, but maybe I can help him. One last time._

The three swords came down simultaneously, with incredible speed and power.

Tightening his grip on Apocalypse, Israel summoned what was left of his strength and swung it up to block the attack.

The metallic clang echoed out with a piercing boom as steel slammed together. Israel felt his arm shudder before the impact. Sparks flew.

And Apocalypse shattered in his grasp.

Israel stared at the shards of red steel. He watched them explode apart and soar into the air. He saw the weapon disintegrate before his eyes.

He felt sick at the sight, at the sound, at the feel of his trusted weapon come to its end. Without it's familiar weight in his hand, he felt suddenly off balance.

But it had done it's job.

The orc Boss fumbled in it's disrupted attack, rendering it momentarily off balance.

With his steel coated fist, Israel hastily opened his menu, shot through to the item he was looking for, and pressed Equip.

Silverthorne gleamed brightly as it appeared in his sword hand.

Without wasting a single second, and thankful now that he had spent some time getting it's level up after the fight with Philariax, Israel activated his newly unlocked Demonic Blade Sword Skill: Greatest Sin.

A wreath of evil, swirling darkness, blacker than midnight, wrapped itself around Silverthorne's blade, and then the weapon shot forward into a lunge that pierced the Boss' heart.

The very air ignited with an explosion of concentrated energy being blasted outward. The glitching, half destroyed sky turned dark for a brief second. The mobs all around, though unharmed, flew backwards before the force of the explosion.

And the orc Boss melted out of existence where it stood.

Israel ran a thumb over Silverthorne's ornate handle as his vision began to dim and he collapsed to the ground.

 _Thank you, Naomi._

…

Leaping over the fallen monsters with a health potion in hand, his eyes rooted to his brother's all but empty health bar, Jae opened his mouth to scream the word that would save his life.

And then he felt himself lifting suddenly off the ground.

He glanced at his transparent hands in horror. The health potion was gone.

"No."

He looked at Israel laying on the ground mere feet in front of him.

"No."

Jae's vision blurred as tears streamed down his cheeks. This couldn't be happening.

"No!"

…

Though he couldn't bring himself to rise, or even move, Israel managed to raise his eyes up to the sound of Jae's voice. He saw his brother hovering in the air, with an expression of such horror etched onto his features that there was no doubting the depths of his love and concern for him.

Israel smiled.

His brother was safe.

"Israel!" Jae screamed amidst his tears as he struggled violently against the invisible force taking him up into the air.

"It's alright, Jae," Israel whispered through the cold. "It's alright."

"No!" Jae screamed the word with a vengeance as he cried. "It's not alright! Don't you dare say it's alright!"

Israel was just happy his brother was going to live. In the back of his dimming mind, he felt at peace.

"Take care of Sara."

"Don't say that to me!" Jae roared as he ripped at the air between them. "Don't do this! Please, don't do this to me Israel!" His voice broke, and he wept helplessly. "You're supposed to come back with me! We're both supposed to make it through this, remember? We're supposed to stand together, no matter what! Don't do this, please. Please. Please."

With great effort, and amidst the tears flowing down his face, Israel dragged a hand over his burning heart. He smiled.

"Shield brothers. To the end."

"What am I going to tell Sara?" Jae cried. He pounded a fist against the air in between heartbroken sobs. "What am I going to do? What can I do without you? Israel, please…"

Israel's health bar reached zero, and as it disappeared, a thought came him. He found it strange that the memory should return now, but he was happy it did.

He thought back to the good times as he uttered the words of their favorite song. " _I tried so hard, and got so far. But in the end, it doesn't even matter…_ "

Jae wept even more profusely the minute he heard the words. "No. Israel. Please, don't let this be true. I can't do this without you!"

" _I had to fall, to lose it all, but in the end…_ " The world went dark. Jae slowly started to fade in his vision. Israel struggled to think of the rest of the words. He struggled even more to speak. Everything slowed down. The world felt decidedly more peaceful.

" _In the end...it doesn't even…"_

A single message appeared.

 _You are dead_

The universe vanished from sight, and Israel felt his body disintegrate into a thousand pixelated shards.

He couldn't remember his last thought, but he knew that it was a happy one.

And then he was gone.


	146. Chapter 145

145

November 7th, 2024

United States, Capitol Hospital

Jae was crying when he woke up.

Images of Israel exploding apart into pixelated shards filled his vision, replaying over and over again without end. He couldn't make sense of it. Couldn't comprehend it.

Israel was gone.

His brother was dead.

Jae shook his head in anger as he cried despondently. It wasn't fair.

The crushing weight of complete and abject misery, of unbearable pain and eternal emptiness, threatened to overwhelm his senses.

It wasn't fair.

He saw Israel's tired, accepting smile in his mind's eye, and began sobbing all the harder.

It wasn't fair.

As he wept, brokenly and without restraint or care, he became dimly aware of the pristinely white ceiling fan spinning lazily above him. He hated it for being so uncaring.

After a time, he realized that a woman was trying to speak to him from somewhere to his left. Her tone was kind and sympathetic, but he didn't bother trying to listen to her words. He just wanted to be left alone, to cry in peace, to replay Israel's last moments in his mind. In a way, it felt like he was keeping his brother alive by keeping him foremost in his sights, by not letting the moment pass. Deep down, though, he knew the truth, and he hated it.

Israel was dead.

Though his vision was blurred as a result of his tears and somewhat blocked by the Nerve Gear helmet still on his head, he could see by the woman's dress that she was a nurse. She continued speaking to him, but Jae didn't care to listen and turned his head away from her droning voice as best he could. His neck muscles felt strangely weak and feeble, making the task far more difficult than he had expected, but he managed it. The woman fell silent as he nestled the side of his face into the hospital pillow. At last, she seemed to understand.

He just wanted to be left alone. To mourn.

A commotion started up outside the small room he was in, followed by urgent voices and a good many footsteps echoing off what sounded like a marble floor. A second later, the door to the room flew open and several nurses and doctors came slowly in with their backs turned. It looked like they were pulling something.

The woman already in the room with Jae turned and started to protest, but fell silent the minute the nurses pulled in two hospital beds on wheels, one after the other, with a frail and thin looking Vivienne lying on the first...and Israel, equally as frail, on the second. Both of them were still wearing the Nerve Gear, but it was obvious just how long and tangled their hair was. Both of them looked straight at him with widened, gaunt eyes. Israel looked very much alive.

Jae's heart stopped in his chest. The world froze.

His mouth opened, but no words came out.

He squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again to see if he was dreaming. He was not.

The group of nurses in the room stood by quietly, watching, waiting. At that moment, they might as well not have existed.

"Israel?" Jae managed through his stunned tears, his voice coming out as little more than a croak.

He couldn't make sense of what he was seeing.

Israel nodded slowly, weakly, as a small smile grew on his face.

"I'm here. I told them to take me to you as soon as I woke-"

"How?"

It didn't make any sense. Jae was so overjoyed, so confused, so bewildered, that his stomach felt sick with an onrush of nausea. He barely noticed.

For a moment, Israel looked like he didn't know how to answer. Then he paused and turned his head slightly towards Vivienne. "You used it. You brought me back."

Jae glanced at her in confusion. "What? Viv, please, explain this to me before I pass out. Tell me I'm not having some insane dream right now."

"You're not dreaming, Jae," Vivienne said slowly, her eyes glistening with quiet joy. She cleared her throat. "Do you remember the day we marched out to go face Laughing Coffin at Brakrun?"

Jae blinked. "What? Of course I do, but what does that have to do with-"

"Just before we left Castellan Keep to begin the march, when you went to have final words with Lind, Israel took me aside and gave me an item. He explained that if anything happened to you during the battle, if you were killed, that I was to use it to save your life. It was the Divine Stone of Returning Soul."

Jae's jaw dropped in astonishment. He remembered the rumors of that particular item, and his fight with Klein that snowy night as a result. "The revival item?"

Vivienne nodded weakly. "He made me promise not to tell you about it, or else you would demand to have it yourself to use on either me or him. Israel and I agreed that, seeing as it was your way to risk your life for others, we should be ready to use it on you. I've had it hidden in my inventory ever since.

"I tried to save Aranal when he...when he was taken from us during the battle, to use it on him, but I could never break free of the fighting. I was constantly being attacked, and before I could even get my inventory open to pull it out, it was too late. It had to be used within ten seconds of the person's death.

"I wanted to use it again today…" She peered back at him with sorrowful, glistening eyes. "Rain died saving me, Jae. She sacrificed herself for me."

Pangs of sorrow cut through him. "She's gone?"

A single tear rolled down Vivienne's cheek. "Yes. I was going to use it on her, but the last thing she said to me...I realized that she _wanted_ to go. She wanted to be with Aranal. I had to respect her wishes. I had to, Jae."

There was a moment of solemn silence in the room.

After a time, and a few more quiet tears from Vivienne, she continued.

"After the others were logged out and Rain fell, I managed to grab Sara's satchel and run back to the mainstreet to help you fight. I saw you get logged out, and I saw Israel die. I used the Stone immediately, and he came back right before my eyes." She laughed shakily. "I can't begin to tell you how relieved I was when I saw him."

"After that," Israel continued for her, "Vivienne used Sara's last potions to hold off the mobs so we could run. We were planning on getting to Avari and the soldiers, to see if they were still alive, but we were logged out almost immediately after I came back. She saved me, Jae. Vivienne saved me."

Fresh tears of joy blurred Jae's vision. He wasn't dreaming. It was real. Israel was alive.

He started laughing at the wonder of it all, and Israel and Vivienne quickly followed suit. The nurses pulled their beds close together alongside his, and Jae wasted no time in pulling his brother into as tight a hug as he could muster- which wasn't very tight, thanks to his stick thin arms.

He held Vivienne to him next, and when he kissed her, he realized with profound happiness that he was really kissing her, and that it felt exactly as it did in Aincrad.

The three of them held each other as they lay weakly in their beds. They hugged, laughed, and cried together without embarrassment or shame.

They had made it.

And they were alive.

Hopefully, the others were alright as well. They would need to find out as soon as possible.

Jae's brow furrowed as a thought came to him then. He looked at Israel.

"If Vivienne got the revival item from you, how in Aincrad did you get your hands on it? The last thing I heard about it was that Kirito was going after it over a year ago."

"Laughing Coffin members," Israel explained. "I found it among their stores a long time ago, back when they first started attacking Assault Team guilds. I had no use for it, and was even considering throwing it away for a time." An amused smile came over him. "You have no idea how happy I am that I gave that thing to Vivienne."

"Also," Vivienne said, arching an eyebrow at Jae. "Don't you mean 'how on Earth?' We're not in Aincrad anymore."

Jae blinked as the realization sunk in. He wasn't quite sure how to feel about that simple truth. He looked around at the small hospital room they were in for the first time. It was plain, white, and simple. Monitors hovered around his bed, every now and then emitting quiet and monotonous beeps. The nurses stood quietly to the side, listening curiously to the people who had just come from another world, watching them with wide eyes as if they were a different species.

It all now seemed so much less real than Aincrad.

"The Farmhouse," Jae said quietly. He looked at Israel and Vivienne. "The Farmhouse is gone." He looked back up at the slowly spinning ceiling fan as sadness overcame him. "Our home is gone."

…

Over the next few hours, and with the help of the nurses and doctors watching over them, Jae, Israel, and Vivienne managed to reunite with the rest of the group, as nearly every American who had fallen victim to the Nerve Gear- nearly a thousand people- had been taken to a massive, specialized hospital in the capitol early on during the incident. When all seven of them found each other again, alive and well, the joy and relief was enough to create another episode of teary eyed embraces all over again for the nurses who helped them get around in their hospital beds.

Israel and Sara all but fell out of their beds when they saw each other, and both of them wept as they hugged and voiced their relief that the other was safe.

David and Avari, usually more reserved in their show of affections for each other, now hid nothing and all but clung to one another for the rest of that first day.

Meifan shed tears of joy for everyone, but when he saw Vivienne alive, he pulled her to him like an older brother might protective embrace his younger sister.

All around the hospital, the picture was the same; hundreds cried, laughed, and embraced those they had known and loved in Aincrad. A good many, however, were wheeled quietly through the halls by their nurses, searching desperately and in vain for friends and family. It was highly likely that, for those that knew the ones they searched for weren't dead, their loved ones had instead woken up in a different country.

Seeing as Sword Art Online had been equipped with a language translator, rendering everyone capable of understanding and communicating with one another, it was impossible to guess where.

Before long, government agents appeared- everyone from the FBI to the CIA to the Department of Homeland Security- to speak with the newly awakened survivors of SAO and learn everything they could about what had gone on in that other world called Aincrad for the last two years. Within an hour or two, many of them focused their time on Jae as word spread of his role as a leader among the Assault Team. Many also turned their attention to Israel, who calmly and honestly recounted to them the things he had done as the Shadow of Death in spite of Jae, Sara, and the others all urging him to remain silent.

The agents and officials said very little, wrote much, and soon vanished after they had interviewed every survivor within the hospital.

Jae hoped that nothing bad would come of their visit.

In the days that followed, parents, family, and friends from the real world flooded into the hospital to reunite with their long lost sons, daughters, fathers, mothers, husbands, and wives. As the crowds poured in, so too did information about what had occurred on that last day, and the reason behind the glitch that destroyed the Town of Beginnings even as Aincrad itself fell away.

When he heard it, the truth of that information hit Jae like a hammer blow.

Heathcliff, the man who had been an inspirational leader of the KoB and practically the entire Assault Team, the man who Jae had considered a trusted and valued friend for so long, and the one with whom Jae had even been hoping to make amends with after their falling out during the Army civil war, had been none other than Akihiko Kayaba all along.

The mad developer of Sword Art Online, the genius creator of Aincrad, and the delusional gamemaster of the entire world- the reason for everything that had happened since that November day two years ago, had been right there under Jae's nose, smiling and laughing as he watched people die at his hands.

At least, that was the word going around.

Somehow, Jae couldn't bring himself to believe that last part.

There had always been something about Heathcliff that made him different, but never in a bad way. If anything, those differences had been nothing but good; they had set him apart as noble, kind, compassionate, composed. The man had shown care and value for human life, and had fought hard from the very beginning to protect those around him. Jae had seen him save countless Assault Team lives back during the HDA days, and, in fact, Heathcliff had saved his own life more than once.

Much as he wanted to hate and despise Kayaba, call him a mad killer, it was somewhat difficult when the only reason Jae was alive was because of the same man. And when that same man had been his friend.

Heathcliff had worked and fought with incredible determination in order to help clear the game. He had opposed Kibaou and other corrupt influences at every turn. He had supported the campaign against Laughing Coffin and had been among the deciding factors in the victory that was the Battle of Brakrun.

He had even revealed to Jae just how much he cared about him on the day they had their falling out.

And now, he was Kayaba.

Or at least, had been Kayaba.

According to the forty-one Assault Team members who witnessed the events resulting in the destruction of Aincrad that day, it had been directly after the Boss fight on Floor Seventy-Five that Kirito the solo player somehow discovered Heathcliff's identity, and attacked him. The two dueled, Asuna fell protecting Kirito, and by the end of it, Heathcliff was dead. Apparently, Heathcliff had programmed himself as SAO's final Boss, and thus the last obstacle to clearing the game. The moment he was gone, the system began to shut down.

Since the Assault Team had only just cleared Floor Seventy-Five when Heathcliff fell, the system contrasted itself, glitched out, and tore itself to pieces even as the world withered away and the players were all logged out.

Fortunately, the catastrophe that had been the final moments of the Town of Beginnings had been less extensive on the other Floors, and the much smaller populations of those areas had ensured far fewer casualties.

Yet, that fact didn't help the people who died in those last moments of madness.

Nor did it help Heathcliff.

It was all so bizarre, so strange, so emotionally confusing, that even days after hearing the news, Jae didn't know how to take it.

Heathcliff _had_ been his friend.

And now Heathcliff was dead.

Aincrad had been home, and now Aincrad was gone.

…

About two weeks after waking up in that hospital room, Jae began to wish he hadn't: once the news of what had happened in two years of Aincrad was released to the rest of the world, public outcry for what Israel had done as the Shadow of Death threatened to shatter any joy in making it back to the real world.

Hundreds of people, the families and friends of all those Israel had killed, were quick to demand justice for their dead. Many came protesting outside of the hospital doors, holding up pictures of those killed, bearing aggressive signs, and chanting for the arrest of the killer known as Israel Blanco.

There were others of course, who were equally angry at the surviving Laughing Coffin members, and who called for the arrest of all the red players save for Israel, who they saw as the one who had avenged their own dead family members and friends.

Soon, thanks to massive media coverage and public outcry, half of the country seemed to have taken one side or the other.

Before long, Israel started receiving hateful emails and death threats from anonymous sources. He took it all with a quiet acceptance, while Jae, Sara, and everyone else spoke loudly and strongly in his defense. To their surprise, a great many survivors also supported him, with some even agreeing to public interviews from within their hospital rooms in order to explain all that Israel had done for Aincrad alongside his brother Jae. Many among them, Jae soon learned, had either been at the Battle of Brakrun or Horunka on Floor One, and had seen and heard Israel during those events.

To Jae's even greater surprise, none of those who had been red players spoke against Israel, the man who had hunted and killed them for nearly a year and a half. They didn't side with any of the protesters or let their thoughts be known. Even in the hospital, where they stayed and slowly started to recover along with the hundreds of other Americans who had survived the world of SAO, they kept their heads down and remained silent. It seemed as though they simply wanted to be invisible, and to blend back into society as quickly and quietly as possible.

As the country rose in an uproar over the things Israel had done, with both sides heatedly debating on social media against one another and making venomous public announcements, adding hate and demonization to a world already filled with both, Jae grimly remembered the things Heathcliff had said to him the last time they spoke.

 _Mankind's entire history is one of war and death and suffering, and here they are, barely two years in, leading us back into the same rut. All they want to do is destroy everything._

Somehow, those words had never seemed more true.

…

It was on a Friday afternoon when, nearly a month after waking up in the real world, Jae was brought back to his hospital room in a wheelchair after finally having graduated from his mobile hospital bed.

He was tired and hungry, and his whole body felt sore as a result of the usual two hours of daily physical therapy he had just finished up with Israel and the others in the Training and Physical Care room at the west end of the hospital, but he was glad to have the feelings: it meant he was getting strong again.

As the young nurse, whose name he had come to know was Ann, wheeled him over to his freshly folded bed to get some rest before lunch, Jae noticed a single sealed envelope leaning against his white pillow.

He reached over and picked it up. "What's this?"

"Mail came in about a half hour ago," Ann explained. "There wasn't much today, but that one was addressed to you."

She helped him out of the wheelchair, and as he made his way back onto the bed with her assistance, he caught the fresh, sweet scent of a mild yet pleasing perfume emanating off of her.

"You smell amazing," he noted casually as he leaned back in a sitting position against his pillows.

Ann let out an easy, genuine laugh. "How kind of you. As a female, though, I have to advise against you saying that around your girlfriend next time she comes over."

"Wife," Jae corrected.

Ann's eyes instinctively moved to Jae's hand, where the wedding ring he had worn in Aincrad no longer existed. Now, his ring finger was bare.

Jae realized then how little Ann, or anyone from the real world for that matter, would ever be able to understand the significance of Aincrad, and the things that had happened there, to say nothing of the things that he had been through with Vivienne.

To Ann and all the others, it was no doubt strange and childish, embarrassing even, to hear about a marriage that had occurred in a game between two adults. Stranger still, no doubt, to hear that such a supposed commitment carried over here, where the two of them had never met, and where no ceremony had taken place. There was simply no way for them to grasp such a thing as real.

It was disheartening to feel like such an outsider, but it was far worse to see and realize that no one on earth, the supposed 'real world,' would ever be able to understand that other one. They would never be able to see the sprawling, beautiful cities, the eery dungeons, the towering mountain peaks, the humble towns and villages. They would never feel that gentle afternoon breeze brought in by the plains outside of the Town of Beginnings, or those first wonderful warming rays of sunlight that would peak over the treetops hiding the clearing on Floor Seventy every morning. They would never know the elegant beauty of the massive stained glass window above the Grand Hearth, or the rustic, modest comfort of sitting before the fireplace in the living room of the Farmhouse. They would never be able to feel the vitality and wonder, the _life_ , that had been Aincrad.

Once he had settled comfortably back into his bed and Ann had left the room to tend to other patients, Jae examined the front of the envelope. He saw his name and the full address of the hospital, but no information about the letter's sender. Curious, he tore the seal and removed the single piece of paper from within. It was blank, save for a single address typed in the center:

 _13-1, Nishi Goken-cho Building, Shinjuku Street, Tokyo, Japan_


	147. Chapter 146

146

February 25th, 2025

United States, Supreme Court

The courtroom fell silent as the nine Justices, all garbed in the simple, solid black robes of their profession, reentered the room and walked in single file back to their seats. They moved slowly, with a dignified, important air, and each face bore a calm, unreadable expression.

Their return meant only one thing. They had come to a decision.

Sara absently wiped her sweaty palms on the front of her rigid grey skirt as she watched the Justices spread out before the four stone columns in the back of the room and take their seats. She felt suddenly hot in the professional white blouse and grey blazer she was wearing. She shifted uneasily in the bench. She hadn't expected them to come back so soon.

Beside her, Jae fidgeted nervously with his tie, his eyes fixed on the nine people about to announce their decision.

Though the two of them were sitting in one of the further benches closer to the rear of the chamber, they had no trouble viewing the proceedings. The courtroom was surprisingly small, with a modest, intimate feel to it's design that allowed for anyone from any position to look into the eyes of anyone else. Even the Justices, who were arguably the most important people in the country after the President, sat behind a simple bench raised less than a mere foot or so above the rest of the room.

Because of it's size, the court was also quite crowded. Several hundred well dressed people, many sitting in the benches, some standing in the side galleries, had packed themselves into any open space they could find while trying their best to maintain order and organization. The resulting feeling of claustrophobia, slight though it was, lingered in the air, and didn't help Sara's unease any.

She looked at Israel sitting in the defendant section of the room, his tumbledown, shoulder length blonde hair standing out in stark contrast to the formal black dress suit he was wearing. His lawyer sat opposite him, glancing down one last time at his notes.

Though she couldn't see Israel's face, it was clear by his stoic body language that he was neither afraid or anxious; he was simply ready to hear his fate. It wasn't that he believed himself guilty or wanted to be held accountable for the things he had done as the Shadow of Death. On the contrary, he had confided in Sara many times over the course of the long, stressful month, admitting his worries about the verdict and hope of a favorable outcome. Now that the time had come, though, he faced the trouble head on and without hesitation, as he always did.

Sara so wished she could be standing with him, holding his hand, lending him her strength. She hated feeling so helpless, so incapable of doing what she wanted. After what felt like a lifetime of being able to do whatever she set her mind to, of facing down whatever opposed her and being capable of protecting the people closest to her, the real world was a harsh and confining prison by comparison.

In Aincrad, if anyone tried to arrest or harm Israel, she could have simply taken out her arsenal of potions and faced them head on.

Now, she couldn't even stand near the man she loved in the moment that would decide the rest of his life.

Once all of the Justices were seated, the older man in the center, Chief Justice Roberts, intertwined his fingers atop the bench and finally spoke.

"In light of the large amount of public attention and media presence concerning this case, I will keep this simple, clear, and brief in order to avoid confusion and misinterpretation. We are here to address and conclude the issue of whether or not the defendant should be charged for the criminal acts that he committed in the virtual reality game world known as Sword Art Online, those acts being the over two hundred confirmed counts of what is known as 'player killing,' which led to the real world deaths of each and every one of his victims, a fact he was aware of at the time.

"Upon careful consideration of the cases brought forward by both the prosecution and the defense, we have come to the conclusion that if all of those people who were known as 'red players' within the game, meaning player killers, and thus murderers, are to face no charges for their actions on the grounds that they were acting outside of society's boundaries and were forced into their roles as a result of being subject to extreme and life threatening risk, then neither can the defendant.

"Let me be clear; the Supreme Court does not condone murder for any reason. The Supreme Court does not condone vigilante justice or any other glorified form of abject violence. We do not believe the the defendant was right to do as he did within the game. However," the Chief Justice's voice grew louder for maximum clarity, "the Supreme Court does believe in equality and fair trial. Bearing that in mind, it is quite impossible, even unconstitutional, to judge or charge the defendant based on his actions when countless others are known to have done the same. Of all the surviving victims of Sword Art Online, several hundred are known to have killed at least once at some point. Even many people who were not known as red players killed during the conflict known as the 'Battle of Brakrun.' None of those people, who committed murder in the course of their stay in Sword Art Online just like the defendant, are being charged. As long as that continues to be the case, there is only one conclusion to reach here." He cleared his throat and glanced around the room. "By a majority vote of eight to one, the Supreme Court finds the defendant not guilty."

The room was silent as the Justices rose to their feet and began walking in single file back out of the building.

Sara, who felt as though she had been holding her breath throughout the speech, finally let out a sigh of quiet relief.

…

The world was a slow moving blur of countless buildings, trees, and vehicles as Sara, with her head leaning against Israel's shoulder, gazed idly out the back seat window of Jae's car. She guessed that they were somewhere in Norfolk, but couldn't be certain due to her unfamiliarity with the region. Before her full recovery and discharge from the hospital several weeks prior, she had never even set foot in the state of Virginia.

They were heading back to Virginia Beach, the city in which both Israel and Jae had lived prior to Sword Art Online, and in which Sara now found herself living with them and Vivienne. It was a beautiful, thriving place, and one which she found unique due to it's strange mix of both rural and urban design. One the one hand, many parts of it were a metropolis, with tall, crowded buildings, a huge population, and constantly busy streets. On the other, just as much of it was suburban, quiet, and in many areas, filled with more nature than civilization.

Having grown up in the incredibly compact, crowded, and loud city of Manhattan, Virginia Beach was something Sara had needed time to come to grips with.

With her head still resting on Israel's shoulder, Sara heard his breathing soften and slow. Having shared the same room with him back in the Farmhouse for a long time, she knew right away that the change meant he had dozed off into a light sleep. He often woke easily when in such a state, so she was careful not to make any noise as she nuzzled against him.

Sara wasn't surprised that he had nodded off.

For the last two months, he had been under immense stress as the center of public attention and outcry. News of those who demanded his arrest for the things he had done in Aincrad had spread like wildfire within the first two months of SAO's end, and before long, the entire country seemed to have garnered an opinion on the situation. Everyone and their mother decided that what they thought or posted on social media- no matter how misinformed- was right, and that anyone who disagreed with them was no better than a killer themselves.

To Sara, it had all been an infuriating, painful reminder of how self-obsessed, ignorant, aggressive, and demonizing the real world was. Everyone thought they were brilliant, that they had all the answers, and that every issue was simple and black and white, with an equally black and white solution. In reality, they were bleating sheep who thought themselves wolves.

Always searching for a new way to argue and hate, the country quickly divided as more and more either chose to despise Israel or to support him. As the issue heated up, the government was asked to intervene, and the protesters who wanted Israel thrown in prison appealed quickly to the Supreme Court, as they believed such authority would ensure better odds of success than a local or state trial, which could be overruled.

Due to the national discontent and public eye, the Supreme Court accepted the case, but declared that they would wait to conduct the trial until after Israel recovered fully and was officially discharged from the hospital. Sara remembered well her fear when they got the news. She remembered Jae's horror stricken face and Avari and Vivienne's rage. Only Israel, though he slept little and ate less during that stressful time, remained calm in the course of the events that followed, and it was clear how much of a toll that had taken on him.

Thankfully, the Supreme Court had taken Israel's side, and now all the stress and fear was behind them. Israel was free, and would not have to face jail or imprisonment. Everything was alright.

Except of course for the death threats and hate mail.

Israel never let her see them no matter how many times she asked, but Sara didn't have to see to know. She hated knowing that people were saying terrible things to a man whose losses and sacrifices they could never comprehend. It was a truly bitter irony that those who had never and would never have it in them to risk their lives to save another accused a man who had countlessly done exactly that. He was ten times better than any of them could ever hope to be, and yet, they treated him like a wild animal.

Yet, much as it pained and angered Sara to know that he was getting such emails every day, and would mostly likely continue getting them for years to come, she also knew that the best thing to do was ignore them and move on. As Israel always said: think of the solution, not the problem.

Of course, the solution in this case was a problem in and of itself. Starting tomorrow, Israel and Sara would have to officially focus on restarting their lives back on earth, which would mean finding good jobs, securing stable income, and eventually moving out of Jae and Vivienne's new apartment in order to get their own place.

Sara sighed bitterly. She missed their room in the Farmhouse.

Israel stirred, drawing her from her thoughts. He dozed off again just as quickly.

Sara glanced up at his tired, handsome face, and decided that there would be time enough to contemplate their future troubles.

Right now, she was just happy that he was finally catching up on some much needed sleep.

"Looks like David and Avari are already here," Jae observed about twenty minutes later as he pulled the car up beside David's blue Honda Civic already parked in the driveway. He twisted and removed the keys, shutting off the car.

Sara lifted her head off Israel's shoulder and yawned as she unbuckled her seat belt.

"No surprise there; you know how frustrated they were about only two of us being able to secure seats in the courtroom. They probably came over hours ago because they knew the first thing you'd do is call Vivienne after the verdict was reached."

Jae nodded at the thought and leaned back in the driver seat to let out a relieved sigh- far from the first of those in the course of the long drive back to Virginia Beach. "I'm so glad everything turned out alright. Did you know I was shaking a bit on the drive up there?"

"A bit?" Israel jibed as he loosened his tie. "I thought you were going to get us killed before we even got there."

Jae rolled his eyes. "Now that's an exaggeration. I'd say I've been doing fantastic considering I haven't exactly been driving much in the last two years. I'm a little rusty." He opened his car door and stepped out. "I swear though, I'm never going to talk badly about the Supreme Court for the rest of my life."

Sara opened her own door to follow him out, but Israel's warm hand suddenly caught hold of hers. She turned questioningly, and was met with a warm smile that immediately proved contagious. The simple relief, joy, and appreciation in that smile was undeniable.

"Thanks for all the support back there. I couldn't have gotten through all this without you."

He tugged her hand, pulling her into a quick, innocent kiss. Though it was hardly the kind of kiss Sara really wanted to give him, she was still quite happy to receive it.

After they pulled away, she scrunched her face and swiped a finger across his jaw. "I miss your stubble."

He grinned. "I'll be sure to grow it out again for you right away."

"Come on you two," Jae said as he started walking towards the door. "Let's get inside so we can eat. I'm starving over here."

After giving Sara's hand an affectionate squeeze, Israel let go and opened his car door. Sara followed suit on her side, and as she stepped out onto the paved driveway, the soreness of her legs suddenly caught up with her. She paused to stretch, but the rigid, formal skirt travelling down to her knees didn't make it very easy.

"Your legs asleep too?" Israel asked on his side of the car.

Sara shook her head. "Just sore from the drive is all. It felt like getting back here took twice as long as when we left."

"That's because the roads were packed with traffic this time around," Jae said over his shoulder in front of them. "Still, four hours from D.C. to Virginia Beach isn't that bad, considering."

"Four hours." Israel shook his head as he and Sara followed behind Jae to the door of the apartment. "Certainly makes you realize how much we took Teleport Crystals for granted back in Aincrad."

Both Sara and Jae nodded sadly at the truth of that.

Jae unlocked the door with his keys, pulled it open, and the three of them stepped inside to find themselves in the living room facing David and Meifan sitting limply on the couch, both wearing Amuspheres on their heads. Avari and Vivienne, who were standing and talking together in the kitchen, both paused to immediately come rushing over, their faces lit by beaming smiles.

They made straight for Israel and pulled him into tight hugs. He returned their embraces warmly.

"Thank goodness everything turned out alright," Vivienne said in relief once she had pulled away.

Avari held onto him for a moment longer before sweeping back her bangs with a hand and patting him on the back goodnaturedly. "Didn't I say everything would work out? There was no possible way they could have charged you and not the red players."

Israel nodded happily. "Looks like you were right the whole time, Avari. Thanks for helping to keep my spirits up."

She opened her mouth to reply, but then paused to examine him with a critical eye. "You still look strange in a suit and tie. I think I prefer the woodsman outfit you used to wear."

"You and me both."

"I don't think it's the suit so much as the clean shaven face," Sara put in as she walked past them on her way to the kitchen. "His jawline just doesn't look as good without the scruff there. Do you have any of that prosecco left over from the other night, Viv?"

"Top right corner of the fridge behind the creamer," Vivienne replied. "And you know what? I said almost the same exact thing to Jae the other day. I think we're both just used to their shadows at this point."

"Good thing I can start being lazy then, now that the court issues are finally over and done with." Jae turned and gestured at Meifan and David still sitting limply on the end of the couch. "How long have they been in?"

Vivienne shrugged. "They've been on and off for about an hour."

As Sara opened the fridge and retrieved the bottle of wine, Israel and Jae both sat down and started taking off their blazers and unbuttoning the tops of their dress shirts. Vivienne, leaning over the the top of the couch above Jae and idly running her fingers through his short cropped hair, started asking for further details on the final verdict and if the crowd reacted at the end. While they answered, Avari moved over to Meifan and David and unceremoniously removed their Amuspheres.

Both men woke up at once with a start.

"Who did that?" Meifan demanded as he blinked his disoriented eyes. "You don't just force a logout like that! Avari, I swear, if it was you again-" He stopped at once when he spotted Israel on the couch opposite him. His angry look immediately gave way to a beaming smile.

"You finally made it back!"

David jumped up to pull Israel into a tight bear hug. "I believe congratulations are in order. You have no idea how loudly we all cheered when Jae told us the verdict on the phone."

Israel laughed and returned the hug with enthusiasm. "I'm sure I can imagine. I'm just happy that it's all over now."

Once the two separated, Jae gestured to the pair of Amuspheres lying on the couch. "What were you two playing?"

"Alfheim," Meifan admitted in disappointment.

Israel frowned. "That again?"

"We just wanted to try it out one more time," David explained as he sat back down. "There was an update on New Aincrad, so we were hoping that maybe this time things would be different."

"And?" Vivienne asked hopefully.

David shrugged and shook his head. "It still feels the same as always."

Silence permeated the room.

Sara knew exactly what everyone was feeling, because she felt it too: home sickness, longing, and disappointment hung heavy in the air.

Ever since the first few days out of the hospital, all seven of them had quickly come to realize just how much they missed Aincrad. Though they knew well that they could never return and were doing their best to come to terms with that, it hadn't taken long for news of the Japanese VRMMO game, Alfheim Online, to filter through to them and fill them all with hope for a semblance of similarity to Aincrad, and escape from the cold reality and hateful inhabitants of the real world.

Instead, what they had gotten was bitter letdown, and even stronger homesickness.

It wasn't that Alfheim was a bad VR game. On the contrary, to Sara it seemed like an enjoyable and entertaining MMO, all things considered. But that was just it: it was simply an MMO. A game.

Aincrad, whether due to its design or the result of Kayaba's plan, had been a world, as real and alive as earth. More than that, it had become home.

Israel and Vivienne had been the first to give up on Alfheim, both saying that they couldn't stay in a place that made Aincrad seem closer, and yet even further away. Sara, Jae, and Avari were quick to follow. Meifan and David tried the hardest to make Alfheim work, to make it feel the way they had hoped.

Eventually, they too abandoned it.

Then the Seed came out.

Sara remembered how the news of Kayaba somehow releasing a copy of Aincrad into Alfheim had travelled like lightning throughout the global gaming communities. Though the man was long dead, it seemed he had found a way to tamper with Alfheim Online before the end of SAO, and had set the arrival of Aincrad's clean copy, New Aincrad, to occur after his death.

It was a baffling and altogether disconcerting mystery, but that didn't stop thousands of people fascinated with SAO, and the things that had happened there, from buying Amuspheres and Alfheim Online copies en masse in order to see for themselves what the Floating Castle of Aincrad had been like.

Once again, Sara and the others felt hopeful, thrilled even, and quickly returned to Alfheim Online in order to fly to New Aincrad and return home.

The disappointment that followed ended up being far more painful than the first.

While New Aincrad was indeed a carbon copy of the original, with the Town of Beginnings, Trevica, Horunka, and all the other towns on the First Floor exactly the same as Sara remembered them, they were simply a skeleton of the real places. It felt like the blueprints were there, like the model had been built, but that the real thing was gone forever. It didn't feel like the original Aincrad. Instead, it was merely a hollow replication devoid of the living, breathing feeling that had made Aincrad what it was to the people who lived there. There was no life.

Furthermore, the players that took to inhabiting New Aincrad aided in widening the gap between old and new. These players were simply people of the real world who wanted to poke fun at those who had lived, loved, suffered, and died within a game for two long years. There was no economic system, no culture, no guild or faction structure, and no genuine love and care for the places that had once been home to ten thousand people. Players treated the place like any other simple game; they uncaringly murdered NPCs, abused the system, and ran around doing their very best to destroy or ruin something.

Worse than any of that, though, and what really opened the rift between the old Aincrad and the new, was the inescapable knowledge that here, they would need to log out and return to the real world. Sara and the others had all agreed that knowing they weren't really outside of the real world played a huge role in the disillusionment of it all. They could log in and wander the streets of the Town of Beginnings, or eat lunch at the tavern Israel and Jae once lived at in the tiny village of Trevica, or gaze out at the farming fields that had once almost turned into a battlefield just beyond Horunka's entrance point...and the whole time, they knew that they weren't really there.

That fact, to Sara, felt like torture, and made the real Aincrad seem suddenly all the more distant.

The Army didn't run the Town of Beginnings or even exist. The buildings that had once housed merchant player shops or been run by info broker newspaper companies were all empty and barren. The single room inside of that tavern in Trevica, once torn apart and ruined by Jae's grief, was in pristine condition and showed no evidence of ever being lived in at all.

The NPCs like Norran the blacksmith, or Lily, the brave girl who once saved them all from the First Trial and helped defeat the Demon Lord known as Philariax, didn't remember Israel or Jae or any of the rest of them. And, finally, though only the first Ten Floors were currently unlocked in New Aincrad, each of them knew that far above, in a simple clearing on Floor Seventy, the Farmhouse that they had worked so hard and for so long to repair was now nothing more than a pile of abandoned ruins once again.

Sara looked away from the others as the flood of emotions ran through her again.

"Well," David said as he stood up, abruptly shattering the momentary quiet, "I think this is hardly the time for somber thoughts. Today is a day of celebration for Israel's trial; it's time we act appropriately." He clapped his hands together and glanced around. "So, who's buying the pizza?"

"Pizza?" Avari hesitated at the idea. "It's been over two years since any of us has eaten something like that, David. I doubt I'll still enjoy it."

…

"You know," Avari said in between bites of a particularly large slice of buffalo chicken a half hour later, "there isn't much in the real world that I think should have been carried over into Aincrad, but honestly, why the hell wasn't there pizza?"

"Probably because it would have ruined the whole 'medieval fantasy' theme of the game," Jae replied as he opened a fresh box, the wonderful smell wafting immediately over him.

Avari waved her hand dismissively. "I doubt anyone would have minded."

"It wouldn't have fit," David argued. He dipped the crust of what had once been a whole slice of pizza into one of the cups of ranch sitting on the table and took a bite. After chewing for a moment, he added, "Immersion is important, Avari. Can you imagine walking into one of those roadside taverns we used to hide out in before the Farmhouse, going up to the barkeep, and saying, 'a tankard of ale and two slices of your finest New York style, please?'"

Avari nodded. "Yes, yes I can imagine that, and it would have been glorious."

Laughter echoed around the table, and was only halted when Vivienne stood up and asked, "does anyone want more drinks?"

Meifan pushed his empty glass over to her with a happy smile. "Please and thank you, Viv."

Israel also raised his glass. "As long as it isn't any trouble. Thank you, Vivienne."

Before Vivienne could take the glasses, Jae swept them up from her and said that he would get them filled so that she could sit and eat. She flashed him a little smile before returning to her seat.

They spent the next few hours discussing how everyone was doing now that they were all out of hospital and back into the rush of things. David and Avari, both obviously without jobs after two years, had moved temporarily into David's parent's house, but now were preparing to move into Meifan's new apartment at his invitation. Israel, Jae, Vivienne, and Sara all immediately volunteered to help with the moving when the time came.

Sara and Israel were currently living with Jae and Vivienne in their two room apartment, but Sara insisted that it was only until they could afford to get a place of their own, much to Jae and Vivienne's chagrin.

All seven of them had wanted to stay together after recovery from the hospital, but had quickly discovered that none of them could afford a place big enough to house seven at once. It was hard enough for Jae and Vivienne to keep up with the rent on their new place.

Money was once again an ever present necessity, and one which Jae realized he hadn't missed at all. Granted, Col had been quite important and essential in Aincrad, but it had been a secondary importance. In the real world, money was everything, and the only object on people's minds.

Though it would be difficult to afford their own place, and though admitting that leaving Jae and Vivienne would be hard, Sara and Israel had both come to the conclusion some time ago. If the real world was where they were truly going to live from now on, they had said, they had to accept that and live like normal adults would.

As the sky started to darken and the drinks and pizza took their toll, the seven of them slowly began to grow somber again and talk about the unspoken things all of them felt. Sara and Vivienne were the first to admit that while there was much they now remembered and grown reacquainted with in the real world, there was still much that they felt had been forgotten.

Worse, all seven of them felt a sense of not belonging in the real world anymore, and the moment they voiced that fact, Jae suddenly recalled Ryan's words from a very long time ago. He wasn't sure where the thought had resurfaced from, and he certainly didn't like remembering Ryan, but the words haunted him with their sudden relevance and sent goosebumps down his spine.

" _I'm scared that by the time we get back to the real world, I'll have completely forgotten it. It won't be home anymore. I feel as though the longer we're here, trapped in Aincrad, the further we drift from reality. I fear that by the time we get back, if we ever do, we won't belong there anymore."_

…

Sara awoke with a start and sat up. Her mass of long silver hair tumbled down around her shoulders.

"Sara?" Israel asked in a drowsy voice as he woke up on his side of the bed.

Instead of answering, she looked around at the dark room. A few weak rays of moonlight peaked in from between the blinds covering the only window, offering just enough illumination for her to see the single large dresser close beside it, the basket of dirty clothes in the corner, and the flat screen TV set atop a small table against the back wall.

She blinked in remembrance, and realized that her eyes were wet.

This wasn't their room.

They weren't back.

She wiped at her tears and let out an involuntary sniffle.

Israel sat up beside her in concern. His strong, warm arms wrapped around her comfortingly, but while his embrace usually always made her feel instantly better, this time, it did not.

Rather than ask if something was wrong, Israel simply started rubbing her back through her shirt affectionately. At the same time, his other hand gently brushed strands of her hair back out of her face.

Giving in to his comfort, Sara finally relaxed and all but melted into his embrace.

He held her softly, tenderly, and without a word as they sat up on their bed in the darkness.

After a time, and while still rubbing her back, Israel at last spoke into the darkness.

"Were you dreaming about it? About being back?"

Sara nodded slowly into his shoulder. She could vaguely hear the gentle rhythm of his heartbeat.

"I dream about it too," Israel admitted, his voice little more than a calm, intimate whisper. "Often. It hurts when I wake up and realize we're not there."

"Do you think there's something wrong with us?"

Silence for a moment. "I don't know."

"Neither do I." Sara swallowed past the lump in her throat. "I don't think there is, but there must be, right? For me to want to give all of this up must mean something. For me to dream about being back, to feel that relief and happiness, and then feeling the way I do when I wake up and I'm not there…" her jaw worked, but she didn't know what else to say. She shook her head against his chest as he laid them both back down. "I wish we were back at the Farmhouse."

She flicked her gaze up at him, and saw that he was staring off into the distance.

"Me too," he said quietly.


	148. Chapter 147

147

March 1st, 2025

United States, Virginia Beach Boulevard Gym

"Eight..."

Jae held his arms out just above Israel lying on the bench, watching him as he drew the weighted bar down to his chin before lifting it again. Once his arms were fully extended, Jae went up by one on the count, each time in a slightly louder voice so as to be heard above the energetic rock music playing in the background. "Nine...ten...eleven…"

Israel sucked in a breath through his teeth. His arms shook, and he felt like he was at the end of his strength. Summoning his last reserves of energy, he forced himself to lift the heavy bar once more.

The moment he extended his arms all the way up, he shook his head and urgently muttered, "take it, take it."

Seizing the weight in both hands, Jae lifted it away and set it down on the padded floor beside the bench. "That's twelve. Not bad."

Israel sat up and brushed loose strands of sweaty blonde hair out of his face. He shook his sore arms out, took a breath, and cast a questioning glance at Jae.

"'Not bad?' That was a hundred and eighty pounds."

Jae shrugged. "That's almost your exact body weight. That was the same plateau you were stuck at two years ago."

"Yes, and it just so happens to be a weight I only recently got back up to, thank you very much."

Jae raised his palms passively. "I know, I didn't say it was unimpressive."

"But you didn't say it was _impressive_ either."

"Well, I mean, let's not get ahead of ourselves-"

"Alright then, coach, let's see you do better." Israel stood and tapped the bench with a hand. "Come on then."

Jae raised his eyebrows and glanced around at the rest of the large gym room filled with people. "I would, but I'm not sure how I'd feel about embarrassing my own brother in public-"

"Yes, yes, how thoughtful of you." Israel shoved him playfully over to the bench before bending down to retrieve the heavily weighted iron bar. "Now let's see if you can manage to best my twelve."

He carefully lowered the bar into Jae's hands once he had positioned himself, then took a step back, keeping his own hands out and ready to seize the weight at a moment's notice. The moment Jae began, he started the count.

"One...two…"

Letting out a breath as he lifted up again, Jae held the the bar in place for a moment.

"We still on for tonight?"

"Three. Of course, why wouldn't we be? It's just dinner, and both of the girls have been looking forward to it. Four."

Jae brought the bar down and sucked in a breath.

"I know, but you and Sara seemed a little-" he grunted as he lifted with his arms- "off last night. Vivienne and I both noticed it when we came home."

Israel paused at that. He hadn't thought Jae and Vivienne would be able to tell.

"Five," Jae said.

"What?"

"That was my fifth just now."

"Oh, yes. Continue."

Jae pushed the bar up into the air again, but this time Israel noticed his arms beginning to shake a bit.

"Is everything alright between you two?" Jae grunted.

"Six." Israel broke eye contact and glanced to the side, where he could see a few dozen men and women in sports clothes scattered throughout the large gym room, all busy with various exercises and workout routines. One or two met his gaze, and in an instant their blank, passive faces changed to glares of disgust and hatred. He was used to the looks; thanks to the national affair he had become over the last few months, people seemed to recognize him everywhere. Most reacted in a similar manner.

 _Aside from Kayaba, I might just be the most hated man alive._

The generic rock music in the background- typical of public gyms- picked up as it hit a chorus, but the volume was low enough that it didn't become blaring.

Israel noticed then two muscular men standing nearby, both waiting patiently but hopefully for their turn at the bench press.

Israel turned his gaze back down to Jae. "Is that as high as you can get?"

Without hesitation, Jae focused his efforts and picked up the pace, grunting with each repetition. Israel kept count.

"Seven...eight...nine...ten…"

Jae halted then with the bar once again help up high, though it was clear by the veins popping in his arms and forehead that he was still attempting to keep the weight under his control and conduct another rep. Gritting his teeth, he slowly lowered the wobbling bar. Before he could get it all the way down to his chin, his arms flagged.

"Take it."

Israel reached out and seized the bar. With great effort, he lifted it away and set it down on the padded floor beside the bench. Then he smirked at Jae.

"Ten to twelve. What was that about embarrassing me?"

Jae rolled his eyes and sat up. "That doesn't count, I got distracted talking to you in the middle of it."

"It definitely counts." Extending an arm, Israel pulled his brother to his feet. "Come on, time to start the run."

"Alright, but just a mile this time, please. I don't much feel like vomiting up breakfast today." Jae looked over at him, his voice growing more somber. "Seriously though, is everything alright between you two? I don't mean to pry, but you know I love you both and I would hate it if-

Israel waved a dismissive hand. "Don't worry, it's nothing like that." He let out a sigh and brushed some of his hair out of his eyes. "If anything, it's the exact opposite."

"The opposite?"

Israel nodded. "We were talking about getting married."

Jae's face lit up in pleasant surprise. "Married? Well, that's wonderful! Did you propose? I swear, if you proposed to that woman without letting me know-"

"No, I didn't propose. I already did that five months ago."

Jae blinked as confusion overtook him. "You're losing me."

Even amidst the bitterness of the topic, Israel couldn't help but smile in amusement.

"Sorry. I suppose I should explain."

"That would be nice, yes."

After bypassing the other gym goers and reaching the front door to get outside, Israel cleared his throat.

"So you're not going to like this, but technically Sara and I have been engaged since before we left Aincrad. I proposed to her in our room on the same day Kirito cleared the game. We didn't tell anyone because that was around the same time Thinker and Yulier were getting ready for their marriage. We didn't want to impose on their big event or steal the attention away from them, so we agreed to wait on any announcements until after their wedding. Then the end of the world kind of happened, so that put things on hold for a while."

Though he did look disappointed by the news, Jae nodded thoughtfully.

"Alright, that all makes sense, but what does it have to do with last night?"

"We were talking about it before you and Vivienne got home. To be honest, that was the first time we've discussed it since the proposal, and I think the reason is because we were both avoiding the topic. We both still love each other, and we both still want to get married, but both of us admitted that we don't feel right about doing it…" He waved around him with an arm, "...here. It's hard to put into words. I proposed in Aincrad, and she said yes there as well. That where we met and got to know each other, where we fell in love, and I guess we both just expected that the wedding was going to happen there."

Israel sighed as he tried to think of how to explain better. When he couldn't think of anything, he simply shrugged in frustration.

"I don't know exactly why I don't want to do it here, and neither does she, but the fact that both of us are hesitant, that both of us just feel wrong about it...it's too much to ignore. That's why we were both a little off last night when you came home. It's frustrating to want so badly to be together in that way, but to just feel like we can't here. Frustrating, and miserable."

They walked quietly down the sidewalk for a moment. While he was aware of the hustle and bustle of cars passing by, people walking and talking all around, and the incessant cawing of seagulls high up in the air above, Israel barely noticed.

Though his mood had turned somber now that he was thinking about last night, he reminded himself it wasn't anything too serious or devastating. The disappointment was real, but there was no sense in letting it get to him and become something worse. Marriage was more complicated now, and would most likely stay that way for a while, but he still had Sara. He could still be with her every day, talk to her, kiss her, love her. While what he truly wanted was to call her his wife, he supposed it seemed greedy to demand more than he already had.

As they walked on, Israel realized that after only a few hours apart, he already missed her and couldn't wait to see that smile of hers again once they got home.

Jae cleared his throat, breaking the silence. "So, were you at least smooth with the proposal?"

"Oh yes," Israel nodded seriously. "Trust me, it was _smooth_."

"That good?"

"Better. Think James Bond after a train fight."

"Are we talking Brosnan or Craig?"

"Try Connery."

Jae's eyebrows went up in admiration. He nodded proudly as he looked ahead. "Nice."

Silence for a moment as they walked on.

Without looking back over at Jae, Israel casually added, "I wasn't wearing any pants."

…

"I didn't realize how much I missed you in black," Israel said in awe as the four of them followed their waiter to a table. "You look gorgeous."

Sara grinned and, pulling him towards her, rewarded him with a kiss on the cheek. "Why, thank you."

"A nostalgic evening for both of us then, Is." Jae smiled at Vivienne in her sleeveless blue dress. "This looks almost identical to the one you wore on our first date. Do you remember that night?"

Vivienne chuckled pleasantly. "I don't think I could forget. I loved that night. I remember thinking the name of the place was a little strange, though. What was it called?"

"Olarin's Private House," Jae replied.

Israel arched an eyebrow. "That sounds like some sort of strip club."

After being seated, with Sara and Israel on one side and Jae and Vivienne on the other, the four of them began with various orders of wine and a simple appetizer to start off. Once the well dressed waiter left to see to it, Sara forced herself to look at her menu rather than at Israel beside her.

It proved difficult.

While he and Jae were both dressed very similarly due to their matching black tuxedos, in Sara's opinion, it was Israel who looked truly handsome. His thick blonde hair fell down around his face to brush the nape of his shoulders- which looked especially broad in the masculine suit- his dark blue eyes sparkled with the usual vigor and intelligence she loved so much, and his square jaw looked even stronger against the backdrop of the black suit.

His stubble had also grown back, and although it was at a stage in which it felt a little prickly when kissing him, Sara appreciated the look. Jae's own facial hair tended to grow a little faster, and thus was already past that point, but she personally thought Israel looked better with it.

When Israel caught her looking at him, he arrested her eyes with a boyish grin that lit his face.

Sara was thrilled that they were still as happy as always after their somber discussion the evening before. That discussion had broken her heart even as she agreed to it.

She wanted so badly to marry him. So badly, and yet not to the point where she could pretend she felt fine about doing it here in the real world. She didn't understood why it felt so wrong, or why she wished they had done it back in Aincrad. If only they had known what would happen…

Catching herself, Sara blinked away the thought and focused her attention back to the others. Soon the waiter returned with the appetizers and drinks, and after going around the table to get everyone's order, he quickly set off again to see it through, but not before complementing both Sara and Vivienne on how lovely they looked.

While waiting for their food, Jae and Vivienne asked curiously about Israel's new job working at Walmart.

"It's terrible," Israel replied with a laugh. "I tell you, there's nothing worse than working customer service jobs. Makes me feel like I'm fresh out of high school again." He shrugged. "But it's money at least, and since it'll probably be awhile before this whole thing with the Supreme Court dies down, it's most likely the best job I'll have for some time."

He glanced over at Sara and nudged her playfully with an elbow. "So unfair that you got to steal that gig at the bank."

"Trust me," said Sara, "It's the most boring work I've ever done. The hours are endless, and all I do is sit in the same seat for eight hours and type up numbers on my computer. The other women next to me have eyes that look glazed over from all the screen staring. It's terrifying."

After about twenty minutes, their food arrived, and the four of them hungrily devoured their meals. Sara's dish, garlic roasted salmon with asparagus and mashed potatoes on the sides, was delicious, but after giving a free bite to Israel at his request, she had to spend the next ten minutes warding him away from her plate.

The four of them chatted rather calmly for the first half hour as they ate and drank, discussing jobs, plans, local events that Vivienne or Israel wanted to attend in the future, and typical, everyday problems like bad weather, Jae's newly flat tire, and Sara's irritable boss at the bank. It didn't take long, however, before the reminiscing of Aincrad started, and within minutes each of them were sharing tales of perilous times or amusing misadventures.

It was this shift that caught Sara's attention, and made her realize just how differently they had been acting and speaking before Aincrad came back to their thoughts; how mundane and civil they had been, and why. Here they were, three deadly warriors and a potion master, all having survived countless near death experiences in an alternative world, and they had been discussing flat tires and bad weather.

The reason was only too clear; they were trying to fit back into the real world. They were all doing their best to be standard people, normal adults, living the uninspired lives expected of them here in this world. And yet, within minutes, they had reverted back to their lives in Aincrad.

And it made the rest of the dinner incomparably better.

It was late in the evening when the food and drinks were gone, the talk had died down, and the restaurant was starting to close. Sara was growing tired and, though she tried her best to hide her yawns, failed in stopping them from spreading to Israel and Jae. The four of them, all tired and comfortable thanks to the wine, decided that it was time to go.

After paying their bill and leaving a tip for the waiter, the four of them exited the restaurant and split up; Jae and Vivienne had been lucky enough to find a spot for their car in the parking lot, and so had only a few steps to go outside, while Israel and Sara hadn't been so lucky. Israel's new car, kindly given at a heavily discounted price by one of Meifan's friends, was parked a good distance further down the street, where the nearest parking spot he and Sara had found was at the corner of a closed convenience store.

It was abnormally chilly outside for a spring night, and Sara found herself shivering in her black dress as she and Israel went right along the street while Jae and Vivienne, still in the parking lot on the left, opened their car doors and climbed inside. Israel noticed immediately and took off the outer jacket of his black tux before wrapping it around her shoulders.

"See you two back at home," Jae called out from the car.

"Could you turn the tea kettle on when you get back?" Sara asked with a wave. "I'm probably going to need a cup to warm up once we get back there."

Jae nodded. "I'll get it."

He closed his car door, started the vehicle up, and he and Vivienne drove slowly out of the parking lot and back out into the dark, dimly lit street before vanishing from view. A thin line of visible gas trailed briefly behind, and then it too faded.

It was a quiet night out.

Though there were buildings all around lining both sides of the street, each was dark and empty, giving the area a lifeless, ghostly look. Closed signs hung from doors or glowed with electric light behind glass windows. In the center of the street where the median separated the four lanes, a line of well kept trees towered into the air, their reaching branches almost touching the dim street lights standing at even intervals few and far between. Here and there a car drove casually passed, breaking the stillness of the night.

"Still cold?" Israel asked beside her as they continued their short walk down the sidewalk.

Sara shook her head. "No, I'm fine now, thank you." She looked over her shoulder at him in his white dress shirt and shook her head in wonder. "Aren't you cold?"

"A little, but I'm used to these Virginia nights. Even on the warmest days, once the sun goes down, it can get close to freezing." He put his hands in his pockets and looked out ahead for a moment. "I told Jae."

She nodded, unsurprised. "I figured you would. I ended up telling Vivienne late last night after you went to bed."

"What did she say?"

Sara shrugged. "That she understands and is happy to talk about it anytime. And Jae?"

"Pretty much the same." Israel exhaled, his breath turning into a visible cloud of steam before dissolving into the darkness. "I know they're just trying to be nice and supportive, but I don't think they really understand. They were the lucky ones. They got married in Aincrad, and had the biggest wedding with the most important people in some great grand castle."

"Yes, but people here don't see that as a real marriage," Sara pointed out. "It's easy to see that that frustrates both of them. They've been man and wife for over a year, but here in the real world, they're not considered married at all. They have their own problems."

"Maybe, but I wouldn't care what other people thought. I would just be happy being married to you."

Sara glanced over at him in worry. "Are you angry with me?"

Israel looked at her in genuine surprise. "No. Sara, of course not. I wasn't just agreeing with you last night for no reason. I don't want to have the wedding here either. It just doesn't seem right. Trust me, we both feel the same way." He chuckled and shook his head. "Sometimes I think it's crazy how alike our minds are."

Sara smiled at that. "Me too."

Without slowing his stride, he took her smaller hand in his and intertwined their fingers affectionately.

"You know I love you?"

Sara nodded. "I know. And I love you."

"And at the end of the day, that's all we need. We'll figure this out. Maybe we're just not giving the real world enough of a chance. Maybe we just need more time to reintegrate back into-" he waved around at the buildings with a hand- "all this. It's only been a few months, after all."

Sara considered that a moment as the chill breeze ruffled her silver hair.

"You might be right," she said. "It'll take time before we feel like we belong here again." She nodded as the thought sunk in, revealing it's logic. "We just need to be patient, difficult as that as, and eventually things won't feel so different."

Israel smiled his agreement. "As long as you're with me, I can do patient." He arched an eyebrow at her. "But one day, no matter how long it takes, you had better believe I'm putting that wedding ring on your finger."

"I expect no less." She leaned in and kissed him before casting a stern look his way. "So don't you go forgetting that promise when girls start handing out their numbers to you at your work."

He laughed as they turned the corner into the dark parking lot. "It's Walmart, Sara. I highly doubt-"

He stopped in his tracks and fell silent, his iron gaze suddenly riveted ahead.

Following his look, Sara peered into the dark area before them. The street lights, already dim and distant, were behind them now, and too far away to properly illuminate the silent parking lot beyond the small collection of loose rocks and pebbles lining it's edge. Moonlight too was scarce, but there was at least enough of it that Sara was just able to make out their dull grey Toyota Camry still sitting in the same spot they had left it earlier that evening.

Then a man stepped forward out of the shadows behind it.

In an instant, Israel transformed from a person of calm intensity to a figure of heart stopping power, presence, and fast awakening fury.

Goosebumps tingled up Sara's arms as she stared at the person facing them. Though he was about ten feet away and still partially shrouded by the darkness of the night, it was impossible not to know at once who it was: she would have known those steely gray eyes anywhere.

Long dark hair trailed down below his broad, muscular shoulders. A black snake tattoo writhed across the left side of his otherwise flawless, handsome face. His expression was calm and still, but his piercing raptor gaze betrayed a lethal, coiled fury that lifted the hairs on the back of Sara's neck.

It was PoH.

In his hand was a gun.

The nightly cold was suddenly gone from the air, replaced by the chill of icy fear.

There was silence for a moment as all three of them stood stone still, watching each other.

Slowly, very slowly, Israel gripped Sara and started to pull her behind him, but at that moment, PoH's arm came up.

The gun went off with a deafening BANG, causing Sara to flinch as the brief flash lit up PoH's expressionless face.

Sara's ears rattled painfully at the sound, and the air echoed with the power of the gunshot. At first, she wondered if she had been hit and simply wasn't feeling it yet, but then Israel's grip on her wrist faltered, and he stumbled back a step.

Unbridled terror flashed through Sara's being as she spun around and saw the growing red stain on the front of his white dress shirt just below his chest. She caught his arm, and he looked at her in shocked surprise, his tanned face now pale.

Another BANG exploded out into the night, causing Israel to jerk back out of her grip and topple to the ground. Another circle of dark red emerged high up on his chest close to his shoulder, and within seconds the entire top half of his shirt had turned crimson.

"Israel!"

Screaming his name, Sara dropped to the ground beside him and, forcing aside her shock, immediately began applying pressure to both wounds. Warm, slick blood gloved her hands, numbing them to the cold.

A pool was forming on the ground beneath Israel's back, it's dark, glistening red sharply contrasting with the white pavement of the sidewalk.

There was so much of it. It was everywhere. And it was all Israel's.

"Help!" Sara screamed at the top of her lungs. Tears were rolling down her face, blurring her vision. Her blood covered hands slipped as she pressed down harder. There was now so much red, it was difficult to tell where he had been shot. "Help! Somebody! Help! Please-"

PoH's hand came around from behind and clamped over her throat with frightening strength, preventing both words and breath.

Sara jerked violently in an effort to hurt him, her bloody hands swinging with blind fury even as he forced her to her feet and twisted her around with his other arm. She scratched his face, ripping open long, bloody gashes along his cheek and forehead, but he responded immediately with a blow to her gut that doubled her over and knocked the wind from her lungs. With his hand still locked on her throat and all air now gone, she found herself struggling to breathe.

Forcing her up into a standing position, PoH used his hand on her throat to lift her chin until she faced him. Their faces were mere inches apart, the steam from his quickened breaths filling the space between them. His iron gaze bored into her with a look of such bitter, personal hatred that Sara knew without a doubt what her fate was going to be. At that moment, though, she could have cared less; all she wanted, all she could think about, was getting to Israel. Her death meant nothing compared to his.

"We have unfinished business, Sara," PoH hissed in a deep, dark whisper. "And since I have nothing to lose, since I'm trapped in this pointless world with no worth or purpose once again, I figured it was only right that I come to officially conclude our relationship."

Gritting her teeth with effort, Sara tried to start flailing again, tried to get at his face with her fingers, but could not. Her vision was starting to narrow as a result of her burning need for breath, and her arms were already beginning to feel weak and frail. Tears of pain stung her eyes as his grip on her neck tightened even further. He was choking the life out of her.

"You know," PoH said in a low, menacing tone, "for a while I thought it would be enough to just mow you both down from a distance and walk away." He shook his head and curled his upper lip into a hateful sneer as his grip on her throat continued to worsen. "For the Shadow something so formal would work just fine, but not for you. We both know that. We've been through far too much together to end things on such a careless note. You're the one who betrayed me. You're the one who destroyed everything. You're the one who I loved."

He shook his head again and smiled through the blood dripping down his cheek. Lifting a thumb from her throat, he touched her lips. "No, I have to see it happen to you. Really see it. I have to watch your beautiful face explode apart, Sara. I have to see your traitorous eyes go dark. It has to happen right in front of me. After all, this is personal. Wouldn't you agree?"

Rather than wait for her to answer, he simply lifted his free hand and raised the gun to the side of her head. He was so close, she could feel the warmth of his breath on her face, but not much else. She needed air so badly, her whole body was beginning to go numb. Her flickering vision was almost dark, save for two small lights at the end of narrow black tunnels from which she could see him staring at her.

He offered a cruel smile as his finger moved to the trigger.

"Goodbye, Sara."

Unable to fight any longer, unable to move or even think against the lack of air, Sara was about to close her eyes in anticipation of the gunshot when a pale hand seized hold of PoH's wrist, jerking the gun away from her head. It went off with a deafening BANG right by her face, and Sara felt a sharp pain lance through her right ear before it went completely quiet.

PoH's other hand loosened it's grip on her throat in surprise, and Sara immediately sucked in a desperate, ragged breath of lifegiving air. It wasn't nearly enough to return any semblance of strength to her arms and legs, but it did help her in her fight to remain conscious as both she and PoH looked over in surprise.

There, standing tall and enraged beside PoH, his powerful hand still locked around the wrist bearing the gun, was Israel. At the same time, however, it was very much someone else.

His entire shirt was soaked in blood, but he seemed to not even notice

An inferno of familiar and terrible blue flames, dormant for so long, danced once again within his cobalt eyes.

Blood trickled out of the corner of his mouth as his lip curled into a wicked grin of such lethal hatred that Sara suddenly remembered how dangerous he really was.

PoH's jaw dropped at the sight.

"Did you forget who you were facing?" Israel asked in a monstrous, murderous tone. Against the moonlight, Sara saw blood coating his gritted teeth. His grin widened.

"The Shadow of Death doesn't feel pain."

PoH's face paled.

With a sudden jerk, he attempted to rip his gun bearing hand free of Israel's grip, but he was nowhere near fast enough.

Maintaining his hold on PoH's wrist while at the same time gripping his elbow with his other hand, Israel yanked the arm backwards in one quick, brutal movement.

Bone snapped with a sharp crack, and an instant later, PoH's shrill scream filled the night air. His hold on both Sara and the gun faltered, and while the weapon clattered loudly on the cement pavement, she merely collapsed in a heap and began gasping raspily for more air as her hands comforted her burning throat. Her vision started to get brighter, and she saw Israel release PoH's useless left arm.

…

 _Shadow of Death._

The whole universe seemed to have become an unending torrent of agony in Israel's mind as he eagerly amplified the firestorm of pain from his wounds, embraced it, devoured it, and then channeled it through his veins to fuel his volcanic rage.

Not that he needed it.

 _Shadow of Death._

So great was his fury over seeing Sara's life at risk, so boundless had his old hunger for death and violence suddenly become that Israel knew he had reached a point far beyond any he had ever experienced before. He was on the edge of a precipice of fire and torment that threatened to shatter his mind should he continue to propel the immense pain and raw, titanic anger to such heights, but at the same time, it was that very avalanche of fury, that final transformation to his darker self, that was keeping him standing.

 _Shadow of Death._

His body was on the verge of shutting down due to the blood less, and he could feel something terribly wrong within him where the bullets had hit, but he forced himself to stay on his feet. He didn't have long, he knew that, but if he could continue to use his rage to maintain his strength for but a moment or two longer, it would be enough to end PoH's life.

He was the Shadow of Death.

Fiery madness swirled in his red vision as he released PoH's broken arm and stepped forward to get at the man himself.

Still screaming in pain even as his adrenaline took over, PoH spun and lashed out wildly with his good arm.

Israel saw it coming a mile away and blocked the blow with his left arm. At the same time, he raised his right and closed his hand into a fist. At that moment, and in a way he couldn't begin to fathom or explain, he could almost see the shining metal of the Fist of Fariel wrap itself once more around his fist. It wasn't really there, but in that instant, it's strength was.

Unleashing his fist, Israel punched PoH square in the face, breaking his jaw and sending a shower of blood and shattered teeth out into the night air. He punched him again, and PoH's cheekbones snapped apart.

Now in a desperate fight or flight panic, PoH swung madly with his good arm even as he screamed in pain. Israel, now so intent and focused on beating the man before him to a bloody pulp, continued hitting him again and again even as he himself was struck. The first two punches connected weakly to the side of his face, but after that, they grew a little stronger as PoH's final resolve kicked in and he adjusted his aim to the wounds on Israel's upper body. The second they hit, his vision flickered and he felt blood begin to seep out even faster. He had already held on longer than he expected. Now, he was at the end of his endurance.

Letting loose a murderous roar, Israel forced himself to deliver one final punch that completely caved in PoH's nose, stunned him, and sent him crashing into the pavement.

With his strength now spent, Israel followed him down.

…

Sara continued gulping down air as she watched the two men topple to the ground. PoH's once handsome face was now crushed and bloody, but he still looked and sounded more alive than Israel, who was now so pale that she could see the veins under his eyes. He was also worryingly still.

Immediately forgetting her own hurt and need for air, she forced herself forward on her hands and knees. She had to get to him.

Before she had gone an inch, PoH groaned and started crawling passed her, blood gushing from his broken nose and swollen mouth. His eyes were fixed on the gun a few feet away, closer to him than to her.

Knowing that both she and Israel were dead if he got the gun again, Sara turned and started after him. When he noticed she was moving behind him, PoH crawled faster, blood trailing behind him. He was getting too close to the gun, his good arm already starting to reach out.

Seizing one of the rocks lining the edge of the sidewalk, Sara forced herself up on her feet and with tremendous effort threw herself forward into PoH. Her weight knocked him flat for a moment, but also drove the wind from her.

Gasping in pain and desperation, PoH opened his hand to grab the gun lying in front of him. His fingers gripped the handle, but at that moment, Sara bashed the rock against the side of his head. The blow knocked him over onto his side, and he let out an agonizing groan.

Without hesitation, Sara let out a scream and swung the rock again, hitting him even harder and completing his roll onto his back. She crawled atop him before he could come to his senses and hit him again, and again, and again. The rock in her hands was covered on one side with crimson blood, and droplets of it were flecking onto her face, but she didn't let up.

Her blows weren't nearly as strong as she would normally have been capable of, so she compensated by raining down a barrage of blows that further damaged PoH's already destroyed face. Teeth fell into his open mouth, the skin on his face ripped and fell away to reveal layers of raw flesh and more blood, and his shrill cry mingled with her enraged shriek.

Through it all she thought of only one thing: kill. Only when he was dead could the threat to Israel be eliminated.

Lifting her trembling, blood covered arm for another blow, Sara was about to bash open the top of his head when the sound of blaring sirens halted her in her tracks. A second later, red and blue lights lifted the shadow of the night as a police car all but flew into the parking lot from around the corner and screeched to a halt.

The car doors flew open before Sara could fully grasp what was going on.

"Put your hands up!" A man's voice shouted from behind the open door.

Half blinded by the bright moving lights, Sara couldn't see the face belonging to the voice, but she did make out hands pointing a taser gun directly at her.

"Put your fucking hands up!" The man roared, louder this time. "Drop the rock and step away from him!"

Glancing at the jagged stone in her hand, Sara was surprised to see just how much blood and gore covered it's surface. Tiny rivers of red trickled down it's length to either travel down her arm or fall in droplets onto her once black dress.

She looked at PoH and saw that his writhing snake tattoo was missing, along with half his face. Somehow, he was still breathing.

For the briefest of seconds, Sara considered ignoring the command and finishing the job, but an instant later she remembered Israel. Her bloodlust vanished.

The stone dropped from her hand.

"He's been shot!" She screamed at the two policemen as they emerged from behind their car doors with taser guns levelled at her. She twisted around and pointed at Israel, who was still lying frightfully still. "Help him!"

Rather than run over to him, the man who had spoken to her instead quickly got behind her, forced her to her knees, and placed her in handcuffs. The other put his gun away and started talking into his mic.

"That monster tried to kill him!" Sara screamed as the policeman behind her muscled her onto her feet and over towards his car. She struggled viciously, but he held her firm. "You have to help Israel! He's dying! You have to-"

"Ambulance is already on it's way!" The man shouted behind her. "We'll do what we can in the meantime for both of them, so stop resisting and move!"

But Sara didn't stop. Her eyes were fixed on the man she loved lying quietly in the empty parking lot as blood soaked through his clothes and stained the sidewalk beneath him. Blue and red lights flashed across his pale face.

"You have to save him…" Sara said as the world darkened around her. "You have to save him…"

He didn't look like he was breathing.

Horrified tears flowed down Sara's face.

"Israel…"


	149. Chapter 148

148

March 6th, 2025

United States, Sentara Hospital of Virginia Beach

Israel awoke feeling dizzy, a little lightheaded, and quite surprised that he was feeling anything at all.

For a moment he had no idea where he was or even if he was truly awake, but then the memory of the two gunshots he had taken from PoH swept over him with sudden clarity. The pain in his chest and gut seemed to flare to life at the thought.

He dimly remembered flashes of light and movement occurring at some point after his last vestige of strength had faded in the fight against PoH, as well as the feeling of his body shutting down, but beyond that, nothing.

He had thought for sure he was going to die. He had believed it so fully that realizing he was actually alive proved almost as disorienting as the time he actually had died and come back. It was that intimate experience of death, he realized, that helped him come to his senses faster this time. In spite of the blood lost, in spite of his wounds, he was alive.

 _Sara._

The thought of her filled him with fear and worry. He had no idea if she was safe. He had to find her.

He tried to get up, but the resulting lance of pain drove him back down. He was too tired and off balance to grasp at it and draw it too him.

Looking down at himself, Israel saw that he was in a hospital gown and covered by a thin white blanket. His arms were free, but covered by various wires and tubes that he remembered well from the first time he had woken up in the hospital with the NerveGear still on his head. At least this time, he figured, it was good to see that he wasn't bone thin and physically helpless.

 _Sara._

Taking things slower this time, Israel patiently began gathering his strength and flexing his muscles as he glanced around. To his surprise, the first thing he saw was Avari and David in chairs to the left of his bed, both asleep on the other's shoulders. Craning his neck, he saw Meifan snoring facedown at a small wooden hospital table in the corner, and then Vivienne passed out in a green visitor's chair directly to his right.

Confused panic struck him when he realized that neither Sara nor Jae were present.

 _I have to know if she's alright. She has to be. She has to be alright._

As he summoned his strength in preparation to get out of the bed and to his feet, a sudden thought pierced through him, clear and bright: he was tired of waiting. He was going to find Sara, and when he did-

"Israel!"

Vivienne jumped up faster than he would have thought possible, and a second later he found himself entangled in brown hair and strong arms as she hugged him fiercely.

"You're awake!"

Alerted by her exclamation, the others rose quickly to their feet as well and rushed over to him, the sleepiness in their faces immediately replaced by beaming smiles.

Freeing his arms amidst the pileup of hugs, Israel immediately seized hold of Vivienne's shoulders and shook her gently.

"Sara? Where's Sara? Is she-"

"She's fine," Vivienne assured him. "Sara wasn't hurt."

Relief washed over him, followed by a wave of exhaustion. In just a few moments, he had worked himself into a tremendous fear for her life, draining his currently limited energy.

No longer bothering to resist the hugs, Israel instead tried to return the gesture as he relaxed and slumped back into the bed.

"You're alright," David said in a tone of subdued joy, his smile stretching from ear to ear. He clasped Israel by the shoulder. "You're alright."

"I knew you would be," Avari said proudly. "I told Jae and Sara that you were tougher than they gave you credit for."

Vivienne pulled away and stood straight. "Speaking of whom, I think we should go and get them. They're going to be furious if he falls asleep again before they can see him."

Avari and David both nodded and started off.

"We'll split up and find them," David assured him before both he and Avari disappeared out the white door.

"Again?" Israel asked Vivienne. "I've been awake before now?"

She nodded. "Several times, but only for a few seconds and it always looked like you were in a daze. Sara and Jae were usually asleep whenever it happened. I only caught it once myself."

"I don't remember any of that. I must have been dreaming."

"No surprise there; you were delirious from blood loss by the time they brought you here."

She took his hand to provide comfort, and he accepted it gratefully as he considered.

"To be honest, I'm surprised delirious is all I was." he looked up at her. "I thought I was gone for sure this time, Viv." He smiled mischievously at the thought. "Looks like I've beaten death twice now. I'm starting to impress myself."

Vivienne arched an eyebrow at him. "Don't get too cocky; technically I'm the one that beat your first death, not you." She shook her head at him. "I'm starting to think you attract even more trouble than Jae does, and that's saying something."

"Personally I've always thought they're both just cursed," Meifan put in with an easy grin and a shrug.

Israel grunted in pain as he forced himself up into a sitting position. "You'll get no argument from me." Realizing suddenly that he was parched, he licked his chapped lips and looked around. "I don't suppose either of you have any water on hand? I'm dying of thirst right now."

Turning, Vivienne made her way over to the small table Meifan had been sleeping on, picked up one of the paper cups Israel had presumed was empty, and brought it over. Rather than simply hand it to him, she instead maintained her grip and brought it gently to his lips like a protective mother hawk. As he drank, she tilted the cup to accommodate him, and then when it was empty, leaned forward to plant a somber kiss on his forehead.

He looked up at her questioningly and saw then the worry lines etched into her attractive face, as well as the dark bags underneath her eyes, both revealing just how scared for him she had been.

"It's good to have you back, brother," she said with a faint smile.

Meifan nodded solemnly, silently.

The door burst loudly open, and in swept Jae and Sara like a gale, with Avari and David trying to keep up behind them. Both looked exhausted and red eyed, but the moment they saw Israel, their faces lit up in overjoyed relief.

Sara was the first to fly into his arms, and as soon as he had her, Israel wasted no time in returning her barrage of tear-riddled kisses.

"Are you alright?" He asked as he caressed her smooth cheek and ran a hand across her bruised throat.

She paused and stared at him as if he were insane. "Me? Of course I'm alright! It's you that's in the hospital bed!"

"What about PoH? What happened-"

"PoH's been arrested," Jae assured him as he strode up and clasped his hand firmly. "And he won't be seeing the light of day anytime soon."

Saran nodded in confirmation. "There were witnesses that night at the parking lot. They called the police when they heard the gunshots, and several of them have already come forward and said that they saw everything. PoH's being treated at a separate hospital under guard, and after that, he's going to face charges for what he did." Her big blue eyes glistened as she ran her fingers through his hair. "You have no idea how scared I was, Israel. During that first night, when you were in critical condition, I thought…"

Israel squeezed her hand affectionately. "I'm alright, Sara. Everything is alright, now."

She nodded again and wiped her eyes. "We were just talking with your doctor and he said the same thing."

"You've made it past the worst of it," Jae continued for her. "They got the bullets out during the surgery, and the doctor said that in a few months you should make a full recovery, barring some difficulty with your shoulder that might last for a while."

"Jae gave you his blood during the surgery," Vivienne added with a stern look at her husband. "A bit too much in fact. The doctors tried to tell him they only needed so much, but there he was ready to drain himself of every drop right there and then like a complete fool."

Jae waved off the comment dismissively. "I'm fine, it wasn't all that serious. Stop exaggerating."

The two of them broke into bickering before Israel could say anything, so he didn't bother and instead focused his attention back to Sara in his embrace. He pressed his face against hers, their eyes met, and he silently said a prayer of thanks to the universe for keep her safe. He kissed her, and the second he did, he remembered the thought that had pierced his mind when he first woke up.

Israel pulled away from her and clasped her face in his hands. "Sara, I'm done waiting for something bad to happen. When PoH shot me, I was terrified that I was going to die here without ever seeing home again, but I was far more afraid of going before we could do what we always wanted to. We may not be able to do this as we would have liked, we may not be able to go home, but I refuse to let this world steal another thing away from us. I refuse to hold back any longer for something that we may never get again. I love you, and that's all that I care about anymore. Let's do this while we have the chance. Let's get married. Right now."

Sara blinked in astonishment, and the room went silent. Just as she started to tear up and break into a helpless smile, Jae cleared his throat.

"I don't think you two should settle on that decision just yet."

Both Israel and Sara, along with everyone else in the room, looked over at him in bewilderment.

Jae hesitated for a split second, as if unsure of something, before ultimately sighing and retrieving a folded piece of paper from his pants pocket. After unfolding it, he handed it to Israel.

 _13-1, Nishi Goken-cho Building, Shinjuku Street, Tokyo, Japan_

Lowering the note, Israel handed it off to Sara and looked to Jae for an explanation.

"I found this on my hospital bed back when we were still recovering from SAO," Jae said. "There was no return address or sender name." He met Israel's gaze. "I believe it's from Kayaba."

Israel blinked in surprise. The others all looked at Jae with dumbfounded expressions.

"But how could that be?" Vivienne finally asked. "Jae, Kayaba is dead."

He shook his head. "I don't think it's that simple."

"What do you mean?" Israel sat up straighter in his bed. "The authorities found his body months ago, Jae."

"I know that, but who else would have sent a letter like this to me, let alone one from Japan? I don't know anyone outside the States. I've never left the country. Heathcli- I mean Kayaba, was Japanese, remember? He lived and worked in Tokyo. I didn't start receiving mail again until I was out of the hospital and had a new place, but that letter-" he pointed at the note being passed around- "somehow found it's way to my hospital room, to me specifically."

"I have to admit," Avari put in, "it is the kind of cryptic secrecy Heathcliff always employed."

"There are more similarities than that." Jae folded his arms and started pacing the room. "I suspected at once that the note had something to do with Kayaba, so I did a little research on the address."

"And?" Sara asked. "What did you find?"

Jae stopped and looked at her. "Nothing. The address doesn't exist. It's fake." He held up a finger. "But, if it did exist, it would be right across the street from Argus company's old HQ." He paused to look everyone in the eye before continuing. "Kayaba's company. Where he made SAO."

"Argus was shut down," Israel said cautiously. "All the lawsuits following the SAO incident sent them into bankruptcy even before Kirito ended the game."

Jae nodded. "And it was undoubtedly the most thoroughly searched, raided, and watched building in the world for quite some time. Bankrupt or not, shut down or not, it's probably still being watched by the Japanese government to this day. And yet, the address on the note happens to lead across the street from that very spot. Such a brazen and cocky hiding place could only be the work of someone like Heathcliff."

There was silence in the room for a long moment.

Israel traded looks with Sara, hoping to see her thoughts on her face, but she looked as unsure as he felt. He turned back in his bed to Jae.

"You say that you got this note months ago. Why are you just now telling us about it?"

Jae's answer was a long time in coming.

"I tried to ignore it," he finally said. "For a long time, I struggled to keep the note in the back of my mind. I was angry with Heath...Kayaba. I still am. I didn't want to think he might still be alive after what he did. I didn't want to go do his bidding. I almost threw the damn thing away a few times, but I couldn't bring myself to. At the time, I wasn't sure why. Now though, I'm starting to understand."

He sighed and looked at the others with a sorrowful expression. "We don't belong here. I know none of us wants to admit it. I know we've all tried for a long time to fit back into society here, to go back to how things were before. I know because I tried too, harder than I've ever tried to do anything in my life. I wanted to hate Sword Art Online, hate the world he created and threw us into, forget it all and start fresh, but I just...I can't. And I know none of you can either.

"The longer we're here, the easier it is to see. None of us are happy. None of us feel like this is where we belong." He gestured at Israel and Sara on the bed. "Both of you want to get married, but you can't even bring yourselves to feel right about doing it here." He shook his head. "That's too much to ignore. You've both been through more than enough pain. We all have, and I'm tired of us not getting the happiness and joy we deserve. I don't know what Kayaba did to us, and I hate him for ruining our lives likes this, but it's become clear to me that being angry at him isn't enough. It's not going to get us anywhere. We have to find our way ourselves."

Leaning over the hospital bed, he took the note back from David's hand and held it up before them all. "I don't know what this is or what it means, but if it's anything like I expect it is, then I'm going to find out for us. There might be a solution there, there might not, but I'm tired of watching us all suffer. I'm going to Japan to find out why I was given this note."

"Jae," Vivienne said, shaking her head, "you can't just-"

"Not alone you're not," said Israel. Ignoring the flash of pain in his gut and upper chest, he tore off the blanket and forced himself up into a sitting position. Nausea overtook him almost at once, but he fended it off and rose shakily to his feet.

When he was standing straight and tall before Jae, he extended a hand.

"You're not going anywhere without me, least of all a place as shady as wherever this is."

Jae blinked at him. "Israel, you're not fit to travel."

"Absolutely right," Sara agreed sternly as she held onto him with her hands. "You're going to need months to recover-"

"I'm fine." Keeping his hand out, Israel held Jae in his gaze. "If you're going, then so am-"

His legs gave out from under him, and then the world tipped sideways.. Dizziness overtook him, but just as he broke into the beginnings of a fall, Israel felt hands all over secure him and bring him slowly back into the bed.

After taking a moment to get his bearings- as well as to wait for the world to steady itself- Israel swallowed, took a breath, and looked at Jae again.

"On second thought, I think we'll need to postpone the trip for a few weeks until I've gotten some strength back."

Jae sighed. "Israel, it's fine, I'll be careful-"

"No." Israel uttered the word as strongly as he could. "No. We're going together, and that's all there is to it. This address could be the solution, but it could also be something terrible for all we know. It could be some kind of trap. You had better listen to me on this one, Jae. I'm not playing around. I'm coming with you, so you're just going to have to wait a few weeks."

"Try a few months," Vivienne muttered beside a surly looking Sara.

"We should all go," Meifan declared. "If this has something to do with Aincrad, it involves all of-"

"We don't have that kind of money," Jae interrupted. "It's going to be hard enough on Vivienne and I to just secure one plane ticket even with help, but all of us together? Out of the question." He looked at Israel. "Getting two tickets will be even more difficult."

Ignoring the statement, Israel maintained eye contact with his brother and extended his arm again. "We're going together. I'll help work up the money. Shake on it."

Jae looked like he was going to continue arguing, but stopped when he saw the look in Israel's eyes.

He sighed in resignation and took the hand.

"Better not keep me waiting for more than a month."

…

Two months later, Israel and Jae stepped off their plane and found themselves in Haneda airport, just fifteen minutes outside of central Tokyo.

Israel felt stiff, sore, and tired after the sixteen hour flight, and he knew Jae did as well, but both of them knew they were there for a purpose and so wasted no time. After delivering their disembarkation papers to the immigration service desk, getting their index fingers scanned and their pictures taken, they quickly moved through the crowd of passengers and made their way out into customs. Skipping baggage due to the fact that they hadn't brought anything substantial with them on the trip, they instead simply handed their custom cards over and, after being cleared, made their way into the public area of the airport.

At five stories tall and thousands of square feet across, Haneda was vast, brightly lit, crowded, and quite noisy, but, to both Jae and Israel's surprise, it was also remarkably clean and organized as opposed to the American airport they had left the U.S. from.

Hundreds of signs written in both Japanese kanji and English hung from the ceilings and covered corner walls. Elegant trees placed in the center of the first floor towered high into the air to peak past both the second and third floors above. Countless small shops and other service buildings lined the walls of each floor, filling the interior.

With eyes wide as he glanced around, Israel caught sight of everything from Currency Exchange ATMs and Wi-Fi/ SIM Card Rentals to Public Information Counters and Storage Facilities. There were shower rooms, nap rooms, lounges, rental car pick-ups, and a host of various restaurants that sent the aromas of delicious food trailing into the air throughout the floor.

"How much money do we have to spare on food?" Israel asked as they walked past, his stomach rumbling at the smells.

"Not enough if we plan on getting transportation to where we need to go," Jae replied in a disappointed tone. He looked at the lineup of restaurants and sighed. "It really sucks being poor. I miss Col."

Israel nodded grimly and tore his eyes away. Focusing his thoughts on the task at hand, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone to open up Google Maps. Above him, a robotic female voice echoed something in Japanese over a speaker.

"Alright," he began as he read from his phone. "Looks like the Monorail is our best bet. It'll take us directly to Hama…" he paused to spell out the word in his head. "To Hamamatsucho station."

Jae nodded and, after sidestepping a young Korean couple trying to get past, gestured out ahead. "That'll take us within a block or two of where we need to go. Pretty sure it's on the third floor, so we'll need to find some stairs."

After a few minutes of searching the crowded area, Israel spotted a public elevator. Making their way to the third floor, they managed to quickly catch two seats on the Tokyo monorail just before it's scheduled run. The transport was similar to a bus, but considerably faster, and the inside of it was equally as immaculate as the airport had been.

"Honestly," Jae said in a low voice beside Israel as the rail plunged out into the city, "if it's really this pristine everywhere, I'm afraid I'm going to end up quite disappointed with our country before long."

Israel nodded the truth of that. "When we get back to the States, I feel like I'm going to be significantly more critical about our public areas."

After about fifteen minutes, they got off at Hamamatsucho station and, following the maps on their phones, quickly made their way through the densely urban environment towards the old Argus company headquarters. It didn't take long, but they did find themselves held up several times at street and intersection crossings; even when there were no cars coming through as far as the eye could see, they were quickly informed in broken English by police that crossing was not allowed under any circumstances until the pedestrian sign turned green.

"Looks like J-walking is quite the scandal here," Jae noted after the second scolding.

"That's going to be a hard one to remember." Israel glanced around at the tall buildings and streets. "You know, this city really doesn't look much different from back home."

"You were expecting a single dojo surrounded by rose petal trees?"

Israel rolled his eyes and glanced back down at his phone. When he saw how close they were, he forgot the flippant retort he had been about to make. "We're nearly there now."

Jae's face took on a serious expression as he took the lead and glanced around. "Keep an eye out. I'm not sure what it is we should even expect, but I don't want to be caught unawares of this is ends up being bad news somehow."

Israel nodded fell in beside him.

After making their way down a narrow, winding street and passed some immensely tall buildings cramped closer and closer together along the way, they turned a corner and found themselves staring at a desolate parking lot in front of a grey building that looked abandoned and under some sort of renovation. Above the doors were the English words _Argus Inc._ beneath a Japanese kanji that Israel assumed said the same thing. There was no one around the area at all, giving the place a desolate look amidst the busy and active city all around.

A hissing sound filled the air behind them, and both Israel and Jae spun around without hesitation in preparation for a fight. Instead, they saw a short, squat old man frying some fish behind the open counter of an equally short kitchen building. The place appeared to once have been a mobile take-out spot or concession stand, but was now little more than a stationary countertop with a rusted roof overtop it and a second story enclosing what Israel guessed was probably the man's living quarters.

As strange as the humble little place was though, it appeared to almost belong there, in precisely that spot. In fact, it fit so well into the area and blended so perfectly that Israel was reasonably sure he and Jae would have missed the place entirely had it not been for the noise.

Jae frowned. "This wasn't on the map."

Israel blinked in realization at the fact. He checked his phone again, zoomed in to the area across the lot from Argus, and saw nothing. "You're right."

Suspicions flaring, the two of them met the squat man's look. He didn't call to them, gesture, or even crack a smile. He simply gazed at them as casually as one might gaze at the sky. Wielding a spatula, he flipped one of the fish he was frying, and his grill hissed again.

"What do you think," Jae asked quietly.

"I think it's a little strange that a man selling fried fish would manage his business in a completely secluded and empty area," Israel replied.

"My thoughts too." Jae started forward. "There's no coincidence here. This is the address."

Israel followed beside him, and together the two of them approached the open counter. The short old man watched them come without much interest.

"Sakana ga hoshī?" He asked in a gruff, casual tone.

Israel and Jae glanced at each other before looking back.

Jae shook his head and pointed at himself. "Umm...I'm sorry. English?"

The old man blinked, and in a thick Japanese accent asked, "American?"

Israel and Jae nodded.

"Do you know any English?" Jae asked.

The old man flipped his fish again.

"Anata wa futari ga masani kare ga nobeta yō ni miemasu. Kare wa anata ga koko ni irudarou to itta, watashi wa sono shōnen ga itsumo tadashī koto o rikai shite inai…."

As he rambled on, not showing any signs of stopping, Israel and Jae looked back at each other in bewilderment.

"What now?" Israel asked.

In desperation, Jae took out the note with the address, unfolded it, and presented it to the talkative and emotionless old man, who was now staring at his grill as he spoke.

"Tawagoto, watashi wa sore o moyashita-" he paused when he saw the address. Then he smiled. "Saigo ni, anata wa sore o haaku shite imasu. Jā kite."

Turning, the old man set down his spatula and beckoned them over as he made his way down the counter to the makeshift door. Jae and Israel followed him in surprise, and when he opened it for them, they stepped slowly inside.

"Hidoku utagawashīdesu ne." The old man led them around the back of the ramshackle kitchen, into another small room, and then pointed down at a metal hatch in the ground at his feet. "Sā, dōzo."

When he didn't move, Jae stepped hesitantly forward and wrapped a hand around the grip to the hatch. He looked back up for confirmation.

"Tsudzukete, ugoki hajime nasai," the old man said impatiently while waving an arm for Jae to proceed. Under his breath, he muttered, "Watashi wa subete jibun de suru hitsuyō wa nai hazudesu."

After exchanging a shrug with Israel, Jae went ahead and pulled the metal hatch up and open. Judging by the effort in which he put into it, Israel guessed it was heavier than it looked.

"Sā sā," the old man said as he clambered down the now exposed ladder leading into the hole.

Israel and Jae followed him down, only to discover upon stepping off the short, rusted metal ladder that they were now standing in a tiny storage room. Shelves filled with foodstuffs and kitchen utensils covered each wall, leaving only a small amount of space in the middle from which to stand.

The old man, his face wrinkling up with amusement at their confused looks, stepped passed them and began moving one of the shelves out of the way. Sacks of rice and dried vegetables fell to the ground, but he didn't seem to care. He kept dragging the shelf away from the wall, and within moments, a tall metal door revealed itself.

The old man seized the latch, opened the door, and beckoned them both inside.

"Sayōnara."

Israel and Jae stared through the open door a moment, but all they could see was a brightly lit metal hallway leading forward.

"This is a bit disconcerting," Jae said.

Israel nodded and started cautiously inside."But it's what we came for. Let's go."

Jae thanked the man with a very American sounding "arigatō" before following after him. Once they were both inside, they heard the metal door seal itself behind them.

They didn't speak as they made their way down the pristine, spaceship looking hall. Israel looked around for cameras, but saw none.

After about five minutes of cautious walking, they spotted another steel door at the end of the hall. It looked easily twice as durable as the door they had come through, but as they approached, it opened of it's own accord.

The moment they stepped inside, they froze in their tracks, stunned.

They were standing in what appeared to be the entrance chamber of an underground laboratory, with three people in white lab coats standing before them. The same artificial white light they had seen in the hallway covered the ceiling in thin strip panels, and the walls looked to have been out of high grade steel. Dozens of doors leading to various room lined these walls, revealing to a small extent just how big the place was. In the center of the chamber sat a massive square shaped immobile machine that looked, in Israel's opinion, like a giant computer without a monitor. Coded and colored wires of all kinds sprang out from two of it's four sides at the base before running all the way across the room and into the one beyond.

One of the three people waiting for them in front of the machine, an attractive Japanese woman with short black hair, stepped forward.

"Good afternoon Jae, Israel," she said in fluent English. "We've been expecting you."

"How do you know who we are?" Israel asked.

"Kayaba told us about you both, what you look like."

"Kayaba is dead," Jae said flatly.

The woman looked at him for a moment. "Is that what you really think, or just what you want to believe?"

"It's the truth." Jae held her gaze with a look of iron. "His body was found by authorities after the end of Sword Art Online. He's dead."

She paused again before finally conceding the point with a slight nod. "In that sense, you are right. I was the first to see his body after it was all over."

"So then," said Israel, "you are the one who sent Jae the address to this...place?"

She shook her head. "No, that was Kayaba."

"But you just said-"

The woman held up a hand. "I'm afraid it's a little more complicated than that. I am more than happy to answer your questions, gentlemen, but if the two of you are to understand everything I have to tell you, than I'm going to need you to be patient and to listen as I explain. I assume that is why you decided to come all the way here from America? For an explanation?"

Israel and Jae both paused to consider that a moment, then nodded reluctantly.

"We just want to know why I was sent this address," Jae said.

The woman nodded knowingly. "And you have every right to. Allow me to begin by introducing myself. My name is Koujiro Rinko. I am a game designer and technology specialist, and I was one of Kayaba's assistants during the development of Sword Art Online." She waved a hand of introduction to the two people behind her. "This is Doctor Ishida Takanobu, and Hironaka Botan, a tech specialist like myself. They too were a part of the development of SAO."

"Though not nearly as much as Ms. Rinko," added Doctor Ishida. He too spoke English quite well, but had a thicker Japanese accent. "To all intents and purposes, she was Kayaba's right hand for a long time. Much of the SAO that you knew during your time there was built by her."

Israel thought he should feel angry, but instead found himself more overcome with curiosity. "So then, you helped him with his scheme? You were a part of it all?"

All three shook their heads at once.

"We had no knowledge of Kayaba's intentions beforehand," Rinko said sternly. "Whether you believe it or not, the truth is that not a single person working at Argus had any idea what he meant to do to Sword Art Online until after he had already done it.

"Our government, of course, was bound and determined to accuse us of being accomplices. They needed scapegoats, you see. Someone to pin the blame on as a method of damage control. In spite of their prejudice, however, they found no evidence and were eventually forced to accept the truth of what we were telling them, and no charges were filed on any of us. Of course, that didn't stop everyone at Argus from having their careers destroyed after the company went bankrupt.

"At any rate, the fact that Kayaba was able to hide his plans and data from us and go ahead with what he meant to do all along is a testament to both his genius in game design and his reckless obsession. That kind of feat would have been next to impossible to pull off."

She paused and looked them both in the eye.

"We three, however, should truthfully be considered as guilty as Kayaba."

"Why?" Jae asked cautiously.

"Because we did eventually come to discover where Kayaba was hiding. I was the first." She glanced away and stared at one of the far walls. "Before the day of SAO's launch, I was his lover. I knew him better than anyone, and though he managed to hide his true intentions from me before I could stop him, it didn't take more than a few months for me to narrow down his possible hiding place and find him. He was hiding up in an isolated mountain pass about a few hundred miles north of here, completely hidden from society. That was where he would spend his time watching over his world, and then later where he would full dive as Heathcliff.

"My original intention was to kill him, but when I got there, he explained himself to me. He explained the real reasons behind Aincrad, allowed me to see inside his world and full dive from time to time, and after several weeks I came to believe in him. After that, I took care of his body in order to give him more time to use the NerveGear. Once he started playing, he never wanted to leave, and only did so very rarely in order to keep tabs on what the government was doing to try to stop Sword Art Online."

"So rather than stop him," Jae said slowly, "you decided to help him keep us prisoner in his game?"

"Not just her," said Doctor Ishida. "Ms. Rinko eventually took us under her confidence and revealed the truth sometime during the end of the first year of SAO. We spoke with Kayaba for several days, observed the world of Aincrad at his direction, and eventually we too came to believe in his vision, in what he was trying to accomplish."

"And what exactly was that?" Jae asked in a tone of subtle anger. "Besides the deaths of thousands of innocent people, I mean?"

"We'll get to that in a moment," Rinko said calmly. "First I must tell you what you need to know." She waited until she was sure Jae would allow her to continue, then pointed to the huge machine in the center of the room. "That right there is the reason you were given this address. It is Aincrad, created from a backup file saved by Kayaba himself."

"We already know about the Seed," Israel interjected. "It's a baseline copy of Aincrad made to coexist within Alfheim Online as a regular VR game."

Rinko shook her head. "This and the World Seed are two very different things. Like you said, the Seed is a baseline copy. It is merely a clean slate duplicate of Aincrad as it was on the first day of it's launch, and altered to prevent real death and to allow for logouts. In essence, it is a hollow, earth friendly shell of it's true self with no more value than or difference from any other MMORPG in existence. The Seed is a game. Nothing more." She patted the top of the machine with a hand. "This, however, is exactly as I have told you. This is _the_ Aincrad, as it truly was just before the last hour of it's life. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

Israel and Jae both looked at her in shock.

"How is that possible?" Jae asked. "Aincrad was destroyed when Kirito killed Heathcliff. Granted, it was done prematurely, and glitches happened as a result, but we were there; we saw the whole world delete itself. We lived it."

Rinko shrugged. "It's simple. From the first moment of it's launch, Kayaba installed an automatic saving protocol into the game that scanned all of Aincrad every hour on the hour that it was active. The scan stored all of the world's information into a separate storage facility- this computer- and then overrode it with the new, updated information that came in an hour later. He kept that protocol embedded deep within the system, and in fact, I believe it was one of the last programs to be shut down when everything ended."

Israel folded his arms in bewildered wonder. "So you're saying that Aincrad, the real Aincrad, is all still there exactly as we left it?"

"Yes."

"Why?" Jae asked. "What's the point? Without NerveGear and a server directly connected to this, no one would be able to enter, making the save meaningless. And even if you did have the means to get in, why then would Kayaba have made the Seed public if he had this?"

Turning on her heel, Rinko started for the nearest door under which the wires travelled. She beckoned with an arm as she went. "Follow me, please."

The two men in identical lab coats started off at once, and after hesitating for a moment, Israel and Jae followed.

When they caught up, Rinko opened the door for them and stepped aside to reveal a huge rectangular room, inside of which were two rows of around a hundred identical hospital beds each. Every bed was surrounded by all the usual monitors and equipment that would have been found inside a standard hospital, and everything looked to be hooked up and running.

On top of each bed's folded blanket sat a NerveGear helmet.

"Kayaba knew that, eventually, SAO would be shut down," Rinko explained. "Whether through government meddling, an unexpected glitch he might have overlooked, or simply just the players beating all one hundred Floors, he knew that one day, something would happen. He always believed that while some players would certainly prefer the real world when that time came, others would come to see the value in the new one he had created and they had lived in. He made the Seed and gave it to the boy who killed him, Kirito, as a gift to players who found value in his world and didn't want to be completely without it, but also still wanted to live in the real world and not have to worry about the possibility of death in Aincrad. He called these players the 'half-worlders;' people who don't fully belong in Aincrad but still appreciated it to a certain extent.

"But Kayaba believed that there were others who went beyond that point- people who cared for his world as much as he did, who considered it home even with it's possibility of death and it's impossibility to escape...just like earth. Those were the ones he built Aincrad for, and the reason behind his careful saving protocol. He wanted to keep home open and alive for them, which is why he constructed this underground facility, and why he sent the address to all those he believed fell under this category."

She turned and looked at Jae.

"In short, this place is a gateway back to Aincrad that he wanted select people to know about, people he believed would want to return. If you wish to go back there, you now can."

"For how long?" Israel asked, his excitement beginning to course through him.

This was exactly what he and Jae had been hoping for.

"Permanently. The three of us run this place, but there are several other staff members loyal to Kayaba's dream who help keep everything functioning. It our job to ensure that those who wish to return to Aincrad are given everything they need to remain there indefinitely. We have the technology, the tools, and the equipment to care for up to four hundred coma patients for decades without a problem.

"However, I must reiterate that anyone who chooses to go will once again be subject to the conditions of the original Aincrad; your player avatars will be the same as before, if you die there it is a true death, and once you are logged in, you cannot log back out and return to the real world. As I said, this is the true Aincrad."

Israel stood in stunned silence, unsure of what to say or even think. Beside him, Jae stood equally quiet.

Returning to Aincrad had been Israel's greatest wish for almost the entire time he had been back on earth. He and Sara and the others had all long ago come to the conclusion that they no longer felt like they belonged there. Aincrad was their true home, and that fact wasn't going to change.

Israel and Jae had both come to Japan hoping beyond hope for just such a miracle as the one that now stood before them. This was everything they had wanted and now it was there for the taking. Perhaps that was why they hesitated.

"What happens if we say no?" Jae asked in a quiet voice.

Rinko clasped her hands behind her back.

"Then you are free to leave as you came. This facility is not a place of force or violence. This is merely a gateway for all those who wish to live in Kayaba's world. Everyone who received this address may turn down the offer and go. It is only once the NerveGear has been activated and they are unconscious that they are no longer able to change their minds. If you do choose to leave and return to your lives here in the real world, all we ask is that you take the knowledge of this place to your graves. If the authorities were ever to know, this facility would be destroyed, and the last gateway to Kayaba's world would be forever lost." She paused. "Before you make your decision though, I was asked to tell you that Kayaba would appreciate the opportunity to speak with you, Jae."

Jae blinked. "What are you talking about? We've already gone over this; Kayaba is dead. You said so yourself."

She shook her head. "I told you it was more complicated than that."

"He made a pact with Kirito. A fight to the death. Heathcliff would not have broken his word on a matter like that-"

"He didn't. When Kirito killed the avatar Heathcliff, Kayaba acknowledged his end of the agreement and initiated the shutdown of Sword Art Online. Afterwards, he logged out and…" her voice wavered for but an instant before she caught herself and continued in the same businesslike manner. " ...he logged out and performed a scan of his brain to the internet. It was suicide for his physical body, but it transferred his consciousness to the virtual world. It is still him, his being, his entity, but without his body he can never again return to our world or even Aincrad."

Israel had no idea how such a thing was even possible, but at that moment, he was more concerned with how Jae would react. He glanced over his shoulder at his brother, waiting to see what his response might be.

"Assuming you're telling the truth here...why does he want to see me?" Jae asked.

"I don't know. He didn't explain his reasons to me. All I know is that he was hoping to speak with you when you arrived here, preferably before you made your decision about this place. To be honest, I thought you would know. He used to talk about you during the times he was logged out. He spoke highly of you every time."

Jae rubbed his eyes with his fingers. He looked away from Rinko, hesitated, and then looked back. "And how am I supposed to talk to him if his...if his consciousness exists in the internet?"

Beckoning him forward, Rinko turned and led them to a separate room. Inside was a single bed that looked the same as those from the rectangular room, with the exception of more monitors and devices hooked up to it. A worn, older NerveGear sat on the single pillow.

"This NerveGear is not connected to Aincrad," Rinko explained. "It will not trap you or put you at risk of death. It is merely another gateway that connects to Kayaba's consciousness. Here, you can speak with him for as long or as short as you like, and then leave via the log out button when you wish to."

"You want him to put on another NerveGear and just take your word for it that he will be safe?" Israel asked in disbelief. "If you're lying, he'll be trapped there with no chance of escape!"

"This isn't a trick," Rinko replied in a serious tone. "I myself have put it on and spoken to him on several occasions. If you don't believe me, I will be more than happy to do the same thing again and allow you to watch."

"That won't be necessary," Jae said suddenly. "I'll go talk to him, but only for a moment."

Israel stepped up close beside him. "Are you sure about this?"

Jae nodded. "I know I can't be completely sure, but I don't believe these people are lying. They believe in Kayaba, that much is clear, but that just means they want to keep this place running. I can't think of a reason they would have for wanting to trap me in a NerveGear. That said," he added, "do me a favor and keep on eye on my body, would you? Just in case."

Israel considered arguing, but upon seeing the resolve in Jae's eyes, reluctantly abandoned the attempt and instead dipped his head in the affirmative. He lowered his voice confidentially.

"I'll be standing right here next to you the whole time. If you take longer than a half hour to come back, I'm going to start killing these people until they let you out."

Jae sat down on the bed and picked up the NerveGear. "Appreciate it." He looked to Rinko. "Anything I should know about how to do this?"

The woman shook her head. "Just put it on as you would any other, and it will link you up automatically. As I said, you can leave at any time by simply opening you menu and logging out."

"Alright then."

Jae took a deep breath, laid down, and then placed the NerveGear on his head.

Israel placed himself on the opposite side of the bed and immediately turned his attention to the monitors as they went online one by one.

"Be back in a few," said Jae. "Hopefully. Link start."

…

A dizzying array of colors flashed past Jae's vision for a brief moment, and then, just as quickly, everything stopped.

He was standing in the middle of a completely dark, formless void. There was no ground beneath his feet, but he didn't feel like he was floating. There was no sun or moon or stars, no colors or life or noise, but at the same time, the place didn't necessarily feel empty. It was just dark.

After taking a moment to get his bearings, Jae took a hesitant step forward. Though there was nothing for his foot to make contact with, he completed the step without effort or difficulty. At the same time, he also realized that while he was in a universe of darkness, he could see his legs and arms quite clearly. He took another step forward, then another, and slowly started to glance around. He didn't see anyone or anything.

Just as he was about to call out, a very familiar voice spoke up behind him.

"Hello, Jae."


	150. Chapter 149

149

May 12th, 2025

Location Unknown

Jae turned.

Kayaba stood calmly with his hands in his pockets, facing him.

He was a tall, thin man, with an intelligent face and dark, thoughtful eyes. He was wearing a simple, worn white lab coat over a grey dress shirt and black pants. A loose necktie hung haphazardly from his barely buttoned collar. His dress shoes, once no doubt shiny and clean, were now dull, smudged, and scuffed. His black hair, though short and easily manageable by the looks of it, was disheveled and stuck out in disarray.

One glance, and Jae knew this man was nothing like Heathcliff…and yet, at the same time, some part of him was. While he clearly lacked the powerful build, handsome face, and inspiring aura of the heroic leader he had pretended to be for two years, it was all too easy to see the familiar stoic gaze, the proud, alert bearing, and the brooding intelligence that Jae had come to know so well.

To see those familiar features, to be acutely aware of that other identity within this unassuming and brilliant looking stranger, proved quite unsettling.

It also made Jae more angry.

They stood there in silence for a moment, neither speaking, both analyzing the other as the universe of black nothing swirled in a dead calm around, above, and underneath them.

Kayaba cleared his throat and offered a quick, slight smile which Jae did not return.

"I know what you must be thinking, but before anything else is said, I just want you to know that it's...it's good to see you again. And that's the truth."

Jae felt his anger continue to rise, but he held it in check.

"I didn't know you spoke English."

"Oh, trust me, I don't," Kayaba replied in a lighter tone. "I'm speaking to you through a version of the Automatic Translator Program I developed for Sword Art Online. Believe it or not, I'm actually terrible with languages, which is part of the reason I made the ATP to begin with. Come to think of it, I'm fairly sure I failed every English class I ever took until I met Rinko in college. She helped me pass- mostly by allowing me to cheat off her papers- and I was very grateful, but I was also quite jealous. She made learning other languages look like the easiest thing in the world, and while I sat there failing to learn just one, she became fluent in six. And to think, they once called me the genius."

Kayaba smiled and shook his head. "I'm grateful for my failings, though. It is important for us, as humans, to have our own flaw; something our brains simply can't come to grips with, or something our physical bodies can't achieve. Having those imperfections helps us keep our dangerous egos in check, and aids in the fundamental law behind all knowledge: admitting that you do not know something is the first step to learning."

Jae met the man's gaze. "If you wish to find a flaw, you need look no further than the day you created SAO."

Kayaba didn't reply, so Jae decided to get to the heart of the matter.

"Why did you ask to see me?"

"Several reasons, first and foremost of which being that you are my friend."

"Friend?" Jae repeated in a bitter tone. He shook his head. "I'm not your friend, Kayaba, and you aren't mine. I don't know who you are, aside from the fact that you're a murderer."

Kayaba broke eye contact. "Heathcliff was-"

"Heathcliff was a lie." Jae pointed aggressively at him. "You used me, my life, like a pawn for your own amusement and entertainment, for your stupid fucking games, and then you lied and pretended to be one of the pawns along with the rest of us, all while laughing behind everyone's backs."

"I never laughed," Kayaba said in a firm, quiet voice. "But your anger is completely understandable-"

"Understandable?" Jae heard his voice get louder as his rage flared. "Understandable?! Thousands of people are dead, Kayaba! Thousands! How many of my friends among them? You think your _understanding_ is of any use to them now? Hm?! You think it a fair trade for their lives? Do you think it's of any use to Naomi, who fought to save lives and protect weaker players from harm, selflessly risking her own life in the process even as they hated her for who she was? Naomi, who deserved far better but died all the same, and whose death nearly destroyed my brother in more ways than one?!

"What about Lex and Jon Bright?! Is your understanding worth anything to them?! Will it bring them back! What about Tristan! What about Aranal and Rain! What about-"

"You don't need to tell me their names," Kayaba interrupted softly, respectfully. "I know all of them by heart."

"Why?!" Jae screamed, taking an aggressive step forward. "Why did you do it?!"

Kayaba nodded slowly. "The answer to that is exactly the reason why I requested an audience with you. I wanted to explain everything to you, but not for the reasons you might think. I have no interest in trying to justify my actions for my own sake, though I admit, I believe that what I did was both necessary and justified. I'm not so selfish as to expect a hero's thanks, or so naive as to think that you would still consider me a friend after I tell you. I didn't do what I did for praise or for fame or for a happy life. In fact, I knew from the beginning that it would all end the same way for me sooner or later. I knew I would die.

"I'm going to tell you because you deserve to know, Jae. It's as simple as that."

Kayaba cleared his throat, took a breath, and began.

"The first thing you need to know is that I was born in North Korea. In 2001, when I was five years old, my brave mother defected from the country and, holding me in a death grip every step of the way, fled to Japan in order to provide me with a chance at freedom and life. I remember next to nothing of that time save for two very distinct memories: the first a brief flash of travelling along an underground tunnel, where the air was so thin and scarce that I remember thinking I was going to suffocate where I stood, and the second being the complete and absolute terror I saw etched onto my mother's face every moment of every day until we were safely in Japan.

"She risked more than just her life to get us to freedom. Had we been caught by the authorities or the border guards, I would have been grabbed by the feet and bashed headfirst against a wall, and she would would have been shot- after a few weeks of animalistic rape and brutal torture, that is. Obviously, I had no idea of any of this back then, but she did. Alone, half starved, burdened with a child, and well aware of the consequences, she defied the forces that stood in her way and saved us both.

"Once we were free, she got me Japanese citizenship and saw to it that I forgot my North Korean heritage and grew up completely Japanese in order to protect me from those who distrust our kind. It wasn't until I was sixteen and out of school that she revealed the truth. What she didn't know was that I had already been aware of that truth for several years.

"You see, though she worked hard to hide it, it was clear to me as I grew up just how different my mother was from the rest of the world around us. While other mothers were worried about their clothes or their jobs or the man next door, mine worried about nothing save for my safety and comfort. To be sure, all mothers care for their children, but the difference is that they also cared for other things, unimportant things they didn't have and worthless things they thought they should.

"My mother never did. She was a quiet woman, reserved even at the best of times, but she was by far the most wonderful person I ever knew in my life. While others lusted after material things and earthly goals and stressed over the day to day problems of modern society, my mother never lusted after anything except life itself. She loved and believed in the appreciation of life, in all it's simple and incalculable value. From as far back as I can remember to the day she died nine years ago, there was a spark in her eyes that no one else possessed. It was beautiful beyond all reckoning, even before I realized what it was; it was the spark of true, unadulterated life.

"But there was also something else as well, hidden forever behind her eyes: sadness. My mother's spark seemed to me to be constantly at odds with her subtle, reclusive sorrow. I could not understand how the two could coincide within her, and that torment of not understanding drove me to seek answers.

"That spark, and the way she lived her life, inspired me. I always wanted to be like my mother, and I wondered why no one else seemed to want to be truly happy like she was, while also being perpetually weary and alone. It was that spark in her eyes, her freedom of character, her indomitable spirit and appreciation for life, that triggered my need to understand why all of mankind did not live that way, and it was that hidden sorrow that made me want to learn. I wanted everyone to be content and free, and since my mother seemed to be the only one who was, I wanted to know why.

As I got older and realized more and more how she wasn't like anyone else, to say nothing of her accent, I began doing research on our family history. It took time, but I eventually discovered the truth. I said nothing of it until she revealed it to me herself. I understood why she had kept it hidden, and harbored no grudge. Instead, I took the opportunity to ask her if there was anything about North Korea that she missed, and if so, if that was the reason for her enduring sorrow. Her reply, and what it meant, finally answered the question I had been asking myself for all of my childhood, and lit the fire of my ambition as the revelation of truth hit me like a bomb.

"Her reply was this: 'everything.'"

Jae crossed his arms in confusion. "I don't understand."

Kayaba nodded.

"That's because you don't know about life as a commoner of North Korea. You see, Jae, while that country's government is indeed a shining example of the very worst that humanity has to offer, it's hardy, downtrodden people are an example of the opposite. While the Kim regime lives in gluttonous luxury and brings to fruition a horrific dystopia of oppression, death camps, starvation, and third world level living conditions on it's inhabitants, it is those same victimized common folk who create a truly fascinating and beautiful result: simplicity, family, love, and contentedness.

"In response to their lot in life, the common people of North Korea learn to value things that the modern world has long since forgotten. They have little in terms of materialism, and so they learn to seek happiness in the more important immaterial. While they cannot trust their government and fear reprisal every day, they _can_ trust each other and depend on one another for love and support. Communities are tight knit and show such affection for each other that every single person feels a strong sense of belonging, of family, and of happiness, to live a simple life with those they cherish.

"When my mother said she missed everything about North Korea, she was finally revealing once and for all just how badly she missed the loving and understanding village society she grew up in, where the people place their value on the concepts of appreciating life, nature, and the simple goodness of humankind. When she fled the country, she escaped the dreaded tyrannical rule of the Kims, but she also left behind that sense of humble values and shared respect, understanding, and enlightened tranquility that is non existent in the rest of the modern world.

"A year or so after this first revelation, after I had begun my third semester of college, I met and befriended an American classmate who I later found out was a veteran of the war in Afghanistan, and who possessed the exact same spark- and lonely sadness- that my mother did. To see such a striking thing reflected in the eyes of another bewildered me, and I determined at once to find out what this could mean. I had learned much, but not nearly enough, and the answer I so desperately sought remained torturously out of my grasp.

After knowing each other and growing closer as friends for some time, I began to ask my American friend about his experiences as a soldier, and if there was anything he missed about being deployed in a war zone."

Kayaba paused and looked at Jae with passion burning in his dark, intelligent eyes.

"And do you know what he told me, Jae? He too said, 'everything.'"

Jae blinked, unsure how to respond. It was clear that to Kayaba, everything he was saying made sense and was filling in some wider hole of an answer, but to Jae, the whole rant seemed bizarre and confusing, not to mention wildly off topic.

Kayaba, who studied Jae's face for a moment as if hoping for something, at last raised his arms and asked, "don't you see?"

Jae was nearing the end of his patience. "No, I don't. What is the point of all of this, Kayaba?"

The man crossed his arms and arched an eyebrow.

"Why did you log into Sword Art Online, Jae?"

Jae's brow furrowed. "What?"

"On that very first day, when ten thousand advanced copies of the game had been purchased within the first thirty minutes they had been sold, why did you log in?"

Jae shrugged. "To play the game."

"Why did you want to play the game?" Kayaba cocked his head. "More to the point, why did you spend money- and a good deal of it, too- on a game that's biggest selling point was that it was a sensory simulation of real life? Why spend _real_ money, which translates to _real_ life, on a mere simulation of the same?"

Jae hesitated. "...Because I...I wanted to experience something that wasn't real life."

A small, proud smile slowly appeared on Kayaba's face. He dipped his head into a nod of confirmation that Jae had given the right answer.

Jae stared dumbly at the man for a moment, then took a step back as the realization of it all finally hit him.

"Because I wanted to escape the real world."

Kayaba nodded a second time. "Precisely. In our modern world, people are forever trying to escape the mundane and confining lives they are bound by at birth. Every day on earth, we humans find ourselves trapped and limited in more ways than one, and it is this caged feeling that drives us to seek escape, to seek freedom in any form. Hence the video game industry.

"The question is, why? Why do we feel this way?" He pointed at Jae. "What made you feel so desperate for a reprieve from this quagmire of apathy we call modern society that you willingly turned to a game- a mockery of life- in order to escape? The answer to that question is also the answer to yours; why I made Sword Art Online."

A grim, serious expression overtook Kayaba's face as he clasped his hands behind his back, like a teacher about to deliver an important lesson to his students. He met Jae's eyes.

"In the real world, modern society has become a cold, heartless place. It is a land of alienation, selfishness, mistrust, hollow ideals, and dependence on the material rather than a civilization of a shared humanity." He raised a palm up towards Jae. "Let us take your homeland of America as an example.

"In a country that prides itself on the pinnacle value of 'freedom' and which has more abundance, convenience, and comfort to offer it's people than any society to ever exist in the history of mankind, depression, anxiety, and suicide have all reached heights hitherto unknown in human history. Everyone is focused on imaginary achievements, on money, on physical possessions. Everyone's wants a bigger T.V., a better car, a high paying job, the list goes on. In their greed and socially imposed lack of understanding, of ideals, of true wants and needs, they convince themselves that they cannot be happy until they have these things. They struggle and slave every day under the monotony that is modern life with the goal of acquiring the physical things that they have deluded themselves into believing will help them achieve joy.

"And what happens when they finally get these things? Do they go home with a smile on their face, content with life?"

Kayaba shook his head. "No. They immediately begin the process anew. They tell themselves that now they need a bigger T.V., an even better car, a higher paying job. They convince themselves they deserve to live more comfortably, that their lack of emotion when reaching their hollow goals means they need yet more to truly feel happy. Their achievements are meaningless, and so they seek more of the same.

"The more comfortably people live, the more they hate their lives of comfort. Never forget that, Jae.

"Everyone in this modern world believes that money- materialism- is the key to life. Everything else is secondary. With this mindset embedded to the roots within their brains, they waste their lives seeking money, only to discover once they have it just how meaningless it truly is, and just how empty they really feel. So they seek more money.

"Meanwhile, your government is so corrupt that, even as they sit atop a mountain of privilege and luxury, they forget all about the people they were elected to represent and help. The bureaucrats care only for themselves, and are so far removed from the rest of us that they may as well be a different species at this point.

"By the same token, the great businesses which dominate the economy- the pride and joy of modern capitalism- care only about raking in more profit and are becoming more and more willing to achieve this goal at the expense of their consumers. The people are guinea pigs to them. A mere statistic. And the employees which work under them? They are even less important.

"Hatred, dissent, and division are so rampant among the common people that the followers of the two political parties of your country scream death threats and literally accuse the opposite side of treason and of being enemies of the state. When they're all from the same country! On social media, people elect to hate and oppress complete strangers, call them monsters and sub-humans even, simply for the crime of possessing a differing opinion on something.

"And the gap between rich and poor? It's wider than it's ever been, and promises only to worsen. The list goes on.

"I have focused on America, but it is the same in all modern societies. In this abundant and technology advanced world of ours, Jae, people have lost both their hearts and their minds. They are shallow, selfish, lonely, and bitter.

"Soldiers who go to war, who kill and risk their lives and watch their friends die, they come home, isolate themselves, and fall into depression. More and more veterans are committing suicide, and those tragic numbers will continue to go up. When asked if they are happy to be back home, nearly all of them say no. In fact, they go so far as to say that they miss the war they survived or the post in which they were stationed, and would go back in a heartbeat given the chance. Think about that. They would rather go back to a place where they would be shot at while they slept, in a filthy, cold foxhole or redoubt alongside twenty other men who haven't showered or changed their clothes in months.

"So, does a modern soldier's depression, PTSD, and suicidal thought come from the time they spent at war? From their near death experiences and sleepless days and nights? Or, does it come from their return to modern society, where, as opposed to the loving brotherhood they felt amongst their brothers in arms in the field- in which everyone cared for and protected one another- they instead find themselves surrounded by a cold population that cares nothing for them and which desires only to pursue materialism and to hate everyone?

"Unlike civilians, who are accustomed to it all and have long since given up trying to understand their need for escape, the soldiers who experienced a taste of true purpose and freedom and appreciation for life can now see the truth of modern society- the society they fought for- laid bare.

"Hundreds of years ago, tribes of natives in your country fought vicious local wars against one another for land and food. The braves of each tribe saw violence and bloodshed nearly all of their lives. Do you think they suffered from depression and PTSD?"

Kayaba shook his head. "I don't. I can't even imagine it, and there's a reason for that: those braves would return from war to their tribes, who placed just as much emphasis on freedom and life as they did on familial bonds and tight knit communities.

"Defectors from North Korea number in the tens of thousands, and yet, in the past two decades, more and more of these brave men and women who risked life and limb in search of freedom are now falling into depression and openly admitting that they regret their choice. Like the modern soldier, these defecters can see our first world society for what it is. They can see the harshness, the coldness, the greed, and even the invisible chains. They state often that they miss North Korea, miss the tight knit communities of people who understood the truly important things about life, as opposed to the self absorbed robots that exist in indifference within this modern capitalist world.

"Thus, both the soldier, and the defector, possess the same connection, the same realization...the same spark."

Kayaba sighed and flashed Jae a sincere, humble smile.

"That is why I created the world of Aincrad, Jae. From the very beginning, my ambition was not to murder thousands, but to counteract the ironic and horrifying spiral mankind has taken in its bid to achieve mastery over its own fate. Whether you believe it or not, the truth is that I never wanted to hurt anyone. I wanted to save _everyone_. And after a lifetime devoted to that goal, I figured out how to achieve it. I could not change earth or mankind, no, but I could give us a second chance.

"Aincrad was that second chance. A place for humanity to start over and find that spark, to break away from the cold, corrupt, misled modern day world without having to get shot at or grow up under a murderous despot. Aincrad, to me, was the new earth, where the inner nobility of mankind could be set free from the shackles of real life confinement, hatred, and government agendas and brought to bear once again. Where your life is yours and yours alone, and what you decide to do with it is up to you. Where life could once again become man's highest value and where trust in that life could be placed on those you fight beside and live with every day. Aincrad was the alternative to modern society, where freedom, true freedom, could actually be made real. Where you could do anything, go anywhere, and be happy with the people you love.

"That is what I was building, and, while there were times when I believed I had failed, I have come to realize that that is exactly what I achieved." Kayaba's penetrating gaze pierced through Jae's expressionless face. "And deep down, so do you. You have the spark now, Jae. I see it in your eyes. That is why you came here from America. That is why you can no longer live here in the real world. And that is why you want to go back to Aincrad."

For a long, somber moment, Jae stood there in stunned silence.

It all made sense to him now.

Kayaba was telling the truth.

For the longest time, Jae had tried to come to grips with the real world once again, to forget about his time in Aincrad and reintegrate himself into society. He now saw the futility of that dream.

But while Kayaba's benevolent intentions were now clear, there was still something else of great importance the man had neglected to explain.

Jae's voice hardened.

"You claim you wanted to save humanity, but you still chose to incorporate real death into the game. You claim your highest value has always been life, but your hands are still red with the blood of thousands. You think your revelations and grand hopes and dreams about the need for a new world matter to them now?"

"You have no right to say that to me." Kayaba said in a grim, bitter tone. He swiped a hand before himself. "You have no right. You have no _idea_ how long I struggled with including death into my world, how desperately I tried to find an alternative. I spent years trying to find another path, trying to create something, anything, that could substitute human mortality. You really think I wanted all those people to die?"

"Are you saying you didn't?"

Kayaba threw up his hands. "Why do you think I became Heathcliff? Why do you think I formed a guild and aided the Assault Team in their endeavors and helped in the struggle against Laughing Coffin? Or have you forgotten who spoke for you during the Enclave, who fought beside you at the Battle of Brakrun? I did it to help you all, Jae. I did to save lives. You have no idea the weight of guilt I felt on my shoulders every time I was notified of another player shattering apart out there-"

"Then why did you do it?!" Jae demanded with equal fervor. "I want to believe your intentions were pure, Kayaba, truly I do, but how can I after the things I've seen? The people I've lost? If you really wanted to create a better world, why did you have to stain it with suffering and death?"

"Because there was no other way!"

Kayaba looked like he was going to say more, but instead stopped and shook his head. He took a breath and looked away from Jae's eyes.

"There was no other way," he repeated in a considerably softer tone. "Death is a fundamental part of life, Jae. It is one of the vital pillars that hold up the very fabric of what it means to live and exist with meaning and purpose. Without that pillar, everything else would come crashing down."

Jae was taken aback. He hadn't expected to hear that at all. "What do you mean?"

Kayaba shrugged. "How does one measure joy, happiness, pleasure, if the inverse does not exist? Without suffering and pain, there is no metric for these things. There is no opposite to compare them to or experience in order to appreciate them. Very soon, without suffering and pain to make joy, happiness, and pleasure what they are, all three cease to exist. After all, who would care about a rich and prosperous life when such a thing is simply the norm, and there can be no alternative to begin with?

"In spite of my own attempts to see things differently, I eventually came to realize that life and death work in the same way. Without one, there can be no other. If the universe possessed no life, death itself would be nonexistent. And, by the same wretched token, without death, life would cease to be life. At the very best, existence without death would seem a cruel and never ending curse."

Kayaba sighed and met Jae's eyes once again.

"Creating a world forced me to spend a great deal of time considering the incredible, and frankly terrifying, fragility of our own. As it turns out, balance in the universe is indeed of the greatest importance. In all things, balance must win out. If the cosmic scales were to tip, anywhere, or in anything, the only result would be catastrophe beyond comprehension. For every good thing, there must invariably be a bad, lest that good thing no longer be considered good at all. It's that simple, really.

"Death, much as we hate it, is an incredibly important part of what makes us human, Jae, of what makes us alive. Without it, we would place no stock in life, no value in ourselves as living, breathing, thinking individuals, and we would feel nothing but negative emotions and thoughts. There would be no passions, no goals, no dreams, no desires. There would be no beauty or care in anything, and, to put it bluntly, there would be no human civilization."

Kayaba raised a finger. "However, since we are mortal, and since we know that any moment might be our last at any time, the universe tends to take on a very different meaning to us. Everything is much more beautiful when it is finite.

"That is why I incorporated death and pain into Aincrad. There was simply no other way. All the ingredients that make up the balance of our universe, all the fundamental pillars that allow life as we know it to exist, _must_ be in place. Absent even one, there is no new world. There is no second chance for humanity.

"Not a day goes by that I don't close my eyes and see the Monument of Life standing before me, it's three thousand eight hundred and fifty-three names etched painfully into my memory, but even then, I don't regret what I did. It was essential for Aincrad. It was essential for a new, better world. That fact doesn't quell my sorrow for the lives lost, or my guilt, but there it is."

Slowly, very slowly, Jae's anger melted away. He saw the truth in Kayaba's eyes, just as he heard it in his words. The man had spoken honestly, and had revealed his benevolent intent.

While the deaths of so many friends still proved a heavy weight to bear, and one which he knew he would never be wholly free of, Jae now understood that Kayaba was not to blame. No one was. Aincrad wasn't simply a game; it was real, and in the real world, death was just a part of life.

Jae frowned as a thought took him. There were still several things he didn't yet understand.

"If SAO truly was meant for good, why did you trap us all there without our consent, or even an explanation? Why didn't you announce your true reasons for it and request volunteers? I'm sure there would have been people willing to-"

Kayaba scoffed. "You really think the governments of the world would condone such a thing? You really think they, who live like kings atop the backs of the common masses, and who create social constructs of standard, empty, mundane lives for said masses in order to continue their decadent lifestyle indefinitely, would approve of their slaves running free in a new world?" He shook his head. "If the world had known of my intentions, SAO would never have been launched. The one percent, and the bureaucrats, would have seen to that.

"And even if we lived in a perfect world and that wasn't the case, it still could not have happened. SAO had to begin the way I began it."

"Why?" Jae asked.

"Simply because in order for a world to flourish, all manner of people must live in it. If I had made my intentions public knowledge and asked for volunteers, as you suggest, then those volunteers would have been a very specific type of people, and not the type needed to give humanity a second chance.

"What was needed was for people from all corners of the globe, people of all different walks of life, values, and beliefs, to come together, face the adversity, and grow as one shared humanity. Aincrad is a place for all, a world for all, and that had to be reflected."

Jae nodded thoughtfully. "You're right about that. Now that I think about it, as time wore on, people in Aincrad considered themselves to be just that; inhabitants of Aincrad, regardless of where they had originally been from on Earth. I considered myself the same."

Another question came to his mind. He glanced back up at Kayaba.

"If the whole point of all of this was to give mankind a new, better world, why did you create the hundred Floor system and offer everyone a way out? A way back to earth?"

"Another good question." Kayaba unclasped his hands and tucked them casually into his lab coat pockets. "And one with a far simpler answer. That one was not a fundamental pillar. That was just me. I created the option of beating the game in order to help people cope with the new reality I would be placing them in.

"Mass panic in the first month was something I wanted to mitigate, and giving scared, caged people a keyhole with a ray of light, as it were, was my own way of giving everyone some hope and helping them back on their feet. I highly doubted very many people would want to leave by the time we got to Floor One Hundred- an opinion which was proven correct if you consider how the majority of the populace had long since settled down and forgotten about the real world before we even reached Floor Seventy-Five- but I figured it was only fair to offer a way out if anyone really wanted it. Aincrad is for everyone, but not everyone is for Aincrad. It belongs only to those who come to truly appreciate it and call it home."

Kayaba paused and looked at Jae.

"Which brings me to another point, and simultaneously my second reason for wanting to speak with you one last time: to put it simply, there will always be bad people, people who drag humanity down and cause nothing but destruction and chaos. That is just a rule of thumb for our species. For a long time, I feared that my world would fall victim to these people in much the same way earth has. I knew that in trapping ten thousand random souls within Aincrad, I was all but guaranteeing evil a chance to sink its roots into my life's work and ruin everything.

"It had to be done of course; in order for Aincrad to succeed as a new, better world, people would have to see it as such and want to fight for it. It was all a great gamble for me, Jae. All I could do was wait for darkness to present itself in the form of bad people, and hope that light would stand up to it. If darkness won, and my world became dominated by greed or hatred or tyranny or death, then I knew it would mean my failure, and the failure of my entire life's work. I knew it would mean that we, as a species, were doomed.

"Thus, when PoH and Laughing Coffin rose to power, I wasn't surprised. I was, however, very fearful for my world and it's inhabitants, bitterly disappointed that my greatest fear had indeed come to pass, and terrified that my great gamble would fail- that mankind would throw away it's second chance and became just as bloody, just as hateful as it was on earth. I thought for a long time that the war of green players versus red players was the ultimate test, and that if the green players triumphed, my experiment, my gamble, my hopes and dreams to give us a place to start over, would have succeeded.

"We won that war. The Battle of Brakrun was a truly terrible event, but it saw the end of Laughing Coffin. I was relieved. And then, one day, you came to Granzam and informed me that Kibaou had imprisoned Thinker, and all of Floor One was now in civil war. Green players were about to murder green players."

Kayaba shook his head. "I lost all faith that day. For nearly two years, I had believed that the terror of Laughing Coffin was our greatest test, the deciding factor in my gamble, only to learn that right after it was over, the people living in my world were once again at each other's throats, and this time with even less reason for doing so. It was a pattern from earth that I was only too familiar with."

Jae's eyes widened as the memory returned to him. He remembered his shock at Heathcliff's outburst and subsequent despair, and recalled thinking that the man had lost all hope and care for the future. As it turned out, he had been right.

"You nearly gave yourself away in the midst of your grief," he muttered in realization.

Kayaba nodded somberly. "Nearly. Never in my life have I reached a lower point than I did that day. I truly believed I had failed, that Aincrad was doomed to turn into a second earth, and that the worst of mankind would always win in the end." A small smile stole onto his intelligent face. "Fortunately, in another instance of universal balance, there will always be good people who bring out the very best of mankind; the nobility of the human spirit." He smiled at Jae. "People like you and your brother."

Jae frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Do you remember how I begged you not to intervene with the civil war that day?"

Jae nodded. "You feared it would only lead to my death."

"I did. More than you know. No matter what you might think of me, I was never false in my friendship towards you, Jae. I consider you one of the best men I have ever had the privilege of knowing, and I truly did treasure your respect and friendship while I had them. More than that, though, I also considered you and your family to be exactly the people I wanted living in Aincrad. I knew you how much you had come to care for my world- I will never forget the day you told me it was home- and I believed, and still do, that few deserve to live in it as much as you and yours do. It seemed such a waste to me that your lives were about to be thrown away. I had lost all faith in mankind and held out no hope that they would make the right choice any longer. I truly did believe that my gamble had failed."

A proud look came over his face. "You and your brother proved me wrong that day, both in different ways. Using my GM status, I saw everything as it occurred. I saw you stand before three hundred terrified men, and I saw Israel stand before a thousand angry ones. In rallying Thinker's small army to stand and fight against Kibaou's treachery and ambition, you proved to me that the people of Aincrad were still willing to defend their new lives and the promise of a better world. You proved that the good of humanity was prepared to fight the evil.

"And, of equal importance, your brother proved to me that there are indeed those who value life here more than war when he stood before Kibaou's host and, through the power of his words and the conviction of his belief, convinced them to stand down. When that happened, he proved to me that the nobility of the human spirit can still shine through, even in the darkest of hours.

"After the events of those two days, the two of you brought me to see how wrong I had been. Let me tell you, never have I been happier about not being right. It was because of you two, what you stood for and what you did, that I realized my life's work may have been successful after all, and that Aincrad is indeed a better world than earth."

With that, Kayaba bowed humbly, a beaming smile radiating on his face. "For that, I am eternally in yours and Israel's debt, and I will forever be thankful."

Jae blinked.

He didn't know what to say.

He remembered well the speech he had made to Thinker's army that night in Horunka, the determination to fight he had maintained within himself and spread to each soldier around him. He remembered even stronger the deep, indescribable pride he had felt the next morning, when his brother ended a war without shedding a single drop of blood. Both events had been important, obviously, but Jae never would have expected them to be responsible for someone's faith in humanity.

It was quite a humbling experience.

After a few moments of silence, Jae strode over to the man he considered both a friend and a stranger, and extended his hand in respect. Kayaba clasped it without hesitation.

"Thank you," Jae said with a grateful nod. "Thank you for your words, for showing me the truth, and for making me and my family a world in which we can be free. A world that we can call home."

Kayaba smiled, and for a brief moment, Jae thought he saw tears in the brilliant man's dark eyes. "I can think of none more deserving of it."

Jae released his grip. "You've also made the decision I wasn't sure I could make clearer than it has ever been. With your permission, I'd like to return to Aincrad."

Kayaba scoffed. "You don't need my permission, Jae. Aincrad is yours. It always was. In fact, now that I am officially dead and the Cardinal System gone along with me, you will hold more power there just by living your life than I now have. I could send my consciousness there and travel around a bit if I so wished, but that is the extent of my hold on it now. Without the system or me in charge, the whole place is now unscripted and unconfined. It is a true world now, independent and strong. Go there, and be the first to show the real world that there can, in fact, be a place to start over. To _live._ "

Jae considered that a moment. "Do you think we'll be the only ones there?"

Kayaba shook his head. "No. There are several hundred SAO survivors I sent this address to, and I do not doubt that in time, they will follow in your footsteps. But they are far from the only ones I mean to open my world to."

"What?" Jae asked in concern. "Kayaba, if the governments of earth were to ever find out about this place-"

Kayaba waved the thought away with a hand. "They will not find out. At least, not until everything is ready, but that will take at least a few years yet. My goal is to bring people into Aincrad over time, to spread the news that there is another world out there where freedom and a better life await. Of course that means coming up with a way to create much bigger self sufficient hospitals where people's bodies can be looked after indefinitely without human assistance, but I already have some ideas in that regard. That is why I scanned my consciousness onto the internet: I have a great deal of work yet ahead."


	151. Chapter 150

150

May 14th, 2025

United States, Virginia Beach, Virginia

"So, how do we decide this?" David asked, looking around the table. "Group vote?"

"No," Jae said with a shake of his head. "This is something everyone has to decide for themselves. There can be no pressure to follow in something as big as this."

"Haven't we already decided?" asked Meifan. He leaned back in his seat. "We all know where we belong. We all agreed with you about wanting to go back before you and Israel even discovered the lab. I'm fairly sure that hasn't changed for any of us."

"That was before we knew the cost of actually going back," Jae answered. He looked around at all the faces watching him. "As I've said, it's a one way ticket. Just like it was last time. Rinko told us before we left that we are under no obligation to do this, and that we can change our minds at any time before we're inside Aincrad again. After that, though, there won't be any time for second thoughts. Whoever goes back there to the lab and gets put into a NerveGear is gone. For good. There's no coming back to earth."

"I'm going," Israel said without hesitation. "Whatever earth may have been to us before, our lives in Aincrad have changed that forever. Jae was right, and we all know it: we don't belong here anymore. Aincrad is our home, and always will be."

Sara squeezed his hand and nodded firmly at the others. "I'm going too."

"As am I." Jae turned to glance at Vivienne. "Unless you want to stay here. I won't lie to you about this, Viv. The world here is hollow and empty to me, more so than I've let on, but if you want to stay, my place is first and foremost by your side. I'll go with you anywhere."

Vivienne laced her fingers through his and flashed him a strong, determined look that he remembered well. At that moment, with her chin held high and a proud, fearless glint in her eyes, she reminded him of who she truly was: a warrior, a leader, and an Officer of the HDA.

She was the strongest woman he had ever met.

"I go with you," she said simply. "We belong in Aincrad just as much as we belong together. Always."

Jae breathed a sigh of relief and offered her a grateful, loving smile before turning his attention back to the other three that hadn't yet spoken.

Meifan crossed his arms. "Of course I'm coming along too. I can't very well let you lot go running into danger without me."

"Took the words right out of my mouth," Avari said with a grin. She arched an eyebrow at Jae, Vivienne, Israel, and Sara. "Besides, you all know Aincrad wouldn't be at all the same without me."

"Quieter maybe," Jae muttered.

Vivienne nodded. "Definitely more peaceful."

Both of them laughed, and Avari chuckled goodnaturedly.

"And you, David?" Sara asked when the noise died down.

The younger man looked up. He shared a brief, intimate look with Avari, then smiled at everyone.

"There are many things on earth that I wished I still cared for. Some, I still do. I can't deny that our two years in Aincrad have changed me, turned me into someone I never thought I'd be. When we got back, I wanted so badly to make things work again, to fall back into life before Sword Art Online. I wanted to feel at home again. What I forgot for a time was that I was looking for home in the wrong place."

He gestured at the seven of them, all sitting in a circle in the living room. "This is home. When all of us are together. In my mind there's nothing more important than that, and nothing worth trading it for. I love Avari more than life, you all know that, but it's important to me that you know I make this decision not just for her, but for everyone in this room. We all belong together, no matter the obstacles or the perils. Aincrad won't be any less dangerous than before, but that doesn't make it any less important to us all. Besides, no world should separate us."

Out of the corner of his eye, Jae saw Israel share a knowing look with David.

"Family," Israel said with a slight nod.

David smiled proudly. "Family."

There was silence in the room for a long moment.

Meifan shifted his weight. "Then it is decided. I for one think it's long past time we returned home."

Avari held up a finger. "One question. How exactly are we supposed to make another trip to Japan?" she cocked her head at Jae and Israel. "Don't forget, we all practically went broke chipping in to just get you two there and back."

"And I for one would like to see some of that money again sometime in the future," Meifan added under his breath.

Jae rolled his eyes, but couldn't suppress his smile. Reaching into his back pocket, he withdrew a single red credit card and held it up for everyone to see.

"Israel and I told Dr. Rinko as much, and she was kind enough to help us out. With as much money as there is on here, we could all fly first class in private jets if we felt like it-"

"Which we will absolutely be doing, then," Avari interjected.

"Which we will absolutely not be doing." Jae peered over at Meifan. "And as for the money Israel and I owe you, I have no doubt my wonderful brother will be kind enough to pay you back in Col very soon."

…

A few days later, Jae and Israel led the others through the underground steel hall and into the hidden lab. The moment they closed the heavy iron door behind them, they turned and found themselves being greeted by a smiling Dr. Rinko and her two associates.

"It's wonderful to see you both again," the Doctor said in sincere happiness. She looked around at the others. "And how nice to meet you all. I assume you are-"

"Our family," Israel said with a nod. "We've all decided to go back together."

Sara stepped forward. "Is it really true? Everything will be the same as it was?"

Rinko nodded. "Everything remains exactly as it was down to the last hour of SAO's original existence. You have my word on that; I have seen it all for myself."

"If the Cardinal System no longer functions," said Vivienne, "will all of the Floors be open and accessible?"

Rinko shook her head. "The loss of Kayaba as the GM, and thus the loss of the Cardinal System, merely means that the game will now run independent of any oversight or supervision. NPCs will no longer be scripted, certain areas will no longer be blocked off, yes, but other than that, everything will be as it was before the final ten to fifteen minutes of shutdown processes. It will feel as though you never left at all."

"So we will be at Floor Seventy-Five, then?" asked Meifan. "That was the last Floor to be cleared."

"Precisely. But, if you wish to find out what the higher Floors have to offer, there is nothing stopping you from continuing your ascent. I would warn against such a thing, however. At least for a time."

"Difficulty spikes?" Jae asked.

Rinko nodded. "During the game's development, I saw much of what awaits on the higher Floors- particularly the final ten. While the locations and environments are remarkably beautiful and have much to offer on these elite Floors, the enemies Kayaba created there are truly challenging. If I were you, I would wait and grow stronger before daring such a venture."

David shrugged. "It's not like we have any reason beyond curiosity to unlock newer Floors anyway. We have the Farmhouse, and seventy-four other Floors we know well. Once we're back in Aincrad, it'll be a long time before I feel the need to go dungeon crawling again."

Jae, Vivienne, and Avari all nodded knowingly.

"Eventually though," Meifan said. "One day, I would like to see what the higher Floors have to offer."

"How fortunate for us then," Israel said with a smile as he clapped the man on the shoulder, "that we have the rest of our lives to prepare for them."

After a few more questions were asked by the others about certain things to expect upon returning to Aincrad, Rinko led them to the huge room lined with hospital beds and topped with NerveGear that Jae remembered seeing from his and Israel's first visit. She guided them each to their own stations side by side of another, and then started up each of their monitoring systems. While the others broke away to examine the equipment which would be hooked up to them, Rinko took the opportunity to step up beside Jae.

"They seem excited," she noted in amusement.

"They're ready to go home," Jae answered. "And so am I."

The Japanese doctor nodded knowingly. "I understand."

Neither of them spoke for a brief moment, but then she added, "I'd like to thank you, sincerely, for taking the time to speak with Kayaba that day. It meant a great deal to him."

Jae nodded. "It meant a lot to me, as well. More than I expected."

He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. "I understand now why you loved him. I never thought I'd say this, but he's a good man. Heathcliff was a hero, and my friend. It took me awhile to figure out that Kayaba was too, but I'm glad I can say as much now." He shook his head and smiled. "I'm going to miss him."

Rinko cleared her throat, but it wasn't enough to hide the emotion in her voice.

"Me too." She wiped at her eyes with the sleeves of her lab coat before turning a smile towards him. "Thank you for your words, Jae. You too are a good man. I can see why he thinks so highly of you. Something tells me you're destined for great things."

Jae couldn't help but smile at that. For so long- nearly his whole life- he had tried to be anything but 'destined for great things.' Being normal, just someone in the crowd, had been his sole identity...and then Aincrad happened, and taught him more about himself than he would ever have learned on earth.

It seemed the world Kayaba had created truly was a special place, after all.

"I'm leaving soon," Rinko said then, breaking the silence between them. "I thought you should know."

Jae turned to her with a frown. "Leaving? What do you mean? Leaving the lab?"

She nodded. "My government has begun watching me a little too intently for my liking. I believe that they are still suspicious of my involvement with Kayaba. Whatever their reasons, I cannot allow them the chance to eventually stumble upon the safe haven for Sword Art Online that he and I created here. I must protect his world- and now, the people who live there as well- which is why I have to leave. Do not worry though; most of the lab is self sufficient at this point, and what isn't will be left in the more than capable hands of Doctors Ishida and Hironaka. You need not fear. We would all happily devote our lives to keep your family and your world safe. Them no less then me."

Jae considered that for a moment. "I trust you, Rinko, and I appreciate your devotion." He crossed his arms. "So, where will you go now?"

"I've given it some thought, and I'm considering America."

Jae's eyes widened in surprise. "Really? Any particular reason?"

Rinko brushed aside her black bangs as she nodded. "It will be a good place to begin setting up a secondary lab, as well as to continue Kayaba's work. There is still much that needs to be done."

Jae eyed the woman suspiciously. "I'd like to know more about this 'work' of his. I asked him about it during out talk, but he was being rather cryptic."

"And for good reason."

Jae held eye contact with her. "What exactly are you two planning? Does Kayaba intend on eventually putting the whole world in a coma and having everyone live in Aincrad?"

Rinko appraised him a moment before finally offering a subtle smile.

"One day, Jae Kulavic, we will meet again. When we do, you will have your answer. I can promise you that."

The bed felt cold but soft as Jae laid down and positioned himself until he was comfortable. Turning his head, he saw Vivienne looking at him from her own bed right beside him. He reached out to her, and her hand quickly came to his. Smiles were on both of their faces as they stared at each other. Above them, Rinko and the other doctors were quickly and efficiently going about the process of hooking them up to the monitors above each of their beds. Once they were done, they handed each of them a NerveGear and moved on to getting the others set up.

"I love you," Jae whispered in quiet joy.

She flashed him a special smile. "And I love you."

On his right, Jae heard Israel exchanging similar words with Sara. After a moment, right as the four of them were about to put the NerveGear on for the last time, Jae turned his head and met the gaze of his brother.

For a long moment, the two of them simply looked at each other. No words were said, but none had to be. Both knew what the other was thinking. A lifetime of love, pride, devotion, and loyalty was passed wordlessly between them- a bond that could never be broken- and as Jae saw the events of two of the their most important and meaningful years flash by in his brother's piercing cobalt eyes- from the early days of learning to fight outside of the Town of Beginnings, to battling together alone in a hidden trap room underneath the Floor One Boss against hundreds of mobs, to singing In The End along the dirt road outside of Trevica- he knew that bond could never be broken.

From the time when the arguments between them grew worse and Israel spent more time with Naomi and Jae spent more time with the Assault Team, to the day Jae discovered Israel's Strength stat allocation and Naomi's subsequent death, to the many months they spent far, far apart as the Shadow of Death and the Hero of Floor Twenty-Five, both thinking constantly of the other even as they believed one another dead, to the fight in the woods where they first reunited, to the Battle of Brakrun and the overthrow of Xaxa at their hands, to the family they suddenly found themselves a part of, to the ruined Farmhouse they discovered and helped build.

Through it all, their bond had never broken.

Through it all, they had remained brothers in arms.

"Together, brother?" Jae asked the man for whom he would lay down his life.

Israel nodded firmly. "Together, then. I'll see you on the other side, brother."

Reaching out over their respective beds, they clasped hands.

And then Jae picked up the NerveGear and rested it's familiar weight back onto his head.

"All clear," Rinko said from somewhere close by. "You may all now begin your launch back into Sword Art Online. I wish you all the best of luck, and the happiest of lives. May our paths cross once again, sometime in the future."

Without hesitation, Jae said the two simple words that would bring him home.

"Link. Start."

…

When Jae opened his eyes, he found himself in the middle of a very familiar spot. He was standing in a huge, circular plaza with a well made brick and mortar floor. The warm sun shined down on him from above, and the sky was bright and clear. A ring of tall, sophisticated stone buildings surrounded the plaza, their tiled rooftops glinting off the sun's rays. Four paved roads ran out evenly in all directions, offering multiple exits out of the plaza and deeper into the huge city.

The Monument of Life, a dark granite wall some ten feet across and high, stood solemnly near the back of the plaza, it's surface etched with the names of all those who had lost their lives. Beyond it, and just past the southern exit, the tall, angular peaks of the Black Iron Palace towered proudly above the other buildings of the city, easily breaking the skyline.

A gentle breeze picked up, cooling the paved ground and making the sunny day feel even more wonderful.

Jae smiled.

The Town of Beginnings had never looked so beautiful.

"Jae!"

Brought out of his thoughts at once by the sound of her voice, he turned and saw them: Vivienne, Israel, Sara, David, Avari, and Meifan were all standing together about ten feet away, watching him. Broad smiles were on each of their faces, and tears of joy were in each of their eyes.

Breaking off into a run, Jae all but threw himself into the arms of the six of them, and within seconds everyone was hugging, crying, and laughing in pure wonder.


	152. Chapter 151

151

May 18th, 2025

Floor 70, Farmhouse

The next day dawned bright and warm and wonderful- the perfect weather for a wedding.

Jae's cheeks were already starting to hurt from smiling as he stood on the makeshift platform before Israel and Sara, both of whom in turn seemed to be incapable of anything but beaming as they stared at each other. Both seemed to glow in the midst of their joy and excitement, and with each passing second, it was growing increasingly more difficult for Jae to keep himself from tearing up.

Israel was wearing a magnificent black and gold outfit for the occasion- Jae took full credit for its find- complete with a cinched tunic and doublet that emphasized his lean, muscular build and that made his penetrating blue eyes seem even brighter. His thick, dark blonde hair was parted neatly in the middle and fell nearly to his shoulders, and at his side was a ceremonial sword that went with the outfit. He looked strikingly handsome, but, more importantly, he looked happy.

Sara, meanwhile, was wearing a gorgeous white wedding dress cut square at the neck that, coupled with her luxurious mane of long silver hair flowing down her shoulders and back, made her appear a princess from some far off land. Flower bracelets made by Vivienne and Avari adorned both of her wrists, and in her hands she held a bouquet of golden roses gifted to her by Meifan and David.

It occurred to Jae that this was the first time he had ever seen Sara wearing a color other than black. To say that she looked positively divine was an understatement.

Vivienne, Avari, David, and Meifan were all standing close by, with the brightly lit and decorated Farmhouse looming behind them. All four had smiles on their faces and tears in their eyes as they waited patiently for the proceedings to begin.

It was a joyous day, and one which Jae was honored to have been asked to conduct. At that moment, as he stood there with his hands clasped in front of himself and Israel and Sara waiting blissfully before him, he realized that there was nowhere else he would rather be.

Reminding himself that he had a job to do- a job he had been personally requested for by both his brother and Sara- he cleared his throat, took both of them by the hand, and began.

"Everyone, we are gathered here today to witness the start of something truly wonderful: the beginning of the life of Israel and Sara together. There are no two people who deserve each other more. Over the course of two long years, and in spite of countless trials and tribulations hurled at them every step of the way, these two have proven themselves to be the very best of us- strong, faithful, wise, loyal, and fearless in their defense of each other, and of life.

"Like all of us, they have made mistakes, but unlike most, both of them have faced those mistakes, learned from them, and become better people for it. They are both truly special. Their love and care for one another is a shining example to us all. They are here, now, to fulfill their wish to be one, to be together, for now and for always..."

Jae's voice broke slightly as a lump rose up in his throat. He blinked away a tear in his eye and squeezed both Israel and Sara's hands.

"There is no one in the world who is more proud of them than I am." He looked past them to share a glance with the others standing in the back. "And there is no one who loves them more than us."

Israel's eyes were wet when he met Jae's proud gaze, his face expressing wordless thanks. At that moment, Jae wasn't sure which of them felt more honored.

Clearing his throat, he went on.

"Israel, Sara, you are about to be bound together in the bonds of marriage, but I want you both to remember, always, that bonds run far deeper than mere words and officialities. First and foremost, it is through shared hearts that you are truly binded, that you are truly one. Never forget that.

"Israel, step forward."

Unable to take his eyes or his smile off of Sara, Israel stepped closer to her.

"Sara," Jae said in as firm a voice as he could muster, "I present to you Israel Blanco, my brother, and the best man I've ever known. Will you take him to be your lawfully wedded husband, to love and to honor, to care for and to defend, for all the days of your life?"

Sara's bright blue eyes sparkled as she beamed. "I will."

In the back of his mind, Jae was dimly aware of the pain in his cheeks as a result of his never ending smile, but he didn't care.

Aside from his own dream of a wedding with Vivienne, this was the happiest day of his life.

"Sara, step forward."

She did so.

"Israel," Jae said, "I present to you Sara Cotters, a sister to my heart, one of the bravest and smartest people in the world, and a hell of a potion maker. Will you take her to be your lawfully wedded wife, to love and to honor, to care for and to defend, for all the days of your life?"

Israel looked almost giddy as he grinned. "I will."

"Then before this small but loving crowd, your family," announced Jae as he fit the rings to each of their fingers, "I declare you now married from this day onward. May good fortune be with you both always, and may the joy you now feel in your hearts remain there for all time."

Unable to restrain himself any longer, Israel darted forward and swept Sara up into his arms. She seemed to melt in his embrace, and when their lips touched, both of them began to cry and laugh at the same time.

A loud cheer split the quiet air of the clearing as Vivienne, David, Avari, and Meifan all shouted and clapped in delight. Avari, who had been waiting for this moment, hurled a handful of white flowers into the air above them, and then proceeded to weep into David's shoulder.

Jae turned to step down, but before he could, Israel broke away from his kiss with Sara and wrapped him in a loving bear hug.

"Thank you, Jae," he whispered in a tone that shook with warmth and sincerity. "For everything."

Jae smiled as he returned the embrace. "No, thank you. You have no idea how grateful I am that you chose to talk to me on the bus to school that day. It has been the greatest of honors to call myself your brother."

He shoved Israel playfully away from him and back towards Sara.

"Now get back over there and kiss your new wife like you mean it."

Without hesitation, Israel took him up on his advice.

Making his way off the slightly raised platform to give the two of them center stage, Jae quickly closed the distance between himself and Vivienne, kissed her tenderly amidst the joy of the moment, and then joined in the clapping.

The sun shined brightly through the tall, vibrant trees at the opposite end of the clearing, its rays passing through and around the newly married couple as they continued to hold each other, and to laugh. The Farmhouse, bedecked as it was in lights, flowers, and multi-colored streamers for the occasion, seemed to take on a shine of its own. While there was no breeze, the fresh, open air felt warm and comforting, and carried with it the scent of aromatic pine needles and sweet tree sap from the woods beyond.

It had taken Jae some time to enjoy the smell of the forest, and in truth he still would have preferred enjoying it from atop a castle wall, but now, he took a deep breath and allowed himself a smile.

As he stood there with his arms around the woman of his dreams, with loving family all around, with his brother kissing his new wife on the platform before them, and with their inviting home waiting behind, Jae looked around at the beautiful world they were in, smiled, and gave a silent prayer of thanks.

They were home.

 _The End_


	153. Epilogue

Epilogue

May 25th, 2025

United States, Jacksonville, Florida

The leather recliner creaked as she leaned back, her left arm resting on the arm of the chair, her fingers slowly twirling the folded note bearing the mysterious address. At this point, she didn't even need to look at it to see every letter and number in her mind's eye; she had pondered it for so long that her brain had long since stamped it into her mind:

 _13-1, Nishi Goken-cho Building, Shinjuku Street, Tokyo, Japan_

Without taking her eyes from the small T.V. in front of her, she reached for the remote with her free hand and turned up the volume. The reporter, a tall, pretty woman with long blonde hair and dressed in professional attire, was standing in front of several enlarged pictures as she spoke.

She knew every person on every one of those pictures before the reporter even began referencing them. Oh, yes. She knew them, alright.

" _...search continues unabated tonight as police continue combing the city and outlying areas for any evidence as to the whereabouts of the missing group. All seven are reported to have gone missing within the same day, and while countless rumors have already begun to go around regarding the reasons for their disappearance, nothing so far has led to any conclusive answers._

" _The FBI has come forward tonight, with Director of National Intelligence Jonah Willards stating that in light of the highly controversial, divisive, and potentially sinister nature of the case, agents of the Bureau will be stepping in to aid the Virginia Beach Police Department in the search. He has also said that while it is as of yet unconfirmed, he and his staff are going forward on the widely held suspicion that brothers Israel Blanco and Jae Kulavic, as well as their friends, have been targeted by some sort of hate group as a response to the national outrage over the outcome of Israel Blanco's trial at the Supreme Court back in February ._

" _Many have long believed that Mr. Blanco deserves to be incarcerated for the murders he committed during the Sword Art Online incident, and the FBI has confirmed that over eight thousand credible death threats have been found within his e-mail accounts and phone. Considering Jae Kulavic and the others of the group are all known to have defended Mr. Blanco during these controversial events, it is safe to assume that they are likely facing the same treatment at the hands of whoever might be responsible._

" _Vassago Casals, also known by his SAO name of PoH, is no longer a prime suspect in this case, as his escape from the Chesapeake Bay State Jail is not reported to have occurred until thirty-four hours after the group's disappearance, and it would have taken him several days to reach- "_

With a press of the remote, she shut off the T.V. and rose to her feet.

She had thought it over long enough.

That PoH had escaped meant nothing to her- if he had received the same address as she did, he would long ago have taken a plane to Japan. He certainly wouldn't have bothered to travel across the country like a maniac and attempt to kill the Shadow and Sara.

No, his escape and disappearance weren't connected to any of this. But theirs, on the other hand…theirs made all the difference. Theirs proved the validity of the note she held between her fingers.

She had no doubt now that they too had received the Japanese address. She also had no doubt that if they had received it, and she had received it, then others had received it as well. Before long, more people would put two and two together, as she had, follow in the footsteps of the Shadow and his brother, and end up missing too.

She rose abruptly to her feet.

She didn't care about others. All she cared about was the Shadow and his brother and the rest of their little gang, and what their disappearance meant: that there was something at that address in Japan, and it had something to do with Kayaba, and thus with Aincrad.

It all pointed to only one thing: somehow, somewhere, Sword Art Online was still alive.

If that was the case, then she wasn't about to waste another day. She didn't have very much money saved up, but she was reasonably sure it would be enough.

She spent the next few minutes rifling through her tiny room in search of her backpack. Once she found it, she quickly packed some spare clothes, extra cash for the trip, and a few other odds and ends that she might need. She didn't bother changing her clothes, but she did take the time to put on a light jacket over her shirt. It was hot out this time of year, but airplanes tended to be a bit cold for her taste.

Returning to the leather recliner, she picked up her old phone, its corner still chipped from the day she had been pushed while standing in line to buy her copy of SAO, and tapped the Uber app on the screen. As it buffered, she listened to the angry shouting between the man and woman upstairs. Both sounded ready to come to blows.

The moment the buffering was finished, she selected the 'call ride' option and waited. A second later, a confirmation appeared on her screen telling her her ride would be there in four minutes, followed by a visual image of her driver and the car he would arrive in. Dropping the phone into her pocket, she slung her backpack onto a shoulder, put on her dirty, worn shoes, and stepped outside.

The face of the Shadow flashed in her vision, and she clenched her fist instinctively. Then the image of the green player woman, Vivienne, forced itself into her mind's eye.

She gritted her teeth in silent rage at the very thought.

Rage, and confusion.

After a moment of allowing her anger to reign unchecked, she spotted the car pulling up and forced herself to put such thoughts and feelings aside; she had a long journey ahead of her, and many questions that needed answers.

She had no idea where PoH was now- probably hiding out in some shack in the middle of nowhere- and the last news she had heard on Xaxa was that he had been imprisoned in his home country of Japan for somehow killing people inside of another VR game, but it didn't matter. She didn't need them. Furthermore, they had both proven themselves fools for not adjusting to the new reality, for not being patient like she had.

No. She didn't need them at all.

The Uber stopped just past the crowded driveway, the driver waving goodnaturedly.

Hoisting her pack higher up on her shoulder, she tucked the mysterious address into her back pocket and then started forward. The second she opened one of the rear doors and sat down in the passenger seat, she was hit with the aroma of expired air fresheners.

"Good evening!" the driver said cheerfully as he set the car in gear and started off again. As he drove, he leaned forward to peer at the phone he had set up just next to the steering wheel.

"That's a beautiful name you have there, Ms. Dawn."

She smiled politely.

"Thank you, but I actually prefer to be called Midnight."


	154. Final Author's Note

**Author's Note:**

Thank you.

Thank you for taking the time to give my story a chance, for reading it through to the very end, and for supporting me with follows, favorites, reviews, and private messages. Thank you for your praises and your criticisms. Thank you for following the lives of two brothers, for sticking with them through thick and thin, for laughing with them, crying with them, and rooting for them every step of the way. Whether you loved both of them equally or found yourselves preferring one over the other (#teamIsraelalltheway), they both thank you for standing beside them to the end. Shout out of thanks to Xiax in particular, who was a wonderful Beta Reader during the second half of the story, and who I absolutely loved hearing from every time he read a chapter and wanted to tell me what he thought. Thanks man, I'm deeply grateful for your support and all the love you threw my way during the writing. You're the best!

Now then, let me go ahead and address the Epilogue before my PM's explode with hate mail.

It was the Epilogue. Not the actual book. Meaning technically, tecccchhhhhnically, I didn't leave you all with a cliffhanger. I took care of all the loose ends. I typed out those two ultimate words. You _chose_ to go on and keep reading after The End. Boom. Damn right I covered my bases. Muhahahaha.

Ok, in all seriousness, I will explain. I ended it the way I did for two reasons, first and foremost being that that's just how I love to write and tell stories. If you've read Brothers in Arms through from beginning to end, you know all too well how much I love my cliffhangers by now. Sorry not sorry.

My second reason for the ending is that I actually have a whole second series planned. Yep. You read that right. Turns out I have kind of a creative problem and it's really hard for me to stop coming up with ideas and plots that spring up on the tails of the old ones. That's not to say I could just keep writing one story forever, though. It just means that I feel like there's still potential for more adventures and room for growth with Jae and Israel and the rest of their family, not to mention Midnight, who I have big plans for. All I'll say on that note is that there's a reason she was kept so 'in the background' during the Laughing Coffin war as opposed to PoH, Xaxa, and Liam.

Now, whether or not I actually write that second series depends entirely on how many people actually want to read it.

No, this isn't a bid for attention or views. This is just me being straightforward. I have a completely original fantasy series I'm working on AND a kind of biography on the side, both of which I hope to get published, so there's a lot on my plate that will require lots of attention for the next year or two. Brothers in Arms was a passion project, a labor of love that I really really enjoyed writing every step of the way, but at the end of the day, it was a Fanfic, and thus it must be lowered on the list of priorities. I love the brothers, I love Sara, Vivienne, and all the others so much, I know them all so well, and I want their story to go on because it deserves to go on, but there's only time for so much.

So, now that Brothers in Arms is over after two years of hard work, and seeing as the whole thing was meant for you wonderful people in the first place, I think it's only fair to put story 2 on hold unless enough of you tell me otherwise. If I see these characters mean as much to you as they do to me, then I will happily crack my fingers, make some room on my schedule, and get back to work. Thanks again for reading everyone, and feel free to contact me anytime you want! I love hearing what people think about the story.

Cheers,

the Shadow of Death


End file.
